# Festool Sandpaper Organizer



## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Festool Sandpaper Organizer


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Nice! Might be easier to keep the paper from curling with that design as long as you keep it fairly full. I am not OCD, but it annoys me how much the Festool paper curls up over time.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

DeanV said:


> Nice! Might be easier to keep the paper from curling with that design as long as you keep it fairly full. I am not OCD, but it annoys me how much the Festool paper curls up over time.


Many of the Festool papers were already curled (almost in half) just sitting in the box. Good thing the velcro is tenacious.
I got tired of always having to look for right the sandpaper. 

Convenient to have the paper all-in one: can lock the Sandpaper Systainer onto either the Vacuum or the Sander Systainer (or make a tower of all three).
$


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Definitely beats the Ziploc bags I carry my orbital sheets around in! What festool(s) are you using Holland? I'm thinking about going festool...


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Definitely beats the Ziploc bags I carry my orbital sheets around in! What festool(s) are you using Holland? I'm thinking about going festool...


ziploc is a good idea!

I am moving into Festool for finer work, and debated about which sander to invest in. I chose the DTS400 cordless, because I like the Delta shape. It is useful for cabinet corners and detail sanding. the set up was expensive initially, but I also invested in a MIDI vacuum (which is satisfies HEPA requirements for Lead safety, and is plain badass!).

My previous set up was DeWalt 5” cordless palm sander and Porter Cable mouse sander. They live in their own tool box, with papers thrown in. I plan to keep both, but they will be relegated to work trailer, “leave at the job site” work, and “rough work” because the paper is less expensive (although lower quality). I will likely keep both setups, as I do a lot of sanding. Festool is nicer, but the price took me a long time to come to terms with.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> ziploc is a good idea!
> 
> I am moving into Festool for finer work, and debated about which sander to invest in. I chose the DTS400 cordless, because I like the Delta shape. It is useful for cabinet corners and detail sanding. the set up was expensive initially, but I also invested in a MIDI vacuum (which is satisfies HEPA requirements for Lead safety, and is plain badass!).
> 
> My previous set up was DeWalt 5” cordless palm sander and Porter Cable mouse sander. They live in their own tool box, with papers thrown in. I plan to keep both, but they will be relegated to work trailer, “leave at the job site” work, and “rough work” because the paper is less expensive (although lower quality). I will likely keep both setups, as I do a lot of sanding. Festool is nicer, but the price took me a long time to come to terms with.


Good to know. Right now I'm running a 5-in Milwaukee and DeWalt square sander hooked up to a shop-vac. Works pretty good but I really like the idea of better dust control and less vibrations. The cordless thing is pretty interesting too. How does the dust collection compare with the festool when you just have the bag on or do you always have it hooked up to the VAC?


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Good to know. Right now I'm running a 5-in Milwaukee and DeWalt square sander hooked up to a shop-vac. Works pretty good but I really like the idea of better dust control and less vibrations. The cordless thing is pretty interesting too. How does the dust collection compare with the festool when you just have the bag on or do you always have it hooked up to the VAC?


There are others here that can give a more qualified answer, but I have used the DeWalt for years and can offer my initial impressions compared to Festool.

Without the vacuum the dust collection for the Festool sander is still better than average. The Festool has ports on the side that collect saw dust. This make a difference, because when the sandpaper is flat on the surface, these side-ports are still able to collect dust caused from sanding, that would otherwise be missed. Festool vibrations are dampened and less buzzy. The DeWalt feels like it throws the dust around, and it does, while the leftover dust from the Festool seems to fall more straight down, and not blow around as much.

The Festool Vacuums (Dust Extractors) are worth mentioning, because you can literally dial in the amount of suction you want to have (to say nothing about having bluetooth - automatic on/off feature). I have been using the Festool with only the bag collection more than half the time, and there is still sawdust around the workplace, but not so much that it is prohibitive. Like I said, it falls more straight down, so it doesn't feel like it's everywhere, like with the DeWalt or PC. The dust is noticeably all in the same place, and easy to sweep up, or vacuum up later. 

