# Mirka Deros



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Lmao. I did a search for the Mirka Deros and a bunch of old threads came up at the top that I was either a part of, or started. I was going to bump one with this post, but without Arch around to trigger it seemed less funny.

In April of 2013 when I started this thread Mirka I said I was flirting with the Mirka. Well I guess it was a long courting ritual of 9yrs as I bought the Deros a couple months ago.

It's a lovely sander and I like it a lot. All my other sanders are Festool so the two different plugs are kinda annoying but I just use a 3 way on the extractor for sander swaps when running the Deros mixed with other sanders. I will admit I prefer using one cord for sander changes, but its a work around.

It was/is long term reliability that kept me at bay as opinions are varied when it comes to reliability. I read the manual, added the included screw counterweight for protection pad use, and have it set to the recommended rpms. I'm thinking that people who experienced reliability issues did not do these things. Or at least that was my consumer logic.

I was going to buy the Festool ETS EC 150/5 but they were pretty backordered a few months ago, and so I rolled the dice on the in stock Deros. Its weight and ergonomics along with versatility have me currently happy with the Mirka.
Hoping it has legs or dies within the warranty period as I've had some Festool sanders run for near a decade without service, and have burned through a couple ETS 150/5 just out of the warranty period. 

Pic of when it arrived. I guess my couple minute video's of in use are to large.


----------



## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

I was just looking at some mirka Sanders. Wtf does a sander need Bluetooth???


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> I was just looking at some mirka Sanders. Wtf does a sander need Bluetooth???


It doesn't, but the Bluetooth is to connect to the app to monitor vibration through the app as well as use time counter on the app. I can't attest to the accuracy of the counter as I feel like I've ran it more hours than it says. I also am not connecting it every time I use it so that might account for the discrepancy. App has some other things that I don't remember the purpose, but it's really only the run time counter on why I added the app.


----------



## Knobbe (Mar 14, 2021)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> I was just looking at some mirka Sanders. Wtf does a sander need Bluetooth???


In the Festool line it allows you to start/stop the vac with a button on the end of the hose when your only vacuuming or if you have the cordless Festool sander vac turns on when tool is on.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Knobbe said:


> In the Festool line it allows you to start/stop the vac with a button on the end of the hose when your only vacuuming or if you have the cordless Festool sander vac turns on when tool is on.


Yeah I have the Bluetooth feature and remote for the Midi, but I don't have any cordless Festool tools. If I'm using something that requires a vac by being tethered to the hose I'm not worried about being cordless. The remote is awesome for both cleanup tasks and for turning on the vac for non Festool tools such as a miter saw. 

The Mirka Bluetooth is a bit different. Primary use is for tool analysis with the app. Also likely a spyware feature for service and warranty claims with Mirka service centers.


----------



## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Knobbe said:


> In the Festool line it allows you to start/stop the vac with a button on the end of the hose when your only vacuuming or if you have the cordless Festool sander vac turns on when tool is on.


Keep the damn microchips out of my effin vacuum


----------



## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> I was just looking at some mirka Sanders. Wtf does a sander need Bluetooth???


I tried out Mirka’s pneumatic air sanders this past week…pretty sweet but takes some getting used to if transitioning from electric sanders. I used the Mirka for level sanding the Duralaq White Undercoater you often recommended…BTW, really great product and sands like a charm, almost like a lacquer undercoater..the only drawback was poor vertical hang & required a couple of light dust/tack coats before wetting out vertical surfaces.

Hey, best of luck to you after hearing you closed your store…I’m certain you’ll find your way!


----------



## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I've been eyeballing a Mirka deros for quite some time, how's the dust collection compared to a festool ets?


----------



## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Redux said:


> I tried out Mirka’s pneumatic air sanders this past week…pretty sweet but takes some getting used to if transitioning from electric sanders. I used the Mirka for level sanding the Duralaq White Undercoater you often recommended…BTW, really great product and sands like a charm, almost like a lacquer undercoater..the only drawback was poor vertical hang & required a couple of light dust/tack coats before wetting out vertical surfaces.
> 
> Hey, best of luck to you after hearing you closed your store…I’m certain you’ll find your way!


I like the duralaq primer for what it is, I would say it performs adequately for $20/gallon. I also have a surf prep pneumatic palm sander but I can only use it in the shop so it mostly collects dust.

I appreciate the kind words, I have a couple things in the pipeline


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Rbriggs82 said:


> I've been eyeballing a Mirka deros for quite some time, how's the dust collection compared to a festool ets?


