RO 150 advise for hardwood floors

[nehardwoodfloors]

Hi all. I own a hardwood flooring company up here in new england.
We have been using this for our fine sanding, prior to buffing.

I was looking for something with more power so I decided to try the ets 125. Way too small of a storke to remove the circular patterns that the edger make.

So back to Rockler to exchange it for a 150/5. Great machine but again not too much better than the 150 $ bosch.
Back to Rockler again. This has got to be it! The Rotex 150 surely would be better then the bosch.......not so much.

Dont get me wrong that rotex rips !!!! I mean serious power. So I attached a peice of 80 and it does its job but really the bosch is faster at removing the lines from the oak. Ive tried the standard pad and the hard pad. Im thinking I might try the super soft next. But man im blowing serious money just to try to get this thing to match the bosch in performance.
The floors are really never completely flat and I think this might be the problem. The bosch has a 5" and spins at 12000. The rotex is 6" and only like 8000.

Not sure if I should be going with a rougher grit because of the power of the rotex or what? Maybe the soft pad will let it contour itself to the floors?

As of right now im ready to bring it back and buy 2 bosches for the price.

i love the festool as it is a great tool but I just cant seem to get it to do what I want it to do in the time that the bosch can.

Any Help? Advise? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I use my RAS, RO125, Deltex 93 and recently my ets 125 (screening mostly) for my edge work.

I really dont like the big edgers for the reasons you have mentioned.

 

[nehardwoodfloors]

Big edger as in the RO 15o or big edger as in my b2 clarke edger?

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

As in the clarke one.

I could never get good results with those and my drum sander.

 

[nehardwoodfloors]

We get god results but its pain staking work.
Finish edge with 100 grit then orbital all edges with 100  on knees with work light on wood. then buff vac and stain.

Best results we've ever had with finish is bona woodline stain applied with roller!

Got the process down to the T just looking for shortcuts.

 

[nickao]

Try this it blows the Bosch you show away(works like Rotex and is dual mode):

Bosch 1250DEVS 6-Inch Dual-Mode Electronic Random Orbit Sander

Or the big guns:

Fein FSS 12-27E-8 8" Rotary Sander:

Fein MOL1200E 10.2 Amp 8-Inch Random Orbit Sander:

One of the Feins is a Rotary the other  random orbital(they use one of each not a combo unit), I have nothing that moves material as fast and the rotary sander and with the new through the pad collection it leave little to no marks like the old model with a shroud. The other Fein a random orbital is nice. It's not as strong as the rotary but leave a bit better surface.  I use the Rotex mostly, but if it does not work for you try the Bosch 1250 first and then the Feins.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

We get god results but its pain staking work.
Finish edge with 100 grit then orbital all edges with 100  on knees with work light on wood. then buff vac and stain.

Best results we've ever had with finish is bona woodline stain applied with roller!

Got the process down to the T just looking for shortcuts.

Bona Mega is my coating of choice as well.

I do all my edge work with my festool sanders.  The main floor with a drum sander.

 

[passnthru]

Hardwood Flooring company here too and love the Bona Products.
The stains are fantastic as are the finishes and we use both for everything. (I had a kitchen company spraying Mega on Moldings and solid stair treads we were making for a Prefinished install and they seriously considered doing cabs in it.) My favorite is to use Drifast sealer with two coats of either Mega or Traffic. Really draws out the wood's depth and looks a lot like oil. We are all applicator users, rather than the roller, but Bona trains with the roller these days so it must be fine.
My guys will blend in edger transitions with a 6" rigid sander and this has worked well, especially regarding stained floors. But yesterday I picked up a rotex 150 to see how it works for us. (Just killed the rigid.) My guys will tell me real quick how well it works out.

As a disclaimer we now distribute Bona here in Winnipeg so I am definitely biased....  [wink] But if I had to buy it through someone else I'd still use it as we did before we were able to get the line.

 

[wintu]

i use :drum sander, carrke 7 edger, festool RO 150 and bona water products.