# sander festool planex vs portcable



## mrghm (Nov 19, 2006)

i had the full festool set up but it was stolen about a year back, every since had another guy do my sanding have a few jobs to sand now,

the festool (sander + vac) is going to cost me $2700

portacabe with a pro tool vac $1000

what you guys think


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Did'nt know Festool made one.

Alls I've ever used or seen were Porter Cable setups. They work fine.


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## PrecisionTaping (Jan 8, 2012)

Hmm ya...I more or less thought porter cable owned the market when it came to that. But I dont know.
I just purchased a porter cable not too long ago, and to be honest...
wasnt everything I thought it would be..its just sat in my work trailer since...I know I just havent got the hang of it yet, it seemed to dig into my finish allot. And really didnt seem much faster than pole sanding...I dont know..I gotta give it another shot.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

I'd like to hear from PC owners... I've been thinking of getting one.

I try to limit my sanding anyway, but it still is necessary. Maybe useful for knocking off old texture jobs?

My concerns were swirling and gouging... 

I might have to rent one and try it....


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

mrghm said:


> i had the full festool set up but it was stolen about a year back, every since had another guy do my sanding have a few jobs to sand now,
> 
> the festool (sander + vac) is going to cost me $2700
> 
> ...


Where about are you? I been looking at ordering a planex for a big drywall jobs may have coming up and I'm having a problem getting info about how well the European model works over here in the US. Where I'd you order yours from! And how well did it work?


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

Def stay with a fine grit paper for the PC one. We use it alot and 120 is about all the lower i go. It takes a little getting comfortable with it but i find its def faster than pole sanding. Still have to hit inside corners real quick with a sponge to feather where the PC cant get. Never noticed any problems with swirls or cutting into the mud unless we hit the corner of a box and ripped the paper.


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## PrecisionTaping (Jan 8, 2012)

jkfox624 said:


> Def stay with a fine grit paper for the PC one. We use it alot and 120 is about all the lower i go. It takes a little getting comfortable with it but i find its def faster than pole sanding. Still have to hit inside corners real quick with a sponge to feather where the PC cant get. Never noticed any problems with swirls or cutting into the mud unless we hit the corner of a box and ripped the paper.


Ya I havent gotten good enough with mine yet...
I only tried it the one time. I practiced in a garage with it to try and get the hang of it. Unfortunately it was 12 ft ceilings so I was using it off of a baker scaffold which was kind of hard and awkward for my first time. At first it did gouge some of the work and I had to do a few touch ups afterwards but towards the end I was deffinetely getting the hang of it. But it was tirring. Maybe if I try 8ft ceiling in a standard sized home i'd be fine.


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

The other plus if the vac is working right very little if any dust. No need to dust walls down just prime, touch any spots up and do a quick knockdown of the room with a pole sander.


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## mrghm (Nov 19, 2006)

i am in australia, i brought my first planex 3yrs back,

we actual used it to sand large timber beams, the guy at the festool shop sold papers to sand the bottom of his boat with.

i am unsure if to just get the basic porta this time or get the festool with self cleaning vac, bag-less


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

TimelessQuality said:


> I'd like to hear from PC owners... I've been thinking of getting one.
> 
> I try to limit my sanding anyway, but it still is necessary. Maybe useful for knocking off old texture jobs?
> 
> ...


We just sanded down stomp texture in a home yesterday. 80 grit. This is the third home I did this in with the porter cable with vac attachment. Also works great to prep painted walls prior to a repaint.

You will learn not to swirl and gouge. you have to always keep it on the move. Everything has a learning curve.

With new sandpaper we run it on the concrete floor a few seconds to ''condition'' the new disc. We use the velcro disc. 

Pole sanders? My arms hurt just thinking about them. 

I bought 2 sanders and one vac on craigslist for $425 a few yrs ago. Best deal iI ever got.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

The Planex puts the PC sander to shame.

I own the PC and have used the Planex before.

When they get their self cleaning filter vac here, the planex will follow.


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## PrecisionTaping (Jan 8, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> We just sanded down stomp texture in a home yesterday. 80 grit. This is the third home I did this in with the porter cable with vac attachment. Also works great to prep painted walls prior to a repaint.
> 
> You will learn not to swirl and gouge. you have to always keep it on the move. Everything has a learning curve.
> 
> ...


You're right. Everything comes with a learning curve. I'll figure it out.


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## mrghm (Nov 19, 2006)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> The Planex puts the PC sander to shame.
> 
> I own the PC and have used the Planex before.
> 
> When they get their self cleaning filter vac here, the planex will follow.


so i brought it today but the festool auto clean vac has a bag, so instead a got a nikfisk auto clean bagless vac 46L for same price it is actual the same vac that festool sold me 3yrs back but with festool branding on it.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

A lot of times the swirling with the porter cable comes because the brushes around the outside are too new and haven't worn down yet. When we get new brushes what we do is cut a round piece of cardboard (usually from a magic corner box) and place it between the pad and the sander. This gives you enough space until the brushes wear down a little. I think your problem might be the vac has too much suction and you can't get a smooth rhythm going. Try what I said it should solve your problem. You also have to slow it down to 3 until you get the hang and then you can go to 4 or 5. We do a lot of renos and the portercable is a must. I have to check out planex. I never heard of it before.


