Festool Rotex : Initial Impressions (long)

I've been using the 6.5" LC constant pressure pads but have recently thought of stepping up to a 7.5 or higher for better reach under mirrors and such.

I have been keeping it in the same speed range as you mentioned to good effect. This machine's a good bit more powerful than the PC , and you're right , it takes a bit of patience and re-learning with combos.

One thing that's tricky is the amount of pressure to use. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm using as much pressure as I am because this machine's so steady. You can gauge pressure with the PC by sound...(i.e. when it bogs down) , but you don't get the same audible cues with the RO. I'll figure it out , though.....eventually :o



Thanks for offering the help----I may take you up on it.
 
MichaelM said:
For those of you on the market the Makita BO6040 is another, less expensive, route to go. From reading this review they sound like they operate nearly the same, balance and feel aside.
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just got my makita last week and was messing around on a "project" of mine. seems to be well put together and i agree that it is much smoother than using my pc. i haven't done any cars with it yet, but i did do some polishing out on a test panel for my motorcycle using rustoleum paints (a whole different story) and it took out 1500 grit marks with intensive polish and a yellow pad almost instantly. i don't think i really see a need for a pc anymore and i'm not sure i'll need my cheapo harbor freight rotary for hardly anything either. always good to have the rotary just in case, but i can't see anything that the pc could do that the makita bo6040 couldn't do better and faster. ip breaks down VERY quickly with this machine and there's no sling. i'm lovin it so far.
 
will do. so far i've done a bit of buffing on this test tank that i'm working on and i have to say it's awesome. it breaks down IP very quickly using my yellow pad and it worked out completely before dusting. i have to say so far i think it's the perfect machine. less dangerous than a rotary and more powerful than a pc. the best of both so far.



here you can see what i started with:



tank_4.jpg




tank_6.jpg




this is rust bullet paint on a spare motorcycle tank. it's obviously orangepeeled like mad. more like grapefruit peeled. it also had a severe amount of "checking" where it would wrinkle up the paint. i wasn't worried about this because i was trying to get to the wetsanding stage:



tank_5.jpg




anyway, i wetsanded that down with 800. then 1000. then 1500.



i used the makita with a yellow lake county polishing pad and IP just on that small test section. came out nice and shiny with very little haze or marring. the haziness you see is due to the window being dirty.



tank_7.jpg




tank_1.jpg




tank_2.jpg




it polished out this section in about 1 or 2 minutes literally. i was amazed. also, because of the compound curves of this area i would NEVER use a rotary on something like this.
 
Make sure you check out this post on how to make an adapter for the Edge 2000 system.



http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62309



I just got my Festool today and planned on making one of these adapters so I could use the system. It looks like this custom adapter would let you use any size Edge 2000 pad as well as giving you the flexibility to throw on a rotary backing plate. So along with the wide array of regular pads that will fit on the Festool polishing pad, you'd have a huge selection.



And for anyone who's wondering, the extra Festool polishing pad comes with an extra attachment screw, so you still have the original that came with the machine to use for the polishing pad and can sacrifice the extra one to the adapter experiment.
 
Just a quick question for you regarding the Festool Rotex 150...



I just received mine today and can't wait to get this bad boy on a panel. Just looking for a little confirmation. To set the machine into RO mode, the switch should be set to setting 3.1, correct?



Thanks for your input,

Mike
 
mixxmstrmike said:
To set the machine into RO mode, the switch should be set to setting 3.1, correct?
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Yeah 3.1 is the "eccentric" random orbital mode. Just a quick flip up on the switch, a 1/2 (180 degree turn) and lock it back down and you go back and forth between Rotex and RO modes.
 
If the switch sticks on you while changing modes, just turn the backing plate

with your free hand until it clears. This isn't unusual....just a bug on the beast.



Welcome to the Festo club !!

....keep us informed of your observations and results.
 
and it's a mighty fine piece of machinery. Compared to the PCs, the Festool is just a better built unit IMO, in terms of fit & finish and use. I'm in complete agreement with gusbubba that the vibration on the Festool is minimized substantially. It really is like going from a Yugo to a Cadillac. The Festool is just that smooth and I really can't describe it in any other way. Both the Festool and PC polish the paint in similar fashion, but the Festool just does it with more finesse, for lack of a better description.



Needless to say, my PC is going up for sale as soon as I can find all of its accessories!



-Mike
 
Mike :



Yeah , smooth is almost an understatement. This thing just glides over the surface in RO mode.

You almost feel at first like it's not working right because the action is in such stark contrast to the comparitive roughness of the PC.

One thing I also like is that it's incredibly efficient at spreading polishes. I find myself using less product and breaking it down much quicker.

