RO 150 FEQ - 6" Rotex Dual-Mode Sander

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Price: $545.00    

Product Feature

• Rough sander, fine sander and polisher in one
• Optimum dust extraction through patented Jetstream principle (air flowing out through an additional hole in the center of the sanding pad)
• MMC electronics allows stepless electronic control for all applications as well as constant and controlled speed for high surface quality: smooth start-up and temperature control protect motor and bearings, and ensure a long service life
• FastFix tool-free pad change & StickFix (H&L) system for fast abrasives changing w/ pad brake to prevent scratches when placed on or removed from the workpiece
• Enclosed gear unit for longer service life

Product Description

This sander has an upgraded pad, from Jetstream to Multi-Jetstream and is now part number 571760, which is what we will ship to you. - If you need fast material removal plus smooth fine sanding, but only want to buy one tool, the Festool RO 150 Rotex is for you. It switches instantly from the Rotex rotary random orbital motion for rough sanding and polishing (sheepskin, felt, and sponge accessories are available) to random orbital sanding motion for fine sanding.

RO 150 FEQ - 6" Rotex Dual-Mode Sander Review

After having a chance to use this for a two entire days, I really want one.

We were able to completely remove paint, deep pits and grooves on one-hundred year old barn doors. The doors total 14 ft high and 22 ft wide.

Normally, I'd use a belt sander for this amount of fast paint & stock removal, yet the RO 150 in rotating mode works just as fast and leaves a smoother finish due to its rotating motion. The rotating pad with the right angle handle is easy to handle and places less stress on the user than a belt sander. It is also FAR less noisy than any belt sander I've used, including my beloved Bosch belt sander.

You probably already know about Festool dust-extractors. Although I did not have the luxury of those on this job, my Rigid shop vac with adapter hoses worked nearly as well. The main advantages to Festool extraction are the automatic on / off , smaller footprint ( more transportable / maneuverable) and reduced noise. While we were working mostly outside, the noise was not a big issue. Once we got to the inside of the barn, then the vac noise became much more noticeable. The point of this paragraph is not to discuss the relative merits of Festool vacs over others, but just to point out that you CAN use other shop vacs with this sander.

Next came random orbit sanding. We moved through grits 80, 120, 180. On fine finishes, I would normally go up to 220 grit before finishing. However I must note: The RO150 produces a finer finish at 180 than some other (cheap) random-orbit sanders do at higher grits. I assume that is due to the precision of the gear-driven mechanism. For this old barn door, 180 was plenty fine enough.

If you have ever done large sanding jobs ( like houses, boats or barn-doors) you will understand how valuable the reduced-vibration feature is. After a full morning of sanding, your hands feel like they are still vibrating. That makes it difficult to play guitar, eat a sandwich, hold your beer or zip your pants. Sure, you laugh now, but just try to sand a huge door or boat all day with a regular sander. Then try to climb a ladder with numb hands. You'll see what I mean.

This sander is even a little better than the beloved Bosch RO sander I have, and THAT is saying something. In fact the only other sanders I have experience with that feel as comfortable to use are the Mafell sanders which cost a good bit more.

So, although this may seem like the most expensive electric sander most people know about, it certainly is not, yet it performs just as well and the reduced vibration is on par with the superb Mafell tools too.

We took the barn-door project to the next level by finishing it to a gloss finish, with two-part boat epoxy. The objective was not to make it the best looking barn door in the world, (although it is) but rather to make it weather proof and maintenance-free for years to come. When the epoxy dried and cured thoroughly (by the next weekend) we again used Festool sanders to remove fine scratches (with Festool and other brands of buffing pads) then used festool sheepskin pads to polish the surfaces mirror smooth.

For polishing, especially outdoors like these barn-doors, dust collection was not an issue at all, so we did not use the hoses. When polishing with this sander, you can remove the lower dust-port which makes it even easier to handle. The dust collection hose is more cumbersome than the power cord, so with that out-of-the-way, polishing went quickly and easily. However, we could not get my other 6-inch polishing pads to remain stable on the Festool sander, even at slow speeds.
The points of this paragraph are:
1- You CAN use other brands of buffing pads, which are cheaper and work just as well.
2- You CAN use this sander in some cases without dust collection, which makes the sander even easier to use.
3- The polishing mode works best with genuine festool Sheepskin polishing pads, which fit perfectly.

regarding expense...
Those who have read many of my other reviews know I am a cheapskate. I never use expensive tools unless I can ( because someone else owns them and I'm helping him out on a tough job) OR I know that tool is genuinely worth the money.

Here is what you must consider to justify the expense of this Festool sander.
1- It does SEVERAL jobs. That means you do not need to buy a separate belt sander, RO sander and DA polisher. This single tool does it all. You need only have the right accessories in your kit. That saves time between changeovers, reduces the number of accessories you must buy, carry, and keep track of. Its true that this sander is expensive, but it saves you money if it replaces three or four other tools with numerous accessories. Frankly, I do not believe every Festool product is 'the best' and most Festool tools are not unique. They are just far better than typical Western-designed tools.

In the case of this particular tool though, it IS unique. It DOES perform several jobs superbly. That definitely WILL provide advantages of convenience, safety, portability and save money over the long haul.

2- The dust collection is a real boon for primary stock removal, paint removal and rough surface prep. Even if you don't have the fancy Teutonic vacs made by Bosch, Fein, Mafell or Festool, you can still benefit from that. You will quickly learn to love the auto-on/off features of expensive vacs if you try them. I got around that by buying and installing auto-off switches like those available from Lee Valley or Rockler. My dust collection rig is not as neat, small or convenient, but it works.

3- Professionals can deduct depreciation on their tools, so the expense is partially written-off. The only people who must bear the full cost of expensive tools are hobbyists (like me) who cannot rightfully deduct depreciation and consumables.
Even so, I am seriously considering buying one of these with the CT26 vac.

For a cheapskate like me, THAT is high praise!

This tool does everything those Festool videos claim it does. It's quiet, powerful, easy-on-the hands and lungs with any kind of vac. If you are a pro, then you definitely should consider getting ONE of these to replace several other sanders and MANY other consumable accessories.

With all that in mind, even a parsimonious person like me can justify the cost.
Now, I just have to find a way to explain this to my wife...

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