random orbit sanders........which one for general use?

[Bob Marino]

Aye, I'm in a bit of a dilemma here now. I got to sand some drywall. My Rotex would make a quick job out of it, but I'm not sure I want to spoil the machine with it. Gypsum dust is much worse for a tool than wood or paint dust.

Anybody got any experience with using the Rotex on drywall?

Done it plenty of times, with the Festool ETS sanders, w/o a problem. The Rotex should work just fine; just be careful - lots can come off quicker than you think. Don't use the top speeds, and depending upon how much mud is on the walls, I use Briliant 150 - 180.
To do lots of drywall sanding, is not the best thing for the sander, but a few rooms won't be an issue. And it would be best to vacuum out and clean the sander after using.

Bob

 

[AlexThePalex]

Ok Bob, thanks for the advice, I'll start off slowly with p180 and see how it goes.

I examined the Rotex up closely and there's actually not much places where the dust could (potentially) enter. Of course Festool kept this in mind with the design.

I did have a problem with drywall once with a DeWalt drill. I was drilling into the plastered ceiling when some dust fell on my drill and ended up in the left/right switch. It completely jammed the switch and I had to send it in for repair.

 

[Jack Rafter]

Rex,

I've got a bunch of sanders, one of my favorites is a  Ridgid R2600 5" that was made by Metabo and is pre the China move. If I had to pick which Festool sander (I have 2 ) I'd say it's  the 150/3 that would be right for your needs, which seems to be the general consensus here as well.

This is an excellent all around sander that with the proper speed settings and paper grits can do either a fair amount of stock removal or a fine finish. I bought it specifically as a finish sander to work in conjunction with my RO 150. Both have worked excellent together for me. That said, buying either the /5 or /3 I can't see how you could go wrong.

 

[rex]

I looked at the RO 125 and RO 150 today at Woodcraft, and tried them also. I really didnt like the way they felt in my hands. They were a little too bulky in the grip area and a bit too aggressive for me. I realize that there is a learning curve with the Rotex, but I dont feel that I need that type of aggressive sander.  I retried the ETS 150/3 and it felt wayyyyyyyy better to me, not only the grip but the smoothness of operation .  Not sure yet if i need the 150/3 or 150/5.  Woodcraft only had the ETS 150/3 there on their shelves, so I would have to order the 150/5 if I wanted it. Is there a big difference between the 150/3 and 150/5 as far as how fast they remove stock or paint?

 

[Bob Marino]

I looked at the RO 125 and RO 150 today at Woodcraft, and tried them also. I really didnt like the way they felt in my hands. They were a little too bulky in the grip area and a bit too aggressive for me. I realize that there is a learning curve with the Rotex, but I dont feel that I need that type of aggressive sander.  I retried the ETS 150/3 and it felt wayyyyyyyy better to me, not only the grip but the smoothness of operation .  Not sure yet if i need the 150/3 or 150/5.  Woodcraft only had the ETS 150/3 there on their shelves, so I would have to order the 150/5 if I wanted it. Is there a big difference between the 150/3 and 150/5 as far as how fast they remove stock or paint?

You were given lots of good advice here, but in the end they are words of advice. Nothing more important in your case then putting them in your hands. Though the Rotex would be way faster, if it's too heavy/bulky you have gained little by buying it. But I would suggest the 150/5 over the 150/3 for your applications. It's not much faster, but faster enough to matter as you are going to be using some of the lower grits, and in the lower grits, the 150/3 is just not as efficient. How much more efficient/faster? Hard to give you a direct answer, but again, IMHO, enough to matter.  Good luck!

Bob

 

[GreenGA]

A couple of my guys have been using the RTS400 for drywall sanding, and they love it.  Just love it.  :

Connected to the vac with the appropriate vacuum setting and there is hardly any dust, the sander just floats along doing its job and the walls are ready for priming in no time.  They also like the fact that it can get into all the corners.  I really do not think I could convince them to use anything else.

That's not what I purchased the 400 for, but it works.  At least until the Planex makes its way to these shores.  But by then, all our drywall work will be over.

 

[bill-e]

I looked at the RO 125 and RO 150 today at Woodcraft, and tried them also. I really didnt like the way they felt in my hands. They were a little too bulky in the grip area and a bit too aggressive for me. I realize that there is a learning curve with the Rotex, but I dont feel that I need that type of aggressive sander.  I retried the ETS 150/3 and it felt wayyyyyyyy better to me, not only the grip but the smoothness of operation .  Not sure yet if i need the 150/3 or 150/5.  Woodcraft only had the ETS 150/3 there on their shelves, so I would have to order the 150/5 if I wanted it. Is there a big difference between the 150/3 and 150/5 as far as how fast they remove stock or paint?

I cant compare it to the 150/3 but when I refinished a knotty pine porch which required urethane and mildew to be sanded off the 150/5 did a great and fast job.  I actually used the RO125 and 150/5 on the walls and the ES125 on the ceiling.

 

[tbellemare]

A couple of my guys have been using the RTS400 for drywall sanding, and they love it.  Just love it. That's not what I purchased the 400 for, but it works.

The RTS 400 is probably the best sander for drywall available here. It is orbital so it doesn't throw the dust like an RO sander might. It's also light enough to use on the ceiling and up high. Plus as Gary pointed out, it can get into corners.

Tom

 

[AlexThePalex]

Well, I'm lucky then I got the RTS400 also. Till now it hasn't seen much use yet. Gonna try it out tomorrow. Don't need to do that much, just one wall of 5x2.5 meters (17'x8').

 

[AlexThePalex]

Well, that worked like a charm. The RTS made quick work out of it. Very easy to control and get a good result. No dust at all. No negative effects to the sander either. Just had to clean the pad afterwards because it was all white.

 

[hotbikr]

I am a hobbyist and use the RO 125.  It's aggressive when I need it to be and still usable for finish sanding.  The thing I really like is it is much lighter than the RO 150.  That can be very important as the day wears on.

Good luck with your choice.

Jim

 

[GreenGA]

Glad to hear it worked well for you; as it does for us.

What grit did you use?

Well, that worked like a charm. The RTS made quick work out of it. Very easy to control and get a good result. No dust at all. No negative effects to the sander either. Just had to clean the pad afterwards because it was all white.

 

[AlexThePalex]

GreenGA, I used Brilliant 120. Was the finest I had, but it worked well.

 

[GreenGA]

Okay.,,

I asked my guys and they said they use either 180 or 150, depending.  Whatever they meant by that.  ???

GreenGA, I used Brilliant 120. Was the finest I had, but it worked well.