Review of my new RO 90 DX FEQ

[Weetbix]

Hmmmm.....

I postponed a staircase that was in a right state, for three weeks, until one of these became available.  And it was worth the wait, kind of.

It's a lovely sander, the rotex part of it made short work of the really nasty, knobbly old paintwork and the delta attachment sanded down the stair rods no problem.  Overall it was ok but I'm not in love with it as I thought I would be.

This week I've used it on some really old paintwork and varnish and again the Rotex sorted it right out but I have a hard job keeping it under control and going where I want it to go although it's a dream on flat surfaces.

The delta attachment is good but the delta extension has no dust extraction capability so I hardly use it.  Equally I'm not really impressed with the dust extraction on the unit as a whole.  It's nowhere near as good as on my ets 125 or rts 400 and I've been reverting back to my RTS 400 for door mouldings and rebates over the delta simply because it's quicker working, better dust extraction and easier to handle.

I think it will be fine on flat surfaces and I'm looking forward to smoothing out some Artex with the Rotex.  The Granat paper is excellent too but my God it's expensive.  C'mon Festool, 50p for one sheet????  And that's when I buy a box of 50 sheets!

Another worry, if anyone can help or comment on this I'd be grateful, is when I change the head from Rotex to Delta or vice versa there's an awful lot of dust compacted in and around the workings where the heads attach, which I have to clear out, and it's really hot in there.  Any one know if this is a problem?

Overall it's a nice sander and I suppose I need more experience to get to grips with it, but ergonomically it's not as comfy as the other two, the dust extraction could be better and the sheets are expensive.

 

[woodguy7]

Hmm, that's interesting.  I did wonder how easy it would be to handle.  50p per sheet  [scared]  that's the same price as the 150mm sheets & it is nearly half the size, that's shocking.

If you are not convinced with it then put it back, i presume it is under 30 days old ?

Woodguy.

 

[ajones]

Interesting post.when you say is not as ergonomic what do you think is the problem compared to the r 150, is it just too small in the hand?or the pad too small in rellation to the machine

as regard the heat/dust collection  issue could be the breaking in period. although a efficient sander will generate a surprising amount heat,  maybe a  few more hours use may help bed it in.
Its a sad fact the scratch price is always going to be expensive for any sander that does not use a common size paper

you also say the extraction is not so good.Does the paper remain clean until worn out or does it clog up?.

 

[mosez]

i think its a great sander in terms of ergonomics. the missing dust collection with the extended v93 pad is indeed a big minus.
i needed a few days to get used to it, but once u get the grip of it, its really smooth to guide and easiest to control in my opinion.
granat paper is expensive but worth the money when u strip down paint, as u might have noticed it stays "sharp" and unclogged way longer than the brilliant papers.
it also has harder edges which makes it additionally enduring.

 

[Weetbix]

Interesting post.when you say is not as ergonomic what do you think is the problem compared to the r 150, is it just too small in the hand?or the pad too small in rellation to the machine

I think it's weighted badly for anything other than straight on sanding on a flat surface because of the way you have to hold it.  If that makes sense, it feels all wrong but when it's taking paint off on a large surface area I'm in heaven.  I'll give it more time but currently I'm loving my other sanders more.

you also say the extraction is not so good.Does the paper remain clean until worn out or does it clog up?.

The edges wear out and the paper stays unclogged in the middle.  As above, on the flat surface with the whole pad on the surface it removes dust no problem.  If there's any of the pad not on the surface it spits paint chips and dust at me.

< Edited to fix quote - Shane >

 

[Weetbix]

i think its a great sander in terms of ergonomics. the missing dust collection with the extended v93 pad is indeed a big minus.
i needed a few days to get used to it, but once u get the grip of it, its really smooth to guide and easiest to control in my opinion.
granat paper is expensive but worth the money when u strip down paint, as u might have noticed it stays "sharp" and unclogged way longer than the brilliant papers.
it also has harder edges which makes it additionally enduring.

The Granat is good, but the edges wear out fairly quickly.

Am I using this sander for the wrong things?  I used it to sand down a particularly bad front door and it's surround plus a knackered old staircase.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

the missing dust collection with the extended v93 pad is indeed a big minus.

Actually, the extended delta pad does have dust extraction.  There are channels in it.  However, I would concede that the extraction will not be as good because of the more restricted air flow.  The same is true of the pad for the Deltex DX 93.

 

[Delders]

Hi All,
This is my very first contribution, although I've viewed and enjoyed many of yours!

I have waited, what seems an age, for the arrival of my RO90 DX FEQ plus a mountain of various abrasives and necessary accessories.

First impression.. what a great looking machine.
Second impression.... not so good.

