# The Mirka Deros Sander... I LOVE IT!



## CharlesNeil

Joe,

I agree the price tag is a bit steep, but We have both the Deros and the Ceros… Since we do it professionally, the price pill is a bit easier to swallow, however I think they are one of the best sanders out there and I agree dust collection is excellent.

Since the girls help me sand some and as I have gotten older, I find the size and ergonomics to be a huge help, especially if the girls are using them.


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## dgage

I am a big Festool guy and have several Festool sanders, RO150 and ETS150/3 pertinent to this discussion. I started getting carpal tunnel from sanding vertically with the ETS150 along with having issues keeping it flat since it is so tall so I started considering the Ceros. I have had the Ceros over 6 months now and I hardly ever use my Festool sanders now. Low profile nature and even less vibration are the two things I like most. So it is an expensive sander but for me it has replaced my aggressive and my fine Festool sanders and I don't feel I'm missing anything. I'll likely keep the RO150 in case I do any heavy duty sanding and don't want to abuse my nice Ceros. The ETS150 I guess can find a new home.


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## HillbillyShooter

Thanks for the review and information. Like dgage, I'm a big Festool fan but have discovered there are better tools out there, like the Mafel P1cc Jig Saw. So, now I'll have to check your choice out. However, could tell me the difference between the Deros and the Ceros? Thanks again for your review.


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## JoeLyddon

I looked at the Festool… I liked what saw in the Ceros… reviews, etc.

I think the ONLY difference between the Ceros & Deros are the way they are powered.

Ceros requires a separate Power Supply that plugs into the wall & the Ceros is plugged into it; just more stuff to get in the way & store somewhere.

Deros plugs directly into the wall… like everything else… Much easier, IMHO.

If there is more, from a technical standpoint, I don't know.

NOTE: That yellow box is the Case that it was shipped in that can hold everything plus sand paper, etc.

*I forgot to mention… *
The Manual sucks… it's very thick with about 6 pages for each Country in the world… I ended up just CUTTING OUT all of the foreign stuff… Now, in the 6 pages, it was really NOT very helpful… no real details on operating it or maintaining it… More could be probably be obtained from their website & their videos.

But, how much to do you really need to know about a Sander? LOL


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## CharlesNeil

Well I wasnt going here with this, but I have had several folks in my classes try the Mirka sanders, who were die hard Festool guys and they all agreed the Mirka was their choice, Several had every sander Festool sell's.

Just saying

While we love the ceros, the Deros, seems to be the chosen child.. I like either, the Girls especially like the Deros, it just seems a bit more ergonomically fitting. Its just "sweet" .


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## jbertelson

Thanks for the review, Joe. I have a low profile PC that I have used for years here in Anchorage. I have the smaller Festool sander in La Conner. At this point don't need a new sander, but will look at the Ceros if the need occurs. I had read about the DC motors, but haven't heard much about the products.

All is well here. Just finishing up a new router table. Will be posting it, and some resaw fences as well…......but don't hold your breath. Work is bogging me down, but not for long…........

Have a good one. Lot of daylight here now, but still cold at times. Looking forward to Spring…..........


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## doubleDD

Joe, I have looked at these and thought it to be an excellent sander. Respectfully I could not take the plunge at the time and passed on it . I use a downdraft table on a daily basis and settled for the standard ROS. Good information to know for future reference. Thanks Joe.


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## JoeLyddon

I looked at the Festool… I liked what saw in the Ceros… reviews, etc.

I think the ONLY difference between the Ceros & Deros are the way they are powered.

Ceros requires a separate Power Supply that plugs into the wall & the Ceros is plugged into it; just more stuff to get in the way & store somewhere.

Deros plugs directly into the wall… like everything else… Much easier, IMHO.

If there is more, from a technical standpoint, I don't know.


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## JoeLyddon

*Jim Bertelson*

I'm not sure, but the Ceros may be discontinued now; replaced by the Deros…
I couldn't find the Ceros on Amazon where I was watching them before…

I think the Deros is worth the extra $$

I could NOT find One Speck of Dust while sanding that board… from the very Start, using some sandpaper I had on hand all the way to the End, using Abranet disks… NOT ONE SPECK of dust anywhere! ... I was amazed! ... I thought there would be just a 'little bit' of dust left over… NONE 100% NO DUST! It was a real pleasure using it…

When I had my bad experience, I was using a PC ROS… my biggest problem! (no more)


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## R_Stad

Thanks Joe, Charles, and dgage for sharing your experiences. I'm thinking I'd really enjoy that little sander. Up until a few months ago I thought festool was the only way to go, but after researching I have read similar accounts of people with both who prefer the mirka. Sharing information like this is so helpful - thanks again.


