$99 Festool Sander

[Eric.]

50 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

 how the sander oscillated back and forth

You're probably applying too much pressure (for want of it to sand faster) or using too much suction.  I think you mentioned you have the CT on turtle so that's probably not it.  But if only the weight of the sander and the CT on turtle is still causing the RO action to be thrown off, then the sander is useless.

Keep in mind...Mike already said it...it's a finish sander.  Which means it was made for basically 220 grit and higher.  Your final raw wood grit...maybe...and then for sanding actual finishes.  It's not really a versatile tool, and definitely not one that would be useful in my personal workflow.  I wish they'd put the RO150 on mega-sale.  Damn, I'da been on that.

[HuxleyWood]

A trick to learning how much pressure is too much is watching the little cutouts on the top edges of the pad.  When you see them slow down significantly or stop the rotation is too slow and it will bounce.  In the end you should be able to guide it around a large flat surface just by the cord and never touch the sander.  The ETS EC and the Mirka Deros are very hard to stop the rotation of the pad and even the little RO 90 is practically impossible to stop the rotation but it is a keen clue as to what each of the sanders was designed for.   

[Chestnut]

7 minutes ago, Eric. said:

You're probably applying too much pressure (for want of it to sand faster) or using too much suction.  I think you mentioned you have the CT on turtle so that's probably not it.  But if only the weight of the sander and the CT on turtle is still causing the RO action to be thrown off, then the sander is useless.

Keep in mind...Mike already said it...it's a finish sander.  Which means it was made for basically 220 grit and higher.  Your final raw wood grit...maybe...and then for sanding actual finishes.  It's not really a versatile tool, and definitely not one that would be useful in my personal workflow.  I wish they'd put the RO150 on mega-sale.  Damn, I'da been on that.

It is most defiantly all of what you stated, a finish sander for 180 grit and above. When i lifted up on the sander i feathered it on the edge of sucking to the board and letting go and that is where it performed the best. I bought it with full expectations of it being a finish sander and having good DC. For all intents and purposes it still sands at lower grits it just doesn't do it well. Having said that I'll take poor sanding and good DC when i need to work on things in livable space. I'm sick of cleaning up dust.

[Cochese]

So, my initial impressions:

Anyone new to Festool is going to wonder why this sander normally retails at near $200. I remember my PC 390K I had before I bought my 150/3, and there was a very appreciable difference. There was this "Eureka!" moment you first started using it, and this one just doesn't have that. It's a very good sander, particularly at the $99 price point. At the $49 price point some are justifying with the voucher, it's a great sander. It's odd how our minds rationalize these things.

The fit and finish is exactly what you would expect from Festool. The increased amount of paper included with this was exactly the right thing to do, but they shouldn't have bothered putting anything under 180 or 150 in. Give me 150 to 320 to demonstrate what it is going to be best served to do. Including 80 is just going to give people the wrong impression. This isn't what this sander is going to be suited to. I actually had just as good results (by feel, not under objective lighting) by going straight from a bare 80-ish grit surface to 220 than going through all the grits. I'm sure the scratch pattern isn't as good, but I was only evaluating by feel on this short excursion.

The new port bayonet isn't that great with the old hoses, the dust builds up in those little notches annoyingly. I don't think any is escaping out of it, but I did notice a bit more dust on the sander than I was used to on the 150/3. Perhaps it's a one-off.

I can't speak to the old 125, but I'll compare it to the old DTS - the ergonomics are certainly improved. The switch is better, the speed dial is in an improved spot, the top grip is a bit better. As I cant really speak to the power improvement, the power I thought was fine, particularly seeing as how I went from 0-220 with zero issue. I got to handle the new RTS/DTS and all of the pad protectors are seemingly well designed. The blue systainer is very striking, particularly with the green accents. IMO, an improvement over the light grey, but this is a minor detail reserved for the most ardent green sippers of the Kool Aid.

The balance is pretty good, not as good as the 150 (due to the weight, obviously). It will start to kick out with the lower grits, but nowhere did I experience the wobble I had with my 390K, or my cordless Ryobi (the Disco Volante) that has long been consigned to the dust bin. In fact, it was staying so still I whipped the phone out.

Don't leave it switched on if the power goes out, because you aren't strictly needed.

I guess that's it?

[HuxleyWood]

CPO has them at $99 on eBay now....

[estesbubba]

I like the selection of videos YouTube gave me to watch next...

[Cochese]

1 hour ago, estesbubba said:

I like the selection of videos YouTube gave me to watch next...

Whatcha been watching in the bottom left there? 

[Ryan.]

Just got this email from Tool Nut

 

Quote

Fellow Tool Nut,

We have received additional information from Festool regarding delivery of your $99 PRO 5 Sander. Due to overwhelming demand, Festool did not have enough sanders on November 1st resulting in a backorder that affected your order.

