Which sander to get?

[stevenh]

I am having hard time choosing which sander to get

The Porter cable 3.5 Amp sander I use often for coarse sanding, and fine sanding.

The sheet sander I use it for scuff sanding finishes like shellac, varnish and so on. And corners that orbit sander didn't reach.

Right now I am building a new cabinet and a night stand.
Would need a new coarse sander for this.

I recently got the ETS 125 sander perfect finish sander.
I am looking at the RO 90 DX, it has a delta pad and round pad.
But I will be sacrificingthe pad size.

I would have bought the  RO 125 and DTS 400 but cant both of them now.

 

[Sam Murdoch]

Lots of info recent FOG posts regarding this topic. Here is one link festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/sanders-15729/
and another, festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/thinking-of-getting-a-ro90-but-had-some-questions/.
Very many opinions on the subject. Good luck deciding. You'll end up with 2 or 3 or 4 anyway.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Steve,

If you're primary goal is to get into corners, then I would recommend considering the DTS or RO 90 depending on how much you want to invest in your next sander. Both are well suited for corners and crevices. Both are also capable of sanding open spaces. The DTS is one of my favorite sanders that we offer. As far as being aggressive, that's based just as much on the abrasive grit as the stroke size, which is 2mm (5/64") on the DTS and 3mm (1/8") on the RO 90.

I'm sure more members will chime in with their own personal experiences. Right, guys?  [wink]

Shane

 

[stevenh]

For the RO 90, are there plans for bigger size pads? 4" or 5"?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

For the RO 90, are there plans for bigger size pads? 4" or 5"?

No. None that I am aware of.

 

[stevenh]

My near woodcraft will have a demo at end of the month. I will see which one works best for me

 

[MrToolJunkie]

The DTS400 is a great little sander, capable of getting into corners and it does a nice job on door sides and on rails and stiles.  I did a review on this sander last year and you can view it here:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-reviews/festool-dts-400-eq-review/

I recently added an RS2E to my collection and this is a dream to use for bigger stuff and it works equally well on rails and stiles and edges of your work.  I think that either of these sanders would complement your 125 sander nicely.  I am sure others will weigh in too.

Scot

 

[stevenh]

To be honest I don't use my sheet sander often. I usually sand by hand into the corners, then use an orbit sander.
If I can get a sander for coarse sanding better than my porter cable . It would be great.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

To be honest I don't use my sheet sander often. I usually sand by hand into the corners, then use an orbit sander.
If I can get a sander for coarse sanding better than my porter cable . It would be great.

I have found that any of my Festool sanders can sand coarse with lower grit paper -- the DTS, RS2E and my RO150 and ETS150 all can remove a lot of material quickly with the lower grit papers.  I used my RS2E to level glue joints and flatten several shelves and panels on a bookcase I am making and it was quick work with 80 grit.  I usually use my Rotex for that type of thing, but my RS2E is new and I wanted to try it out - I was very pleased with the results.  If you are wanting a random orbit then I think that one of the ETS series would be great or invest in the RO90 and get the best of both worlds, but with a smaller diameter pad (which will make sanding larger areas more time consuming.

Scot