Sander and vac question

[COrider]

Hello,

I am looking at getting a sander and vac combo.  I am a homeowner and am thinking Rolex 125 with the ct says dust extractor.  I also have a carvex, rail saw and someday a router.  I will mainly sand projects and around the house.  Is the routes to much?  Also will the ct says handle weekend use with a sander or other tools?  Thanks

 

[Holmz]

What projects for you mainly sand? Ones that are ideal for a Rotex like old warped decks, sills, or doorframes, or ones ideal for an ETS/EC ?

 

[ear3]

I tend to advise 150, just because it leaves more room to grow if you want to add more sanders.

The ets/ec 150s are pretty powerful sanders, and will handle most of your needs. If you do anticipate some heavy duty stripping work, though, then the rotex would also be a good option. Have you thought about how you will handle corner and edge sanding?

What specific tasks were you thinking of for the router?

 

[COrider]

Good questions.  I will make some furniture, sand some traits some walls general things.  I have only been able to try the eats and it was really great. 

 

[COrider]

After reading more posts from others I am wondering if the 150/ or 150/5 now and maybe a ro90 when the need comes up.  Any thoughts on that?

 

[Holmz]

Good questions.  I will make some furniture, sand some traits some walls general things.  I have only been able to try the eats and it was really great.

^This^ is a data point.
The ETS/EC is what I would be leaning towards for a general unit.
(Assuming your post of 'eats' means 'ETS/EC'... Then it eats it up in general.)

If you were doing curved pieces then an RO90 could be good.
I would suggest trying one as it is not as immediately 'great' and seems to be a hand full for some.

 

[AlexThePalex]

If you buy an ETS/EC 125 then you can upgrade it with a 150 mm pad and get both a 125 mm and 150 mm sander in one. A Rotex 125 is also very nice, and great if you have to remove old paint, which happens a lot around the house.

I would compliment it with a DTS400 sander as it's not only a great general sander for work around the house, but can also get into corners which a round sander can't.

The CT SYS vac should do allright with any sander, it's only big let-down is that it it doesn't have variable suction which might cause problems if you're sanding on a straight piece. So a CT Mini would be my choice, you get a whole lot more vac for just a small amount of money extra.

 

[Holmz]

...
The CT SYS vac should do allright with any sander, it's only big let-down is that it it doesn't have variable suction which might cause problems if you're sanding on a straight piece. So a CT Mini would be my choice, you get a whole lot more vac for just a small amount of money extra.

^That Vac^ also works with these:https://www.amazon.com/Festool-496962-130mm-Sanding-Block/dp/B0058HW8C8https://www.amazon.com/Mirka-91402-...id=1473491469&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=mirkahand+blockhttps://www.amazon.com/91502-Mirka-...id=1473491448&sr=1-3-spell&keywords=mirkahand+block
This last one pretty much takes the Mirk Abraidnet screens:http://www.festool.com.au/epages/tooltechnic.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/tooltechnic/Products/496963

Not ideal for a full day's worth of sanding, but for small stuff it gets the dust and does along walls pretty well. Even with a power sander you can have a use for these pretty easily.

My first FT sander was the corner sander DX93 which I think is discontinued, but there maybe some available here:http://festools-online.com/pn567856-festool-dx-93-e-deltex-sander-ct-mini-dust-extractor-t-loc.html
It is not a speed demon, but does corners well.

 

[aloysius]

I would strongly recommend NOT getting an RO90DX.  I've found it compares poorly with other small diameter ROS like the SXE 400, and even more poorly with delta sanders like the DX93 or GDA280E.  It's acceptable as a polisher, perhaps, but then again I've never tried it in this mode.

The "90" is the type of sander to buy if you ask the question "if I had to purchase one, and only one sander ever to do all the jobs that any sander will do" then perhaps it fits the bill.

It's a generalist, without being particularly good in any particular mode of operation.  It's also tellingly comprehensively outclassed in EVERY mode by more specialised machines which will be better balanced and more capable.

 

[Mort]

I dunno, the RO90 is one of my favorite things in the world, and that category includes my wife and kids, the San Francisco Giants, hot rods and microbrew beer.

 

[Cheese]

To each their own, but of the 8 Festool sanders I own, if I could only keep 2 of them, I'd choose the RO 90 & the ETS EC 125. Festool touts the RO 90 as 4 machines in one. An aggressive rotary sander, a random orbit sander, a detail sander and a polisher.

I enjoy using it on narrow profiles which is a lot easier than trying to balance a 5" or 6" sander on. Granted, for corners I like my DX 93 better, but the RO 90 is still very serviceable in that area, and it's much better than my Fein MM350.

 

[COrider]

Alex,  I actually really like the idea of the ets ec  125 for a first sander.  Find one and spring for the mini might just be the winner

 

[HarveyWildes]

I dunno, the RO90 is one of my favorite things in the world, and that category includes my wife and kids, the San Francisco Giants, hot rods and microbrew beer.

The wife and kids, hot rods, and microbrews - those I find very compelling.  But the San Francisco Giants?
                  [eek]
Almost a compelling endorsement, but now I must do more research.  Are there any Colorado Rockies or Denver Broncos fans out there that would also give the RO 90 such a high place in the global scheme of things?
                  [smile]

Seriously, I've always been a little intimidated by the Rotex sanders, and since I'm doing primarily woodworking sanding rather than heavy duty stripping and such, I've never felt the need for one.  I've got an ETS 150/3 EQ that I like a lot and I've been playing with a new DTS this week and I'm starting to get the hang of it, so that seems to cover what the RO 90 would do.  To complete the set, I got a Makita 1/2 sheet that I haven't really used yet - that project is about a month out.

