Rotax 125, I give up, Now for sale

[Raptorseviltwin]

Hi All
A while ago i posted about the rotax 125 and it's difficulty to control it. A lot of replies talked about a break in period.
Well a couple of months have gone by and i persevered but to no avail. I have had an op for carpel tunnel to my right hand ( the left hand will be done in another 6 weeks.) well i can not sit and do nothing so i thought i could do some one handed sanding how wrong was i, it was like riding a bull i just could not control it even on a lowly no 3 setting. I tried holding it lightly and give it its head it just bounced around the table i was sanding and left marks all over the table. Now it is for Sale but feel let down by festool for producing such a beast. I have the 75mm plunge saw, the jigsaw, multitool and router these deserve their acclaim but the sander is just not in their class. I eventually reverted to my 150mm metabo which performed one handed admirably. Has any one else suffered from the same problem.

0 [crying]

 

[Staniam]

I picked up the RO 125 a couple days before Christmas and have been using it the past three weeks on various furniture projects. It took some getting used to and even now sometimes if I lose focus it bounces but not very much. I personally love it and while it needs to be paired with a fine sander, it has done an incredible job for me finishing pieces up. I actually find the Rotex mode much easier to handle than the Random Orbit mode which is weird but oh well, I'm to the point where it's a joy to use.

One thing people have said is to lower the suction and it took me about a whole 1x8x4 rough piece of lumber to figure out the best setting. I turn it all the way down then turn about an 8th or 1/2" up. I just let it flow whichever way it wants to go and when I'm ready to move I just out a little bit of pressure to the direction I want to go.

Here's a picture of what I'm working on this second. This is construction/framing grade Doug Fur with Ruben 2 80 grit and 120 grit. 80 in Rotex then Random Orbit followed by 120 in Rotex then Random Orbit.

 

[Staniam]

Oh and the pad you use will greatly dictate potential jumping. I tried the blue hard pad when I first started sanding that piece then quickly switched back to the black  medium pad.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

As said above; turn down suction a bit and you should be fine. Changing pads might help too.

If you are still not happy I can recommend Mirka Deros - very smooth in action. I also have some problems with my hands and the Mirka is a breeze to use. It uses the same papers and you can change between 125 and 150 pads.

 

[Raptorseviltwin]

Thanks for your comments, i need the hard backing pads as i noticed when sanding Douglas fir with the standard pad it left ridges
where the pattern was and on a coffee table it did not seem right as i prefer the top to be perfectly flat. Secondly regards suction i am using the metabo vacuum as it was the one i purchased the the metabo sander. I will try without a vacuum but if no better then it will have to go.

 

[andy5405]

I seem to remember talking to one of the more knowledgeable UK dealers who posts on here and he did say that he has quite a few people who can't get on with the 125 but love the 90 and 150. My 150 has strange moods some days and seems to have a mind of it's own. However I would never part with it and a change of paper, pad, suction or speed generally does the trick.

I think you have to see the Rotex sanders as thoroughbred stallions. They can achieve incredible levels of performance and results and surpass almost everything else in the market but there will be odd days when they are flighty and you wouldn't want to be on their back or holding them. I hope the analogy works.

I worked on a stud briefly years ago and always remember the second man schooling one of the stallions in the indoor school after a long period of not being ridden. It was a real battle of wits and that horse was a seriously mean SOAB but the guy won in the end and I had a lot of respect for him after that.

End of bad analogies......

 

[Staniam]

Thanks for your comments, i need the hard backing pads as i noticed when sanding Douglas fir with the standard pad it left ridges
where the pattern was and on a coffee table it did not seem right as i prefer the top to be perfectly flat. Secondly regards suction i am using the metabo vacuum as it was the one i purchased the the metabo sander. I will try without a vacuum but if no better then it will have to go.

Yeah you might have to try it without dust collection because if you have it hooked up to a high suction hose the pressure will want to suck the sander to the surface and when you try to move it that's when it'll bounce. It seems that may be your problem. It's like trying to take apart opposite magnets, when you pull apart then let go they are going to slam back together even if you try to do it slowly.

 

[CrazyLarry]

I seem to remember talking to one of the more knowledgeable UK dealers who posts on here and he did say that he has quite a few people who can't get on with the 125 but love the 90 and 150. My 150 has strange moods some days and seems to have a mind of it's own. However I would never part with it and a change of paper, pad, suction or speed generally does the trick.

