Why is the RO125 Not 5mm?

[onocoffee]

I was sitting here pondering what one does with a quarter sheet sander, like my DeWalt D26441K, when I got to thinking about the RO150 and its 5mm stroke. And then I started to wonder why the RO125 has a 3.5mm and the RO90 has a 3mm stroke. Why don't they also have 5mm strokes? And then I was thinking about how the 125mm sanders only come in 2mm and 3mm strokes (and now the ETSC2 at 3.6mm).

Is there a particular reason the 125mm sanders (and under) don't utilize 5mm strokes? Is there a limitation of some sort?

And what is the best use for a quarter sheet sander?

Thanks!

 

[luvmytoolz]

I would guess it's just the physics of the size pad, a 5mm stroke would be very aggressive on a small pad. Sort of gets into car polishing territory.

Not to mention the physical strain on the sander components itself.

It can be deceptive, the 150mm pad is 5400mm2 more area than the 125mm pad.

 

[Cheese]

We are after all celebrating 100 years of Festool tools, I'm certain that over that time they have accumulated a treasure trove of information on optimal sanding orbits which are probably very dependent upon the abrasives that are available at the time. As the abrasive capabilities change, I'd expect the orbit size to also change. Something to think about for the future.

 

[smorgasbord]

Just wanted to comment that the combination of the ETS-EC 150/5 and the RO90 sanders covers a lot of ground, and I feel absolutely no need to get a 125mm diameter sander. The 150 does most of my work, and the 90 fits in tighter places, even having the triangle corner sanding pads.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Just wanted to comment that the combination of the ETS-EC 150/5 and the RO90 sanders covers a lot of ground, and I feel absolutely no need to get a 125mm diameter sander. The 150 does most of my work, and the 90 fits in tighter places, even having the triangle corner sanding pads.

I have an RO125, simply because I had the ETS125 first (and the ETS EC 125) so the RO purchase was to be able to share abrasives between them. My previous familiarity with 5" pneumatic sanders just made it seem more natural.
I have never felt the need to go bigger, with the 150.
If I really need to cover a large area, I get out the monster 8" geared orbital. It's a PSA paper unit, with absolutely zero dust extraction, so I have cut down on its use, over recent years.

 

[Coen]

RO 90 with 5mm orbit would be hard to control. Same probably for 125 with 5mm orbit.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

RO 90 with 5mm orbit would be hard to control. Same probably for 125 with 5mm orbit.

Agreed 100%. I can't even imagine the RO90 with a 5mm orbit. It would be wild enough in random orbit, but locked into Rotex. wow