Rotex Sander

[SMLWinds]

I'm setting up my woodshop and looking at a Rotex sander. I admit I know very little about sanders (and not much more about woodworking in general) but am hungry to learn and will acquire the knowledge with time. Right now I'm trying to outfit my shop with the essential woodworking tools. I generally buy top of the line items when features or quality justify the price, which is why I'm on this page!

What are people's thoughts on the Rotex sanders? I have no sanding equipment yet and thought it looked to be a quality product with a lot of versatility. My main hesitations at this point are:
1) Does the quality and ease of use justify the price?
2) How much pain am I going to be in stuck buying the Festool sanding pads for it? I am certain they are great quality, but am I going to be losing a lot of money having to continue making the premium investment every time I need pads? (this is based upon what I've been told about the sander only using Festool pads...)

Thanks!

 

[Dan Clermont]

The Rotex sander is really three sanders in one!

- aggressive Rotex sanding mode
- Random Orbit sander
- Polisher

Make sure you buy an extractor to capture the dust cause these sanders do something most sanders don't which is create dust caused by material removal

With the Jetstream system (assuming it is the 6") built into the pad you get allot more airflow and therefore less pad wear.

Pad wear is also related to the grit so you will go through more pads if you are doing aggressive sanding

Good Luck
Dan Clermont

 

[Brice Burrell]

The Rotex sanders are fabulous tools, assuming you need and/or want the features they offer.  As Dan mentioned they are versatile with the aggressive rotary mode and can be a regular random orbit sander.  The disadvantage is a bit more of a learning curve and more money.  Another option that may be good choice is the Festool ETS150/5 random orbit sander.  I've not heard a bad word ever spoken about this sander.  You have any issues with getting it out of the box and giving you perfect results (even if your technique is less than perfect).  Go to a dealer, if possible, and try out a few different sanders and see what works for you.

I'm guessing you are referring to sanding discs (sandpaper) and not sanding pads.  There are several other companies making abrasives for Festool sanders.  However, Festool's abrasives are pricey, but they are still a very good value.  In general you'll find them to last longer than cheaper alternatives and there is no shortage of choices to find the right abrasive for the task at hand.  My advice, give Festool abrasives a try and see if the value is there fro you.     

 

[Michael Kellough]

Also, a few venders offer abrasives in smaller quantities so you can find the best type for your use without spending a lot of money.
Bob Marino and Tom Bellemare are two who offer small quantities..