Dust extraction in Rotex is very poor (using CTL22 on full), within 2mins of sanding old paint with Brilliant 2 all around the head, but particularly to the rear around the dust/drive belt duct was covered. Also this lower part of the RO90 got quite hot to the touch within the 2mins in 23C ambient. I notice that the RO90 has a temperature induced power reducing feature... is this the proverbial "elastoplast"?
The RO90 is certainly "dirtier" than my RO150, DTS400 and even my RAS180.
I then tried the standard Delta head, which seemed to have better dust extraction.

The user manual gives instructions to change the Sanding Pad Brake on the sanding pad a machine head, another "elastoplast"?
I have sent the "dirty" pictures to my Dealer to forward to Festool... I will now wait some more!

Thanks for "listening".

Martin

 

[ajones]

Hi All,
This is my very first contribution, although I've viewed and enjoyed many of yours!

I have waited, what seems an age, for the arrival of my RO90 DX FEQ plus a mountain of various abrasives and necessary accessories.

First impression.. what a great looking machine.
Second impression.... not so good.

Dust extraction in Rotex is very poor (using CTL22 on full), within 2mins of sanding old paint with Brilliant 2 all around the head, but particularly to the rear around the dust/drive belt duct was covered. Also this lower part of the RO90 got quite hot to the touch within the 2mins in 23C ambient. I notice that the RO90 has a temperature induced power reducing feature... is this the proverbial "elastoplast"?
The RO90 is certainly "dirtier" than my RO150, DTS400 and even my RAS180.
I then tried the standard Delta head, which seemed to have better dust extraction.

The user manual gives instructions to change the Sanding Pad Brake on the sanding pad a machine head, another "elastoplast"?
I have sent the "dirty" pictures to my Dealer to forward to Festool... I will now wait some more!

Thanks for "listening".

Martin

Martin  [welcome] to the FOG

that feature is there to provide you with a long service live and to protect your investment a feature you will not get on a cheaper machine.

there is a break in period for the sander.

try running the ct on a lower setting.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Pics or it didn't happen, show us the dirty pictures.  ;D

 

[jvsteenb]

Martin,

Welcome !
I suspect part of your problem may be the CT setting.
A CT22 on full - that's a LOT of suction, and it's quite possible to pull the sander into the surface. Combined with quite some power in the sander, this may actually hamper the dust collection. Remember all you need to do is maintain enough airflow to overcome the centrifugal effect of the dust particles and then just a tiny bit more to transport them to the hose.
Ofcourse there may be another problem, but at first I would try to lower the suction.

Regards,

Job

 

[Delders]

This is getting a habit... two entries in two days!

Thank you Job & Festoolfootstool, your similar advice sounds good... I'll try it later today and report back.

Dear Alex... I didn't try to post the pictures.. but will now.... steady!

I hope this works...

Martin

< Edited to fix image links - Shane Holland >

 

[AlexThePalex]

Thanks for the pics Delders, now we know what you're talking about. Doesn't look that bad though. Unless that was just after 20 seconds.

 

[Brice Burrell]

....Dear Alex... I didn't try to post the pictures.. but will now.... steady!...

Thanks for the pictures, now how about some video?

 

[AlexThePalex]

Any updates on this new Rotex?

I am on the verge of purchasing one and I was hoping people could shed some more light on the good and bad points made above now that there's another 1 1/2 month of experience with it for the owners since this thread was actual.

What I'd also like to know, does the new round 90mm paper also come in 10 packs or are we obliged to buy 50 and 100 packs. I've emailed Festool Holland twice about it now but no response yet. Festool America's service might be great, but together with two emails I've mailed them here in Holland some time ago, I haven't had a response of Festool Holland for 4 emails now.

Anyway, if 10 packs are not offered, the deal is off for me. No way I'm gong to buy all 50 packs for a good 10 different grits/types of sandpaper, way too expensive.

 

[mosez]

i still love it

in germany there are only granat, rubin, brilliant2 and vlies for the round pads and these plus saphir and cristal for the deltex pads.
you can get 10-packs of vlies and 25-packs of saphir but for all the others the minimum is 50.
i have 60 granat, 80 rubin, 150 rubin (round) and 40 cristal, 80 rubin and 150 rubin (deltex) and i am completely fine with these. which others would you opt for when you talk about so many grits and sorts of paper? well, only theses six stacks were about 120?...
dont forget that there are lots of other sandpaper suppliers! you can use cheaper paper if you need only small amounts now and then...the higher durability makes up for the higher price in my opinion though. the cheap paper that last longer and stays sharp and unclogged longer still has to be invented i guess ^^

but still - if you dont have other festools on your wishlist, go for it! its not a must have, but really really nice on small surfaces, edges, corners and control is superb!

