I know I'm an idiot, but am I doing something wrong???

[rst]

Every tool I've ever bought, 40+ years worth, I put on my bench, run on highest setting for 10 minutes forward then in reverse.  I then duplicate this on the lowest setting.  Was taught this by an industrial mechanic in 1971.  Of the hundreds of tools I bought since then I've never had a an unearned tool failure.  Drilled thousands of holes from 1/4" to 1 1/8" with my Milwaukee 1/2" hammerdrill before I had the drill gone over. 

 

[pettyconstruction]

I have the pro 5 and Ro-125 and I had to “break it in”.
I think Erock had a post about it,
Run it for about 4 hours.
Sounds bad , but I hung mine with a bungee and turned it on.
Took the fight wright out of it.
Charlie

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Did you have the problem with the RO125 also? Mine has been like this from day one and I always figured it was just because it was more aggressive than a 'normal' ROS. Doesn't matter which mode or grit paper I am using, and I have tried reducing the suction on my CT36 which has helped some but still an issue. As a result I don't use it as often as I would like for the money invested. I end up using my RTS400 and save the RO125 for heavy work.

My RO-125 was a little jumpy,but I did the break in anyway.
It’s real smooth now.
I’m not sure why it did that , but I figure the gears are tight and need some meshing.
Good luck,Charlie

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[ChuckS]

Every tool I've ever bought, 40+ years worth, I put on my bench, run on highest setting for 10 minutes forward then in reverse.  I then duplicate this on the lowest setting.  Was taught this by an industrial mechanic in 1971.  Of the hundreds of tools I bought since then I've never had a an unearned tool failure.  Drilled thousands of holes from 1/4" to 1 1/8" with my Milwaukee 1/2" hammerdrill before I had the drill gone over.

That is interesting, but could it be a need due to the 70s and older technology?

I started my woodworking hobby in the 90s, but have not come across any new tools that would require a "break-in" for them to work properly. I have used my two PRO5 sanders in several builds which behave with no issues from day 1 they were taken out of the box. That is why I posted the comment wondering if Festool could shed an official light on the subject of breaking in.

For one thing, who would know to turn on any new tools, such as a new CT26 or a Kapex, to break them in if it is not a step given in the manual? Second, Festool should have done that before delivery if indeed that step was necessary, or as part of their acceptance testing.

 

[smirak]

Break in period or not, the OP needs to use minimal suction and only enough pressure to guide the sander.  Do not press down like every other brand of ROS you've ever used. [/i]

For reference, I’ve reduced the suction to the lowest and have tried just holding the sander by the plug it cord and hose. It still jumps around. I hog tied it for 4 hrs and that didn’t seem to help. I did notice that the pad was not flat, though not sure if that’s the issue or not...when I took it off and had it on my workbench, I noticed it had some wobble to it.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=64271]smirak[/member] the bottom line is call Festool on Monday and talk to them. They will be able to sort you out.

888-337-8600

 

[Michael Kellough]

If “break-in” is sometimes required (never in my experience) then I suspect the rubber dust seal on top of the pad is too tight. With use it should wear down (“break-in”).

What you call the dust seal is actually called the "pad brake" and is there to make sure the pad doesn't speed up dramatically when you lift the sander off the surface. It is meant to give the pad some resistance, and can indeed be too tight with a new machine, and needs a bit of a break in to wear down to a more acceptable tightness.

Thanks Alex! Never paid attention to the names of parts. I’ve seen “pad brake” used in posts and never really knew what it was.

 

[smirak]

[member=64271]smirak[/member] the bottom line is call Festool on Monday and talk to them. They will be able to sort you out.

888-337-8600

Yeah, I’m going to call them. I already initiated the return, so if they tell me something different, I’ll update here.

 

[jjowen]

I have always found my RO-125 hard to control, so much so that I have probably never used enough to wear it in. I was using it recently to do the initial rough sanding and found that slight changes in where I applied the pressure; left, right, fore and aft, would affect how the sander moved over the wood. If the sander suddenly pushes hard in one direction, the natural response it to push back - but this then sets the sander off in another direction.

I suggest that you play around with subtly changing where you apply the pressure and see what affect that has.

With any of my sanders I find the control level is a function of (in no particular order):

- Grit
- Newness of grit
- Pad hardness
- Changes in surface grain of the wood (sometimes invisible)
- Vacuum suction
- Pressure applied
- Angle of pressure applied

In the case of the RO-125, the mode is also a big factor.

 

[Bob D.]

I have always found my RO-125 hard to control, so much so that I have probably never used enough to wear it in. I was using it recently to do the initial rough sanding and found that slight changes in where I applied the pressure; left, right, fore and aft, would affect how the sander moved over the wood. If the sander suddenly pushes hard in one direction, the natural response it to push back - but this then sets the sander off in another direction.

