Question for Rotex owners

[tvgordon]

Budget permitting and with the approval of the "boss", I plan on buying a Rotex 150.  My question is, what grits and types of sandpaper do you guys use the most?  I have a 5" RO for finish sanding.  Also, did the dealer you bought the tool from offer a box of assorted grits?  I am a hobbyist and I don't really want to buy 50 or 100 of the same paper if I have a choice. 
Thanks for your help, Tom.

 

[bruegf]

I currently have the following for my Rotex:

60 and 220 grit brilliant
100 and 150 rubin
400,500,1000,2000,4000 platin

I need to pick up some 320 and 400 brilliant and some 24 and 36 saphir

Bob Marino has been willing to sell paper in smaller lots.

Fred

 

[brandon.nickel]

I use:
Rubin-
36 , 80, 120, 180
Brilliant-
220, 320

I also have the soft and hard felt polishing pads, plus the interface pad for super-soft sanding.  You can do a reasonable job on gentle curves with these pads.

That's worked well for me so far, but I think the 150 Rubin would be nice.  I find that the 180 burnishes the wood too much to take stain well, but the 120 leaves visible orbital scratch marks.  The 36 grit Rubin does some serious wood-destroying, so I can't imagine how nasty the 24 grit Saphir must be.

 

[Bob Childress]

Many of the common grits come in 5 packs--not so bad. And unless things have changed, the new sanders are being shipped with a nice assortment of grits. Maybe a dealer will enlighten us. My 150/3 had the assortment.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I recommend getting some soft foam pads, too, for use in polishing.  My cars have never looked better with so little work.  As far as grit and abrasive and coating types, the answer is that it depends on what projects you have in mind.  One of the Festool online dealers should be able to help you.  I know that Bob Marino certainly can, as he has helped me on several occasions.  Thus far in my home refurbishment projects, my RO 125 is the most used tool in my Festool collection with the vacuum coming in a close second.

Dave R.

 

[tvgordon]

What are the uses of the different pads (hard and soft felt and super soft)?  I saw them listed in the catalog but wasn't sure if I would use them or not.
I saw that many of the grits came in 5 packs, but some of the grits and types of paper I was looking at were only packaged in 50 or 100 packs.
Most of my work is furniture and crafts, but I also do some home improvement and maintenance projects.
Tom.