Mirka or Festool Sander?

[Prizen]

Hi all

I have a small cheap Sander which really needs replacing.

Have heard good things about Mirka (and abranet) and Festool offerings.

Would be used for general sanding and finish sanding duties. I use quite a bit of sheet goods too if that's relevant or not.

Budget 3-400 but could stretch it a little.

Any recommendations?

 

[AJB Temple]

I have used both and bought the Mirka because I found it more comfortable to use and I like the easy change of pad size. No regrets at all. I use it with a Festool extractor. They are both very good. Abrabet is excellent. Use the saver pads as well. Always use extraction as this makes the tool optimal. Any extractor will do - I used a Lidl one with power take off for ages.

 

[petermillard]

I think at this price point and quality things like excellent warranty and exemplary dust collection are a given, so personal preference plays a big part. I bought the Mirka
and returned it as I hated the flappy paddle switchgear. Nice sander - light, powerful, low profile and great to be able to switch the pad size. But I just couldn’t get along with the switch, so I’d suggest the OP try one out first, if possible, or make sure the retailer/dealer has a solid returns policy.

Anecdotally I know guys who have abused the Deros daily in commercial workshops and their sanders are is still going strong, but I also know of more than a few guys who have had the Deros fail suddenly - often power supply/speed control - which didn’t exactly instil confidence.

HTH P

 

[wallace]

I cant comment on mirka or festool but what I can say is I bought a cheap JCB one from B&Q 3 years ago and it is still going strong. I use mirka sheets on it. It really has had some hammer as well because I use it on my restorations. It has adjustable speed. I thought I'd treat myself to a new Bosch sander and it was horrible. The Velcro failed within 2Omins and it didn't have variable speed.

 

[Droogs]

+1 for Mirka. Have used both and just feel that in use the Mirka is just a bit more comfy to use. Also I feel if you are not going to be using it for hours on end on a daily basis that the Mirka is better value for money.

 

[craigs]

I'll pop my head out and say Festool, specifically the Rotex sanders. I haven't used the Mirkas but the paddle thing puts me off a bit.

I bought the Rotex 90 and was soo impressed I went and bought the 150. I love being able to put it into gear mode to remove a lot of material fast and then switch to orbital for medium and finish sanding.

 

[Jonathan S]

I'm with Peter on this one.....tried the yellow fellow and didn't like the paddle switch.....its a personal preference, try both.....a mate used my ETS EC and described it as a "real sweetheart"

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[Sam R]

If it is to be used on the bench, then a sander benefits from having more weight. The expensive & light ones will be great if you are doing stuff in a body shop or boat yard or anywhere you're having to support its weight. If not then look at the Metabo Sxe450 which is also branded as Mafell & DeWalt D46210. All made in Germany.

 

[johnnyb]

the mirka is really good...innovative. the festool I've never used. festool I find can be slightly underwhelming generally though not always.

 

[mbartlett99]

I think I'd choose on weight. The Festool Rotex and Metabo are great sanders but they're heavy - asset horizontally but can get tiring if vertical.

 

[Steve_Scott]

+1 for the festool rotex range... I love my 150 and it’s great to buff out scuffs in the car too.

I am however bias as I’ve bought into the festool ‘system’. I’m sure some versions of certain tools are just as good if not better than the festool range but I’m sold by the ease of the plug it system, dust extraction and stacking boxes. There would have to be a very good reason to pull me away from the green and grey

 

[AJB Temple]

Mirka use the same systainers. So do Mafell. I expect others do too.

I am not convinced that a heavy sander is a good thing in most cases. One advantage of the big Festool ROS is that it has a coarse setting that is almost as aggressive as a heavy belt sander. It's a very flexible tool - though a tad heavy.

That said, I do like my heavy Makita 4" belt sander when doing things like sand oak beams.

In my ROS experience, mainly with the Mirka Deros recently, a coarse abranet will strip material very fast and this does not require much pressure - I let the abrasive do the work. The paddle switch on the Deros I find very easy and effective, but this is clearly personal preference. As an all round tool I like to have a light sander like the Deros in my arsenal. It's easier when sanding vertical surfaces and is capable of a very fine finish. I suspect I would be just as happy with the Festool version most of the time.

 

[Sideways]

Mirka for me. One of the few tools that I waited a long time to buy because of the price and finally pulled the trigger.
I think the ergonomics and the control they give are great and more comfortable to use than the angle grinder style machines.

 

[MotamJoinery]

have you looked at the new Bosch sander?

Bosch GET 75-150 Turbo Sander 150mm

The reviews I have come across so far are good. Its comparable to the Festool Rotex but cheaper.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I'll pop my head out and say Festool, specifically the Rotex sanders. I haven't used the Mirkas but the paddle thing puts me off a bit.

I bought the Rotex 90 and was soo impressed I went and bought the 150. I love being able to put it into gear mode to remove a lot of material fast and then switch to orbital for medium and finish sanding.

Another vote for the Festool although I did it the other way round by buying the RO150 first then adding the RO90, mostly for its delta option. I find the extra weight of the RO150 actually makes it easier to use and I use it far more than the smaller version. I know no-one is supposed to enjoy sanding but the ease of use and quality of the finish make it almost a pleasure.

 

[ZippityNZ]

PLEASE IGNORE THIS REQUEST - AMAZON CAME TO THE RESCUE

If anyone has some of the finer grit pads that they want to part with, please PM me.

I need a couple to finish polishing a couple of Turner Plane cellular acetate handles

 

[Jonathan S]

My first sander was a heavy Elu orbital....haven't used it in years.....next was the festool RO 150 and 8 years later the ETS EC 5.....the RO 150 now gets virtually no use.....If you spend 10 hours a day at the bench sanding you would understand why.

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