Review of Pro5 Limited

[Wes.C]

picked up a Pro 5 ltd yesterday Nov 1st from Woodcraft of Delaware.

Began using it at work today sanding poplar jamb extension edges and 2" wide rectangular poplar door casing.  Unit is quiet and low vibration as expected from a festool sander.  I own a RO 150 and have used an ETS 150/3 a lot.  This pro 5 was very difficult to use- it bounced around the workpiece considerably. Much more than my RO 150 in fine sanding mode.  I tried various speeds and vacuum settings.  Also tried with "long life dust bag".  120 grit paper.  Ended up with gouges and uneven surfaces on poplar, almost ruined.  I have used the ETS 150 a lot and always had easy control of it, able to guide it with light finger pressure with no bouncing/eccentric movements.
Curious is there some sort of "break-in" period? doesn't mention it in the manual.  so far I am disappointed, was hoping for extreme control, especially sanding vertically.

open to suggestions, curious if others have similar experiences.

Wes

 

[dmick]

Wes, Ive been using one for a little while and have not had the same experience. I also have the RO150 and I much prefer the new pro 5, ive been finishing some cherry  with 80-220 grit for a friend and find that its much like the ETS 125 but you can tell the motor is stronger and it seems very easy in the hand to me! I love the sample pack in the sys, very nice for new follks to festool and the sys in awesome!

 

[Huxleywood]

Too much pressure and/or too much suction.  Doesn't take much to stop the orbit. 

 

[dmick]

That's what I was thinking, too much suction. Ive never really used the suction release on vac's before until I started sanding with the festool sanders/vac combo, it really makes a big difference.

 

[RKA]

I used mine on a horizontal surface with the vac turned up on high (120 grit) and didn't notice any jumpiness. I was using a 2x10 (pine) just to see what this was all about. I put some significant pressure on the sander and the pad didn't stop rotating, it muscled through getting a little jumpy, but nothing concerning because you wouldn't put that kind of pressure on a fine sander.

The only theory I have is the stock he was sanding was narrower and perhaps the combination of the pad a slight angle on the sander contributed to the issue?  Perhaps try again on a larger flat surface and see if the problem persists? 

My only other observation so far is this sander is not small, which was the primary reason for purchase.  I prefer the ETS EC series, of course there is the substantial price difference.

[edit] I forgot, I did test it on some 3.75" wide white oak rails I am building as well.  No jumpiness observed there either.  Still, I think that's a fair bit wider than the edge sanding Wes was attempting.

 

[lunchman]

I received mine this morning (ordered within minutes after receiving the email from ToolNut). This isn't any sort of extensive review, I used it for all of ten minutes, sanding in between coats of finish to knock off some roughness on the Bistro table I built.

As an FYI, I also have a RO90 and a RO125, which are my go to sanders. I used it on speed 2 with Granat 360 hooked up to my CT26. Not much to say about it other than it did the job as expected. No jumpiness, easy to maneuver, lightweight, felt comfortable to use.

I'll put it through its paces more when I get to whatever my next project is, using it on unfinished wood.

I also ordered the dust bag, have not used that yet but it may come in handy. Haven't decided whether to change the connector on my CT26 yet, the hose stayed put with the standard friction fit.

For the bargain price of $99, this was well worth it and I'm glad to have added it to my collection of Festool products. Now to figure out what to buy next with the voucher.

-Dom

 

[Wes.C]

Tried again today, still hard to control. different that any sander I have used in 25 plus years. It's got to be a fluke. Tried to take a video but it looks fake, it jumps so much. A co-worker agreed something must be wrong with it.
I will see if I can exchange it for another before I continue my review.  Glad to hear it works well for others!

 

[Wes.C]

here is a vid. totally doesn't look real but trying to use light pressure. this is how much it jumps

pro 5 ltd

 

[nickao]

Thats crap hold on

 

[nickao]

Vid coming is coming in a  minute.. The sander isn't a powerful as my 99 DeWalt, but in no way does it jump like that other video.

View attachment 11

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[Cochese]

It's about as smooth as any other Festool.

 

[#Tee]

here is a vid. totally doesn't look real but trying to use light pressure. this is how much it jumps

pro 5 ltd

is this fast forward? i almost had a seizure watching that. i never seen anyone take such an approach while sanding.

 

[nickao]

When I use it mine it does not jump at all. I can use it with a super light touch, even let go if it or use pressure to sand off a pencil mark. You can hear when I bear down on it a few times, you can see the light touch as well.

There is simply ZERO  jumping whatsoever. On that inlay piece the shapes were not flush, that's why it takes a bit of time to sand that pencil line, it had to flatten the parts first. That being said the sander is still lacking in power compared to the DeWalt and Makita 5" sanders, but way better for me than the ETS 125. Unlike the ETS 125 Ill keep this sander, it leaves a nice swirl free finish.

If you dont have many sanders to choose from like I do I would get something more powerful. The Makita, Bosch and DeWalt all fill the bill for 99 dollars. If you are in the Festool system this work well too.:

 

[semenza]

here is a vid. totally doesn't look real but trying to use light pressure. this is how much it jumps

pro 5 ltd

  That seems quite bad. Check to see that the pad is attached correctly and seated fully. I am not sure exactly how the Pro5 pad attaches but I once reattached my ETS150 pad without having it completely seated in place. I was still able to put the screw in and didn't notice the pad was crooked until  sanding and finding it to be uncontrollable.

Seth

 

[nickao]

Just a thought where did you get that dust collection bag from? Looking at that sander close, is it a Pro5?

Try hooking the sander to a dust collector and see if it does the same thing. Mine was hooked to a CT 48 for video.

 

[lunchman]

The pad attaches with 4 screws, as outlined in the instruction manual. Wes, I'd check to make sure all are firmly tightened. Perhaps remove it and reinstall it. That jumping around certainly isn't normal.

I used mine this morning on unfinished wood, speed 5, Granat P360 with the dust bag. I can hold the sander by the Plug-It cord with two fingers and it stays put in one position. It's as stable as both my RO90 and RO125.

I'd see if you can exchange it for another, but given the supply/demand for this sander that might not be simple.

-Dom

 

[bdiemer]

Cathedral grain like the grain in that video would make any sander jump, especially if the speed is not cut way back.

 

[Wes.C]

Thanks for the feedback!
Judging by other videos it is a smooth sander indeed.
I will detach and reattach the sanding pad and see if it improves.
Thanks again

 

[nickao]

I would say exchange it as last resort, but not sure if that's possible under current climate.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Is exchange possible with a limited edition tool?