It's equal if not a little better with net paper. I didn't give it the same exact comparison because I am using both Abranet and Abranet Ace on the Deros. On the ETS, and the ETS EC I'm using Granat because I have a healthy stock still, but I'm interested in trying some other paper like Cubitron 2. 

I haven't put Granat on the Deros yet because hole pattern is not exact, but probably doable. And in turn I didn't put the net paper on the Festool, because I'm not completely sure if the interface pads I have are the same as a pad saver for net paper. Net paper without a pad saver will wreck a pad grip quickly. 

Besides the reliability questions my other concern with the Deros was the paddle switch, and whether or not I'd like it.

I'm pretty used to locking a sander on and manipulating it in some tight spaces and switching hands without it powering off, while being able to hold the sander close to the pad, so the added height of my hand isn't adding to the sander height. It has been a non issue concern so far since the Deros is a much lower profile than the ETS, and also a little shorter profile than the ETS EC. 

I've got multiple ETS 150/5 sanders and they come in listed as 3.9 lbs. I was originally going to add the ETS EC 150/5 which iirc correctly is listed at 2.6, or 2.9 I forgot which. The Mirka 150/5 is 2.3 lbs iirc, so compared to the older ETS 150/5 the height and weight of the Deros is really nice, and significant especially for overhead and vertical sanding. 

Before buying the Deros I added a ETS EC 125/3 because my 125 ETS EQ was pretty tired. A lot of people say you can put the 150mm pad on the 125/3 EC. So originally I was planning on trying to see if it could pull double duty while I waited on a 150 EC order. I'm just am skeptical about long term use using it in that manner due to the counter balance difference between the EC 125/3 and EC 150. In Festool part images the two sanders are seemingly identical except for the weight for the counter balance. 

I have a ETS 150/5 that I determined the counter balance is tweaked, or something else shifted on it because it feels unbalanced when running and the vibration is different than any other ETS 150/5 sanders I have or had. It wasn't always that way. Probably took a tumble off a ladder.

I actually sent that sander into Festool while it was still under warranty, and was not impressed with their customer service on that one. They sent it back marked as fixed without calling me and they put a note in the box saying it needed to have the pad replaced. The pad on it was pretty new and my opinion is why didn't they call me and tell me? I'd of said put one on it, test it, and if the issue is fixed I'll pay for the pad. I honestly feel they did not go through the sander at all. 

I didn't use it, or even open the box for awhile after getting it back, because at that time I had two other guys I could trust with finish sanding, and had two other ETS 150/5 in the field and on the van. So assuming it was fixed as Festool service is typically stellar I didn't test it, and put it in the garage. By the time I needed all 3 150/5 on a job the sander was out of warranty and I begrudgingly just ordered a new one and set that one aside as a parts sander. I'm still jaded over that, even though it was a few years ago. 

Back to the EC 125/3. At the time of purchase I did add another 150 pad in the order, but since I have other 150 sanders I just have never tested it in that manner even though I am curious because it is the only Festool sander that has the same footprint of another sander and people say they use the pad from the bigger sander on it. Festool doesn't advertise that as an option and it won't fit in its box with the 150 pad left on the sander. 

The EC 125/5 is also a really nice sander and if instead of the Deros I would of received the EC 150/5 I ordered I'd have no complaints, because it's also a significant height and weight difference of the older ETS styling. Weight ultimately is what I'm trying to trim when it comes to prolonged overhead sanding. 
I'm pretty well used to the 3.9 weight of the ETS but I know it can work the guys or guy sometimes. 

The 125mm pad that the 150mm Deros uses is the 130g weighted pad for the counter balance. Unlike Festool they do advertise it as two sanders in one with the proper 130g pad.

I did order the weighted pad for it, and the pad swap is quick and it does run great as a 125 sander with my brief use. For my situation it's just easier to run multiple sanders though rather than swapping pads around. 

So yeah the really long answer is I have no issues so far with dust collection connected to the Festool extractors and no adapter is required. 
Ergonomically the Deros is the best sander I've used. If the fancy control module doesn't go out, or if it does under warranty, and Mirka fixes it as I have heard they do then I'll be happy. 

As I stated in the op reliability is my biggest concern and I have it set up per Mirka's suggestions with around 8k rpms out of the 10k available. Trying to remain in Mirka's sweet spot suggestions I'm Hoping to avoid the need of service. 

My only complaint so far besides the pricing structure is with the button speed adjustment. You either have to know your number of presses, or connect to the app so you can see precise rpm speed settings, but I've just been leaving it where I have it set. I can adjust speed with the paddle and use the rpm setting as the max setting. You can also set the paddle to just on and off without variance of depression, but that's not how I'm running it. 

People like to compare the Deros to the rotex because it will remove stock. With the specs and ergonomics I'd compare it to the ETS EC. 

