How's the dust collection on the RTS 400?

fshanno

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Sep 20, 2007
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I've got to have better dust collection than my little Ryobi provides.  The $205 seems well worth it if I can get excellent DC.  What about vibration vs. other name brands such as the PC 330.
 
I have the DTS-400, which is the same sander with a different shaped pad.

I only recently bought the DTS and it has far and away become my favorite for finishing.  I'm looking to get an RTS for the pad shape (but later, like when I have a paycheck...  [mad])

The dust collection is very very good.  With the Rotex, I always have the vacuum on hi.  With the DTS, I have to adjust the suction or the sander sticks to the material.  It's as dust-free as you can get.  This afternoon I was sanding a stick to be used as a divider in a shop drawer and when I sanded the end-grain by holding it against the pad, I was impressed to see the dust scoot across the pad into a dust extractor hole.

Now, I will say that there's a thread on exchanging the pads on a DTS-400 and RTS-400 as the main sander is the same.  yadda yadda, the end result was that you could on previous models, but not the current models for some reason.  Regardless, the thread concluded with a rumor that this year there will be a new sander that is a DTS/RTS with easily exchanged pads.  If you aren't in a hurry for it and the rumor pans out, that may better for you.  Personally, I'm holding out on an RTS for this new version then eBay the DTS.
 
DC is very good. The pad has a special pattern of holes unlike any other brand. Other brands have two rows of holes along the sides whereas the RTS has holes all over the pad. As for vibrations, I haven't used much other sanders of this type, let alone the American brands you have, but I can use my RTS for a longer period of time without any strange feelings in my fingers.
 
Thanx for the replies.  I'll go with the RTS because the Ryobi is a mouse style and I can use it for the few times I need that.  I can stand that much dust.
 
As everyone else has said, its very good, I use it mostly on lacquer sanding between coats with 220 +320. I had a 1/4 sheet PC that used a pad to punched holes in the paper, dust pick up was not so good even with a Festool vac. Now I see the difference between a $50 sander and a $200 Festool, money well spent!
David Werkheiser
 
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