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## kocgolf

Always heard of these and I was thinking I should look into it, so I followed the amazon link you posted. My god, 600 bucks for a ROS?! Maybe I am naive, but it's almost impossible to imagine it being worth that. Although…not one speck of dust, huh?....food for thought.


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## Ocelot

When my $28 Ryobi wears out, I'll take a look at the Deros!

-Paul


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## Desert_Woodworker

I tried the Deros and liked it very much, but opted for the Festool. I now see from your review the Ceros plug in! oh yeah! I say- gotta get one. But then, I read on the Mirka site- it uses 220v which won't work for me. I hope and I know that you will enjoy yours.
kocgolf- Amazon is financing them


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## JoeLyddon

*YEP… I Hear you guys… I used to be the same way…* Then, I sanded some Black Walnut very aggressively… ... working on a couple of Sam Maloof chairs I was making.

I must have been allergic to it… * First time Sawdust ever messed me up!... It was terrible!*

Difficult to breathe… I was wheezing for a long time (NOT DOING ANY Woodworking) until I finally felt better!

I was NOT going to go through that again… AND* I did NOT want to STOP Woodworking!*

I went shopping for the best Dust Controlled Sanders I could find… It came down to Festool and the Mirka Ceros…
*The Reviews where Festool people switched to the Ceros sounded GOOD to me…* I was almost ready to submit an order for the Ceros & decided to wait until my Credit Card billing just ended, so I would have about 60 days to pay for it than 30… During that waiting time, the car needed a new clutch which delayed getting the Ceros!

Finally, I was ready to order it… it was apparently replaced by the Deros and after reading & studying the Deros, THAT's the one I would buy!

I am very confident that this will be the LAST ROS sander I will ever buy and above all, MY LUNGS & eyes will NOT SUFFER ANYMORE as the result of NO really good sanding dust control!

*The money spent on this was MORE for GOOD HEALTH than for a good sander!*

Now, if you don't ever expect to have health problems as a result of Sanding Dust getting to you, fine … have at it… continue on… doing what you're doing… * I wish you GOOD LUCK… If your lungs ever get messed up from Sanding Dust, you will remember this day, my experience, & reason for buying this sander.*


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## JoeLyddon

*Desert_Woodworker,*

*The Deros works on 120v AC …*
... if it's switchable to 220v, I don't know… I have not noticed any mention of 220vac for the Deros!


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## Desert_Woodworker

Now I want it more!!!!!!


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## JoeLyddon

Desert… Glad I got you straightened out…

You will like it…

When ordering, also get:
1. the Hose
2. Pad Savers.
3. Assorted Abranet box.

That $600 ends up to almost $750…

Have fun!


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## HillbillyShooter

What size is the hose? And, do you know if the Festool hose is compatible?


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## CharlesNeil

The hose is 18 ft, quite nice .. they have 220v and 120 for European and US. 
I don't think the festool hose is the same, but I'm not positive. The hose also has an electrical cord thru it that connects to the Sander, I am pretty sure its different from the Festool.

You don't have to deal with a vacuum hose and an electrical one, its all inclusive .


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## HillbillyShooter

Cool! Thanks Charles. Now I'll just need to get an adapter to my Festool vac.


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## jbertelson

Regarding dust, my PC low profile sander does a fair job with its attached rigid dust collector. I haven't tried hooking a hose to it, but do turn on the downdraft on my multi-purpose bench when I do heavy duty sanding.

My Festool sander leaves little or no dust, and sands well to boot, hooked up to the Festool dust extractor.

This is an interesting review, Joe. I wonder if we are going to see more examples of DC motors on sanders, and hopefully a falling price.


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## Ocelot

> [...] I wonder if we are going to see more examples of DC motors on sanders, and hopefully a falling price.
> 
> - Jim Bertelson


I imagine we will. In my work, I program microcontrollers. The electronic devices that are available these days lead to many interesting ways to control motors. Although I don't do motor control in my work, I do use some of the same parts that are used for that. It's possible to have very responsive controllers which can sense the currents flowing at a very high sample rate (100's of thousands or millions of samples per second) and respond "instantly" to changes in load.

The name DEROS as "Direct Electric Randome Orbit Sander" evokes certain ideas in my head about how it works.

