# Festool sander



## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but my ass and your head keeps getting clogged. I change the speed I have change the sandpaperand I've changed the section from the middle to the ends to the middle to the end on the head.the sander works great after I smack you on the wall couple times but its not as good as a prototype I had. frankly I'm not happy with it or maybe I have a lemon


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## D A Drywall (May 4, 2013)

It's actually getting plugged right up or it doesn't seem to be grabbing the dust like it was? I've noticed with mine that it doesnt contain the dust as well as my pc. Even though it seems to have a lot more suction. But I've never had it plug in the handle or hose section. 
I did do a popcorn removal and did not realize the filter has plugged up. I just thought it was removing material so fast that it couldn't suck it all up. Then I disconnected the hose from the handle and realized there was hardly any vacuum. 
I need to look into a re- usable filter bag. I know someone posted a link to a company that makes them. Wish I could find it back.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

This is the one that we can get in Australia. Not a cheap thing.
http://www.plasteringsupplies.com.a...ter-bag.html?gclid=CIbrqrKDkMUCFVgkvQodNkIArg


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

As most of you know I am a PC user, but I tried out a mates Festool on our last house. Was I impressed? Yes and no. He asked me what I thought and the best comparison I could come up with was a Lexus compared to a Corolla. They both get the job done but in different ways. The Festool in vibration free, something that I guess I just got used to with the PC. The head on the Festool certainly has more articulation. And it feels like it sits flatter than the PC. I really enjoyed the longer reach of the vacuum hose, you could park the vac at the bedroom door and sand the bedroom, en suite, and walk in robe without mooving the vac :thumbsup:. 
All sounds great doesn't it. So here comes the but. If you are driving on a tight twisty road would you jump in the heavy Lexus or a light weight Corolla. 
After saning the house with the Festool my back was killing me, and I know for a fact if I used my PC I would have been fine. It is HEAVY compared to the PC you can't just throw it around ( I am not buillike Ice  and have 50 year old shoulders) I found the front grip to be in the wrong place for doing walls, with the PC I can grab it right up near the head, which gives me far more control. 
So will I buy one? No I wont , but I am going to use a second hose on my vac for more reach :thumbsup:. 
To get back to the OP this one was fitted with the reusable cloth bag, and there was no clogging. The extraction system is VERY GOOD not a puff of dust. The vac and sander were both set for max vacum, and it was set for centre extraction. I did try it set for outside extraction but it left a dust trail just outside of the join.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

if I turn the suck level all the way up it works fine. but I have it turned up it send circles in the mud. what I did today was turn it all the way up when I did my nails ...turn it down on my seams


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

The paper I used was 220, and it had already sanded one house. I put a Led light over the joints and couldn't see any scratches.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

gazman said:


> The paper I used was 220, and it had already sanded one house. I put a Led light over the joints and couldn't see any scratches.


Thanks...I have used the same paper on the last two houses then I hit a wire in a outlet...grrrr


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

icerock drywall said:


> Thanks...I have used the same paper on the last two houses then I hit a wire in a outlet...grrrr


Dont you hate that. I have done with a brand new disc, that really fires me up. I was paying $10 a disc until I started buying in bulk from All wall.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bICwFletBqc


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## D A Drywall (May 4, 2013)

Looks like that filter wasn't really that clogged up. Lots of paper fuzz but it should still breath thru that. And that's using no bag at all correct?


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## D A Drywall (May 4, 2013)

gazman said:


> As most of you know I am a PC user, but I tried out a mates Festool on our last house. Was I impressed? Yes and no. He asked me what I thought and the best comparison I could come up with was a Lexus compared to a Corolla. They both get the job done but in different ways. The Festool in vibration free, something that I guess I just got used to with the PC. The head on the Festool certainly has more articulation. And it feels like it sits flatter than the PC. I really enjoyed the longer reach of the vacuum hose, you could park the vac at the bedroom door and sand the bedroom, en suite, and walk in robe without mooving the vac :thumbsup:.
> All sounds great doesn't it. So here comes the but. If you are driving on a tight twisty road would you jump in the heavy Lexus or a light weight Corolla.
> After saning the house with the Festool my back was killing me, and I know for a fact if I used my PC I would have been fine. It is HEAVY compared to the PC you can't just throw it around ( I am not buillike Ice  and have 50 year old shoulders) I found the front grip to be in the wrong place for doing walls, with the PC I can grab it right up near the head, which gives me far more control.
> So will I buy one? No I wont , but I am going to use a second hose on my vac for more reach :thumbsup:.
> To get back to the OP this one was fitted with the reusable cloth bag, and there was no clogging. The extraction system is VERY GOOD not a puff of dust. The vac and sander were both set for max vacum, and it was set for centre extraction. I did try it set for outside extraction but it left a dust trail just outside of the join.


