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Gary, I have the Bosch ROS65VC-6 and have been very impressed with it for the 2 or 3 years I've had it. To me it's quiet. More important to me, it has almost no vibration and sands swirl free and is very easy to handle. I've used it for an hour or more non-stop several times. My hands are fine afterwards and the machine stays cool. I bought the 5" pad a year or so ago because some high grit media is offered only in 5". If I were buying today, I would buy the kit that comes with both the 5 and 6" pads. Changing the pad is easy and foolproof, unlike what I've read about some of the green machines. I don't have mine hooked up to a vacuum, but it comes with an adapter to do so. FWIW, the onboard pleated paper canister is first rate, and rated first by FWW when they compared sanders a few years ago.
John
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John, if you're recommending it I'm all in. Does it come with the 5 inch disk or the 6 inch disk? Does the kit include both?
thanks
Gary
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If you want the best electric ROS by just about all metrics except cost you need to consider the Mirka Deros with the Festool ETC EC (note the EC) very close behind in second place. Both of these are brushless sanders and are much more ergonomic for the vast majority of people and make sanding about as close to pleasurable as possible. They both are very light weight and have a very low compact package that makes one hand sanding easy in almost any position. The Deros is designed like an air sander which are probably the best ROS made but they don't have dust control and require a large loud compressor to run. I bought the Bosch ROS65 when it first came out but it suffers from the same ailment as all the brushed 6" ROS, it is tall and somewhat unwieldy. The ROS65 is pretty similar to the Festool ETS 150 overall and cheaper but the brushless sanders are in another league, but if your budget limits you to brushed sanders the ROS65 is probably the best value of that lot. Note your 5" paper will be of no use with the Festool unless it happens to be Festool pattern, that said even though I have half a dozen 5" sanders they almost never get used except the ones with 2mm stroke which I use for very fine grit on film finishes. Be aware the Festool 5" ETS 125/Pro 5 ROS are short stroke finish sanders and shouldn't be considered for general sanding. I used to use them quite often on narrow stock but the 6" Deros handles so well I use them almost exclusively now. Most of the high quality sanders are going to be pretty quiet but honestly even the best ones are not going to be remarkably more quite than your average decent ROS.
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I guess it depends on what you like. I like a light sander that I can control with one hand. I purchased the six-inch Bosch that John recommended but found it was too much sander for me. It's an excellent machine but I had to hold on with two hands and found it hard to control. It reminded me of the fest tool Rotex. I ended up sending the Bosch back and the Rotex back too.
I'm still using my old PC 333 but when it goes bad I'll probably get the Mirka or the Fesstool 150/5 brushless Sanders. I've tried them out down at the local woodcraft and they just float along and you can control them with one finger. I would definitely use them with a good dust vacumn.
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When I was using my Dewalt sander today I noticed I use 2 hands. One on the throat of the sander and the other holding the vac hose and power cord. I would probably use 2 hands on this one. I can't think of a time I have never used 2 hands as I mentioned. I use it a lot with 320 paper in between coats of varnish but I sand every piece of wood that I finish several times because I put several coats of finish on. I'm still thinking about this and I really appreciate the input. Especially on the Festool etc.
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I'm one of the few that isn't really a fan of the new festool ETS EC models...unfortunately an opinion I've formed after owning it for about a year. I prefer the older style 150 sanders. Although they're bigger I find them much easier to use one handed and better balanced. I find the EC models are so light the hose tends to make them tip backwards so I have to grip harder to keep the pad flat. (And I use a book to hold the hose up!)
I used a PC 333 for years though and both are leaps and bounds better. I can sand all day and my hands are fine.
-Marc
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(12-14-2016, 09:41 AM)WaterlooMarc Wrote: I'm one of the few that isn't really a fan of the new festool ETS EC models...unfortunately an opinion I've formed after owning it for about a year. I prefer the older style 150 sanders. Although they're bigger I find them much easier to use one handed and better balanced. I find the EC models are so light the hose tends to make them tip backwards so I have to grip harder to keep the pad flat. (And I use a book to hold the hose up!)
I used a PC 333 for years though and both are leaps and bounds better. I can sand all day and my hands are fine.
While you are the first I have seen express the issue I certainly can see it. Using the brushless sanders means more emphasis on cord/hose control, have you tried a boom arm (either Festool or shop built) to help support the hose, I assume you are using a 27mm vacuum hose. Though I had never really thought about it would be nice to have a whip like one has on an HVLP gun but it is easier to make a light weight hose to resist pressure than vacuum.
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Gary, a couple of yrs ago I bought a Mirka Ceros and Festool CT-36. I cried when I wrote the check. It was just shy of a $1100. But, I consider it one of my best investments. It is the only sander I've ever used without a dust mask on while sanding. (of course I don't do that as a normal practice) With exotics I do use one, but very little dust escapes the sanding pad. I've used the sander with 40 grit disc to shape ebony legs, as well using it with 600 grit to polish out a top before oiling.
I chose the Mirka over the Festool because the Festool are to tall. I used an air sander for many yrs and became accustomed to the light weight and low profile.
That's my $.02 so take it for what it cost.
Furniture...The Art of a Furnituremaker
Earl Kelly
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I appreciate you sharing your experience Marc with the Fesstool brushless sander. Its one thing to play with one in a store vs using it for a year. The hose deal is an issue. On small sanding jobs its not much of a problem but when I reach across the bench I find myself having to use my spare hand to hold the hose and cord. I have seen those fesstool boom arms and the canvas hose covering which is supposed to help keep the ribbed hose from catching on the workpiece. Anyone tried those. I cant imagine what one of those costs.
I have been using this same PC 333 for well over a decade and I am pretty happy with it. But they dont make it anymore so I am going to buy one of these expensive sanders probably sooner than later. In my new small shop I dont have room for a drumsander and I am going through withdrawal not having my woodmaster anymore. So its plane, scrape or handsand for me now.