Another thing I was surprised about was the size. The Festool feels substantial in the hands. It is slightly bigger and heavier than I was expecting, but once I was used to the feel of it being slightly bulky, I am starting to prefer it to the other sanders I am familiar with.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Thanks for the feedback. Those side ports are interesting, I can see how they would reduce the amount of dust flying around. You're right about the other ones throwing the dust around. I was thinking if I sprung for it it would mostly be for cabinets, so either the DTS you have or the rectangular one.

Down the road I might go for an orbital to strip sickens/varnishes, as occasionally I have people who want their beams for garage doors refinished. With my 6-in porter cable setup I have now, it works great but I am wearing the dust all day...

Thanks again for the feedback


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Thanks for the feedback. Those side ports are interesting, I can see how they would reduce the amount of dust flying around. You're right about the other ones throwing the dust around. I was thinking if I sprung for it it would mostly be for cabinets, so either the DTS you have or the rectangular one.
> 
> Down the road I might go for an orbital to strip sickens/varnishes, as occasionally I have people who want their beams for garage doors refinished. With my 6-in porter cable setup I have now, it works great but I am wearing the dust all day...
> 
> Thanks again for the feedback


One more thing to keep in mind if you choose to go this direction...

The papers are numbered slightly different.
Festool uses the European 'P' numbering system (FEPA), while most American Papers are CAMI.

For example, 100 Grit and 150 Grit American is not the same as in European Paper (see chart below).


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

That sandpaper box is pretty cool. I have been loving my festool setup. We mostly use the rts 400. similar to yours Holland. with the Vacuum hooked up it is almost completely dustless. Night and day from the shop vac and dewalt. Plus the vacuum turns on and off by itself(which is wicked) and is waaay more quiet.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> One more thing to keep in mind if you choose to go this direction...
> 
> The papers are numbered slightly different.
> Festool uses the European 'P' numbering system (FEPA), while most American Papers are CAMI.
> ...


Oh thanks for the heads up, I would have had no idea!


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

finishesbykevyn said:


> That sandpaper box is pretty cool. I have been loving my festool setup. We mostly use the rts 400. similar to yours Holland. with the Vacuum hooked up it is almost completely dustless. Night and day from the shop vac and dewalt. Plus the vacuum turns on and off by itself(which is wicked) and is waaay more quiet.


Forgot to mention that. Really quiet vac.


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## Knobbe (Mar 14, 2021)

For any of you Festool vacuum owners...
Did you consider the CT15? No Bluetooth possible, older style hose, no hose garage but "only" $349 USD vs $640 for the next move up.
May jump at the CT15 before the price increase.


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## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Thanks for the feedback. Those side ports are interesting, I can see how they would reduce the amount of dust flying around. You're right about the other ones throwing the dust around. I was thinking if I sprung for it it would mostly be for cabinets, so either the DTS you have or the rectangular one.
> 
> Down the road I might go for an orbital to strip sickens/varnishes, as occasionally I have people who want their beams for garage doors refinished. With my 6-in porter cable setup I have now, it works great but I am wearing the dust all day...
> 
> Thanks again for the feedback


From my experience, the DTS 400 has a little more power and versatility with it pad shape than the RTS. Since this is potentially your first purchase of Festool, I would suggest it over the RTS.
They are both great. Sometimes I prefer the RTS because it is lighter and is inherently less aggressive...sometimes one needs that...

Another great aspect of Festool is their 30 day, no questions asked return policy. You could get both and see which one you like....any extra sandpaper could easily be sold on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. My first purchase was a Rotex 125, that I took back for the DTS 400 and later I picked up the Rotex 90, based on what I usually run into...

Their 3 year warranty is good too. My DTS 400 needed repair. One of the tongs of the sander part of plug broke off into the Plug-it cord. Sent it in and they fixed the sander and gave me a brand new Plug-it cord too.