I suggest that you play around with subtly changing where you apply the pressure and see what affect that has.

With any of my sanders I find the control level is a function of (in no particular order):

- Grit
- Newness of grit
- Pad hardness
- Changes in surface grain of the wood (sometimes invisible)
- Vacuum suction
- Pressure applied
- Angle of pressure applied

In the case of the RO-125, the mode is also a big factor.

Yes, I am experiencing the same as you describe. I keep the suction on low, but still the RO125 seems to have a mind of its own.

I will try as you suggest. I've had it too long (at least 4 years) to call about a return or to send back for repair without incurring a significant charge I think. Just doesn't seem worth it. When I first got the RO125 is was so different than any other hand held sander I had used I didn't know if it was normal operation or something was wrong, either with how I was using it or the tool itself. At the time I had work to get done and no time to play so I put it aside and used my DeWalt ROS. A couple years later I bought the RTS-400 and it seems to work fine but it also needs the suction on the CT-36 turned way down or it grabs the work piece.

 

[smirak]

I called service today to just ensure there wasn’t something I needed to try before sending the unit in. I told the guy that I tried the “home brew” remedy of hanging by a bungee cord and letting it run for a few hours. His response was “the only thing that breaks in is wearing out the brushes ” Shipping our tomorrow.

Kevin

 

[smirak]

Quick follow-up in case anyone is wondering about Festool service...

I emailed Brad at Festool today to see if there was a way to check status.  He said "You're all set.  Sander was repaired and shipped back out on the 15th"  I didn't get a tracking number, but I expect it today or tomorrow (my guess).  It in IN and I live in AL.  So, not too far apart. 

I'll update when I have the sander in hand.

Kevin

 

[smirak]

Got sander back today. Service performed says “adjust alignment or balance (balance circled)” and “base plate/foot/flange with flange circled”. Plugged in, ran on countertop and all seems good.  This is what I expected from festool service.  I’m a fan...

 

[ChuckS]

Good to know.

More or less QA issue then?

 

[smirak]

They replaced the bearing flange. Which makes sense considering the “wobbling”...never thought about a beating

 

[jjowen]

Is this suggesting that I should take my hardly-used 4 year old Rotex in to see if it needs adjusting???

 

[smirak]

Is this suggesting that I should take my hardly-used 4 year old Rotex in to see if it needs adjusting???

Not sure if the comment is in jest or not, but my sander was only a year old and the warranty is 3 yrs. So, if your barely used Rotex is in need of adjusting, go ahead...my guess is that you’ll pay for it though?

 

[grbmds]

[member=64271]smirak[/member]  Two things helped me:

1. Turn down the suction on the vac to the lowest setting (on a Festool CT). The dust collection doesn't suffer and the sander won't be sucked down tight on the surface. The air flow on Festool sanders is significant and can cause the sander to get stuck by being sucked down tight.
2. I have experienced vibration problems when the wood I'm sanding isn't secured or is slightly warped. Keeping the wood tight to the surface below stops vibrations.

Also, a third thing . . . These sanders work best when they are allowed to do their own thing meaning no downward pressure from the user. Downward pressure stops the normal rotations and also can cause vibrations.

All based on my experience with several Festool ETS sanders. I do not own the Pro.

 

[sheperd80]

I have the same issue with my Pro5. I sent it in, it came back a month later with no description of any work done or anything, just a little note with the model number on it. Called Festool, got a run around that exceeded my patience and no answers. The sander is still really jumpy, and leaves horrible swirl marks regardless of the grit used. Ive tried adjusting suction and even unhooking it from the vac completely. No change. Its a paper weight.

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[Gregor]

I have the same issue with my Pro5. I sent it in, it came back a month later with no description of any work done or anything, just a little note with the model number on it. Called Festool, got a run around that exceeded my patience and no answers. The sander is still really jumpy, and leaves horrible swirl marks regardless of the grit used. Ive tried adjusting suction and even unhooking it from the vac completely. No change. Its a paper weight.

As a Pro5 likely is younger than 3 years: send it in, again, for free, with a sheet of paper containing the error description (and possibly the URL of this topic) taped to it?

 

[grbmds]

In addition to turning down the suction on the vacuum and making sure the material is on a flat surface and secured if possible, you might try a new pad. When  I first bought my ETS125 I had more vibration problems than I thought appropriate and replacing the pad changed that.

Seems like people have a wide range of experiences with Festool Service compared to what it was several years ago. Maybe we should all focus on letting Festool know that their Service Department doesn't seem to be consistent. I personally have had only one experience that caused a delay in getting a tool back repaired, but the tool itself was good as new. However, there was confusion on Festool's side about the processing of payment and getting the tool back to me; not something that used to happen.