Rotex Ro 150 vs Makita BO6050J

[huntdupl]

The Makita BO6050J has dual mode "random orbit action (finish sanding and buffing) and random orbit with forced rotation (aggressive sanding and polishing)" is this comparable to the RO 150 "gear driven" mode?

Makita BO6050J- 6.6 amps
- Orbit 1600-6800 opm and 140-600 opm "forced rotation"
-  sanding strokes (3,200-13,600)
- systainer case, quick change, etc. (all things to make me question a birthday gift to myself)

Rotex -6 amps
- 3300 - 6800 opm & 320 - 660 rpm gear

Anyone have first hand experience with both? $250 difference and I could buy a DTS 400 or a Dust Deputy for the Midi...screw the "save 10%" now when you bundle. Hate that word...'bundle'

Overall power for coarse work is one thing, but is there $250 more finesse in the Rotex?
Thank you

 

[antss]

I think you already know the answer to your question. 

What's harder to glean from reviews and to quantify are things like ergonomics, the plug-it system, the xtra hole in the pad/paper, the joy or sorrow you'll get outa the " present " being one or the other.

You gotta use both tools yourself for any real analysis and look in the mirror for the rest.

 

[Shane Holland]

I haven't used it, but I've heard feedback that it's a great sander. But the dust collection is not as good as the Rotex. We have the BO6050J in stock with free shipping.

 

[huntdupl]

Damn antss, you speak the truth, respect

I sit behind a desk all day covertly reading about tools and techniques, impatiently waiting to get out, and into the shop. I wish I started a blog or youtube channel a long time ago, to which the tool gods would shower me in free products. Though, here I am.. 'Balling on a budget' if you will.

There is little to no published experience regarding the Makita, which is a relatively new find for me - a find at a critical point where I was about to make a large investment of money I don't have - Living the American Dream. I need a push, kind of like that scene in March of the Penguins

 

[bobfog]

I've not used it, but my take on the situation is as a non-professional I suspect that the Makita being half the price of the Festool and likely to be 95% as good, would represent a better proposition for you.

Maybe the dust collection is slightly better on the Festool and maybe the Festool is slightly more comfortable and maybe the plug it cord makes it slightly more convenient. But I can't see those things being more than shades of grey as opposed to huge differentiators.

 

[rvieceli]

Makita makes fine tools. There are not a lot of reviews probably because that model was only introduced in the US around June this year. I hadn't seen this before thanks for bringing to our attention.

It appears that it may also take Festool abrasives as well but I don't know for sure.

 

[Shane Holland]

It appears that it may also take Festool abrasives as well but I don't know for sure.

Yes, it does.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The Makita BO6050J has dual mode "random orbit action (finish sanding and buffing) and random orbit with forced rotation (aggressive sanding and polishing)" is this comparable to the RO 150 "gear driven" mode?
.....
Anyone have first hand experience with both?
.....
Overall power for coarse work is one thing, but is there $250 more finesse in the Rotex?

I have some experience with both. I own the Rotex 150 for 8 years now, so plenty of experience there, but last year I had the opportunity to also use the Makita for an afternoon.

I was doing a paint job at a friends' house using my DTS and Rotex, and a neighbour was working on his house with the Makita. We got talking and were both curious about the other sander so we swapped sanders for a couple of hours.

My conclusion is that there's not much difference between the two. The Makita worked just as good as my Rotex, with plenty of power to remove the paint quickly. And easy to switch between fine and aggressive mode.

There were a few things though that makes me like the Rotex more:

- I thought the Rotex was noisy, well, the Makita beat it easily.
- The Makita is bigger, making it a bit more uncomfortabe to hold, and less balanced because it sticks out higher above the workpiece. Though I'm sure if you own one you'd get used to it. 
- The dust collection on the Makita is a bit less efficient. Both sanders have the same hole pattern though, and no on-board fan, so it's mainly how the internal duct is formed. But the difference is not that much.

All in all I think it's a perfectly fine alternative for the Rotex.

 

[nickao]

Another option is the Bosch Devs 1250, which I think is better than the Makita.

But for me, having all 3 I prefer the Rotex in Rotary mode.  BUT if you use the sander in regular mode I HATE the ROTEX.  So though the Rotex is the sander I use most often(and my favorite sander) I never, ever use it in regular mode. I dont know how anyone uses it to final finish any type of project The sander is simply a weak squirley beast in regular mode. Try it, put the Rotex in regular mode, any kind of pressure and the sander stops spinning, it must be floated over and when that's done it just doesn't leave a nice controlled finish. I use the Festool 150/5 and 150/3 ETS EC for anything I dont need the power of the rotary mode for.

Both the Bosch and Makita are better than the Rotex in regular mode(with the Bosch giving a better finish with less squirls), the Rotex is better in Rotary mode. It simply hogs off more wood

How do I know this? Well I glued a piece of Wenge, Santos and Ipe 1/4" off. Then I took the three sanders and and tested which one gets them flat in the best way. For me it was the Rotex by a large enough margin to say it's  the best, fasted cat the flatest surface. I ONLY use a hard pad on all my Festool sanders becasue my work is mostly making large uneven  surface flat..

If cost is a factor than the Bosch 1250 DEVS, and the Makita are both nice alternatives, actually both great sanders and a better value over all than the Rotex. Still I can live without my Rotex 150.

If you need something other than the power and rotary mode than I would not get the Rotex. I use the Rotex, ETS EC and then the 150/3 or the Pro 5 in that order(If I need to go that smooth, which isn't that often for me).

 

[leakyroof]

Another option is the Bosch Devs 1250, which I think is better than the Makita.

But for me, having all 3 I prefer the Rotex in Rotary mode.  BUT if you use the sander in regular mode I HATE the ROTEX.  So though the Rotex is the sander I use most often(and my favorite sander) I never, ever use it in regular mode. I dont know how anyone uses it to final finish any type of project The sander is simply a weak squirley beast in regular mode. Try it, put the Rotex in regular mode, any kind of pressure and the sander stops spinning, it must be floated over and when that's done it just doesn't leave a nice controlled finish. I use the Festool 150/5 and 150/3 ETS EC for anything I dont need the power of the rotary mode for.

Both the Bosch and Makita are better than the Rotex in regular mode(with the Bosch giving a better finish with less squirls), the Rotex is better in Rotary mode. It simply hogs off more wood

How do I know this? Well I glued a piece of Wenge, Santos and Ipe 1/4" off. Then I took the three sanders and and tested which one gets them flat in the best way. For me it was the Rotex by a large enough margin to say it's  the best, fasted cat the flatest surface. I ONLY use a hard pad on all my Festool sanders becasue my work is mostly making large uneven  surface flat..

If cost is a factor than the Bosch 1250 DEVS, and the Makita are both nice alternatives, actually both great sanders and a better value over all than the Rotex. Still I can live without my Rotex 150.

If you need something other than the power and rotary mode than I would not get the Rotex. I use the Rotex, ETS EC and then the 150/3 or the Pro 5 in that order(If I need to go that smooth, which isn't that often for me).

  Great info, but begs the question, how do you have all 3 of them?.......Were you curious about the Makita and the Bosch, or did you own them before buying the Rotex?.. [blink]