RO 90 DX FEQ Rotex sander smoking

[Chickentonight]

My Rotex 90 has a problem, it will not get up to speed, feels very laboured and smokes from the motor within seconds of turning it on. Can anyone suggest the likely problem, gears, motor etc? A friend suggested brushes but in my experience that’s usually more of a stutter than it feeling like it will seize. It’s outside warranty and I’m trying to guess if I’m looking at a cost effective repair vs replacement. Thanks in advance.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Smoking means a serieus problem - as always. That's the motor burning, and an expensive repair. Order a new rotor and a field coil, and whatever else is damaged.

 

[Chickentonight]

Thanks for info Alex, I feared smoke equals expensive! Do you have any idea of costs, just ballpark. I’ve never had a Festool repair or ordered parts for a self repair, I’m in France at the moment but an idea in any currency would guide me. Anything around or over half what the tool costs and I’d lean towards buying a replacement.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Thanks for info Alex, I feared smoke equals expensive! Do you have any idea of costs, just ballpark. I’ve never had a Festool repair or ordered parts for a self repair, I’m in France at the moment but an idea in any currency would guide me. Anything around or over half what the tool costs and I’d lean towards buying a replacement.

If you go to the menu bar of this website and choose Additional Websites > Spare parts catalog then you can find your sander, with an exploded view and a list of all parts you can order and their cost. Write down the parts numbers and you can then order them trough any Festool dealer.

 

[Chickentonight]

Thanks again Alex, found the diagram (very helpful for some minor parts for my other tools too), sadly I’m way out of my depth, I’ll speak to Festool on Monday to ask about cost of repair, or cost of getting it to them for an estimate.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Hi,

If I understand you right, it turns, but slowly? And like it want to bog down?
As Alex suggests it might be a repair that you can do your self, or/and help from a friend that have some mechanical experience.
I would also suggest that you open it - we don’t know if you know it’s history from new?
It could have been used in such manner that it’s inevitable to fail. Harmful dust (from metal or similar), chemicals and so on. If you open it, check for dust inside, clean, vacuum carefully.
Always unplug from power of course!

From your description I also suspect a bearing failing. There’s also a drive belt that could be heavily worn, misplaced and so on.

You could also give Festool’s repair shop a call, explaining and asking for advise - you may come to an agreement with them on what to check and repair yourself. And in case you’ll need to send it in you’ll have the agreement with the technician. Not every shop or technician will do this but some are understanding and helpful.

 

[AlexThePalex]

As Alex suggests it might be a repair that you can do your self, or/and help from a friend that have some mechanical experience.

I didn't really suggest that, I just pointed to what might be the problem.

I would repair this myself, but I have the expertise to do this. I would also NOT even bother to repair this myself, because a motor problem is a costly problem and the way I buy my tools I'd know I'd be better off finding a second hand replacement.

It doesn't sound like the OP feels comfortable to repair this himself. So the only option is to let this be done by Festool, and parts + labour is going to cost a lot. A completely new sander will be more expensive, but not that much more expensive.

 

[Chickentonight]

Thanks FestitaMakool, I’ve had it from new, it spends its life removing paint etc from windows and shutters, it’s not had a hard life, my Rotex 150 does most of the hard work.

It will still turn but it’s laboured and slower than its normal slowest setting.

I’d lent it to a friend who was sanding rust and paint off metal vehicle racking when it died. He’s very much mechanically sympathetic and neither of us would have guessed sanding metal could be problematic.

I will take a punt and take it apart, cleaning it is no problem and maybe the failure will be obvious, failing that I’ll put it back together and speak to Festool.

Just seen Alex’s recent post, there’s a good chance I’ll replace it, certainly if I can’t repair it myself and Festool want anything approaching 200€ for repairs.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Alex: Haha, well you suggested that ordering parts could be a solution, who would then replace them?  [wink] But this is not important, all advise is good advise until proven wrong [smile]

Anyhow Chickentonight, if you and/or a friend do take it apart, there might be visual hints or something that feels out of order. That would at least indicate whether you would send it in or do a repair yourself.