I have a Midi vac. I do notice when the the bag gets toward the fuller side...like 70% or higher, there is a slight decrease in suction, but never made go to their next size up. The vacuum accessories set is worth a look. I use it all the time. At its core, it is a dust extractor. For example, projects where cutting out caulk...the "demo-ed", differing size caulk pieces will clog the shorter diameter hose.

I find once I get into a project with a new Festool purchase, I am glad and know it's worth the money....just be careful...you are about to partake of the Green Kool-aid as they say...😉


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

DeWalt Adapter for Festool Dust Extractor


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Knobbe said:


> For any of you Festool vacuum owners...
> Did you consider the CT15? No Bluetooth possible, older style hose, no hose garage but "only" $349 USD vs $640 for the next move up.
> May jump at the CT15 before the price increase.


The hose garage alone is worth the upgrade. I only use cordless these days, so I felt the bluetooth (smart start on/off) was important.

Buy once.

CT - Mini is $590.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

thepm4 said:


> From my experience, the DTS 400 has a little more power and versatility with it pad shape than the RTS. Since this is potentially your first purchase of Festool, I would suggest it over the RTS.
> They are both great. Sometimes I prefer the RTS because it is lighter and is inherently less aggressive...sometimes one needs that...
> 
> Another great aspect of Festool is their 30 day, no questions asked return policy. You could get both and see which one you like....any extra sandpaper could easily be sold on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. My first purchase was a Rotex 125, that I took back for the DTS 400 and later I picked up the Rotex 90, based on what I usually run into...
> ...


Good to know. Thanks for the side by side comparison of the two, also good to hear that the midi vacuum seems more than enough for most jobs.. sounds like they've got great customer service. Will definitely be revisiting this thread before I pull the trigger on a particular set.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I made the mistake of getting the CT 26 first and used it for years before retiring it to shop use only. The midi is way easier to use on site. Never used the Bluetooth feature, I'm not really sure what it's even for. If you go with the DTS and run the extractor at full suction it's going to chatter like crazy. Just reduce until it stops and you're good to go, usually at around 50%. Three sanders will handle just about any situation. The DTS for trim and doors, ets 125 for drywall, and the RO 90 when you need to get aggressive.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Rbriggs82 said:


> I made the mistake of getting the CT 26 first and used it for years before retiring it to shop use only. The midi is way easier to use on site. Never used the Bluetooth feature, I'm not really sure what it's even for. If you go with the DTS and run the extractor at full suction it's going to chatter like crazy. Just reduce until it stops and you're good to go, usually at around 50%. Three sanders will handle just about any situation. The DTS for trim and doors, ets 125 for drywall, and the RO 90 when you need to get aggressive.


Good tip about dialing in the vac, and summary about the different sanders. I’ll probably eventually get another sander, now that I’ve drunk the green koolaid. $

The new Festool cordless sanders are now all Bluetooth. When you Connect the vac hose to the sander, then press the ‘Bluetooth’ button on the vac, it enables the “smart on/off” feature. It will start when you turn on the sander, and turn off when you stop sanding (a few second delay).

The CT Mini is identical to the CT MIDI in every way, except that the MIDI is 2” taller- larger bag capacity.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I have to imagine the battery adds a decent amount of weight to the sander.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Rbriggs82 said:


> I have to imagine the battery adds a decent amount of weight to the sander.


The battery adds some weight, but is balanced.

I find the cord being in the way is distracting, and often plug-ins are not convenient. It’s a trade off- but I have gone almost cordless with most tools.


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## JTaylor (Aug 27, 2021)

Hello all
I do a lot of kitchen cabinet refinishing, would the DTS400 be a good choice for sanding kitchen cabinet doors before painting? Currently use the Dewalt random orbital and the finish sander and also looking into the SurfPrep Electric Ray 3x4 sander


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

JTaylor said:


> Hello all
> I do a lot of kitchen cabinet refinishing, would the DTS400 be a good choice for sanding kitchen cabinet doors before painting? Currently use the Dewalt random orbital and the finish sander and also looking into the SurfPrep Electric Ray 3x4 sander



DTS (DTS-‘C’is cordless)- Delta shape:












RTS (rectangle shape):










ETS (round shape):


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## JTaylor (Aug 27, 2021)

Appreciate it, the RTS is more my style. Dont know why I didnt see it on the Festool site before


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> DTS (DTS-‘C’is cordless)- Delta shape:
> 
> View attachment 113030
> 
> ...


