RO 125 FEQ Wobble

[mmcguire]

Hi I purchased a RO 125 FEQ through Festool Recon, and since I took it out of the box and tried it the first time it did not seem right.  I have only heard how smooth these sanders are supposed to be and it was not from the first time I used it.  I called customer service and they told me to put in to send it back for repair, which I did.  I got a call a couple days later saying the tech found nothing wrong with it, I said I have a video of the wobble I can email them which I did right after the phone call.  I heard no answer to the email and a couple days later the sander showed back up at my doorstep. 
Here is a videoof my issues, please tell me this is not normal for Festool Sanders?  After spending that much on a sander, was really hoping for better.

Thanks
-Matt

 

[Michael Kellough]

You need to use two hands with that sander.

 

[waho6o9]

The brushes might have to be worn in and too much  vacuum suction can cause that as well. 

Congrats on a purchasing a great sander.

 

[Sparktrician]

Since you're right-handed, move your right hand rearward and hold the sander by the power and suction connectors.  Use your left hand to just guide the sander head, with little pressure downward.  Let the tool do the work.  Take a look at

Larry Smith's video

for guidance. 

 

[AlexThePalex]

Nobody who knows the RO 125 would call it a smooth sander.

If this sander is new to you, you need to learn to control it. Start with turning the suction all the way down, and use two hands to control the sander. Make sure you keep the pad flat on your workpiece.

 

[Cheese]

In your video the sander looks to be in the Rotex gear-driven mode...if that’s the case, then that looks pretty normal to me.

When in the gear-driven mode the Rotex acts like a slow speed right angle grinder so it can be a handful on certain surfaces. The Rotex is like having a belt sander and a random orbit sander in the same tool. When switched to the random orbit mode the Rotex loses much of it's aggressive dominance.

Also as already mentioned, use 2 hands when in the gear-driven mode.

Reduce the vacuum and that may help a little.

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[mrboult]

Gave my opinions on the same subject (as a two RO125 owner) here recently. . . .
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/rotex-125-skipping/msg603168/#msg603168

 

[mmcguire]

Thank you all for the feedback and video.  Will keep working with it to get better control over it.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Being a relatively new owner of the same sander, it sure looks to me like you're pressing down to hard. As others have said, use two hands and let the sander do the work, Your hands should just be working to keep the sander flat.

Th Rotex 125 has a history of being more difficult to master than the bigger RO 150, but it fits the scale of my work better. Once you learn to dance with it, it is amazing...aggressive when you need it, but also capable of finesse.

In another thread there was talk of "breaking in" the sander. I'm not sure if the process is breaking in the sander or breaking in the operator, but I can say that I'm approaching the end of the break-in, and it is worth the effort to push through it.

 

[mrboult]

I push very hard on my ro125 sometimes. It’s more about learning how the tool will work. I feel like I should do a video about this sanders handling. It’s bastard, but it’s such a useful sander at the same time.

People have chuckled many times when I’ve said “do you know what, I’m just gonna sand it”, they imagine I’ll be there for an hour and it’s done in 5-10 mins. .

I think the Ro150 is a better machine, but I’ve always liked 125mm and even on my new Mirka (metabo) Deros I’ve stuck with the 125mm mostly. Just suites me better all round. And to have 125mm in a rotex type sander I’ve had to put up with my ro125s.

 

[Sparktrician]

Were you ever in the military?  If so, do you remember those 18-24" floor buffers we used to use to buff the barracks floors?  Remember how we used to have to learn how to balance the buffer on the brush so that the buffer wouldn't throw us across the room and sit there laughing at us as we picked ourselves up off the deck?  Once we got the hang of balancing the buffer, we could maneuver them easily with one hand as we did the barracks detailing.  The same principle applies to the RO 125.  You have to find the balance point, then "let the tool do the work" (quoted from His Sedgeliness).  Hand placement is also critical.  Hold the sander by the power and suction connectors to lengthen the lever in relation to the fulcrum, and put very little pressure on the RO 125 head.  Again, "let the tool do the work".