Which Rotex sander?

[AlexThePalex]

it mentions the RS2E which isn't available in the UK

The RS2E is available in Europe as it's successor, the RS200 EQ.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

The RS2E is available in Europe as it's successor, the RS200 EQ.

Indeed - I would regard the RS200 (with its 2.4mm stroke and 330W motor), and the two RS100 models (with their 5mm strokes and 620W motors), as being the half-sheet descendents of the RS2, which is now discontinued in Europe.

Forrest

 

[JeromeM]

Fantastic and very, very informative replies. Thanks guys. It looks like the 150 wins the day. I was initially a bit concerned that the sanding discs were going to be mega-expensive but that seems less of a problem now. Hooking the beast to my home (Dysan) vac might be a potential problem but I reckon any vac will be better than no vac. I think the Festool rep going to the dealer open day next week may well have the sanders on show so maybe I'll get to see the vac in use as well. The tragedy is that I may be offsetting the cost of the CMS table and router attachment against the sander. What is a lad to do. So many Festools. So little money. :'(

Edit: Aha! I just noticed on the Festool UK site that it shows different classes of sander. Upto now I only doffed my hat at the Rotex but I see the ETS 150 is available in different stroke rates. Having reviewed the specs of the Rotex I can appreciate it that it might be overkill for now as I don't have a need for the advanced functions. It looks now as if the ETS is the better solution for now (the Rotex can come later!) as it can be fitted with a dust bag. I was curious about the 3mm, 5mm and 7mm stroke. I have a cheap and somewhat clapped-out B*sch rotary sander. I've no idea what stroke that has but I am right in thinking that a 3mm sander would give you a more controlled finish in tight spaces than a 7mm? And that a 7mm will effectively remove material more 'aggressively' than the 3mm but will still give the same finish?

You should understand that the ETS150 is a finish sander if you need to go from a rough surface it CAN do it but it is not ideal. However the Rotex can go from raw wood to a mirror finish so it is a much more versatile sander if you can only get one.

Your home (Dysan) vac  will probably be quite good enough for either sander and will be much better than no vac. While the ETS comes with a bag I doubt that most people would consider it to be a good choice apart from small jobs.

If you have problems connecting the Dysan then get the 610325 Power Tool Adaptor 22mm-30mm from Axminster

 

[jvsteenb]

I don't know about Dysan, but I'd be a bit hesitant to hook up a sander with a Dyson.
They're essentially bagless cyclone vacs, that excel in household use but weren't designed for the volume of very fine dust a sander generates, especially when sanding finishes. I'd be even more hesitant if it was one of the "allergy" models, that are equipped with a HEPA filter.
In household use, these filters may last the lifetime of the vac, but hooked up to a sander I sincerely doubt that will still be the case.
Knowing Dyson's pricing strategy ( about on par with Festool's ) I suspect the cost of a new HEPA filter will allmost buy you a cheap shopvac.

Just a thought...

Regards,

Job

 

[justinmcf]

great answer job.
i would not hook a power tool up to a vac such as dyson.
i would hook it up to an el cheapo vac, no worries.
but as you pointed out, dyson is as expensive as festool.

 

[Peterm]

Dyson models vary, but the ones I've had have washable filters, and are capable of filtering out extremely fine dust. Before I bought my Festool extractors I considered hooking up an old Dyson. Dyson don't publish tech specs for their vacs but I was told by their technical helpline that the standard DC05 (UK model, model numbers may vary elsewhere) could filter particles down to 0.01 of a micron using standard filters.

The downside of using a domestic vac is the capacity is nothing to write home about - about 2 litres for mine - so they're not for extended use, but for occasional light use I don't think there'd be a problem. Obviously you don't get the niceties of Festool vacs - power take-off, auto-start & shutoff, variable suction etc... but as a temporary solution they're better than you might think.