Regardless of which sander I'm using, what I really, really like is how good the dust collection is.  Most of my sanding is inside, unless I can catch a nice day with the sawhorses outside.  Not having to fight the dust is great.  I find myself getting sloppy with the dust mask.  Never would have happened last year this time with my black and yellow sanders.  However, I am finding that the variable suction (CT-36) is almost a requirement for the DTS.  Even at the lowest level, you can hear and feel the suction break when you lift the sander off the material.  I run the 150/3 at about 1/3 to 1/2.

Regardless of what you get, don't forget to factor in the expense of the sandpaper.  Festool is big on offering large packages (50-100 sheets) and the selection of 10-sheet packs is limited.  With the RO 90, you still have to buy a decent sanding progression of grits in two different shapes.

 

[Cheese]

I actually really like the idea of the ets ec  125 for a first sander.  Find one and spring for the mini might just be the winner

Great choice and pick up the 6" pad at the same time, you'll use it sooner rather than later. One sander two pads...

 

[Jamestoolie]

After reading more posts from others I am wondering if the 150/ or 150/5 now and maybe a ro90 when the need comes up.  Any thoughts on that?

The RO 90 is my favorite and most used sander which i can't live without.  I think it fills a niche but i would not want to use it as a general sander due to the small pad and weight distribution.  I went the route of buying an RO150 because i didn't own a random orbit sander and I thought the dual modes gave me the best bang for the buck.  In the end i sold it because it is a bear of a sander and i was mostly using the fine mode. I would go with one of the brushless sanders. 

 

[leakyroof]

After reading more posts from others I am wondering if the 150/ or 150/5 now and maybe a ro90 when the need comes up.  Any thoughts on that?

The RO 90 is my favorite and most used sander which i can't live without.  I think it fills a niche but i would not want to use it as a general sander due to the small pad and weight distribution.  I went the route of buying an RO150 because i didn't own a random orbit sander and I thought the dual modes gave me the best bang for the buck.  In the end i sold it because it is a bear of a sander and i was mostly using the fine mode. I would go with one of the brushless sanders.

  That was my feeling about the Rotex 150 for the longest time since I had already bought a ETS 150/5 in 2004 as my first Festool Sander. I finally bought the Rotex during one of the Recon sales at the max allowed discount.
Even though I don't drag the sander out nearly as much as my other sanders, there are just tasks it eats up that would take forever with my lighter weight sanders.
So, for a first sander, with it being an All-Around Sander, I still feel the 150/5 in either the older design or the newer EC version is a great way to go.
I prefer the larger dust holding capacity of either a Mini or a Midi over a CT Sys Vac unless you're really in love with the Mobility of the Sys Vac.
Then, you can always add a Corner/Delta Sander later on to compliment that ETS Sander.

 

[SS Teach]

I'm not familiar with the Rolex 125, the Submariner and the GMT yeah. Before I got my Rotex 150 I borrowed  a 125. I found the 125 a real handful. While both have a learning curve I found the 150 smoother and easier to use. The 150 is a big sander and it covers a lot of territory so it is faster. It is also heavier, I wouldn't recommend it for overhead work. From what I've read the new ETS sanders are very powerful and lighter. I have a CT 36 and hooked up to my saws, sanders, and router the dust extraction is superb.. As stated before don't forget about the consumables. Festool has a sandpaper guide which is useful. If you keep your sandpaper in a Systainer stacked with the sander you won't have to go searching for paper. A word of warning Festool sanders have a way of multiplying. There is no one sander that will handle every job. The world of Festool is a slippery slope. Checkout YouTube to get an idea of the various sanders in action. For that matter go to YouTube for any Festool you are contemplating. Festool TV is also helpful. Good luck making your choices, I'm sure you will enjoy using which ever Festool you get. If not there is a 30 day return policy.

 

[Mort]

I dunno, the RO90 is one of my favorite things in the world, and that category includes my wife and kids, the San Francisco Giants, hot rods and microbrew beer.

The wife and kids, hot rods, and microbrews - those I find very compelling.  But the San Francisco Giants?
                  [eek]
Almost a compelling endorsement, but now I must do more research.  Are there any Colorado Rockies or Denver Broncos fans out there that would also give the RO 90 such a high place in the global scheme of things?
                  [smile]

I root for the Rockies 143 games a year. If they could sign someone who can figure out how to pitch in that ballpark they'd be one of the best teams in baseball.

 

[Cheese]

I'm not familiar with the Rolex 125, the Submariner and the GMT yeah.

The 125 is the just released version of the Yacht Master 40...just 3x larger for those that want more presence.  [eek]

 

[Holmz]

For almost every sander mention there are 3 or 4 nearly identical or better ones available.
(And some 1/3 the price, and some cost more.)

When given the choice on spending up on a "do it all sander", I ended up with a used DX93, a 1/2-sheet sander, a 5"/6" random orbital, and a cheap 125-mm orbital.

If your budget is fixed, then buy a Bosch or makita sander and get a good vacuum. Most of the sanders have a dust hose connection so they work the same.
I say this because many people say get a do it all sander, and then say that they have 1/2 dozen or more sanders for the specialised tasks.
That is a lot of sanders.