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- Nov 24, 2011
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Here is a recent review I put together based on 18 months of hard use of the RO90 by my pro paint company.
RO90 Review
Your questions are welcome.
RO90 Review
Your questions are welcome.
For those about to RO90
- Thread starter Scott B.
- Start date
newbirdhunter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2013
- Messages
- 51
Thanks for the review. I have a new RO 90 and am very impressed with it especially the dust collection.
Frank
Frank
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- Nov 24, 2011
- Messages
- 2,004
Thanks again for the feedback, guys.
Just thought I would mention that our topcoatreview site is now accepting guest authors who are interested in sharing experiences with tools in written and visual form (not just Festools, but any types or brands that relate somehow to prep or finish type of work).
The first one has just been published. It is a tool user describing her experience on the job with her initial Festool purchase:
a DTS 400/CT Mini/Granat rig.
Its not a techie "review" type of piece, its more the common theme where people are trying to figure out how to pack the most whallop into that initial Festool order.
Just thought I would mention that our topcoatreview site is now accepting guest authors who are interested in sharing experiences with tools in written and visual form (not just Festools, but any types or brands that relate somehow to prep or finish type of work).
The first one has just been published. It is a tool user describing her experience on the job with her initial Festool purchase:
a DTS 400/CT Mini/Granat rig.
Its not a techie "review" type of piece, its more the common theme where people are trying to figure out how to pack the most whallop into that initial Festool order.
I have the RO 125 and ETS 125. When I bought the RO 125 I got it packaged with the CT 26. The primary reason for the initial purchase was to remove finish and stain on the face frames of kitchen cabinets. After getting to know the RO 125 I fell in love with the dust collection of the system. So I bought the ETS 125. I have used both extensively and I haven't even started the cabinet face frames.
Today I began that job. I started with the RO 125, 120 grit Granat. It was fine and all but a bit tiring for a 62 year old, even one who has worked construction all her life. And corners weren't accessible. I have a Porter Cable profile sander and used that in conjunction with the CT 26. It was okay reaching corners and detail work but my hands were buzzing. The paper failed quickly and the overall job was maybe satisfactory. I could still see finish and stain in the corners but couldn't seem to clean them up. The tips of the paper wore away quickly.
So I ordered the RO 90 DX. And plenty of abrasives. I also purchased the hard DX 93 pad to help me get into the corners better. And there are a lot of them. Fingers crossed I made the right purchase!
Today I began that job. I started with the RO 125, 120 grit Granat. It was fine and all but a bit tiring for a 62 year old, even one who has worked construction all her life. And corners weren't accessible. I have a Porter Cable profile sander and used that in conjunction with the CT 26. It was okay reaching corners and detail work but my hands were buzzing. The paper failed quickly and the overall job was maybe satisfactory. I could still see finish and stain in the corners but couldn't seem to clean them up. The tips of the paper wore away quickly.
So I ordered the RO 90 DX. And plenty of abrasives. I also purchased the hard DX 93 pad to help me get into the corners better. And there are a lot of them. Fingers crossed I made the right purchase!
neilc said:
Thanks Neil. My brain didn't go there. I'll bring them up from the shop when I return to the cabinet carcase work. Today I'm working on sanding the doors for final finishing. UGH! I wish there was a power tool that could do THAT safely! I think it's called a human. [big grin]
JuliMor said:
I wouldn't put my RO125 near a face frame in fear of rounding an edge without even realizing it. Quite honestly, I think you would be best served by the DTS for this application and it compliments the Rotexes well.
I love my RO125 don't get me wrong, but I truly don't see this thing as a finish sander. It's a complete animal of sander with a steeper learning curve, and the stroke is sloppy on it. As a ROS sander overall, I don't think it's that great for finish work. For material removal, or flooring finish removal, it can't be beat. I am increasingly convinced the more I use it that the Rotex mode and the fact it's trying to be two sanders has something to do with it. My DTS really opened my eyes to what I was already scratching my head about with the RO125. It wasn't until I saw the difference in results both could produce I realized where the RO125 was deficient.
I can't speak for the RO90 since I haven't used it, maybe its better than the 125, and the Delta pad helps. But the DTS is better than both of those sanders for finer finish work like face frames hands down.