You asked about I'm assuming the older ETS, not the EC because you didn't include EC. Deros is an enjoyable sander to run and after running it I regretted the RTS 400 replacement I did last year. The Mirka Deos square sander looks really good to me until I get to the checkout because it's almost 2x the cost of a RTS lol. And 2x is questionable to save some sander height. 

I also feel you wouldn't go wrong with the ETS EC 150/5 or EC 150/3 depending on your needs. Both the EC sanders and the Deros have brushless motors and a well functioning brake. 

I never thought the brake was important, but it is nice not waiting those x amount of seconds to set the tool down. The Deros brake is user serviceable without breaking the sander to bits. 

The Deros comes with two pad savers for net use, and a sample pack of Abranet. Festool comes with no extras and 1 piece of paper. 

In the states without the extra 125mm weighted pad, and depending where you purchase the Deros is at least $125 more than the comparable 150 EC. I say at least because I like to order Festool from places like Hartville Hardware where they do not charge sales tax. So in turn I ordered the Deros from Lee Valley because they were marginally cheaper than other places, and also do not charge sales tax. 
No sales tax on $664 is a decent savings compared to Beaver Industrial Supply where they do get the tax money and also have the sander listed at $20 more. 

I mention it as price is always a factor to some degree and whether you see the value of the higher cost. 

I have no current regrets with the Deros and if it has a good enough life span I wouldn't hedge on the purchase again is my few month ownership opinion. 

God what a nerd novel. Every time I went through it to trim it down more got added lol.


----------



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Workaholic said:


> It's equal if not a little better with net paper. I didn't give it the same exact comparison because I am using both Abranet and Abranet Ace on the Deros. On the ETS, and the ETS EC I'm using Granat because I have a healthy stock still, but I'm interested in trying some other paper like Cubitron 2.
> 
> I haven't put Granat on the Deros yet because hole pattern is not exact, but probably doable. And in turn I didn't put the net paper on the Festool, because I'm not completely sure if the interface pads I have are the same as a pad saver for net paper. Net paper without a pad saver will wreck a pad grip quickly.
> 
> ...


Lol good thing there's a bunch of sanding nerds over here...So if im reading you right would you say the EC 150/5 is an ideal sander for overhead stock removal? I've got a pretty large t&g project to strip later this summer and trying to figure out the best balance of lightweight and removal ability. I was thinking about the ETS because If I remember correctly they're lighter than the Rotex, but I hadn't heard of the EC. Just recently partook of the green Kool-Aid and so far i love it.


----------



## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Lol good thing there's a bunch of sanding nerds over here...So if im reading you right would you say the EC 150/5 is an ideal sander for overhead stock removal? I've got a pretty large t&g project to strip later this summer and trying to figure out the best balance of lightweight and removal ability. I was thinking about the ETS because If I remember correctly they're lighter than the Rotex, but I hadn't heard of the EC. Just recently partook of the green Kool-Aid and so far i love it.


Count me in on being one of those sanding nerds…the EC 150 was essentially useless for heavy stock removal on 2000 sq ft of heart pine ceilings I refinished a couple of months ago in my own home. It probably would have worked okay w/softer pine. I had to break out the big gun-Rotex RO-150….not fun for overhead use…my back hasn’t fully recovered yet..


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Lol good thing there's a bunch of sanding nerds over here...So if im reading you right would you say the EC 150/5 is an ideal sander for overhead stock removal? I've got a pretty large t&g project to strip later this summer and trying to figure out the best balance of lightweight and removal ability. I was thinking about the ETS because If I remember correctly they're lighter than the Rotex, but I hadn't heard of the EC. Just recently partook of the green Kool-Aid and so far i love it.


For a lot of stock removal at a fast pace the 700w Rotex is the best bet. The problem with that is the Rotex is an balanced tool as is and also is not a great ergonomic tool. So working the 5lb tool overhead will work you pretty good at the same time most likely. Rotex also imo isn't a great finish sander. It can do fine with some finesse but between its weight and ergos I think that is why I wouldn't rely on it for dedicated finish work.

You can remove material with the ETS 150/5, EC 150/5, and the Deros 150/5, but at a slower pace than the Rotex. The EC and the Deros will be the most user friendly overhead because they are in the just over 2lb category, and fall in the 400w area with around 10k rpm. You'll be going through more paper than with the Rotex and will be holding a sander longer overhead. Albeit a light tool by almost half.

Another consideration is an EC sander being a brushless motor relies on a vac to help keep it cool. Whereas the taller heavier ETS sanders have a internal fan and come with a dust catcher for when not connected to a extractor.