Festool is in the process of manufacturing additional PRO 5 Sanders. So, you will definitely receive your $99 PRO 5 Sander with $50 voucher, as promised. Based on the schedule provided by Festool, we anticipate that your sander will ship on or aroundThursday, February 9th. Note that this is an estimated ship date and is subject to change.

Please accept our apologies on behalf of Festool for the delay in delivery. We’re confident that the great value and savings will be worth the wait.

We’ve had some questions about how you use the $50 voucher. There’s no need to wait until you receive your PRO 5 Sander! Simply order any Festool power tool now so you can put it to use immediately. When you receive your PRO 5 Sander, visithttp://www.festoolpro5.com to redeem your $50 voucher using the voucher number and the serial number from your sander. Your $50 voucher can optionally be used in combination with Festool’s package savings, which offers a 10% discount on a Dust Extractor or MFT Table when purchased with any Festool power tool. To take advantage of package savings, simply add any Festool power tool and CT Dust Extractor or MFT table to your shopping cart and the 10% discount will be applied to your order total.

Cancellations to your order will require an email to info@toolnut.com. Please write "PRO5 Cancellation" and your Order # in the subject line.  In the body of the email, please include your requested action, your name, and method of payment. Our phone lines are very busy and call requests may experience long hold times; therefore email correspondence is the best way to ensure fast, accurate service.

Thank you,
Customer Service Team

 

[HuxleyWood]

Be aware people are getting different ETA dates in that email from Tool Nut, I suppose it aligns with when they ordered it since Festool has given dealers a timeline for when they will receive multiple shipments until all the ones the dealers have pre-orders for have been covered.  I think Bob Marino mentioned bi-monthly shipments.

[Cochese]

So, a followup. Figure here was as good as my cabinet thread.

I'm in general agreement with Eric on a 6" vs 5" sander, particularly with the two Festool sanders in particular. That said, I did enjoy using this vertically and upside down more than the ETS. I appreciated the inclusion of the bumper, which allowed me to sand right up to some obstacles. It's still a sander that I'm not sure I'd buy at more than $100, particularly with the ETS on hand.

[Chet]

1 hour ago, Ryan. said:

will ship on or aroundThursday, February 9th

Ha!  My Toolnut email that I received this afternoon said March 9th.  I guess I was farther done the list.

[Brendon_t]

8 minutes ago, Chet K. said:

Ha!  My Toolnut email that I received this afternoon said March 9th.  I guess I was farther done the list.

Ha.  I haven't gotten an update email. .

[shaneymack]

The email I got said I should get my sander by the end of 2017. They also mentioned that they will have to charge me 10% more by the time I get it because of the yearly Festool price increase.

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

[AstroDave]

Lol...I got mine in 2015...weird

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[sheperd80]

March 9th, :-/

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Chestnut]

There is one still on the shelf at acme here in town if any one wants it and is willing to pay shipping either that or i could go buy a 2nd to take pictures of both of them just to be mean.

[Cliff]

Sadly I didn't even bother to use the $50 voucher on the Domino yesterday. I'm like.. $50 off of $895? Meh. 

I did just get my order of 5" Festool paper. Toolnut put together a decent package of it for $39. Not sure it saved any money but it was smart of them to do it. 

[HuxleyWood]

50 minutes ago, Cliff said:

Sadly I didn't even bother to use the $50 voucher on the Domino yesterday. I'm like.. $50 off of $895? Meh. 

 

You still have near 14 months to use the voucher to get the $50 back, you don;t use it at the time of the sale you go to the website and enter the info after you have the new tool.  

1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

There is one still on the shelf at acme here in town if any one wants it and is willing to pay shipping either that or i could go buy a 2nd to take pictures of both of them just to be mean.

If you do that I will just take a picture of my 4 just to be twice as mean...

[Chestnut]

8 minutes ago, HuxleyWood said:

You still have near 14 months to use the voucher to get the $50 back, you don;t use it at the time of the sale you go to the website and enter the info after you have the new tool.  .

They way they are doing it you could buy the sander 2nd probably and still get the $50.

[HuxleyWood]

3 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

They way they are doing it you could buy the sander 2nd probably and still get the $50.

 Correct the voucher is good for any tool purchase after Nov 1 through the end of next year, for the people that don't get their sander until March can still use the voucher on a tool bought last Tuesday.  

[The Tool Nut]

For everyone who ordered one of the sanders but has to wait, we completely understand the frustration.

When this promotion began, we quickly placed an order with Festool for more than enough sanders to fill our customers' orders. At the time, Festool said the sanders would ship to dealers in time for the 11/1 release date. We had no way of knowing that the sanders would ultimately be oversold, creating a backorder that affected our customers' orders. We only received a portion of our inventory prior to the 11/1 release date.

We've tried to be proactive in sharing the latest information that we have on the status of the sanders with our customers. Unfortunately, Festool did not anticipate the demand for the sanders and now they have to manufacture more units, which will take time.

