Festool RO 90 DX FEQ - One Week Review

[@johnnyjohn8073]

This is the next Festool sander that I will be buying next week. I already have the Festool RTS 400R that I bought last month, & I love it. 1 week after that purchase, I bought the SurfPrep sander with the 3 x 4 inch pad. I've been using both for sanding cabinet frames, 4" base moldings & so much more. I've even used it to sand the bed on my 79 El Camino. I was thinking of buying the Festool vacuum, but have finally decided to buy this sander instead. I mainly want it for the triangle sanding adapter for the hard to reach corners, which always kills your fingers. Oh by the way, I get plenty of looks by my coworkers & even by other crews. You will get some people that will compliment you, but you will also get some jealous looks. Let them keep using their $100 Dewaults, Makitas, & Milwaukee sanders...which I also have. But if you're in the profession, make work faster & easier for yourself...& cleaner. Each 1 of these tools pays for itself in 1 little job.

[@garnerreviews]

Thanks for sharing and watching. Once you dip your tool into the Festool pool, it can be really hard get out. Their products, maybe not every single one, are very well thought out and designed. They just work so well. Surfprep is another company I have been interested in exploring but haven’t done so yet. Yes, some people like to look down on the Festool crowd. But that probably happens with every brand. And some people just aren’t interested in a better product if there is one. Different strokes for different folks.

[@TheDeadbirdy]

I bought the Rotex 90 3 years ago and I love it no regrets

[@garnerreviews]

Good to hear. I hear almost universally that they are great sanders! 👍🏻

[@indiacoon2933]

About to order this now very helpful video 🎉

[@garnerreviews]

Thanks for watching and so glad it was a helpful video. Enjoy the RO 90, it really is a pretty incredible machine. 👍🏻

[@xx-vk5ol]

Great video, Thank you for sharing.

[@garnerreviews]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[@timblack33]

If you are seeing swirl marks on your finishing sanding you can turn down the power on the CT extractor. It is actually a little too powerful for the RO90 on full power and ir sucks to the pad to the material. I run mine on level 2 on the rotex 90

[@garnerreviews]

Thanks for the information Tim Black. I have heard that elsewhere as well (maybe on the Festool Owners Group). I will give that a try and see if I can notice anything. How has the RO90 been treating you? So far I am throughly impressed. 👍🏻

[@timblack33]

@@garnerreviews so far so good! I had the RO150 (6 inch) and bought the smaller one to tackle redoing it an awful crown molding caulk and paint job and it was worth it’s weight in gold. I don’t have the large auto clean extractor you have but it’s on my wish list

[@garnerreviews]

@@timblack33 Awesome. That RO 150 is a monster! I would highly recommend the CT 36 AC. Really happy and impressed with it so far.

[@TheDeadbirdy]

Thanks for the info I'm upgrading from the Midi which I love to the CT the 5 inch sander kicks but too

[@garnerreviews]

@@TheDeadbirdy You are welcome. I can only imagine how well that 5'' sander works! 👍🏻

[@cerberus2881]

This one may not wind up being your stand alone sander but it's still very nice. Your vacuum choice is spot on, it's the one I'll end up with eventually. I just bought the HKC 55 Plus FSK.

[@garnerreviews]

Agreed, I am already looking at other sanding options for different tasks. 👍🏻 I am loving the vacuum, and I can imagine it will work great with the HKC 55! Let us know how you like that saw.

[@foxwoodworking8759]

Good Video, I have the Rotex 90, Rotex 150 and ETS125. The ETS125 is my favorite finish sander but I also like my RO90 and love my RO150. I would say the one that I use the least is the RO90. I do plan on using it more in the future, especially the Delta head.

[@garnerreviews]

All great sanders to be sure. I think I will add the ETS125 at some point soon. The RO 90 is great for smaller materials or when you need that Delta head. 👍🏻 What vacuum are you using?

[@foxwoodworking8759]

@@garnerreviews I have the CT MIDI, this weekend I am sanding our garden furniture with the RO90, both D90 and Delta pads and am seeing that the RO90 is also a great sander. I am forcing myself to use only the RO90 and so far, I am very impressed.

[@foxwoodworking8759]

One thing to do, after sanding for some period of time, or when replacing the paper take the Pad off and clean under the pad. Some dust builds up under the pad and I find it good to periodically clean. Same on the RO150. With the Delta, I rotate the paper often as well, I find I wear down one edge but the remaining 2 edges are still good. I also rotate the delta pad often and take it off the clean under. As far as the ETS125 goes, its a great finish sander and the edge guide is very handy. I am looking to get the ETS EC 150/3 soon as it covers a lot more ground but for now my ETS125 is my finish sander.

[@foxwoodworking8759]

You mentioned the Plug-it cord. I have used the same cord for well over a year (attached to my CT MIDI hose) and have no issues. You will find you end up with several cords as spares once you get more Festool tools anyway. My concern would be the actual tool (male) end but these see a lot less action than the cord.

[@garnerreviews]

@@foxwoodworking8759 Totally agree with the periodic cleaning under the pads and really all over the sanders. Keeping your tools clean definitely keeps them serviceable for years to come. 👍🏻

[@nordmende73]

Thank you!

[@garnerreviews]

Your welcome and thank you for watching. 👍🏻

[@johnathantaylor3199]

I HATE SANDING; however, I have the rotex 150 and the entry level 5" due to the eco system's quality and dust collection after taking a guy to the hospital with COPD from years of inhaling wood dust. Anyhow, I'm thinking about adding the rotex 90 because there are some tasks it is better suited for, but not sure how many. I have some remodeling to do and other cabinetry builds. In your opinion, do you think it'll still be beneficial to me despite the cost? Any issues or regrets thus far with yours??? Is there another direction you'd go if you had to purchase a sander???

[@garnerreviews]

Great questions. My personal opinion is that it makes a lot of sense to have both the 90 and the 150. That way you always have a tool to do the job depending on the size required. Plus you get the added benefit of being able to use the delta style pad on the Rotex 90. If it was me, I would own both the Rotex 150, Rotex 90 then I would venture into some of there other sanders for high level finish work. So far there isn’t really anything that I don’t care for on the Rotex 90. I have been really pleased with it and want to add some more pads for different situations. 👍🏻 Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

[@johnathantaylor3199]

Thanks for replying. In regards to sandpaper, are you familiar with other, less expensive options for the RO90 than the festool brand?

[@garnerreviews]

@@johnathantaylor3199 I am not familiar with any other brands making sand paper for the RO90. However I have taken a sandnet in 5" and cut out for the RO90. It worked fairly well, seemed to have a little less dust extraction and also seemed to wear out faster. But it is certainly something you can explore. 👍🏻 If you happen to find any other alternatives, let us know.

[@brandonblair408]

What type of sandpaper do you use? Any off brands. I love extract, but they don’t make it in 3 1/2”.

[@garnerreviews]

For the 3 1/2” I have been sticking with Festool sandpaper. If/when I get the 5” or 6” I will probably get some Festool, Mirka and others to test out. I haven’t had any from 3M but I would like to try it sometime. 👍🏻

[@davidgrooms3463]

Wish you had demonstrated in rotex mode.

[@garnerreviews]

Sorry, I didn't really consider it because it is so aggressive. Perhaps I can do a follow up video to demonstrate how well it works.