RO 150 FEQ Sander questions

[GAKnothead]

Greetings!
Wondering about my RO 150FEQ sander - bought it new in 2008.

1. Brake - are the notches around the wide diameter some sort of wear indicator?  If so, and I can still see them, maybe it doesn't need replacement?

2. Pad - original equipment - "Festool 031074 > PA6-GF50/PUR

 

[GAKnothead]

Hello!  Anybody out there?

Thx in advance.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Dougie,

Sorry your questions didn't get answered. As far as I know, the notches are not a wear indicator. In RO mode, your pad should not spin wildly. If it does, the brake needs to be replaced. I doubt that the brake is generally something that requires frequent replacement under normal use and conditions.

As for the pads... It comes with the soft pad.  Here's a description of the pads and what they are used for:

Super-soft Pad
For less aggressive work. The softer pad absorbs more energy for a smoother finish. Good for uneven surfaces and rounded corners.

Soft Pad
For most sanding tasks and materials; standard pad supplied with most random orbit and orbital sanders.

Soft HT/Long-Life Pad
For aggressive sanding with Rotex sanders and other random orbit sanders. Similar to the soft pad but provides longer service life.

Hard Pad
For forming and shaping tasks and maintaining a crisp edge with a stiffer, firmer pad.

Interface Pad
For super smooth finishes on flat or contoured surfaces. Acts as cushion between sander and abrasive. Good for concave and convex surfaces.

 

[fdengel]

Would you consider the hard pad suitable for use in aggressive mode if trying to flatten something, or is it best to use the soft pad to get close then stick on the hard pad and finish it off in random orbit mode?

Just curious at the moment...

Thank you!

 

[Bob Marino]

Would you consider the hard pad suitable for use in aggressive mode if trying to flatten something, or is it best to use the soft pad to get close then stick on the hard pad and finish it off in random orbit mode?

Just curious at the moment...

Thank you!

  Yes, the hard pad for sure for your application; the soft pad has too much "give".

Bob

 

[lawhoo]

Does the ETS 150 also come with the soft pad?

 

[tbellemare]

Yes

Tom

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I meant to follow up on this thread. I asked Lester, our service department manager, about the notches on the pad brake. While there's no evidence to support that the notches are intended as a wear indicator, he recommended that the brake be replaced if it was worn past the notches.