I'd agree but for me the only issue with the rotex (150) is remembering this has excess power, choose right suction / speed / grade / pad then focus yet relax and let it do the work, direct it don't 'drive' it! Beyond that it's all learning to change grit little and early etc etc

Has the OP tried it with a variable power extractor? Watched a range of videos? There's lots of good ones to choose from...

 

[Dan Clark]

Thanks for your comments, i need the hard backing pads as i noticed when sanding Douglas fir with the standard pad it left ridges
where the pattern was and on a coffee table it did not seem right as i prefer the top to be perfectly flat. Secondly regards suction i am using the metabo vacuum as it was the one i purchased the the metabo sander. I will try without a vacuum but if no better then it will have to go.

Yeah you might have to try it without dust collection because if you have it hooked up to a high suction hose the pressure will want to suck the sander to the surface and when you try to move it that's when it'll bounce. It seems that may be your problem. It's like trying to take apart opposite magnets, when you pull apart then let go they are going to slam back together even if you try to do it slowly.

+1

I have the RO150 and RO90.  Great sanders.  However, especially with the 150, turning down the suction is very important.  With my RO150, I have to turn down the suction to 50% or less.  In fact, sometimes I can turn it WAY down and still get almost 100% dust collection. 

With my RO90 and Mirka Ceros 150, I keep the suction much higher - probably 75% with RO90 and 90+% with the Ceros.  It depends on the sander.

I have heard that the RO125 is a bit harder to control than the RO150 when suction is turned up.  I.e. it's more sensitive to the suction level.  As I test, try turning down the suction to it's lowest setting and then gradually turn up the suction until dust disappears.

Good luck,

Dan.

 

[Paul G]

As far as break in, about how many hours of actual sanding have you used it?

 

[Raptorseviltwin]

Will try it without suction tomorrow and report findings, and to Paul G have run it for approx 6 hours.
Thanks for all comments

 

[Claimdude]

Raptor,

I have had my RO125 for several years and wouldn't dream of parting with it. I only have a left hand and right arm to the wrist bone. The sander is a beast and was a bit difficult for me to get the hang of it but if I can you can. Fiddle with the suction and how you hold. The sander does the work you just need to guide it.

Jack

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I never turn the suction down with my ro125. 

 

[Staniam]

I never turn the suction down with my ro125.

So do you have any advice to give then?

 

[sae]

Official word is none of the RO sanders need the suction turned down.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I never turn the suction down with my ro125.

So do you have any advice to give then?

Yeah, I never turn down the vac with my ro125.  Not needed.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I also never turn suction down on any of the 3 Rotex sanders. They're so powerful, suction has no hold on them. And I want suction to be at the max to catch all the dust created.

It's all in the hands, you need to have a really tight grip to subdue them or they'll take a walk with you.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

I think I should not have to grapple a machine like I was trying to choke a greasy pyton. It gets old very quickly. 
I have experience with all Festool sanders (except the new ETC EC 150) and all sizes on very different materials. I find that on some surfaces you get a better finish and more control when turning the vac down a little and to no detriment on the dust extraction.

But I prefer a gentle touch to a bitch slap.

From memory I don't turn down more than a 1/4 with the 125/150 sanders. The RO90 was quite jumpy and I am one of the few I guess that didn't take it to heart.

Today I run a Bosch GEX Turbo 150 for aggressive snake wrestling experience sanding, a Mirka Deros for whisper quiet smooth sailing with a Cappuccino in the other hand as well as a RTS400 for some general use. Even the RTS 400 handles better when vac is turned down, less swirl marks and better finish.

I am considering the ETS EC 150 because I like everything about it.

 

[tjbnwi]

Jeff's wife sanding counter tops, sander in the aggressive mode. Worked fine for her.

Check the pad on your sander.

Tom

 

[Raptorseviltwin]

[attachimg=2]Hi
Ran the sander without any vacuum and can say that there is a big difference much more controllable but no where near
comfortable for one handed operation. I then fabricated a piece of tube with 5 x 3/8th hole around the circumference and inserted it between the machine and hose. The results were the sander was just the same as using none at all but the dust was removed. I also ran it at top speed and gave it it's head. However in the rotex position it jumps all over the place and it was like try to hang onto a very powerful belt sander on full speed. Also marks the piece. I also have a metabo 150mm which i can handle one handed.  Switched all my tools to festool and the sander is rubbish compared to my other 4 tools.