Just bought a Festool Rotex

[Kye GC]

All I can say is WOW this thing is badaZZ. I hesitated on buying it as I couldn't imagine it would be that much better than my belt sander paired with a RO sander for finish but when I used it for the first time today, I was shocked. The thing is so powerful but leaves the smoothest finish even with aggresive paper. I'd say it cut my sanding time in half and left a near perfect finish with almost zero dust, amazing tool !

Kye

[Dick Seibert]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Kye:

Congratulations, I've got one too, should have sold you all of my Festool stuff, but I keep thinking I might build that retirement home someday and can still use the stuff.

[Kye GC]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Dick, PM me if you want to sell anything, I'll probably buy some more sortainers, the Domino and maybe the 1400 router. I also just bought another 95" guiderail with the holes so I'll be looking to get the router with the sled for doing line boring at some point

Kye

[Lavrans]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Kye- the line boring attachment is really nice. I picked it up a little bit ago & really like it. It's not a line boring machine, but you're not a cabinet shop are you?

[PaliBob]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

All I can say is WOW
Kye

Aaron Telian did a JLC review on the RO 150. In the review He did the rough sanding with a belt sander then finished with 100 grit paper using the RO mode. With a $6 five pack of 24 grit Festool Saphir and using the Rotex mode the belt sander step could be eliminated. This would eliminate any divot problem with unintentional belt sander gouges. Changing to 100 grit and switching to the RO mode for the final step would be a snap.

AAron's Review:
http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlc...a2f672fd81&p=1

The RO 150:
http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDet...D=571594&ID=7#

[littlebluetruck]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Bob - I think you're absolutely right. For the project mentioned in the review, I started with a belt sander for two reasons:

1) I couldn't bring myself to stick a brand new shiny FESTOOL sander directly on to a filthy beam. It just seemed immoral.

2) All I had on the job was some 100-grit paper.

But yeah, sweet tool.

[Kye GC]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

I think the best part was I wasn't really expecting much. I mean a sander seemed like a pretty boring tool to me until I got my hands on the Rotex, I was having so much fun with the thing that I ended up sanding extra stock just to see how the different grit/mode combos cancelled each other out. If anyone is even slightly considering one, get it.

Kye

[RWeber]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

I've got one of the older versions, the "E" which has got to be at least 5 years old now. They used to (might still) ship out a gasket / repair kit with the thing with the instruction to keep it clean and replace it periodically. Well, 5 years, never cleaned, never replaced. I found the repair kit in a desk drawer last weekend and said what the heck, its probably due.
The amazing part of it was the gasket in there was fine. I replaced it anyway, but the gears were fine, and the sander itself was so packed up with garbage from a job I did about June sanding fiberglass that I dont know how it ever picked up any dust, but it did. I cleaned it out. It was kind of neat to see that its been running that long and that well without a hitch.
I agree, they're some pretty good sanders to have.

[colevalleytim]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Kye

I used a my rotex to sand out a 22' x 3' Mahaogany bar this spring, counln't believe it. Worked great, and the owners were amazed and the lack of dust.

One hint: get the hard pad, I use it almost 90% of the time.

[davenorthup]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

Kye - I picked one up early summer. That thing is truely a good tool. My first and only Festool, so far.

Dick - I am headed up in a hybrid to take the rest of the Festools off your hands. I am on the one a year program, and it is the new year.

Kye - let me know if you are selling that plank you mentioned or anything else that I may need.

[silverfox3]

Re: Just bought a Festool Rotex

The Rotex is pretty nice. We picked it up a little over a year ago, right before they introduced the new model. I had to send it back for repair last month, though. I thought the switch was bad, but they said it was the brushes. I've gotta say I was disappointed that it wasn't covered by warranty. Festool says the brushes are a wear item, but it seems that 14 months of intermittent work shouldn't wear them out that fast.

As for the gasket repair kit, they recommend that they be replaced if you are working predominantly with solid surface material. The life of the gasket can be prolonged by unscrewing the pad and cleaning it out with compressed air. We work with a combination of solid surface and wood, so whenever we are working with solid surface, I just make sure that I blow it out once I'm done sanding.

Jeremy