I've used the RO 125 for roughing down bare wood. Then I switch to the ETS 125. For this project I have to remove varnish and stain from oak face frames. For that I'm using 120 Granat on a hard pad, to reduce corner round over. That's as course as I'll go on "the good side" using the RO. I've worked with the RO enough to get past the learning curve and I'm finding using it to remove the finish effective without damaging the wood. But it's heavy and controlling it can be tiring. I bought the RO 90 from Bob Marin and it's due to arrive Monday. I also got the hard pads for the Deltex and RO modes.
I ordered the RO 90 from Bob Marino on Thursday. It arrived today, Monday. The only other time I've seen tools packaged this well is from Craftsman Studio, where I buy most of my hand tools. The systainer was wrapped in so much bubble wrap nothing could have damaged it! I also ordered abrasives and hard sanding pad. Everything was there. Nice job Bob!
I haven't tried it yet. I'm working on a new drill press table today. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 84 so I plan on being outside. But the first cold, gloomy or rainy day and I'll give the RO 90 a spin. No pun intended. [big grin]
..........................................
Last night I stocked the systainer with abrasives so I could bring it up to the kitchen. When I got the ETS 125 and RO 125, both came with nice assortment of abrasives, which was good for a Festool newbie. It helped me get to know the different types Festool makes. I had been considering the DX 93. The included abrasives contents was ONE sheet! You're spending over $300 for a detail sander and all they could part with was one abrasive sheet? With the RO 90 I read the package includes an assortment of abrasives, so I was expecting something like what came with the ETS & RO 125. The "assortment" consisted of TWO sheets. C'mon Festool! What's it cost to throw an actual assortment in with a $385.00 tool? A few bucks?
I haven't tried it yet. I'm working on a new drill press table today. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 84 so I plan on being outside. But the first cold, gloomy or rainy day and I'll give the RO 90 a spin. No pun intended. [big grin]
..........................................
Last night I stocked the systainer with abrasives so I could bring it up to the kitchen. When I got the ETS 125 and RO 125, both came with nice assortment of abrasives, which was good for a Festool newbie. It helped me get to know the different types Festool makes. I had been considering the DX 93. The included abrasives contents was ONE sheet! You're spending over $300 for a detail sander and all they could part with was one abrasive sheet? With the RO 90 I read the package includes an assortment of abrasives, so I was expecting something like what came with the ETS & RO 125. The "assortment" consisted of TWO sheets. C'mon Festool! What's it cost to throw an actual assortment in with a $385.00 tool? A few bucks?
Now that I've taken it for a spin (pretty much all day yesterday)...
Not included in the $385.00 price is all but two sheets of sandpaper, the two delta pads (hard) in the upper left corner, and the additional round pad (hard) on the RO 90. Under the tool is the Deltex attachment, included in the price. Because of the Deltex feature, the RO 90 has the largest selection of accessories of any of the Festool sanders, in terms of giving the tool maximum versatility.
With the Deltex attachment. The white line on the front of the sander is from me working the inside perimeter of the drawer spaces on the face frames. The dial on top gives you Deltex mode, Rotex mode and Rotary mode. The green switch behind it is the on-off switch.
Variable speed control is included (the green wheel on the handle). I purchased hard pads for both delta (on the Deltex pad) and round (on the tool). The included soft pads are in the center and on the right. Two sheets of abrasives are also included.
A size comparison between the RO 125 (5" pad) and the RO 90 (3" pad). The 125 is 4.4 lbs. The 90 is 3.3 lbs. When working vertically, I could tell the difference in weight.
Accessories:
Besides what has already been mentioned, you can purchase an extended delta pad and a Supersoft interface pad for polishing.
Abrasives:
Festool offers Deltex abrasives in Rubin 2, Brilliant 2, Cristal, Saphir, Granat and Vlies. 3" round abrasives include Rubin 2, Brilliant 2, Granat and Vlies.