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## PrecisionTaping (Jan 8, 2012)

BUTCHERMAN said:


> A lot of times the swirling with the porter cable comes because the brushes around the outside are too new and haven't worn down yet. When we get new brushes what we do is cut a round piece of cardboard (usually from a magic corner box) and place it between the pad and the sander. This gives you enough space until the brushes wear down a little. I think your problem might be the vac has too much suction and you can't get a smooth rhythm going. Try what I said it should solve your problem. You also have to slow it down to 3 until you get the hang and then you can go to 4 or 5. We do a lot of renos and the portercable is a must. I have to check out planex. I never heard of it before.


Thats an awesome idea Butcherman! Thanks!
I thought that too, that it might have been from the little brushes around the sides. I thought of trimming them with scissors but the cardboard is a much better idea!
I dug out of my work storage today. Still brand new in the box!
Only used it once and then packed it neatly away again. Its not even 2 months old.


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## JHC (Jun 4, 2010)

I didn't think the planex was available in the US yet? Or at least it wasn't in November. 

To much suction is the cause of most of the problems with sanders with vac attachments. One with adjustable suction is a must.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

JHC said:


> I didn't think the planex was available in the US yet? Or at least it wasn't in November.
> 
> To much suction is the cause of most of the problems with sanders with vac attachments. One with adjustable suction is a must.


The European one can be ordered as its same as US voltage if you buy the 110v model. It's just a little more expensive doing it that way. I'm amazed it's not in the US as the market for it here must be much better for it compared to Europe.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

PrecisionTaping said:


> Thats an awesome idea Butcherman! Thanks!
> I thought that too, that it might have been from the little brushes around the sides. I thought of trimming them with scissors but the cardboard is a much better idea!
> I dug out of my work storage today. Still brand new in the box!
> Only used it once and then packed it neatly away again. Its not even 2 months old.


Don't cut the brushes. They have to wear down evenly. The slightest bit off and you shoot dust out the side.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Good stuff guys...I'm sold...

Thanks:thumbsup:


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## PrecisionTaping (Jan 8, 2012)

BUTCHERMAN said:


> Don't cut the brushes. They have to wear down evenly. The slightest bit off and you shoot dust out the side.


oh right right! Good call.
See! Newbie! lol!
Im new to these Dustless Sanding Systems.
Me and my boys usually run with the Full Circle products. I love their line of sanding gear. Its all about the radius 360* sanding head.
All 100% pole sanded. And we sand like its nobodys business!
Here's a link to their products.
http://www.fullcircleinternational.com/system.html


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## JHC (Jun 4, 2010)

BCConstruction said:


> The European one can be ordered as its same as US voltage if you buy the 110v model. It's just a little more expensive doing it that way. I'm amazed it's not in the US as the market for it here must be much better for it compared to Europe.


Went to a workshop at Festool in Nov, and they demo'ed it to us then. Said it was in the hands of some contractors here for testing. Should be for sale in the US soon.


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## flippinfool (Jan 6, 2009)

*Here's my set up*

My vac http://www.all-wall.com/Categories/Dustless-Drywall-Sanders/Porter-Cable-10-Wet-Dry.html

My sander http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/571786/ETS-1503-EQ-Random-Orbit-Festool-Sander

Type of pad on sander http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/496148/Long-Life-Soft-Sanding-Pad

With 180 paper.....

Inside corners
http://www.bing.com/shopping/festoo...q=festool+sander&lpq=festool sander&FORM=HURE


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## bretth0214 (Sep 20, 2009)

Has anyone purchased the Planex yet that can give us all a review??


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Go to the FOG, plenty there.


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## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

One thing I learned with the pc is to keep the speed setting at 3.5. Any faster and I run into problems. Also keeps the vibrations down.


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## Johnny Trump (Feb 3, 2013)

PrecisionTaping said:


> Hmm ya...I more or less thought porter cable owned the market when it came to that. But I dont know.
> I just purchased a porter cable not too long ago, and to be honest...
> wasnt everything I thought it would be..its just sat in my work trailer since...I know I just havent got the hang of it yet, it seemed to dig into my finish allot. And really didnt seem much faster than pole sanding...I dont know..I gotta give it another shot.



Definitely try again if you have it. Same thing happened to me and I wound up selling it. Then all my guys were saying how good it was, so I bought another setup. This time I went with different interface pad and paper. I use Joest paper 120 grit with the appropriate interface pad and I can sand an 1800 sq ft house in under 3 hrs with an extra hour for sponging corners and caps (ceiling corners). And much easier on the body and easier to achieve a flatter finish with the spinning head as opposed to back and forth.


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## Jangel (Nov 9, 2020)

BUTCHERMAN said:


> A lot of times the swirling with the porter cable comes because the brushes around the outside are too new and haven't worn down yet. When we get new brushes what we do is cut a round piece of cardboard (usually from a magic corner box) and place it between the pad and the sander. This gives you enough space until the brushes wear down a little. I think your problem might be the vac has too much suction and you can't get a smooth rhythm going. Try what I said it should solve your problem. You also have to slow it down to 3 until you get the hang and then you can go to 4 or 5. We do a lot of renos and the portercable is a must. I have to check out planex. I never heard of it before.


Also try using aftermarket pads are better than the ones that comes with the sander, than it works better


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