Sanding discs for Festool ROS

[BradNaylor]

I have the big Festool ROS - the one that looks like an angle grinder.

For the last couple of years I have been using generic sanding discs punched with the Festool pattern and bought through a local fixings supplier. The other day however, I found myself in my local power tools emporium and picked up a couple of boxes of genuine Festool discs.

I don't think they're as good! I was expecting mega-performance but I'm really disappointed with them. They start off OK but seem to go 'blunt' in a matter of minutes and just skid over the surface of the wood. The cheaper alternatives that I've been using - made variously by Mirka and Klingspor, seem to perform much better!

Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone know who makes the discs for Festool?

For the record, my sander is connected to a Festool vacuum and I was working on European oak with 80 and 120 grits.

Cheers
Dan

 

[houtslager]

Mirka as bought from car suppleirs imho are better, but as I am now in Germany, its easier to get the Festool disks then Mirka ones :?
Oh well that's to be expedted these days

HS getting ready to bog out to Greece

 

[JonnyD]

I have also tried the genuine festool discs and have found them not as good as the hermes or indasa discs that i get from the local motor factor at a fraction of the cost of the festool discs.

jon

 

[Steve Maskery]

Are you using the right kind of dsks? Festool make several kinds. I tend to us Klingspoor disks, but I also have abox of Brilliant. Apparently they are more suitable for bodyshop work rathger than woodwork. Festool do a terracotta-colour disk ( the name escapes me) which is designed for woodwork.
S

 

[BradNaylor]

That may be it then, Steve.

These are 'Brilliant' discs. They are the only Festool ones that my power tools guy stocks. As far as I know though, pretty well all his customers are in the woodworking/building trades - not motors.

I will be having a word with him tomorrow morning.

Cheers
Dan

edited to add: A quick bit of googling reveals that Festool do the 'Rubin' range of sanding disks for wood - 'Brilliant' disks are intended for paint/refinishing.

I will definitely be having a word with my power tools guy tomorrow morning!

:tool:

 

[Chris Knight]

I agree the Brilliant disks seem to wear quickly. They continue to look good but are simply blunt. I hadn't known they were recommended for paint and not wood, although I wonder what difference this makes in reality. Some auto paints are pretty darn hard.

Given a choice, I opt for Mirka as first choice and Hermes second.

 

[ivan]

Do Mirka do a 125mm 9 hole disk? (I can only find 150)

 

[Oryxdesign]

The discs for wood are called Rubin.

 

[mrwilby]

Is there an online supplier of these festool compatible discs?

I have the originals (a good selection, including the rubin) but the price is pretty obscene... It would be useful to be able to buy something a little more "throw away" for those heavy sanding sessions...

 

[Oryxdesign]

Axminster I think do them, the hermes discs are good too.

 

[Jake]

CSM do 9 hole disks (probably Hermes, as that that's their usual source)

 

[mrwilby]

Thanks chaps. I'll try some of those from Axminster next time I place an order.