Just getting some opinions on the Mirka 6" deros 5mm. Can owners give me some pros and cons please.
[OP]
Contributor
Just getting some opinions on the Mirka 6" deros 5mm. Can owners give me some pros and cons please.
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!"
Contributor
I have two 5" Ceros sanders but no Deros but some users here, and one who is no longer here that I speak with, speak highly of them. That said, not trying to take anything away from Mirka, but I would advise you highly to look at the 6" AirVantage RO's that are the gen 1 sanders with the remote transformer. We have 2 6" AirVantage Gen 1 sanders, 2 5" Mirka Ceros. I didnt want to move away from the dynabrade form factor when we wanted the 6" sanders but Ceros' had been discontinued.Originally Posted by Zachary Caldwell
The AirVantage have some control things to be honest are not as nice as the Ceros but they are THE BOMB. I will guarantee you that when you get a DC brushless that is truly in the dynabrade envelope (small, light, powerfull, no transformer hanging off the back) you'll never look back. And the price at 319 is hard to beat. They have a massive dust collection funnel hitting the pad which is pretty impressive for dust collection.
Just my 0.02 but give them a look
Contributor
Just walked out to the shop and snapped some photos. The form factor of the smaller envelope is impossible to beat in my opinion.
20211106_124944.jpg
20211106_124949.jpg
20211106_125001.jpg
20211106_125026.jpg
20211106_125033.jpg
Contributor
i have a deros, and absolutely love it. it's my favorite of all of my sanders, and i prefer it for the higher grits over the festools. great balance and ergonomics.
Member
I use a 6" Mirka Deros, just snapped some pics to compare to Marks. I have big mits, but I think even with smaller hands this beast would still be comfortable. It is a serious sander, you can turn it up to ludicrous speed and it'll sand faster than anything else I've ever had, by quite a lot, or throttle it back and be delicate. The AutoNet is definitely a factor in that, but the stroke size and power also matter. I'm a fan. It's been asked before, that's just a standard small festool hose attached, no adapters. I'll by another if I ever wear this one out.
20211106_144712.jpg20211106_144750.jpg20211106_144756.jpg
Contributor
I use mine on a daily basis. I don't feel any need to have a different sander (I do have a Festool 3mm orbit sander for finer work)
I guess in terms of pros/cons, you might either love or hate the paddle switch. I both love and hate it. I'm always inadvertently triggering it, while changing grits, for example, but I love it while using the sander.
If it died I'd probably buy another. Actually it did die, out of warranty, and Mirka sent me a brand new one, no charge. So there's that. That inspired some brand loyalty.
Contributor
Zachary, I have the Ceros, which was the model before the Deros. The concept is the same, and to the unenlightened, the differences may go unrecognised. The main difference is that the transformer is now built into the sander body, rather than being a separate box …
This is an inconvenience and I would upgrade to the Deros if I did more sanding (I prefer hand planes).
What I like about the Ceros, and suspect that many others feel the same way, is that the sander is lighter and more maneuverable without the built-in transformer ..
As far as I am aware, while not as light as the Ceros, the Deros remains a delight to use. I would be willing to give up a little lightness for the convenience.
I like the paddle in that there is control while gripping the body. The whole sander fits into the palm of the hand, and this (along with its lightness) makes it the go-to tool for sanding in the vertical or angles (and why these sanders are the choice for car body work). If all you are doing is sanding flat panels on a bench, which lie horizontally, these I would use a Festool 150-style. I have an old Festo ET2E (about 25 years old!), which is even heavier than its descendant, but this is an advantage in this situation.
The dust control of the Ceros/Deros with Abranet is simply amazing. I use a Festool CT26e and cannot imagine a better result.
Regards from Perth
Derek
[OP]
Contributor
I appreciate all the input. With festools being so far out just contemplating a different brand. This all helps. Does anyone think the paper from Mirka is better than the festool paper?
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!"
Member
I wouldn't switch back to paper, Mirka abranet or autonet is all I stock in my shop. There are a couple other good brands of mesh that someone else can probably recommend.
Contributor
We tried abranet for a while and for me at least on close comparison I couldnt find anything advantageous to it. Have tried numerous brands and always wind up back at Indasa rhyno. Its the best paper weve ever run but always trying new stuff.
Contributor
Mark, Many of us are old enough to remember many instances of porch screen holes caused by BB guns ,knitting needles…brooms ,etc.
ABRANET could be used for sanding …then used again as “porch screen repair material”. Regular sandpaper would look pretty…ugly.
Contributor
I’ve had a Deros 5inch for several years. Use it with the Mirka hose which fits well and seems more manageable then the standard size hose on my Fein vac. Use Abranet almost exclusively and I cannot be more pleased. I’ve sanded for hours without hand or wrist pain which I cannot say about less expensive sanders.
Member
It's the best sander I've ever owned or used. Extremely fast. Great finish. Excellent when paired with the abranet. Easy to handle and very light.
Cons: I regret buying their integrated hose/cord. It unscrews itself and falls apart from time to time. The systainer it came in is a bit silly. It just flops around in the box, no structure at all. Also, dangerous to bump yourself with when using the abranet. I was using some 80 grit and didn't realize how sharp and stiff those pads were. Sliced me open instantly.
So... the pros are all the machine, the cons are just nitpicking the accessories.
Contributor
I started on the festool ets ec. After a while I saw a deal on the mirka if I bought overseas it came with 5&6" pads, 200 sheets of Abranet paper, and a vacuum hose. For 550 or so. I then rewired it with a festool plug. It is far smoother and more comfortable then the ets. The only thing I cant get used to is I often lay sander upside down to prevent anything from getting on the disk between pieces. With the paddle instead of a switch the Mirka turns on, gets me every time I put it down
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
