Different DTS 400 sanding pads?

[Tuvalu]

Hi there I hope someone can speak from experience to this very unexperienced youngling.
I kind of just walked into a DTS 400 Q. It came with the Festool shop vac I bought. Both are preloved – there is simply no way I could justify full retail price, but yeah long story short, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself negotiating to include the delta sander.

Now, I noticed the soft part of the sanding pad is falling apart and the Velcro part only sticks to it in a few places. I noticed there used to be seven holes (like in my current, broken pad) but they now have 9 holes. According to this thread I can buy the 9 hole one and use it on my older model DTS. Could I get confirmation that this is indeed correct? And would there be a reason why I also see the seven hole one still availability for purchase (be it third party)?

Are third party sanding pads just as good as Festool’s own?

I also came across a seller who makes hard sanding pads. He replaced the soft part with wood. What would the performance consequence be? Is there a particular use for that?

Final question: anything else I should check on a used DTS, like a known weakness? Thank you!

 

[MrToolJunkie]

The pads fit new and old generation DTS sanders. I don't know about aftermarket non-Festool or the hard one you found from a seller, so cannot comment. But, I will tell you the DTS is a gem and a great sander all around.

 

[Vondawg]

Hi there I hope someone can speak from experience to this very unexperienced youngling.
I kind of just walked into a DTS 400 Q. It came with the Festool shop vac I bought. Both are preloved – there is simply no way I could justify full retail price, but yeah long story short, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself negotiating to include the delta sander.

Now, I noticed the soft part of the sanding pad is falling apart and the Velcro part only sticks to it in a few places. I noticed there used to be seven holes (like in my current, broken pad) but they now have 9 holes. According to this thread I can buy the 9 hole one and use it on my older model DTS. Could I get confirmation that this is indeed correct? And would there be a reason why I also see the seven hole one still availability for purchase (be it third party)?

Are third party sanding pads just as good as Festool’s own?

I also came across a seller who makes hard sanding pads. He replaced the soft part with wood. What would the performance consequence be? Is there a particular use for that?

Final question: anything else I should check on a used DTS, like a known weakness? Thank you!

Hehe this is how it starts…stick with the OM parts it’s a great sander don’t skimp its well worth it…and Welcome !

 

[Tuvalu]

Hehe this is how it starts…stick with the OM parts it’s a great sander don’t skimp its well worth it…and Welcome !

Haha thanks! Truth be told, I did marvel at the performance of both sander and shop vac when I did a test run. Absolutely love it. Thanks for the advice.

 

[onocoffee]

I bought my DTS 400 at a discounted price because it was a discontinued SKU (you'll learn more about those the more you read here) and it was with the older (and discontinued) 7 hole pad.

But if you look at the listing on Festool USA for the current model:

Finish Delta Sander DTS 400 REQ-Plus

www.festoolusa.com

You'll note that this new 9 hole version is listed as DTS 400 REQ - which is the same as my (and presumably your) 7 hole DTS 400 REQ. My DTS pad is still in great shape so I'm in no rush to change it to the 9 hole version but since yours sounds worn, you can replace it with no issues. Don't know anything about third-party pads. Chances are they will be fine but you'll find most here will stick with OEM parts for best compatibility.

I bought my DTS because it was at a discount and didn't expect to use it much other than for sanding into corners, etc. But, it's become one of my favorites and I use it far more than I anticipated. Get the Granat Delta Abrasives Systainer - gives you 20 pieces of six different grits for $109. It's a solid deal - and even if those abrasives have 9 holes they will still work perfectly on your 7 hole pad.

 

[Tuvalu]

Actually mine is DTS 400 Q. Is there a difference between REQ and Q?

 

[luvmytoolz]

Don't know anything about third-party pads. Chances are they will be fine but you'll find most here will stick with OEM parts for best compatibility.

I bought several of the Ebay pads in hard and firm for the ETS EC and Rotex 150's and have been using them the last year or two to test, and at less than 1/4 the cost I can't actually tell a difference.

For some reason the Festool pads do have a very finite life and tend to break down after some years, so I've been very conscious of the cost after having thrown out several brand new spare pads that disintegrated in the drawer.

 

[peter halle]

Hope that you enjoy your sander. Using the DTS there is a tendency to apply more pressure to the pointed end of the sander, so that area tends to usually wear out first.

Peter

 

[bertv]

Actually mine is DTS 400 Q. Is there a difference between REQ and Q?

Yours is on older model. E means Electronic, I think, and stands for an updated motor that holds its revs under pressure. R stand voor Revision and implies any form of update in mostly ergonomics, such as a different connector for the vacuum.

(FOG'ers, please correct me if I'm am wrong. this is all off the top of my old head).