I can at least tell you what I’ve learned and do:
Lay it flat on a good table, screws facing you.
Unscrew and place screws in a pattern of the tool and in ie a clockwise order (eases assembling later on, and note different length on the screws!)
Lift cover slow and try leave all components behind in the cover that forms the other half that remains on the table.
Now is probably the time to vacuum - safest method (again my experience) is to use a soft paint brush in one hand and holding the vac hose in your other hand at some distance to collect what you remove with the brush.
Before trying to remove anything - take photos - you’ll have a reference when assembling again.

If failure you’ll still have a fair chance to deliver a whole tool to the repair centre - if applicable [wink]

 

[AlexThePalex]

Alex: Haha, well you suggested that ordering parts could be a solution, who would then replace them?  [wink] But this is not important, all advise is good advise until proven wrong [smile]

Nobody ever proves me wrong. Except you just now and all the countless other people that ever heard a word out of my mouth.  [wink]

Now is probably the time to vacuum - safest method (again my experience) is to use a soft paint brush in one hand and holding the vac hose in your other hand at some distance to collect what you remove with the brush.

I would not even try to get a vac in the neighbourhood of an open tool, you never know what you might suck up. Just the brush and a good blow is good enough.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Alex: Haha, well you suggested that ordering parts could be a solution, who would then replace them?  [wink] But this is not important, all advise is good advise until proven wrong [smile]

Nobody ever proves me wrong. Except you just now and all the countless other people that ever heard a word out of my mouth.  [wink]

Now is probably the time to vacuum - safest method (again my experience) is to use a soft paint brush in one hand and holding the vac hose in your other hand at some distance to collect what you remove with the brush.

I would not even try to get a vac in the neighbourhood of an open tool, you never know what you might suck up. Just the brush and a good blow is good enough.

I can agree on that last one, except - better have parts in your vac than something finding its way into the distance, or behind or under someplace inaccessible..
You probably all know this feeling: Lost that e-clip, a whole 5mm in diameter the other day.. swearing - could not hear what direction it went. 1/2 an hour later - hey wait a minute, the motor  was very close to where I “released” the e-clip - and there it was held in place by magnetic force under a plastic clamp enclosing the electric motor. Perfect! So the moral is - Have a huge vac and a strong magnet working close to small parts - you’ll know where to look when you loose them. [big grin]

On a more serious note; I meant keeping the hose so far that it’s s not creating any vacuum force on the tool and parts, just far enough from the tool creating an airstream catching flying dust from the brush. [wink]

 

[Gregor]

Now is probably the time to vacuum - safest method (again my experience) is to use a soft paint brush in one hand and holding the vac hose in your other hand at some distance to collect what you remove with the brush.

I would not even try to get a vac in the neighbourhood of an open tool, you never know what you might suck up. Just the brush and a good blow is good enough.

A (preferently just freshly emptied) Dyson vacuum comes very handy in situations like that.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Now is probably the time to vacuum - safest method (again my experience) is to use a soft paint brush in one hand and holding the vac hose in your other hand at some distance to collect what you remove with the brush.

I would not even try to get a vac in the neighbourhood of an open tool, you never know what you might suck up. Just the brush and a good blow is good enough.

A (preferently just freshly emptied) Dyson vacuum comes very handy in situations like that.

Precisely sir! An empty Dyson or new bag is much preferred [big grin]

I was recently able to study the airflow with the original hose for the CT SYS the other day.
Equipped with a high quality half mask I removed old blown-in wall insulation which went from a firm substance to extremely fine flowing dust when moved.. I could easily see the airstream going towards the nozzle - it’s amazing once the air starts to flow in a funnel like shape.
Next time I’m going to hook up a 50mm hose with a large funnel taped to the nozzle end - a new study in air flow the next time!

 

[AlexThePalex]

No, just no vac at all. And parts should not be flying around either.