Review of Pro5 Limited

[Cheese]

Then send it back to Festool for service, they'll make it right.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I just tried out my new Pro 5. It's very smooth.
Even with 80 grit Granit on doug fir it is easily steered around by simply holding the vac hose.

If yours behaves differently don't accept it.

 

[sawdustislife]

I had these same problems with my Pro 5 when I first got it. Didn't matter what speed I set the sander or my dust extractor or what grit of paper I used - it was jerky and jumpy. I sent it in to Festool's service department and they fixed it. Apparently it was a problem with the bearing flange. I made a quick video about it if you're bored. That was my first time working with Festool's repair department. I was happy with the experience. Of course, it would have been better to not have the problem in the first place  [smile]

 

[yetihunter]

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

pro 5 ltd

Bought mine on November 1st, but was a Christmas present.
Been 'trying' to use it the last week or so. 
Bad news: It's like this video, but worse. 

On the way to pick up some packing peanuts. 

 

[JFyre]

I had posted earlier in the thread expressing my disappointment in my Pro5. Since then mine has gotten 100% better. I don't know what changed but mine is now smooth as silk. I removed and reinstalled the pad but I can't say for sure that that is what "fixed" it.
I am using mine with abranet and can hold it by just the vacuum hose.
For anyone else looking, mirka pad saver 99528 matches the Festool hole pattern perfectly.

 

[yetihunter]

Mine arrived back to my doorstep, earlier today.
Note says something about the repair person rotating a bearing flange.
Sandpaper is at my shop, the opposite direction of the house I may be dog sitting if somebody's wife's baby belly pops tonight.  [big grin]

I'll remark when I can; however, it's much smoother just running it in the air.

 

[parks3151]

I wish my first post was more promising, but I too have had the problems other have been having. I received my PRO 5 around Christmas and it wast just plain unusable, so I sent it to festool and it was returned to me in a week. Well I have used the sander twice now and it's still terrible to use? What gives? Do I call festool back and send it in again? It's hard for me to believe this is even a festool product, and even more disappointing that even after repair it still runs terrible.

Any advise on next steps would be greatly appreciated. Also note that I do in fact know how to operate it, and how to reduce the vacuum pressure.

 

[Holmz]

I wish my first post was more promising, but I too have had the problems other have been having. I received my PRO 5 around Christmas and it wast just plain unusable, so I sent it to festool and it was returned to me in a week. Well I have used the sander twice now and it's still terrible to use? What gives? Do I call festool back and send it in again? It's hard for me to believe this is even a festool product, and even more disappointing that even after repair it still runs terrible.

Any advise on next steps would be greatly appreciated. Also note that I do in fact know how to operate it, and how to reduce the vacuum pressure.

People often say that I am negative towards the brand.

So about 10+ years ago Clarkie came through town. He was talking about the 1/2 year in the NZ jail/gaol... The coppers asked him if thought he may be buying stolen goods when he was offered the 1000$ TV for $100?
Clarkies said, "of course, what Dxxkhead sells a $1000 TV for a $100?"

So I see the pro five for $100 and think how can an ETS EC quality sander get sold for 100$ ?

If they are claiming it is a Festool quality sander, then send it back until they send you what you were buying. Right now any of the low quality sanders on the market would out perform it. But it is dressed up with lipstick as a good tool.

 

[Huxleywood]

I wish my first post was more promising, but I too have had the problems other have been having. I received my PRO 5 around Christmas and it wast just plain unusable, so I sent it to festool and it was returned to me in a week. Well I have used the sander twice now and it's still terrible to use? What gives? Do I call festool back and send it in again? It's hard for me to believe this is even a festool product, and even more disappointing that even after repair it still runs terrible.

Any advise on next steps would be greatly appreciated. Also note that I do in fact know how to operate it, and how to reduce the vacuum pressure.

People often say that I am negative towards the brand.

So about 10+ years ago Clarkie came through town. He was talking about the 1/2 year in the NZ jail/gaol... The coppers asked him if thought he may be buying stolen goods when he was offered the 1000$ TV for $100?
Clarkies said, "of course, what Dxxkhead sells a $1000 TV for a $100?"

So I see the pro five for $100 and think how can an ETS EC quality sander get sold for 100$ ?

If they are claiming it is a Festool quality sander, then send it back until they send you what you were buying. Right now any of the low quality sanders on the market would out perform it. But it is dressed up with lipstick as a good tool.

Your logic is near indisputable... except for the fact it was a promotion which renders your whole logic string worthless.

 

[Holmz]

I am sure it has been good in the promotion sense.

It seems like it has generated a lot of excitement in the many months that people have been awaiting their limited edition machines.