Your mate's Planex has no vibration? Mine 
does. I keep trying to better center the discs but yesterday I got looking and it seems to oscillate. I hope it is supposed to do that. If not I have a bad unit.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

D A Drywall said:


> Looks like that filter wasn't really that clogged up. Lots of paper fuzz but it should still breath thru that. And that's using no bag at all correct?


the repair job and sucked up some insulation


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

so my vac is crap and very unhappy with there service. going to call one more person before I put this in the trash


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

That sounds very out of character with what I have heard about Festool. Where you been Ice? Haven't seen you on here in a while.


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

icerock drywall said:


> so my vac is crap and very unhappy with there service. going to call one more person before I put this in the trash


Ice is back!!!:thumbsup:
What inventions have u got for us chief?:yes:


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

VANMAN said:


> Ice is back!!!:thumbsup:
> What inventions have u got for us chief?:yes:


I have made some cool stuff...but have been working with other people with then and cant talk about them sorry 

also my lab-top **** the bed so it hard for me to post and don't like my app here for my smart phone.

if it was not for one comp. I would not even get to use my festool sander because the vac don't work like it should. I have used two other vacs that work great with it.


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

icerock drywall said:


> I have made some cool stuff...but have been working with other people with then and cant talk about them sorry
> 
> also my lab-top **** the bed so it hard for me to post and don't like my app here for my smart phone.
> 
> if it was not for one comp. I would not even get to use my festool sander because the vac don't work like it should. I have used two other vacs that work great with it.


I think Level 5 springs to mind???:thumbsup:


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

VANMAN said:


> I think Level 5 springs to mind???:thumbsup:


 
what is that


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## D A Drywall (May 4, 2013)

So Ice what's the issue with the vac? I've had mine for a few months now and love it because I am able to finish sand with it very nicely. I only wish that the suction could be split between center and perimeter. Not one or the other. 

I do find that I have to manually remove and clean the filter for almost every room.


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## Jimmyc (Dec 29, 2014)

D A Drywall said:


> So Ice what's the issue with the vac? I've had mine for a few months now and love it because I am able to finish sand with it very nicely. I only wish that the suction could be split between center and perimeter. Not one or the other.
> 
> I do find that I have to manually remove and clean the filter for almost every room.



Hey mate, noticed you use the Festool as bagless for your sanding. I don't recommend it as I had to replace my motor cause I was doing the same. It was under warranty but still a pain to loose it for a week or whatever it was. 
You very rarely have to clean the filter if you use bags. The disposables aren't too bad for price, Festool do a reusable but it's worth it's weight in gold so I never bought it.


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

All the same reasons in here why I wouldn't buy a festool.... Feels like it weighs 2x as much as my PC and it costs 3x as much. Had good suction but my PC with a shop vac will collect the same amount of dust as long as you have the right paper and head set correctly. Though most times I don't sand with a vac so it doesn't matter. Still shoots out the same amount of dust when you start and lift off also.. It is a nice sander but just not necessary.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

I thought festool was the best. ...I am thinking not so at all


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## Aussiecontractor (Oct 6, 2014)

I rate it, especially how it pulls down in to a nice neat box 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## D A Drywall (May 4, 2013)

icerock drywall said:


> I thought festool was the best. ...I am thinking not so at all


So Festool customer service not helpful?


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## br549 (Jun 2, 2012)

icerock drywall said:


> so my vac is crap and very unhappy with there service. going to call one more person before I put this in the trash


Have you posted on the FOG forum at all? A few of the bigger Festool dealers like Bob Marino & Shane Holland are regulars, someone oughta notice you there, even if you didn't buy from them. Might be worth a shot?

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php


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## Mr.Brightstar (Dec 2, 2011)

gazman said:


> The paper I used was 220, and it had already sanded one house. I put a Led light over the joints and couldn't see any scratches.


What type of paper do you use for the pc sander? Is it the joest super pad paper? 220 seems pretty dam fine.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Yes the Joest 220. It works with the mud I use, different muds work better with different grades. So you have to work out what works with your materials and system.


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