 

[mosez]

the square?s tongue is 30mm

this is the really thin, longer deltex pad

just the round pad

it fits snugly, even with the deltex pad on

there is not a lot of room in the systainer, but the two deltex shoes, two deltex pads, two round pads (plus the polishing pad attached to the rotex), some discs and some deltex papers, the plug-it cord, the rotex itself and the protector can be put in there together. i also keep a permanent marker in the systainer for marking bumps and areas to be sanded and stuff.

 

[AlexThePalex]

i still love it

Thanks for your reaction mosez.

in germany there are only granat, rubin, brilliant2 and vlies for the round pads and these plus saphir and cristal for the deltex pads.
you can get 10-packs of vlies and 25-packs of saphir but for all the others the minimum is 50.
i have 60 granat, 80 rubin, 150 rubin (round) and 40 cristal, 80 rubin and 150 rubin (deltex) and i am completely fine with these. which others would you opt for when you talk about so many grits and sorts of paper?

I have 6 Festool sanders right now so I do know which paper and grits I like to use.

I would surely need these for the RO 90 in 90 mm discs:
- Saphir grit 50
- Brilliant 2 grit 40, 80, 120, 180, 320
- Rubin 80, 120
- Cristal 40, 80

I already have a good supply of 90mm delta paper for my Deltex, so that no problem. And I know I can get most of the delta paper in 10 packs.

well, only theses six stacks were about 120?...

I checked the prices and most 50 packs go for 25 to 30 euro. That means between 250 and 300 euro extra for paper besides the cost of the machine. Since I'm not a pro that's a lot of money. Too much actually for me.

dont forget that there are lots of other sandpaper suppliers!

I don't think that's entirely correct. Festool's 90 mm discs are completely new and I don't know any other tool or paper manufacturer that supplies this type and size. Metabo has a comparable sander, but it uses 80 mm discs and has a different hole pattern.

you can use cheaper paper if you need only small amounts now and then...the higher durability makes up for the higher price in my opinion though. the cheap paper that last longer and stays sharp and unclogged longer still has to be invented i guess ^^

I agree with you. It's not that I find Festool paper that expensive per sheet/disc. Other brands cost about the same, and here most big box stores sell inferior quality for even more money. It is just that I find the cost of a 50 pack a lot of money at once, as compared to a 10 pack once in a while. I can get a lot of use out of one 10 pack. Like you said, Festool paper lasts very long.

but still - if you dont have other festools on your wishlist, go for it! its not a must have, but really really nice on small surfaces, edges, corners and control is superb!

[smile] I have too much on my wishlist. Not just tools but lots of stuff. But I'd like to add it to the collection if it won't outstretch my budget too much. I can get a RO 90 for a really nice price but right now it looks I'd have to shell out more for sandpaper than the machine itself.  [crying]

Good to see you like the controllability of the machine. Somebody above complained about that.

How's the dust collection in your opinion? And is it easy to convert from disc to delta?

 

[mosez]

the new size of 90mm - i didnt think of that.
well...i guess you can use 125mm sanders just fine on edges and you already have the deltex...so the ro90 really becomes more of a collectable item...
but still, its really nice to have a rotex and a deltex in one machine. switching pads from round to triangular and vice versa is a question of say 5 seconds and is very easy and intuitive. nothing like the hassle of changing bits on those old corded drills that needed a tool to open or close the clutch...its more like centrotec
dust colection is perfect on flat surfaces, even very good on edges (despite the fact that gravity works against you, at high suction the reults are just fine). it gets bad on those tiny corner-like, hanging over the edge kind of spots where the ro90 is above the sanded spot, but barely touching the workpiece. that is not a problem of the machine though, its a problem of the workpiece itself (agreed, which you couldnt sand well without the ro90^^).
i also noticed that the thinner, extended deltex pad is not top of the pops when it comes to dust collection in case you dont have much of its surface placed on the workpiece (which somehow would defeat the purpose of using it).
i totally agree with you in terms of the limited sandpaper issue and the problem with these large packs. since you can get your dealer to give you good prices on the machines...he might still not rip open packs of sandpaper - but that might be worth a try, eh?
still, you wouldnt get all the grits youd like - so maybe the ro90 really isnt for you and staying with a ro125 and the deltex is cheaper. having two tools for the job that one can do, still is annoying though...

 

[surfmirrors]

a few posts say the RO 90 isn't as ergonomic as the other sanders, well i handled it in the shop only and loved the feel as it was smaller diameter handle than the others, and i dont have big hands.
soooo tempted to purchase, but soooo expensive...