well some of you know i lost my beloved Mirka 5" deros sander recently. so when i decided to replace it i went with festool instead. one reason it was a lot cheaper than mirka at 685.00 bucks ! another reason was i didn't want a paddle switch. the festools is on the front. quit often id turn it on accidentally. the festool has great dust collection as expected. i like the low profile but it doesn't quit fit my hand as well as the mirka did, but thats very minor. i like festools plug in cords better than mirkas, they never come unplugged. also has variable speed. the sander will shut off if used heavily and the motor over heats. this is a 5" sander with 1/8" sanding stroke. weight is 2.65 lbs. so far with the amount ive used it im very happy with it and would buy one again.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Glad you like it! It's always nice to have tools that work well. I have a cheapo Makita and a DeWalt that was free. The Makita is hard to load paper in, given my thick fingers. I only use it for final sanding with 220 grit to avoid paper changes. The DeWalt is much easier.
I have the same one. I enjoy how it stops instantly to change grit or put it down. My only complaint is the button on the front will occasionally pinch my finger. The button pushes in too far and your skin can get caught. It is rare, but it has happened a few times.
yeah it stops in about 1 second ! havn't been pinched by the switch so far, but i checked and i see what you mean john. if your finger is too close to the top you can get pinched between the switch and body.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
steve you wont go wrong with either. just a matter of feature preferences. although if you saw when i tore the mirka apart and saw what there is to one youd say, how the hell do they justify 685.00 for a sander ? but probably no different than how apple justifies 1k for a cell phone !
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
WOT??? Not Bluetooth... Much as I love Fe$tool, I feel it's the Bluetooth feature that puts it in comparable distance with Mirka... but I'm guessing you've anticipated this. Yes the paddle still is a PITA, as like you (but better looking), I continually get caught out when replacing discs... but I have allayed that fear/scare, I now wear disposable nappies for when the fan is hit.
One thing I hate about Fe$tool (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa... fasting till next Lent) sanders is that they have their own hole configuration directing users towards their sanding discs... thank the gods for Abranet mesh.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
i really dont care about the bluetooth turning on the vac because i have a hose attached anyway ! im giving up on the mesh sanding disc's and going to cubitron. the mesh disc's tear way too easy. the cubitron has a spiral hole pattern so it should be no issue. i havn't yet tested that though. plus i was amazed at how long the cubitron disc's last. i dont know if youve tried them but you might want too ?
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I think I have the Cubitron... Yes, it seems I have a box full of different grits, Boxes were sealed, 'cept for one, so I'm guessing they were never really put through their paces, yet.
Sometime in the past I got sucked into getting the Mirka Galaxy, I have the PITA in aligning the holes which I have been using on my Fe$tool upside down ROS.
The Abranet does rip easy, if you are heavy handed. Since I realised how easily they rip, I changed my approach and they are now outlasting all expectations to the point that I haven't had the need to swing over to the Cubitron. I might just have to make the swing, even though I have a bucketload or the others, otherwise I may never use them.
I appreciate the "argument" of you have the sucker hose attached, so why the BS about the cord... well I have found that less the cord is one extra level of convenience... and at my age convenience is a close second to vino and ducking SWMBO's swipes.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
well for the cord it's attached to the hose which hands down from my boom arm over my assembly bench. so it's basically there all one. that sander lives on the bench, i never put it away.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
yeah i bought a sampler pack awhile back and just used it recently and wow , i was impressed with how long it lasted. the abranet has been my go to for a long time but im just tired with issue of torn screens. great vacumn is great but if it doesn't last what good is it ?
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I'm still in love with the Cubitron. The stuff with the spiral hole pattern is nice, but if you swap pads out a lot you need to be careful of the fuzz backing. It can get to the point it no longer grips. The stuff LBD shows (Xtract I think) has excellent dust clearing and also lasts, but where the spiral hole variety has a plastic disc, the mesh is more of a flexy fabric and you really need a good backer pad to avoid trashing the sanders pad($$).
I have also found that just when you think you can toss one of these into the trash, a go over with a belt cleaning block (gum rubber) will freshen it right up.
I use a gum block almost every time I finish with a sanding grit on the ROS. Makes a load of difference in longevity, I think. Especially with high quality stuff like the cubitron.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I got a few of the cubitron sanding disc when Lee Valley was selling by the each. The sanding part is great but the loop on the back of the pad is worthless. It wears out long before the grit does. If you compare the loops on Diablo discs and the Cubitron the latter has much less loop. It maybe the design with Cubitron having more small holes. I read that if you’re going to buy a an imported tool now is a good time for you to buy it before the new stock arrives. And tariffs are applied.
