how to use a RO150.

[Alan m]

i just recieved my ro 150 sander. great machine.
i was wondering when should i use either of the two settings( rotex and normal) and what speed should  i be using for each grit up along.
at what point do you change from one setting to the other.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Alan,
Ask 5 experience RO 150 users your question and you will get at least 5 answers. All 6 of the cabinet makers working for me already owned their own RO 150 before they met me. None of us use them the same way. Each of us has worked out methods that make best use of our body types.

Generally you use the geared rotation mode for rapid stock removal, usually with course grit paper. Then you shift to random mode for finer sanding. The speed is a matter of feel, as is the suction setting on your dust extractor. Too high a sander rotation and your paper and work will be over-heated. Too slow and you are wasting time. As for the suction, I start with my CT at maximum suction which causes the sander to be sucked into the work. I then back off the suction until the sander seems to float. With experience you will have a starting point in mind.

Also, please remember all Festool sanders need a breaking-in period. Normally this is done by placing the sander with the pad up and some way of holding the sander in place. The need be no paper of the pad or even a pad installed. Just hook up the CT on low and start the sander running. A few hours is all it takes. After that your Festool sander will be productive for years. My oldest RO 150 has been used 6 days a week for several years. I am fairly sure I bought that in February 2006.

i just recieved my ro 150 sander. great machine.
i was wondering when should i use either of the two settings( rotex and normal) and what speed should  i be using for each grit up along.
at what point do you change from one setting to the other.

 

[mouppe]

Usually I use the rotex setting to 120 grit, then I switch to random orbit mode whilst the 120 grit paper is still on, and continue to 220 or 320, depending on the finish I am going to apply.

After the finish is applied and I am polishing it out, I switch it back to rotex mode for the various polishing pads and waxes.

I should add that I recently bought a hard pad which I much prefer to the softer pad it ships with.

I love my rotex- it was my first festool and I always look forward to using it. I hope you have a CT vac too, and if so, turn the vac setting down to about halfway.

 

[ocd]

Hi, I am new to this group.

Please explain what's the deal with the break in period with the RO 150.  I have the RO 125, but figure the same would apply.

Does any Festool ever need any grease or oil applied?

Great forum, really glad I found it.

 

[Alan m]

[welcome]

the break in period applies to most tools. it is when you first buy the tool and the parts inside are not meshing together perfectly  such as brushes,  belts, gears etc.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Please explain what's the deal with the break in period with the RO 150.  I have the RO 125, but figure the same would apply.

Unlike what was said above, not all Festool sanders need a break in period. And most certainly not the RO150 or RO125. Only the smaller sanders with less motor power like the DTS400, RTS400, ETS125 and DX93 need some breaking in to get optimal performance. This is because the brushes need to settle against the armature. With the bigger sanders this is not an issue because of their inherit power and you will have optimal performance right out of the box.

Only issue reported with the RO150 and RO125 is that the head where the gears are (right under the two green switches) can become quite hot initially, due to the gears not fitting optimally yet, which have to settle to each other with some use. But this does not affect or inhibit the sander's use in any way like with the smaller sanders, where you're sure to notice quite a performance drop initially. 

Does any Festool ever need any grease or oil applied?

Never internally for the motor or gears. Only with parts that are on the outside, like the slide bars on a router or other tools with depth settings like the TS saws. And the various moving parts on the table saws like the Precisio and CMS.   

 

[junk731]

I think the truth be known, the break-in period is more for the operator to get to know the sander, especially with going from a normal orbital sander to the Festool RO's. The best thing you can do Alan is get some scrap wood and just start playing with different speeds, modes and paper, a get a feel for what the sander can do.

John