Of course the material you are breaking down and to how clean is a factor that would play a part in this decision.

So yeah you can take material off with most any of these sanders. Some will be longer than others depending on the task which is why I kept specifying 150/5 because they will be faster than a 3mm orbit.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Redux said:


> Count me in on being one of those sanding nerds…the EC 150 was essentially useless for heavy stock removal on 2000 sq ft of heart pine ceilings I refinished a couple of months ago in my own home. It probably would have worked okay w/softer pine. I had to break out the big gun-Rotex RO-150….not fun for overhead use…my back hasn’t fully recovered yet..
> 
> View attachment 113789
> 
> ...


Good illustration. Was it the 150/5 EC? Or the 150/3? Either way the Rotex is the best candidate to move quickly. That's a lot of overhead work. Looks good 👍. I don't run into a lot of ceilings like that here.


----------



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Workaholic said:


> For a lot of stock removal at a fast pace the 700w Rotex is the best bet. The problem with that is the Rotex is an balanced tool as is and also is not a great ergonomic tool. So working the 5lb tool overhead will work you pretty good at the same time most likely. Rotex also imo isn't a great finish sander. It can do fine with some finesse but between its weight and ergos I think that is why I wouldn't rely on it for dedicated finish work.
> 
> You can remove material with the ETS 150/5, EC 150/5, and the Deros 150/5, but at a slower pace than the Rotex. The EC and the Deros will be the most user friendly overhead because they are in the just over 2lb category, and fall in the 400w area with around 10k rpm. You'll be going through more paper than with the Rotex and will be holding a sander longer overhead. Albeit a light tool by almost half.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the helpful insight as usual Redux. Was that a clear you were taking off along with what looked like some mildew / mold? 

I've read you mention water popping a few times, so after a water pop, can water-based finishes be applied with no grain raising? That's pretty slick.


----------



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Workaholic said:


> For a lot of stock removal at a fast pace the 700w Rotex is the best bet. The problem with that is the Rotex is an balanced tool as is and also is not a great ergonomic tool. So working the 5lb tool overhead will work you pretty good at the same time most likely. Rotex also imo isn't a great finish sander. It can do fine with some finesse but between its weight and ergos I think that is why I wouldn't rely on it for dedicated finish work.
> 
> You can remove material with the ETS 150/5, EC 150/5, and the Deros 150/5, but at a slower pace than the Rotex. The EC and the Deros will be the most user friendly overhead because they are in the just over 2lb category, and fall in the 400w area with around 10k rpm. You'll be going through more paper than with the Rotex and will be holding a sander longer overhead. Albeit a light tool by almost half.
> 
> ...


Appreciate that Workaholic, nice list of pros and cons to consider. Now that I think about it, on this project I've got up coming I'm probably going to hit it with some stripper and brightener, so I'm hopefully going to be sanding down a bunch of fuzzy wood rather than the full stock removal that I had earlier mentioned. So I wonder if I can get away with that EC after all. That rotex is probably something I'm going to want sooner or later though too, maybe I'll just spring both if the bank account allows.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Appreciate that Workaholic, nice list of pros and cons to consider. Now that I think about it, on this project I've got up coming I'm probably going to hit it with some stripper and brightener, so I'm hopefully going to be sanding down a bunch of fuzzy wood rather than the full stock removal that I had earlier mentioned. So I wonder if I can get away with that EC after all. That rotex is probably something I'm going to want sooner or later though too, maybe I'll just spring both if the bank account allows.


I use the Deros, ETS, and EC for removal when doing cabinet work, front doors, ect. 

I can't seem to post a vid but here's a screenshot of me working cabinet doors with the Deros.


----------



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Workaholic said:


> I use the Deros, ETS, and EC for removal when doing cabinet work, front doors, ect.
> 
> I can't seem to post a vid but here's a screenshot of me working cabinet doors with the Deros.
> View attachment 113791


Awesome thanks, good to know those lighter ones can still handle some removal.


----------



## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Thanks for the helpful insight as usual Redux. Was that a clear you were taking off along with what looked like some mildew / mold?
> 
> I've read you mention water popping a few times, so after a water pop, can water-based finishes be applied with no grain raising? That's pretty slick.


I water popped to decompress dents, sanding scratches, and milling compression marks, being that solvent based paste wax doesn’t raise grain. Yes, water popping will minimize grain raise with waterborne clears. There was no finish or mold/mildew, just oxidation and decades worth of patina. It turned out slicker than ice.


----------



## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Workaholic said:


> Good illustration. Was it the 150/5 EC? Or the 150/3? Either way the Rotex is the best candidate to move quickly. That's a lot of overhead work. Looks good 👍. I don't run into a lot of ceilings like that here.


