prolonging sanding pad lives

[imaginarynumber]

I have had a linear sander for years (LS130). I used it for the first time in ages a couple of years ago. After a week it went back in the box. A year later I opened the box and noticed that all of the backing pads (bar the self profile one) have all degraded and are crumbling.

Today I checked the backing pads for my old Ro150. They too have fallen apart.

I guess about £400 worth of backing pads are now unusable.

What causes them to fall apart. Is it a lack of UV light? Is there anyway of preventing them from falling apart? Would removing them from the systainers help?

Granted some of them are over 8(?) years old but many have hardly been used. I have no problem with things failing as a result of wear and tear but old age? No one told me that they have a shelf life when I purchased them...

 

[aloysius]

Interesting!  I've had similar complaints in the past, but in my case the pads were stored in the sander's plastic box & in original packaging on shelves in a shaded but "open" glass-roofed annex.  I'd put the premature deterioration down to UV exposure &/or frictional heat generated during use!

Maybe it's just simply another reason why the LS130 is such a rubbish sander.  At some AU$60 - $100+ ea. for pads it's (for me anyway) just not worthwhile persisting with this disappointing tool.  I once had a couple, both of which have been replaced with Mirka's DEOS & a collection of custom-shaped hand blocks, all sporting mesh abrasives.

Given that Festo/ol is principally known as a sander manufacturer, with an otherwise justifiably fairly good reputation for their sanding range, it's puzzling why this particular tool is such an inadequate performer.  My other 4 Festo/ol sanders have been much more reliable and effective in use. 

 

[leakyroof]

I’ve had decent luck with my pads on all my sanders being stored in my basement: Zero UV Exposure except when using them outside my basement shop, and a fairly stable temp and humidity level as well.
With that said, I need to check on my LS130 pads myself since as you and others have always noted, they fall apart right in the Systainer.... [blink]

 

[AlexThePalex]

It's a type of foam they use for the pads that is not chemically stable over the long run. Pretty disappointing. Last month my first pad for the RO150 of 10 years old fell apart. I have some cheap sanders that are already 25 years old but those pads are still good.

 

[ear3]

Interesting. Never heard of or personally experienced something like this.

 

[Cheese]

I have pads from a Milwaukee, Porter Cable & Dewalt sander that are all toast after about 10 or more years. If you touch the pad it literally decomposes and crumbles.

 

[semenza]

Yes, LS130 pads in particular seem to have a life span. Mine are kept in a Systainer that doesn't get opened very often. Guesstimating 8 years they start to come apart.

Seth

 

[magellan]

I will also agree with the pads falling apart.  I own 6 Festool sanders and the only one that the pads have fallen apart on is the LS130.  They are a few yes old but why.  They are kept in the systainer which is rarely opened.  Some have never been out of the package.  I bought the extra pads with anticipation of using them for particular jobs.  My thinking was I’ll have them when I need them On hand.  I opened the systainer an all of them are worthless now.  That’s a few hundred dollars worth of pads.  You’d think Festool would have made the pads from some material that would not degrade, especially what they cost.