Regarding the $50 voucher, you can purchase any other Festool power tool between November 1st, 2016 and December 31st, 2017 and apply the $50 to that order. However, you will need the voucher number and the serial number from the PRO 5 sander. So, you can go ahead and order a tool now and start using it. But, you will have to wait until you have the PRO 5 sander to redeem the $50 voucher online at http://www.festoolpro5.com.

Shane Holland
The Tool Nut

[ben_r_]

2 hours ago, The Tool Nut said:

For everyone who ordered one of the sanders but has to wait, we completely understand the frustration.

When this promotion began, we quickly placed an order with Festool for more than enough sanders to fill our customers' orders. At the time, Festool said the sanders would ship to dealers in time for the 11/1 release date. We had no way of knowing that the sanders would ultimately be oversold, creating a backorder that affected our customers' orders. We only received a portion of our inventory prior to the 11/1 release date.

We've tried to be proactive in sharing the latest information that we have on the status of the sanders with our customers. Unfortunately, Festool did not anticipate the demand for the sanders and now they have to manufacture more units, which will take time.

Regarding the $50 voucher, you can purchase any other Festool power tool between November 1st, 2016 and December 31st, 2017 and apply the $50 to that order. However, you will need the voucher number and the serial number from the PRO 5 sander. So, you can go ahead and order a tool now and start using it. But, you will have to wait until you have the PRO 5 sander to redeem the $50 voucher online at http://www.festoolpro5.com.

Shane Holland
The Tool Nut

Hey Shane, do we also have to upload a copy of the invoice for the Pro 5 LTD purchase or is the rebate just based off the serial of the Pro 5 LTD and the voucher number? And will the invoice for the new tool purchased need to be uploaded, or just the serial from that?

[The Tool Nut]

4 minutes ago, ben_r_ said:

Hey Shane, do we also have to upload a copy of the invoice for the Pro 5 LTD purchase or is the rebate just based off the serial of the Pro 5 LTD and the voucher number? And will the invoice for the new tool purchased need to be uploaded, or just the serial from that?

Ben, everything that's been communicated from Festool indicates that you will only need the voucher #, the serial number from your PRO 5 sander, the serial number from the tool you purchased for use with the voucher, and the date of that purchase.

So, no need to submit an invoice copy.

See attachments for screenshots of the redemption pages.

[ben_r_]

4 minutes ago, The Tool Nut said:

Ben, everything that's been communicated from Festool indicates that you will only need the voucher #, the serial number from your PRO 5 sander, the serial number from the tool you purchased for use with the voucher, and the date of that purchase.

So, no need to submit an invoice copy.

See attachments for screenshots of the redemption pages.

Nice. Good to know. Thanks!

[shaneymack]

Finally got an email from the dealer I ordered it from. This is the FIRST communication ive received from them in regards to what I call, "The great sander debacle of 2016"

Good day,

 

As most of you are aware now, we and all other participating Festool dealers have received an unprecedented number of orders for these sanders, which has far surpassed Festool's projections and caused delays in the fulfillment of many of the orders we have received. 

 

While we have been able to fulfill many of the first orders we received for these sanders, we need to ask for continued patience from those whose orders remain unfulfilled. Festool has just provided us with their estimates for when we will be able to fulfill your order:

 

- Starting in mid-January, we will be able to continue shipping orders for these sanders, again on a first come, first serve basis.

 

- We will be receiving regular, biweekly shipments of these sanders into March, at which point all orders will be fulfilled.

 

- While we will do our best to adhere to this schedule, circumstances beyond our control may occur that delay this timeline.

 

We thank you for your patience thus far, and appreciate your understanding as we work through the process of getting everyone their tools.

 

Please see below for answers to some frequently asked questions; these points should help to answer any concerns you may have in the meanwhile.

 

- How do the $50 vouchers work? Can we redeem them before we've received our sander? The vouchers included with these tools are redeemable after the purchase of a second tool; you will be directed to a website set up for the purpose and prompted for the serial number of both your sander and the new tool you've purchased as well as the voucher code, after which Festool will mail a cheque to your address.

 

- Will the expiry date of these vouchers be extended beyond the original date due to the late receipt of the sanders? No, unfortunately the original expiry date of the vouchers will remain the same.

 

- Can these vouchers be applied to tool purchases made before receipt of the Pro 5 sander? Yes! Any tools purchased after November 1st will be eligible for use with the $50 voucher. This includes any tools purchased before you receive your sander provided they are purchased after November 1st. 

 

- Why do I not see the value my order on my credit card statement? We do not complete the financial transaction for your order until it is being prepared for shipment; the value of your order is placed in a preauthorization when the order is placed, and the transaction is completed the day we ship.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience these delays may cause, and thank you again for your continued patience. If anyone has any questions about anything regarding these sanders or their order, or has any other inquiries, please call or write us and we'd be happy to help.

 

Sincerely,

The Atlas Machinery Team