Thanks…150/5. I find that random orbit sanders in general aren’t too effective at removing milling defects such as chatter, roller compression marks, etc on harder wood species, and I typically buzz flat stock down with the Rotex in rotary mode. It takes a while to get the feel for the RO 150 and to maximize its potential but smokes random orbit sanders for stock and finish removal.


----------



## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

Nice thread...since it is a sanding nerd thread (yes, I'm identifying as one), thought I'd mention Festool is phasing out the LS-130..their linear sander.
My local Festool dealer, one that carries pretty much the entire line of Festool told me.

I bought one for refinishing two oak storm doors and used it as part of finish removal. I used my Rotex 90 on rotary (80 grit) then switched to LS-130 (80, 120 and 150 grits) in lieu of GF oil gel stain app.

The LS-130 is not aggressive, but it did remove swirls/chatter from Rotex sanding. Glad it takes the same paper as RTS-400.
I haven't used the other profiles and it does take some getting used to, but I don't regret purchasing and feel like I rounded out my sander collection.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Redux said:


> Thanks…150/5. I find that random orbit sanders in general aren’t too effective at removing milling defects such as chatter, roller compression marks, etc on harder wood species, and I typically buzz flat stock down with the Rotex in rotary mode. It takes a while to get the feel for the RO 150 and to maximize its potential but smokes random orbit sanders for stock and finish removal.


All that makes sense to me. I had a RO 150 a long time ago. I used when I first got it for what I needed it for, and then it sat untouched for years, so I parted ways with it. I'm tempted at times to add it again as it does make quick work of removal. I just never really took to it initially because it felt cumbersome and clunky to me. 

I don't run into much stain grade work here except front doors and the occasional thing. The ETS and other mentioned sanders take out nicks and scratches so for most things I'm doing they seem to work fine. Maybe I'll take a deck refinishing job that I'd normally pass on and revisit the RO 150.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

thepm4 said:


> Nice thread...since it is a sanding nerd thread (yes, I'm identifying as one), thought I'd mention Festool is phasing out the LS-130..their linear sander.
> My local Festool dealer, one that carries pretty much the entire line of Festool told me.
> 
> I bought one for refinishing two oak storm doors and used it as part of finish removal. I used my Rotex 90 on rotary (80 grit) then switched to LS-130 (80, 120 and 150 grits) in lieu of GF oil gel stain app.
> ...


Nice. I put hands on one before on a demo but that's it. I also heard the LS 130 is going to be phased out, at least in north America. I've always kinda seen it as a niche tool, but the idea of making pad forms to specific contours has always left it as an interesting tool in my mind. Sounds like it's working out well for you. 

Don't take my use of niche tool as anything negative. I call the RO 90 a niche tool because I don't use it as often but I'm always happy to have it when I do.


----------



## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

Workaholic said:


> Nice. I put hands on one before on a demo but that's it. I also heard the LS 130 is going to be phased out, at least in north America. I've always kinda seen it as a niche tool, but the idea of making pad forms to specific contours has always left it as an interesting tool in my mind. Sounds like it's working out well for you.
> 
> Don't take my use of niche tool as anything negative. I call the RO 90 a niche tool because I don't use it as often but I'm always happy to have it when I do.


I hear ya ✌🏽
I'd never heard of Mirka Deros till today...that's what like about this site.


----------



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Redux said:


> I water popped to decompress dents, sanding scratches, and milling compression marks, being that solvent based paste wax doesn’t raise grain. Yes, water popping will minimize grain raise with waterborne clears. There was no finish or mold/mildew, just oxidation and decades worth of patina. It turned out slicker than ice.


Im going to have to try the water popping next time ive got the opportunity. Thanks for the pics and descriptions. Good guidelines for future work.


----------



## Knobbe (Mar 14, 2021)

So I understand clearly, are you using a spray bottle or wet towel to dampen the bare wood, then let it dry before sanding? How wet do you get it?


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

thepm4 said:


> I hear ya ✌🏽
> I'd never heard of Mirka Deros till today...that's what like about this site.


Yep there is a lot of info spread around this forum. 

As to the Deros I can't speak for the long term but it's a excellent sander if it holds up. Best random orbit sander I've ran is my current opinion. Early 2021 I was going to buy the Mirka Leros spurned out of my dislike for the OG Planex. Then the Planex 2 released and I got lured in by the light. No complaints with the 2. The Leros is considered the gold standard though by drywall guys that use power sanders. Mirka is pretty proud of their stuff here in the states. I hear in the UK they are slightly cheaper than Festool but no such luck here lol.


----------

