Festool Rotex sanders?

[JSpill]

I should have added that I just got a used CT mini dust extractor. I do have a Festool ETS125 5" rotary sander. Using that sander with the mini extractor has been a treat. This sander does not have a rotex mode. I'm just wondering if getting a RO90 or RO125 will be something I really like or will it be overkill.

[PaulJohnstone]

If you already have a sander that you are happy with, I would not get the rotex.
Like others said, Rotex is good when you have to take a lot of wood off.. but at least in the hobby stuff that most of us make.. that is not very often.
Now I am sure there are some hobbiest that use that feature every day.. but it you are basically just taking wood out of the planer and sanding it down before finishing, you do not need the Rotex.
As others say, it is not very comfortable to use, vibrates a lot even in "regular" mode.
I bought a Mirka Ceroes, the Rotex does not get used anymore.  Since we are no longer in the period of time where a used Festool sells for 98% of what a new one costs, I have not sold the Rotex "just in case", but I probably should have sold it.

If you use a hand belt sander on a lot of your projects, then a Rotex might replace that..

[WaterlooMarc]

^ haha! That's exactly the reason I'm holding on to mine. I have to admit a certain Tim the Toolman kind of satisfaction from using it though.

[arw01]

The Rotex has made my wife a believer in Festool. She had a buffet to sand off the finish from completely, in her youth she recalled running her dresser with a belt sander and the days it took to strip it.

I don't recall exactly, but I believe she was done with all the flat surfaces in a couple of hours to a finished surface, she slowed it down a bit on Rotex mode and then we switched it to fine mode, she was sold at how fast she was done.

Since then I have started a layaway on a RO90 to have the delta pad for those corners.

As to the vibration and control, on aggressive mode, it will flat work you, but my wife was able to slow it down and recently having carpal tunnel surgery, she was quite comfortable using it the whole time.

[Billbo]

I've got the Rotex 125 (5 in. version) it's over 10 years old and still works like new.
- As others have mentioned - this can be an aggressive sander.
- If I had to do it over I would get the 6" model (Rotex 150).

The main reason I bought Festool sanders is the dust collection, but they are also fine sanders - just EXPENSIVE.

Billbo
Smyrna, GA

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

I need to make a correction to my post above. It is the ETS 150/3 that I have that I love. I also have the RO90, which does a good job, but I haven't used it nearly as much.

Sorry for the confusion.

[cputnam]

I bought the 6" model a couple years ago along with a vac and truly impressed with both. The Rotex, in aggressive mode, will remove stock quickly and takes a little hanging on to. In the fine mode it does a better job then the 5" (IMO because it can get a little flatter) and is easy to hang onto with 1 hand. Compared to the el cheapo sanders I had before, dust extraction is a total miracle. I won't claim that it gets all the dust but I don't see any when I'm done. Excellent use of money. IMO & YMWV

[Browning]

I would recommend the ETS EC 6 inch with the 5mm stroke if you are going to use it with a vacuum.  I have had the ETS EQ 6 inch 5 mm since 2004.  I have used it for everything.  It is still going strong and I am passing it along to my son.  I have carpal tunnel and the ETS EC is a joy to use, the Rotex, which I also have, not so much.  If I could keep only one sander, the ETS would be the one.

[mbg]

I had a Rolex 150 and like a few others sold it because it was pretty difficult to handle in aggressive mode. I too replaced it with the Bosch 1250DEVS.

I also have the 150/3 (my favorite sander) and Rolex 90 - the 90 was great when I made cabinets for our kitchen.

[cputnam]

I have a 6" Rotex which I bought to do a number of large African Mahogany panels. I was unable to hand plane the surface because every streak was reversing grain.

Anyway, in beast mode, with coarse paper, the thing removes stock very rapidly but you have to hang on to it. In normal mode, with 150 to 180 grit, it leaves a beautiful surface. I've since purchased the little 125 unit for use with 180 and up. The Festool dust collectors offer near perfect dust collection.