Like Columbo says "one more question:"

Are you able to get the inside areas of the panels with the festools? I've seen online that you can get an interface that lets you attach surf prep pads for deeper areas/contours etc with the festool. 

Are those necessary, or can you already reach these areas without the surfprep pads?


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## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Like Columbo says "one more question:"
> 
> Are you able to get the inside areas of the panels with the festools? I've seen online that you can get an interface that lets you attach surf prep pads for deeper areas/contours etc with the festool.
> 
> Are those necessary, or can you already reach these areas without the surfprep pads?


That a different sander...I believe its called LS120. The DTS or RTS won't get the recessed areas all that much. The DTS and RTS have "softer" pads that may get into the recesses of your pic, but I generally hand sand those first(I love their sanding pads..last way way longer than others imo). I don't want to run into the problem of oversanding right at the edge(s).
I haven't tried the sander that has interchangeable dimensional pads yet. I'm interested though and like the fact that its a linear sander. Hope that helps.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Like Columbo says "one more question:"
> 
> Are you able to get the inside areas of the panels with the festools? I've seen online that you can get an interface that lets you attach surf prep pads for deeper areas/contours etc with the festool.
> 
> Are those necessary, or can you already reach these areas without the surfprep pads?


Good question. I would like to know the answer also. 

I use the sanding grips, like @jennifertemple has suggested in other posts, or sanding sponges for simple, flat recesses ...but if there's a better way I'm all for it.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Like Columbo says "one more question:"
> 
> Are you able to get the inside areas of the panels with the festools? I've seen online that you can get an interface that lets you attach surf prep pads for deeper areas/contours etc with the festool.
> 
> Are those necessary, or can you already reach these areas without the surfprep pads?


 We also just hand sand the profiles with a block sponge. It's really fast and doesn't have to be as aggressive in the profile as it doesn't get any wear..


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

thepm4 said:


> That a different sander...I believe its called LS120. The DTS or RTS won't get the recessed areas all that much. The DTS and RTS have "softer" pads that may get into the recesses of your pic, but I generally hand sand those first(I love their sanding pads..last way way longer than others imo). I don't want to run into the problem of oversanding right at the edge(s).
> I haven't tried the sander that has interchangeable dimensional pads yet. I'm interested though and like the fact that its a linear sander. Hope that helps.


It does help, thanks. I'd rather hand sand than start carving that edge down!


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> Good question. I would like to know the answer also.
> 
> I use the sanding grips, like @jennifertemple has suggested in other posts, or sanding sponges for simple, flat recesses ...but if there's a better way I'm all for it.


Those grips are interesting. I might have to snag some just to break up the normal sanding sponge routine.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I have a set of those grips, but haven't really used them much yet. They would be really handy if sanding down to bare wood, where you need to be super precise..


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I have a set of those grips, but haven't really used them much yet. They would be really handy if sanding down to bare wood, where you need to be super precise..


We have found these sanding wedges useful on details that have a V-groove and for cabinet offsets. They are also good for getting onto tight spots as the rubber is dense and allows one to grip the paper tightly and still retain dexterity and precision.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

thepm4 said:


> That a different sander...I believe its called LS120. The DTS or RTS won't get the recessed areas all that much. The DTS and RTS have "softer" pads that may get into the recesses of your pic, but I generally hand sand those first(I love their sanding pads..last way way longer than others imo). I don't want to run into the problem of oversanding right at the edge(s).
> I haven't tried the sander that has interchangeable dimensional pads yet. I'm interested though and like the fact that its a linear sander. Hope that helps.