That said , I'm still hanging on to my PC for specialty duties. I find it very useful for spot buffing with 4" pads , upholstery scrubbing with the brush-head attachments , etc....

It's a versatile machine that has a definite place in my detailing arsenal.

Glad to hear you're happy with your purchase. In talking with other owners of various Festo power tools , they all say you forget about the hefty price tag after using it the first time...and I couldn't agree more! How 'bout you ?
 
gusbubba:



You may have a point about keeping the PC for 4" spot correction purposes. I may have to rethink about selling my PC.



Now... the Festool price. The initial sticker shock wore off at the end of the day for me after a 2 car marathon this past Saturday. I do have to admit, that the Festool sat in my garage for about a week and a half before I actually tried it so that period of not trying it out may have cooled me off a bit, but in retrospect, I do not regret my purchase one bit. Honestly, I've spent more on just a quarter of my polishing arsenal than on the Festool! This is one tool purchase I have no regrets on purchasing.



My point of view on the price may be a little jaded because I do spend somewhat of an excessive amount of money on tools. One thing though that I've learned from my dad is that you buy the best tool you can possibly afford, maintain it, and it will give you a lifetime of service. This Festool ranks up there with some of my other woodworking tools.



Happy buffing!



-Mike
 
mixxmstrmike said:
My point of view on the price may be a little jaded because I do spend somewhat of an excessive amount of money on tools. One thing though that I've learned from my dad is that you buy the best tool you can possibly afford, maintain it, and it will give you a lifetime of service.
Click to expand...





I couldn't agree more.



By the way , I've had a chance to use it on a couple of woodworking projects already....it lives up to the hype. Great tool.



---good luck to 'ya.
 
Hi mixxmstrmike & gusbubba,



I'm new to the forum and just bought a RO150.

Which pad did you order?

Was it Festool's polishing pad, part number 485748 for $17.50 or

did you order the supersoft sanding pad, part number 486382 for $31.50?



Which pads are working the best so far?



I have a 2004 solid white Suburban, a '97 Jeep grand cherokee, and a '94 S500 sedan in charcoal metallic.



Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated



JP
 
I purchased two of the following items: part number 485748 for $17.50



I purchased two just so I have a back up in case of any "over - use" or failure. I hate having to wait for a replacement part, but that's just me. :grinno:



Your question about which pad is working out so far, are you referring to foam polishing pads?



If so, then I can tell you that my orange pad from Griot's and yellow Meg's pads work very well with the RO 150. Any pad, be it Lake Country or Propel will work fine with the RO 150, but which ones to purchase really depends on how much paint correction, if any, you are trying to accomplish.



Welcome to the "Festool" club and please keep us in the loop with your likes/dislikes about it!



-Mike
 
JP,

I ordered the same part as Mike---#485748.

As far as pads go....well , this is just my experience...YMMV. :

In Random mode just about ANY pad will work smoothly.

In forced mode , I've found the machine to be easier to control with pads

sized 6.5" or greater, preferably closer to 7 or 8".

With the amount of pressure you can put on the machine in either mode , I've opted to stick with more 'dense' pads that won't flatten out quickly. (Having said all this , my 6' LC Constant Pressure pads aren't holding up well to heavy polishing).

I'm waiting on a shipment of Propel2's......I'll let you know how they work out for me.



Also , be careful when removing any pad from the backing plate. The velcro hook material is VERY strong and it's very easy to tear the pad backing.



Hope this has been helpful to you.
 
GeneralEclectic said:
I wish I'd read this thread before I wasted $110 on a PC7424. It's better to spend $350 on something that works than flush down the drain $110 on something that doesn't.
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The PC and the Festool BOTH work in their respective jobs. The Festool just does it a lot more smoother and with less vibration (the vibration is what I disliked most about the PC).



Like I mentioned in a previous comment, I am going to keep my 7424 exclusively for 4" spot buffing/polishing as the Festool does not accept any hook and loop pad for this size.



You did fine in purchasing the PC, use it for several hours and if the vibration doesn't affect you, then heck, you're way ahead by several hundred dollars.



-Mike
 
GeneralEclectic said:
If your heart is set on a Festool RO 150 you'd better move fast 'cos it's discontinued as you will note on their web page: http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=7&prodid=571494



I wish I'd read this thread before I wasted $110 on a PC7424. It's better to spend $350 on something that works than flush down the drain $110 on something that doesn't.
Click to expand...



I wouldn't say the PC is a waste or that it doesn't work. It's just a little underpowered and time consuming for my tastes. Good tool to learn machine polishing with, though.



The RO 150 may be discontinued , but it's been replaced by the 125. Same machine fundamentally , with the 125 having improved ergonomics.

Worth looking into if you're interested.
 
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