 

[parks3151]

I forgot to mention in my first post that when I received the sander back from repair it has ZERO documentation saying what they had fixed, just a copy of the shipping label? Heck for all I know nothing might have been replaced? I called the repair department and explained the problem again and they were almost silent, I asked if they could tell me what was repaired and nothing.

So I am creating the repair form now and shipping it out for the 2nd time and will update everyone when I receive it back.

 

[Cheese]

Ever wonder how many of these things have been manufactured so far?

S/N 4002174X manufactured 06/2016

S/N 4017320X manufactured 01/2017

Just looking at the raw numbers at face value, that would yield 151,460 Pro 5's over 7 months or approx. 21,637 per month. No wonder it took so long to fill the void in the supply chain.

Unless, Festool decided to skip some serial numbers in between... [eek]

 

[antss]

Based on what I know and have seen of the operation, I cannot imagine them churning out 1000 pro5s everyday in addition to what ever else is on the production schedule.

 

[Svar]

that would yield 151,460 Pro 5's over 7 months

I think it exceeds the number of Festool nuts in NA. Unless every Festool nut ordered two.

 

[yetihunter]

that would yield 151,460 Pro 5's over 7 months

I think it exceeds the number of Festool nuts in NA. Unless every Festool nut ordered two.

Well, I mean, some of them ordered 20. 

 

[Welshdog]

My Pro 5 exhibits a little jumpiness, but I attribute that to vibrational harmonics between the sander, the work and the table.  I have found that my RO125 is the same way - if the work isn't clamped hard to a very immobile structure, the sander will jump around in certain areas where the vibrations become "additive".  It is very repeatable and if you experiment you'll see that the jumping only occurs in a specific area of the workpiece, not overall.  I only have an MFT/3 as my work table and as we know, they are a bit wiggly, so sometimes is it hard to get vibration under control.  The jumping video shown here doesn't look like what I have seen and surely was a defective unit.

When I get the Pro 5 dialed in and the work is clamped properly it is as smooth as any sander I have used.  The vibration transmitted to my hand is negligible - you could use this thing for hours without getting "sander hand".

 

[wetndry]

My Pro 5 exhibits a little jumpiness, but I attribute that to vibrational harmonics between the sand, the work and the table.

I noticed the same with my Pro 5 that I sent back. It was less jumpy with the work clamped tight but still left a poor surface finish.  Clamping is not required of my other festool and non festool sanders.  I can hold boards in my hand and sand them with most of my sanders.  I usually just sand with the board on anti skid mats with out having to clamp them at all.  I think that the bearing problems are amplified when the work is not clamped down.

 

[Welshdog]

My Pro 5 exhibits a little jumpiness, but I attribute that to vibrational harmonics between the sand, the work and the table.

I noticed the same with my Pro 5 that I sent back. It was less jumpy with the work clamped tight but still left a poor surface finish.  Clamping is not required of my other festool and non festool sanders.  I can hold boards in my hand and sand them with most of my sanders.  I usually just sand with the board on anti skid mats with out having to clamp them at all.  I think that the bearing problems are amplified when the work is not clamped down.

Well now you've got me wondering if I should send mine in for repair.  I need to use it more before making that decision.  My trouble is that the RO125 I have is my only Festool sander experience.  It is known to be a bit tricky to control - and that is my experience.  So the Pro 5 seemed similar and I figured that is normal for Festool sanders (not that I think it should be this way  . . .) but I guess maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Holmz]

My Pro 5 exhibits a little jumpiness, but I attribute that to vibrational harmonics between the sand, the work and the table.

I noticed the same with my Pro 5 that I sent back. It was less jumpy with the work clamped tight but still left a poor surface finish.  Clamping is not required of my other festool and non festool sanders.  I can hold boards in my hand and sand them with most of my sanders.  I usually just sand with the board on anti skid mats with out having to clamp them at all.  I think that the bearing problems are amplified when the work is not clamped down.

Well now you've got me wondering if I should send mine in for repair.  I need to use it more before making that decision.  My trouble is that the RO125 I have is my only Festool sander experience.  It is known to be a bit tricky to control - and that is my experience.  So the Pro 5 seemed similar and I figured that is normal for Festool sanders (not that I think it should be this way  . . .) but I guess maybe I'm wrong.

Austin, 'the blueberry in the tomato soup'.

Woodcraft is located at
8904 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78758

They may have the regular ETS, the ETS EC and the Mirka DEROS there, so perhaps you could post some first hand impression of the Pro5 in relation to those others?

 

[nickao]

Comparing the Pro5 to anything but the ETS 125 or any other brands 99.00 5" senders is pretty meaningless.

The others you mention, the ETS EC and the Mirka DEROS are just so far above in quality and at near three times the cost is comparing apples to oranges. The ETC and Deros are far, far better than the pro5, they are simply different category tools from quality, price and even type(technology).