I wouldn’t go wasting my money on an LS 130 because you’d probably be disappointed. I bought 2 of them ~ 15 years ago and they’re okay if doing a lot of repetitive yet simple profiles. The stroke isn’t all that effective for heavy material removal and the hook and loop backing is a bit soft, having a tendency to round over and distort crisp profile edges. The end results are far from precise. I recently 86’d both of them and prefer using wood block counter profiles with PSA abrasives attached. They sounded like a pair of hair clippers too (edit: more like electric hedge clippers) which was somewhat annoying, plus not being very ergonomic and borderline clumsy..


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

I finally partook of the green Kool-Aid, I have a DTS on the way and picked up the CT Midi here locally. Can't wait to try them out next week. Thanks again for all the input and different perspectives.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

fromthenorthwest said:


> I finally partook of the green Kool-Aid, I have a DTS on the way and picked up the CT Midi here locally. Can't wait to try them out next week. Thanks again for all the input and different perspectives.


It's physically impossible to have just one. You will soon buy another. RO90 is prolly my favorite, but I love them all.
Congrats on your purchase!


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> I finally partook of the green Kool-Aid, I have a DTS on the way and picked up the CT Midi here locally. Can't wait to try them out next week. Thanks again for all the input and different perspectives.


Congratulations on your little bundle of tax write-offs!

I started with the DTSC, and after I refinanced the house I added the bare tool RTSC about three months later. Eventually I even purchased some sandpaper so I could use it.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> It's physically impossible to have just one. You will soon buy another. RO90 is prolly my favorite, but I love them all.
> Congrats on your purchase!


Thanks! Yeah I'm most likely going to be picking up one of the ROs for exterior season.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> Congratulations on your little bundle of tax write-offs!
> 
> I started with the DTSC, and after I refinanced the house I added the bare tool RTSC about three months later. Eventually I even purchased some sandpaper so I could use it.


Ha! I know what you mean. I think I dropped $150 on sandpaper.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> It's physically impossible to have just one. You will soon buy another. RO90 is prolly my favorite, but I love them all.
> Congrats on your purchase!


Troy, what are you using the RO90 on mostly? I have one, but find it kind of an odd size.The RTS400 seems the most versatile. Be nice if you could switch the interface pad over to the delta.. I also have the RO150. That thing is a beast! I think the RO125 is most popular around here for stairs etc..


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Holland said:


> Congratulations on your little bundle of tax write-offs!
> 
> I started with the DTSC, and after I refinanced the house I added the bare tool RTSC about three months later. Eventually I even purchased some sandpaper so I could use it.


Plugging them in and turning them on also helps.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Troy, what are you using the RO90 on mostly? I have one, but find it kind of an odd size.The RTS400 seems the most versatile. Be nice if you could switch the interface pad over to the delta.. I also have the RO150. That thing is a beast! I think the RO125 is most popular around here for stairs etc..


The RO 90 gets used mostly with the delta head on it to get into corners that my RO 125 cannot. I also use it for polishing. If I didn't have the RO 125, I'd use it a lot more. Extremely versatile tool and much easier to handle for longer periods vs. the RO 125. I also have the RAS 115 for quick removal before the RO 125 when the situation calls for it. That thing is a monster, but it leaves swirls which need to be evened out afterwards.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Ha! I know what you mean. I think I dropped $150 on sandpaper.



FYI - The RTS is probably better for most cabinet shapes- the large, square shape makes it easier to get an even finish and cover more area quickly. I would recommend checking out the interface pad if you do a lot of sanding with it. 

I did not know which one to buy. I ended up buying two- each for different uses, 

I started with the DTS, because we use a sander a lot for interior window refinishing (lacquer failure) and detail sanding like handrails, build-ins, and other unusual shaped wood areas.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> FYI - The RTS is probably better for most cabinet shapes- the large, square shape makes it easier to get an even finish and cover more area quickly. I would recommend checking out the interface pad if you do a lot of sanding with it.
> 
> I did not know which one to buy. I ended up buying two- each for different uses,
> 
> I started with the DTS, because we use a sander a lot for interior window refinishing (lacquer failure) and detail sanding like handrails, build-ins, and other unusual shaped wood areas.


Good to know. Maybe I'll order that one in too and try them head-to-head.


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