-Paul


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## Desert_Woodworker

Here is a site that offers them with a 5% sale on Mirka products.

http://www.smsdistributors.com/collections/mirka-ceros-deros-electric-sanding-systems-us-distributor/products/mirka-ceros-5-5mm-electric-sander-vacuum-ready-mim55050caus

and they have some videos. I personally have tried the unit- SWEET operation. Now what to do with my Festool (just kidding. ) And don't forget the arbornet, which is another review in itself.


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## JoeLyddon

Desert…

That was an Ad for the Ceros for $525 … The normal going price for the Ceros is/was $495…

That doesn't look like DEAL to me…

Now, if you can get a 5% discount on a Deros, GOOD for you!


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## Desert_Woodworker

http://www.smsdistributors.com/collections/electric-sanders/products/mirka-deros-5-inch-electric-sander-5mm-random-orbit-mid55020caus
Ooops- This ad is good.


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## JoeLyddon

*You got the Deros Ad!* Bummer… *still $595*...

Can you get a 5% discount on that?


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## HillbillyShooter

Yes, Joe, you get the 5% discount on the Deros and any other Mirka accessories you order. The code is MIRKA5, and it works. Thanks to this review and LJs Joe Lyddon and Desert_Woodworker, a new Mirka DEROS 5", with 6" pads is coming my way!

Finally, this link may be of interest to Festool people who own a Festool Dust Extractor:

http://mirka-online.com/mv-adap3629-mirka-vacuum-adapter-for-mirka-sanders.html

Mirka has regular hoses and what they label co-axial hoses. Regular hose are in the $40-$50 range, and co-axial hoses are the ones with the electrical cord in them and they range from $185 up to almost $500.


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## JoeLyddon

5" Deros with 6" Pads? ... You like the pads to hang over the edges? 

Enjoy!


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## HillbillyShooter

In Europe the DEROS comes with a "2 in 1 solution: 2-backing pads (120 mm and 150 mm) in the plastic case version." C.f., http://www.abglovesandabrasives.com/mirka-deros-mid55020caus-550xcv-5-150mm-5-0mm-orbit-vacuum-ready-finishing-sander-with-case/ and http://www.abglovesandabrasives.com/mirka-deros-650xcv-6-150mm-5-0mm-orbit-vacuum-ready-finishing-sander-with-case/ (see very end of description). Also, the specs. are identical for both the 5" and 6" version with the 5 mm (3/16") orbits. So, I thought what the heck, it's worth a try. ;-)


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## HillbillyShooter

DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS POST-THE 6" PAD DOES *NOT* WORK WITH THE 5" DEROS AND VICE VERSA.

The European model has a switch that needs to be changed when the pad is changed, but that model is not the same as the one being sold in the United States. Just another case of me getting too smart for my own good. ;-)


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## Kentuk55

Thnx for your review Joe.


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## JoeLyddon

*HillBillyShooter* sent me a couple of new links of Reviews… here they are…

*Mirka Deros Review - Part 1*

*Mirka Deros Review - Part 2*

John, Thank you very much!


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## changeoffocus

Nice review Joe, as memory serves me walnut sawdust will kill a horse so breathing it cannot be good.


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## JoeLyddon

*Bob,*

I believe THAT!


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## pottz

i bought one of these several months ago and at the price i was a little apprehensive as to what i would get for my money but after a short time using it i will say its worth every penny.the smoothest quietest lowest vibration sander ive ever used.absolute total dust pickup.and the best combo is with the abranet sanding discs,far superior to any other sand paper ive ever used.these will be my standard from here on.cant say more than dont hesitate.


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## JoeLyddon

*I agree 1000%...

It is just plain AWESOME!!*


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## EarlS

Someone stated that $600 is a steep price for a sander. I've been having tingling hands and sore wrists and elbows after extended sanding with my Dewalt ROS. I mentioned my problems to my wife, who happens to be an Occupational Therapist. She told me in no uncertain terms to get the Deros for Chirstmas from her since it was A LOT cheaper than carpel tunnel surgery and therapy. My new Mirka Deros showed up last night and I tried it out. WOW what a difference. Might be the best Christmas present she has gotten me.


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## JoeLyddon

EarlS…

*YES!! YES!! YES!!

You are NOW a true Believer!!*

It's hard to find the words to describe it… Wonderful, Awesome, Unbelievable, etc.

I'm GLAD you found it to be a true Health benefit… in addition to just Quality dust control!


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## pottz

yeah the price is steep but worth every penny,i wish every woodworker could afford one.i almost enjoy sanding now.I SAID ALMOST-LOL.


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