A note on included abrasives:
Everyone who has ever priced out Festool tools knows they aren't cheap. So for many, the initial tool purchase can stretch your budget. When I received the RO 125 and ETS 125, both came with a nice assortment of abrasives, about 20 or so. That's great for anyone who wants to get to know Festool abrasives. I also didn't have to include in the initial purchase the cost of an assortment of abrasives, and that made the first two tool purchases much easier. The RO 90 DX came with two sheets. I bought six (6) boxes of abrasives, at $33@, when I purchased the RO 90 adding over 50% more to the initial purchase. That was tough and almost prevented me from buying the RO 90 at all. Had dust collection not been a health issue for me, I probably couldn't have justified forking out over $600.00 for this purchase.
If you're having a tough time pulling the trigger on a sander purchase, the additional cost of abrasives could easily kill the deal. But if you know you'll have enough abrasives to sink your teeth into that first project, you'll more easily be able to make the initial purchase. And once you own the sander, the abrasive purchases you need to make won't be so bad because you will have forgotten what you paid for the tool. [wink] In short, Festool has another lifetime abrasives customer. And for the newbie, probably a Festool convert. Not bad for the couple of dollars it might cost them to include a decent assortment of abrasives with the tool.
Not included in the $385.00 price is all but two sheets of sandpaper, the two delta pads (hard) in the upper left corner, and the additional round pad (hard) on the RO 90. Under the tool is the Deltex attachment, included in the price. Because of the Deltex feature, the RO 90 has the largest selection of accessories of any of the Festool sanders, in terms of giving the tool maximum versatility.
With the Deltex attachment. The white line on the front of the sander is from me working the inside perimeter of the drawer spaces on the face frames. The dial on top gives you Deltex mode, Rotex mode and Rotary mode. The green switch behind it is the on-off switch.
Variable speed control is included (the green wheel on the handle). I purchased hard pads for both delta (on the Deltex pad) and round (on the tool). The included soft pads are in the center and on the right. Two sheets of abrasives are also included.
A size comparison between the RO 125 (5" pad) and the RO 90 (3" pad). The 125 is 4.4 lbs. The 90 is 3.3 lbs. When working vertically, I could tell the difference in weight.
Accessories:
Besides what has already been mentioned, you can purchase an extended delta pad and a Supersoft interface pad for polishing.
Abrasives:
Festool offers Deltex abrasives in Rubin 2, Brilliant 2, Cristal, Saphir, Granat and Vlies. 3" round abrasives include Rubin 2, Brilliant 2, Granat and Vlies.
A note on included abrasives:
Everyone who has ever priced out Festool tools knows they aren't cheap. So for many, the initial tool purchase can stretch your budget. When I received the RO 125 and ETS 125, both came with a nice assortment of abrasives, about 20 or so. That's great for anyone who wants to get to know Festool abrasives. I also didn't have to include in the initial purchase the cost of an assortment of abrasives, and that made the first two tool purchases much easier. The RO 90 DX came with two sheets. I bought six (6) boxes of abrasives, at $33@, when I purchased the RO 90 adding over 50% more to the initial purchase. That was tough and almost prevented me from buying the RO 90 at all. Had dust collection not been a health issue for me, I probably couldn't have justified forking out over $600.00 for this purchase.
If you're having a tough time pulling the trigger on a sander purchase, the additional cost of abrasives could easily kill the deal. But if you know you'll have enough abrasives to sink your teeth into that first project, you'll more easily be able to make the initial purchase. And once you own the sander, the abrasive purchases you need to make won't be so bad because you will have forgotten what you paid for the tool. [wink] In short, Festool has another lifetime abrasives customer. And for the newbie, probably a Festool convert. Not bad for the couple of dollars it might cost them to include a decent assortment of abrasives with the tool.
stevewestern
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2013
- Messages
- 20
Julie Moriarty said:
This is a VERY good point - I got my RTS400 and Ro90 and felt like penny-pinching was being taken to an extreme with just ONE sheet of abrasive included. It doesn't help that my closest store isn't close, nor did they have much in stock.
A few sheets of a small range of sheets would not cost a lot and would introduce new users to what is available.
I use Abranet abrasives on my RTS400 mainly as I have used them in the past and know what they are like. I do now have some Festool abrasives for the RTS but for what it would cost them, a few sample sheets would have led me to buying a lot more.
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