Sander Dilemma

[jrs]

Hi all--

I have a sander dilemma.

I was ready to buy a jet 10/20 benchtop sander.  It gets decent reviews, and seems like it would fit well in my shop.

My dilemma is-- for $700 I could pick up a couple festool sanders, which might better fill the voids.

Sander wise, I currently have a Rotex 150 (haven't used it yet), a very basic single-speed dewalt random orbit, and a 6" behemoth Ridgid sander (yes, that is two 6" sanders-- but that ridgid is hard on the hand and will probably go in the next tool-purge).

So-- all "round" sanders. 

I don't do any restoration, so there isn't really need for sanders that are "stripping" type. 

If I could spend $700 on a couple festool sanders, what would you suggest, and would they be more use than the 10/20? (I also have a ct33, so DC is taken care of)

For a bit more info-  the reason that I was looking at the 10/20 was to help sand flat stuff-- I recently made something out of cedar 2x4s (a bench), and found that the ridgid really puts a "dome" on anything narrower than 6".  So, if any/all of the festool sanders help alleviate that, please mention it.

Thanks a lot,

-jamie

 

[Neill]

Jamie,

I have an old Ryobi 16/32 drum sander.  It works well.  Winding a strip of sandpaper around the drum is a real pain.  The space is tight, the clamps that hold the sandpaper are very stiff, and I have a bit of arthritis in my hands, especially my left thumb that does not help either.

Since you are sold on 6" sanders, I would suggest getting either a 150/5 or 150/3.  They have been very highly rated in this forum.

I have the LS130.  I find it very helpful in many cases.  It is less aggressive than the Rotex or 150's and its great for sanding roundovers and crevices.

I would also consider getting the hard sanding pad for your Rotex and maybe the other 150 (if you do purchase it).  That should help with your edge problem.

Good luck with your decision.

Neill

 

[jrs]

Are the 6" hard pads interchangeable?  Could I use it for either?

The LS 130 is what got me wondering.  Does it work well for, say, a flat panel in a door?  Or would I want an orbital for that (maybe the RS 2 E Orbital Sander)?

 

[Neill]

Are the 6" hard pads interchangeable?  Could I use it for either?

The LS 130 is what got me wondering.  Does it work well for, say, a flat panel in a door?  Or would I want an orbital for that (maybe the RS 2 E Orbital Sander)?

Jamie,

I do not use the 6" sanders so I would defer that question to someone else.  Even if the pads are not interchangeable, they are not that expensive.  You might want to check with some of the online resources such as Bob Marino, Festool USA or some of the other fine retailers that post to this forum.

As far as the LS130, it works on a flat surface as well as tricky spots just fine.  The problem is that it is a linear sander with a pretty small footprint and a nonaggressive nature.  Therefore it might take you awhile.

As far as sanders I have not used, such as the RS 2E, I just don't know.

Neill

 

[Forrest Anderson]

I have a sander dilemma.

Remember to read Jerry Work's "Getting the Most from Festool Sanders" because he lists most of the available sanders in his 33 page illustrated guide, and you may well pick up some good information.

Forrest

 

[mwhafner]

I am a little disappointed that Forrest didn't address the pad interchange between ETS150 and RO150. 

Below is the line to the Festool USA website, which shows which sander in compatible with which pad -

http://www.festoolusa.com/accessories/sanders/pads.html

 

[jrs]

I have a sander dilemma.

Remember to read Jerry Work's "Getting the Most from Festool Sanders" because he lists most of the available sanders in his 33 page illustrated guide, and you may well pick up some good information.

Forrest

I wasn't aware that there was will, will d/l and read that now.  I just finished the MFT one

thanks!

(and thank you, Jerry )

 

[Tony M]

Take a look at this>  http://www.rjrstudios.com/index.php

 

[Tony M]

This is the demo> 

 

[bonesbr549]

Hi all--

I have a sander dilemma.

I was ready to buy a jet 10/20 benchtop sander.  It gets decent reviews, and seems like it would fit well in my shop.

My dilemma is-- for $700 I could pick up a couple festool sanders, which might better fill the voids.

Sander wise, I currently have a Rotex 150 (haven't used it yet), a very basic single-speed dewalt random orbit, and a 6" behemoth Ridgid sander (yes, that is two 6" sanders-- but that ridgid is hard on the hand and will probably go in the next tool-purge).

So-- all "round" sanders. 

I don't do any restoration, so there isn't really need for sanders that are "stripping" type. 

If I could spend $700 on a couple festool sanders, what would you suggest, and would they be more use than the 10/20? (I also have a ct33, so DC is taken care of)

For a bit more info-  the reason that I was looking at the 10/20 was to help sand flat stuff-- I recently made something out of cedar 2x4s (a bench), and found that the ridgid really puts a "dome" on anything narrower than 6".  So, if any/all of the festool sanders help alleviate that, please mention it.

Thanks a lot,

-jamie

I just recently purchased the ets150/3 and love it.  Prior to the purchase, I had a PC var speed palm sander.  The diff is night and day.  Mated with the ct33e its a great combo.  The most amazing part has been the dust pick up.  Nothing compares.

 

[AlexThePalex]

For a bit more info-  the reason that I was looking at the 10/20 was to help sand flat stuff-- I recently made something out of cedar 2x4s (a bench), and found that the ridgid really puts a "dome" on anything narrower than 6".  So, if any/all of the festool sanders help alleviate that, please mention it.

Random orbit sanders tend to do that. The only way to be 100% sure to avoid that is a completely flat sander like the RS200. I don't know the RS200 myself but from what I've heard it's a very nice machine. If you think that would be too big there's also the LS130 or the RS400. IF you on the other hand want real fast stock removal and still have an orbital sander, there's the RS100. Same size as the RS200 but with an extra gear driven action that makes it more aggressive. If you want to remove paint the RS100 would be better, and if you want to make a nice finish on bare wood for staining the RS200 would be better.

Some people suggest the ETS 150/3 which reportedly is a very nice machine too, but if you already got 3 random orbit sanders I wouldn't get a 4th if I were you. I'd better find me another type of sander to complete the ones I already got.

To decide between the Jet or perhaps a couple of Festools, I'd ask myself what I mainly want to do with it. Do I want to have a stationary only to use in the shop or do I want to be mobile also? Two Festools would be the best choice for the latter. The Jet could come in handy if you have to do a lot of repetitive tasks. Or if you want to use it as a thickness sander, to make a panel exactly the thickness you want.

Also, since you want to invest 700 dollar, I'd ask myself if I really was going to make a lot of use of the machine. Now if you have to sand dozens of planks each day it's a no-brainer. But if you just use it occasionally the $700 would be better spend towards two smaller hand machines. They're more versatile and once you have them, you'd be surprised how many tasks you suddenly 'find' for them.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

I am a little disappointed that Forrest didn't address the pad interchange between ETS150 and RO150. 

I'm so sorry to have disappointed you - obviously I'll have to try harder...  :

Forrest

 

[jrs]

Thanks all-- I opted for the green.

After trying them out, I picked up a DTS 400 EQ and a ETS 150/3 as well.

I have a question about the 400, but it is off this topic so I will start a separate thread