Rupes Direct Drive

[Mike Phillips]

Hey Mike. Thanks for warm welcome, ive learned alot from you over the years, although im not full-blooded detailer.

Mike, Festool Rotexes are technically random orbital sanders with switchable forced rotation mode and with backing plate, a polisher. RO 150 is 5mm throw but if you flip the switch, its gear driven. Change the backing pad for polishing (although regular sanding pad takes discs aswell) and boom, quite similar metrics as Rupes Mille with 5 mm throw and OPM.

Interesting - did not know this but to be honest, I just scanned the Amazon page for the RO90.

Same is with smaller RO90 (90 mm pad)- delta attatchment, fine sanding at 3mm and coarse sanding at forced rotation. Change to polishing backing plate and boom, you have forced rotation 3 incher. Although its just 3mm throw but its forced and does cut. Officialy 4 in one tool and form factor is very funky, because it has... belt drive!

Also interesting. Thanks for clarifying.

Yea, once i will get dedicated polishers and Flex is the way. In Europe, its not hard to get new or new worthy original Beast... But meanwhile ill work with my unorthodox (but officially approved by Festool) gimmics. Because im too poor to buy cheap tools.

Erik

Like the saying goes...

Buy once, cry once...


We shot a video last week and in the video I referenced the inexpensive Harbor Freight Hercules Cordless Rotary Polisher. This tool is like brand new. It's been used in 4-5 of my classes, dating back to September of 2025

Here's a picture of William using the cordless Harbor Freight Rotary compounding a boat after machine sanding. So it has worked in the past.

587 Pictures - No Chairs! No Sitting! September 2024 Detailing Class with Mike Phillips

In the video, I tried to tun the polisher on and nothing. Tried a couple of times. Nothing. Tried switching to a different, fully charged battery. Nothing.

Then after the video, the next day, I depressed the speed trigger and BOOM - the tool comes to life. I've never experience this with any of my FLEX cordless rotary polishers, and I have about 24 of them in the garage for our classes.

Here in the United States, it's probably a good idea to purchase the extra insurance for any electrical tool purchased at Harbor Freight. This cordless rotary is no working, sure strange it just died on camera.


Mike