Belt sander vs Rotex

[simnick]

Re:https://www.amazon.com/MAKITA-Sanding-Shoe-9404-No-193072-3/dp/B0007ZGWMS
Read carefully: "UK imports may differ from local products" - Ships from Amazon Global Store UK

Amazon has been doing some odd cross market global shipping lately, this is the same.
Makita does not carry this model in the US. Yes, you can get it from the UK, and Amazon is making it easy, but no US branch of a company sells sanding frames. Don't know why.

I think my root question is, independent of plywood tables or not, as a generalist woodworker:
Belt sanders with sanding frames are going away. Should I get one while I still can (like the vac-sys), or is a Rotex a good enough substitute that I won't miss when they don't exist anymore?
Basically, is my FOMO (fear of missing out) justified, or should I just move on to geared sanders (as Festool and Bosch have).

 

[mino]

For flattening, no, belt sander with a frame cannot be (fully) replaced by a Rotex.

It can be replaced by a stationary belt sander and/or a stationary thicknesser.

For general material removal with limited flatness requirements, yes, a Rotex will do a good job there. Different tools.

If a rotex is good-enough, then no point in getting a belt sander with frame. If you have a good planer thicknesser, the less point in it, and even less if you have a proper drum sander.

I think what we see happening is people are moving more and more to make stuff from pre-finished materials. There the ability to flatten a piece precisely is not so urgent. We see the same in the 1/2 sheet sanders disappearing too and giving way to random orbitals as well.

The mass market has spoken. An excentric sander or a rotex are seen as "good-enough" on the flatness side for the non-high-end makers. And the artisans out there already have the tools, or have the means to get the industrial ones should the need arise.

So the answer is simple:
Do you want/need the ability to make absolutely-flat pieces in hobby/small shop conditions? If so, then absolutely get the BS or other while you can. And grab an RS2 while at it. If not, then a Rotex and an ETS should do fine.

 

[Bertotti]

OP says he needs it for the edges of the ply, wouldn't the ets with the edge guide be the better choice in this case?

 

[simnick]

Thanks [member=61254]mino[/member] and others. Sounds like those who have belt sanders with sanding frames find them to be a unique option, not directly comparable to other portable tools. I'm going to pick up the Makita while I still can get a sanding frame to match.

Someday I will pick up a geared orbital sander as well, but those aren't going away anytime soon.

 

[simnick]

So, I grabbed the Makita 9404, and the sanding frame from the UK. Had to put it in a matching MakPak systainer, even if it is not t-loc.

Haven't gotten a chance to use it out yet, might resurface my bench top to test it out.