02-12-2018, 08:34 AM (This post was last modified: 02-12-2018, 08:35 AM by Cooler.)
I have that same PC sander but it was starting to fail so I replaced it with the Rigid sander (from Home Depot). I find it superior in all regards to the PC sander.
The soft start took a bit of time getting used to, but the ergonomics are very good. The dust collection is very good, and it cuts well.
And then there is the price: $60.00 (vs. Festool @$200.00).
Sanding jobs tend to require extensive run times on larger jobs and this corded one, of course does not need battery charging, and is smaller, lighter and easier to handle.
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(02-12-2018, 07:58 AM)EvilTwin Wrote: All three will work well for DC using any brand vac as long as you can regulate down the suction a bit. I use a Nilfisk vac and it has a little port that you can open up to bleed off some suction.
The Bosch and Metabo use standard 6" paper and I can tell you from using that type of paper with a vac attached that I never saw any residual dust leftover.
How would I know when I have regulated down the suction just enough? Like I said earlier, I have never sensed that my sander was sticking to the work.
I am leaning towards either the Bosch or the Metabo (right now). You say you never saw any residual dust leftover. The dust I find is when rubbing my hand over the piece after sanding. I can't see it a first, but I rub my hand over and it is all over my hand. Do you not have this dust?
02-12-2018, 09:25 AM (This post was last modified: 02-12-2018, 11:21 AM by fredhargis.)
I judged the vac more by how much downward pressure it was putting on the sander (sucking it into the wood). I can tell you that with the lowest setting on my Fein, it still clears all the dust. So my guess is that if you caren't catching it all, you increase the suction. But be aware that there will always be some dust left on the wood, I wipe it down with MS and a cloth before moving on to finishing.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
(02-11-2018, 09:21 PM)Strokes77 Wrote: Get the Festool sander, and the festool vac.
Cry once, and be happy for a decade. The noise level alone is worth it over the ridgid... not to mention the instant stop, actual dust collection, longevity of paper, lack of vibration, and auto back stact.
A few years ago I would have said there's no chance in Heck I'll ever spend the money on a festool... Now I have a shop full of it.
+10000 ^This.
I absolutely love my ETS 150/5 with the dust extractor.
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I had the same frustrations about spending so much money on a vac and sander. Took forever to do it, but I'm not sorry for spending the money.
I got a CT 26 and Mirka Ceros which I use with Abranet. This combination is absolutely amazing. The Ceros is about the size and feel of a Dynabrade air sander. Very light weight and powerful. There is hassle of the transformer it comes with, but not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
I have not used a Festool sander (yet) so I can't comment on those.
I use an Ultimate Dust Deputy on the CT 26. Simply remove the plastic bag from the DD when full. That's it. The bag in the CT 26 never gets a spec of dust in it.
Use this vac for my sander, domino, track saw and general cleaning around the shop.
Very happy with my set up.
"This is our chance, this our lives, this is our planet we're standing on. Use your choice, use your voice, you can save our tomorrows now." - eV
(02-12-2018, 08:40 AM)arnman Wrote: I appreciate these good comments.
How would I know when I have regulated down the suction just enough? Like I said earlier, I have never sensed that my sander was sticking to the work.
I am leaning towards either the Bosch or the Metabo (right now). You say you never saw any residual dust leftover. The dust I find is when rubbing my hand over the piece after sanding. I can't see it a first, but I rub my hand over and it is all over my hand. Do you not have this dust?
You are always going to have to wipe down the piece with a tack cloth or some other method to remove that final fine layer of dust. Even the Festool is not going to do any better in that department. What I am talking about is the visible dust that gets pushed out from the paper and sits on the side or falls off the work. That is what will be picked up. HTH
(02-12-2018, 08:40 AM)arnman Wrote: I appreciate these good comments.
How would I know when I have regulated down the suction just enough? Like I said earlier, I have never sensed that my sander was sticking to the work.
I am leaning towards either the Bosch or the Metabo (right now). You say you never saw any residual dust leftover. The dust I find is when rubbing my hand over the piece after sanding. I can't see it a first, but I rub my hand over and it is all over my hand. Do you not have this dust?
Hi again Arnman - I bought my Festool sanders nearly 12 years ago - use w/ an older Fein vac (single suction speed) - my smaller sander did 'stick' to the surface, so made an adapter w/ 2 holes (shown below) which completely eliminated the issue - the Fein vac has been going well for about 16 years, so no need to replace.
Good luck on your choice - I would still favor the Festool model - also, their is virtually no dust seen after using these sanders, although I always use a tack cloth and a little sanding debris is picked up. Dave
(02-11-2018, 10:10 PM)arnman Wrote: That is an interesting comment about the black print on the bag. I will open up the vac and take a look, but I will be surprised if that is the culprit. It sure would be nice if it is that simple. But emptying the vac is so easy with the bag.
I sure don't have the problem of the sander sticking to the work surface due to the vac suction. That really makes me wonder if the suction is restricted through the hose, and subsequently the sander. I think the other sanders allow the use of a 1 1/2" hose - which might allow more airflow and allow the vac to cool more easily.
Not the filter bag, the black nylon thing w/ pockets that hangs on the outside of the unit and holds accessories.
Mine was shedding some sort of black stuff because the blower from the exhaust was hitting the wall and blasting this black nylon bag. It got all over the vac and the wall. It was fairly easily cleaned-up with some 409, but I set-aside the black nylon pocket thing.
(02-12-2018, 11:58 AM)Phil Thien Wrote: Not the filter bag, the black nylon thing w/ pockets that hangs on the outside of the unit and holds accessories.
Phil,
Thanks for clarifying that. I actually don't use that bag, so that is not the culprit for me. I contacted Ridgid a year or so ago, and I believe they told me the black "soot" was very likely a byproduct of the motor brushes. I asked them if they could be replaced, and they said no. After the brushes are worn out, the vac has served its useful life. They said you will know they are gone when the motor becomes sporadic or just stops working.
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