HTH, Pete

 

[jvsteenb]

I'd still be very hesitant.
I don't own a Dyson VAC, but a friend of mine that I lived with for a while had a DC08 and I was more or less expected to use it quite extensively....
I think they're great vacs, and the cyclones are very capable of filtering out even the tiniest-of-tiniest of particles, but just not in the amount a sander generates. Just like any cyclone, a Dyson cyclone can be overloaded, and then it will pass particles in the airstream.
Without a motorprotection filter, you probably wouldn't even notice, for a cyclone doesn't clog in a way a filter does when it's overloaded.
The motorprotection filters are washable, but I'm pretty sure the HEPA filters in the Allergy or Animal models aren't.

Since I wasn't absolutely sure I checked the Dyson site for user manuals, and there it was: even with their most capable model ( the DC23 ) under "Using your Dyson vacuum cleaner" the first (!) note says: "Fine dust such as plaster or flour should only be vacuumed in very small amounts."

So by all means use it if you feel inclined to do so, but be aware of the fact that you're using a quality tool ( the Dyson ) way beyond it's design specs.

I know I COULD sand a plaster ceiling with my RTS400, and it would probably survive as well. But using a Planex might be a lot more sensible....

Maybe there's a different strategy you could adopt:
Why not buy a decent shopvac (Nilfisk-Alto has a couple of quite capable models with wet-suction capability and tool-initiated automatic start, and I know they're available AND rather affordable in the UK) and use that, while you save for Festool goodies down the line?
You're on the slippery slope now, so sooner or later that nice Festool vac will find it's way into your tool-allowance.... (ask me how I found out) and if it does, you can dedicate the cheaper shopvac to rougher tasks like wet cleaning and the likes. I own a a rather decent K?rcher shopvac that hasn't seen a bag but LOTS of liquids and even very muddy water and soaking wet chainsaw chippings for well over two years - it doesn't complain. I know My CTL22 could easily handle that, ( I even have the foam filter pack ) but hey, there IS a ranking in the shop.....

Regards,

Job

 

[AlexThePalex]

I know I COULD sand a plaster ceiling with my RTS400, and it would probably survive as well. But using a Planex might be a lot more sensible....

You surely could since I've done it and it worked very well. If you got one and you've got the odd job of sanding plaster for once, it's a lot more sensible using the RTS then shelling out 1000 euros for the Planex.

Peter, better not use your Dyson. Just get a used vac somewhere for 15 bucks. It will still perform a lot better than no dust collection at all.

I've used my old home vac for years with my sanders before I got a CTL22.

 

[jvsteenb]

Thanks Alex,

I can always trust you to put my utterings in perspective
And to be to-the-point as well - stating things compactly is clearly not one of MY greater virtues....
Rest assured, I will not shell out the big bucks for a Planex - actually I like finishing, but somehow resent indoor painting, especially walls and ceilings and the likes. So I tend to steer away from Planex-type jobs. I really like furniture crafting and finishing though...

Bottomline: most of us agree that
- you'd better not use a Rotex without a vac,
- it might not be the brightest idea to dedicate a Dyson your sanders, although it would suffice for very small jobs
- any vac will be better than no vac, and there's a lot of options if a Festool vac is momentarily out of the question

Regards,

Job

 

[AlexThePalex]

actually I like finishing, but somehow resent indoor painting, especially walls and ceilings and the likes. So I tend to steer away from Planex-type jobs. I really like furniture crafting and finishing though...

Same here. I prefer working with real paint on wood instead of latex on a wall.  But when a job comes up, I'm not gonna tell them to find someone else.

Bottomline: most of us agree that
- you'd better not use a Rotex without a vac,
- it might not be the brightest idea to dedicate a Dyson your sanders, although it would suffice for very small jobs
- any vac will be better than no vac, and there's a lot of options if a Festool vac is momentarily out of the question

Yups.

 

[TOOLMAN169]

I have a rotex 125 and love it. Perfect size. I made a custom pantry for the wife. Had to finish sand everything inside the house. No dust thank's to my CT-33 vacuum