Author Topic: Heads up - RAS 115 and Sysports Discontinued (US) (Read 16210 times)

safety1st · « **Reply #90 on:** August 26, 2019, 03:24 PM »

thanks for the response, sorry i missed this info from earlier.
hoping Festool will have abrasives available for a long time for the RAS.

just a question on using generic 5" abrasives.
if a 5" abrasive is used won't it block the dust collection as the paper will be 1/4" proud all around.

Alex · « **Reply #91 on:** August 26, 2019, 03:47 PM »

Quote from: safety1st on August 26, 2019, 03:24 PM

if a 5" abrasive is used won't it block the dust collection as the paper will be 1/4" proud all around.

Use your scissors.

Shane Holland · « **Reply #92 on:** August 26, 2019, 03:48 PM »

Quote from: safety1st on August 26, 2019, 03:24 PM

just a question on using generic 5" abrasives.
if a 5" abrasive is used won't it block the dust collection as the paper will be 1/4" proud all around.

@safety1st, so in testing this, the 5" isn't going to work well without trimming it down, like Alex suggested.

Alex · « **Reply #93 on:** August 26, 2019, 03:56 PM »

I do it all the time, trimming down sandpaper. Most papers stick out a tiny bit, inconsequential most of the time, but if you don't want to marr an adjoining surface it is necessary to trim it down to match the pad exactly. Oh, and pads wear on the side, they get smaller than original very quickly.

RJNeal · « **Reply #94 on:** August 30, 2019, 07:42 PM »

Thanks Shane and the toolnut gang. I received the twins today.
I like and thank you for your new sticker.
Have a great weekend
Rick.

Cheese · « **Reply #95 on:** August 30, 2019, 09:56 PM »

Maybe with this renewed interest in the RAS, Festool will restablish the RAS as a viable tool to support for the future...then again...maybe not.

RKA · « **Reply #96 on:** August 31, 2019, 08:34 AM »

Well, I just received one from toolnut who got “fresh” stock from Festool. It had a manufacture date of 2/17 if I recall. I don’t think Festool will be eager to replace it with anything that sits in the warehouse for 2.5 years. For my own part, I had been thinking about getting one for a while, I had just been waiting for the next project I needed to scribe, cope or strip paint. After 1.5 years of sitting on the fence, the discontinuation of the tool pushed me over the edge.

Peter Halle · « **Reply #97 on:** August 31, 2019, 09:02 AM »

I am going to venture a guess that the RAS was slated to be discontinued quite a while ago but the popularity of it at times in North America kept it just above the threshold. I had the opportunity to visit Festool USA late in 2017 and they had just received a huge shipment of pallet upon pallet upon pallet of RAS, so that might explain the manufacture date.

Great tool. Sorry to see it go, but I just purchased new backing pads and am ready once again to sand away aggressively.

Petr

Cheese · « **Reply #98 on:** August 31, 2019, 09:39 AM »

Quote from: RKA on August 31, 2019, 08:34 AM

Well, I just received one from toolnut who got “fresh” stock from Festool. It had a manufacture date of 2/17 if I recall. I don’t think Festool will be eager to replace it with anything that sits in the warehouse for 2.5 years. For my own part, I had been thinking about getting one for a while, I had just been waiting for the next project I needed to scribe, cope or strip paint. After 1.5 years of sitting on the fence, the discontinuation of the tool pushed me over the edge.

Mine, purchased in July, was manufactured in 2016.

That's exactly my situation, between the Rotex's, the other Festool sanders and a couple of Milwaukee RA grinders, I never really needed the RAS until it was discontinued. I've already used it to strip a neighbor's picnic table that had multiple coats of latex, oil based paint and what appeared to be a clear poly coating.

Great tool...it works well, happy I made the purchase.

Peter Halle · « **Reply #99 on:** August 31, 2019, 10:00 AM »

Just a reminder: register your RAS and save your receipt. In the absence of doing this the date of manufacture might come into play in the event of an issue.

Peter

Cheese · « **Reply #100 on:** August 31, 2019, 10:25 AM »

Quote from: Peter Halle on August 31, 2019, 10:00 AM

Just a reminder: register your RAS and save your receipt. In the absence of doing this the date of manufacture might come into play in the event of an issue.

Thanks for that Peter...I just registered my RAS.

https://www.festoolusa.com/service/service-all-inclusive/registration

Shane Holland · « **Reply #101 on:** August 31, 2019, 10:52 AM »

Just a quick comment on the manufacture date, our inventory is all newly arrived from Festool USA. The tools are in new unused condition. This tool’s design has remained unchanged so you’re not getting old technology. But I do understand some folks may not want a tool manufactured years ago.

Great tip from Peter, thanks buddy.

Thanks everyone for the orders.

RKA · « **Reply #102 on:** August 31, 2019, 11:27 AM »

Sorry Shane, didn’t mean to suggest any dissatisfaction about the manufacture date, it’s as new as can be. Just meant to offer some indication about why it may have been discontinued.

And thanks for that reminder Peter! I had given up when festool revamped their website, but in this case, I better register it!

And just a suggestion, if you’ve been thinking about a new dust extractor, throw it into the order with your discounted RAS and get the 10% discount on that too. Once again it didn’t take much to push me off the fence (to be fair, it’s a very very narrow fence!). I love the remote activation!

awshucks · « **Reply #103 on:** September 01, 2019, 09:00 PM »

So like at least one other here, I've been sitting on this one for a long time but never realized it was good for scribing. Does it perform well with one hand on edge stock? I always try hard to use two hands but sometimes it aint happening. also I see the listing at Toolnut has in the specs sticky backing pads. Am I misreading that? I have a handful of festool sanders (all from toolnut) and a literal mountain of sandpaper of various sizes but its all H&L. If the pads are available (in H&L) I might have to spring for this tomorrow.

p.s. Whoops, guess i never realized the Hook and loop was called stickfix! some days....

Shane Holland · « **Reply #104 on:** September 01, 2019, 09:19 PM »

@awshucks it looks like you already deciphered Festool’s Stickfix is just H&L.

pettyconstruction · « **Reply #105 on:** September 01, 2019, 09:42 PM »

I got on the RAS bandwagon ,just say it’s discontinued and stand back. Funny thing is, I just did a deck strip/redo and could have used it. I used my RO-125 ,oh well next time.
Oh in the “it didn’t happen without pictures column “ here ya go

Thanks Shane and Tool nut for the service .

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Cheese · « **Reply #106 on:** September 01, 2019, 09:47 PM »

Quote from: awshucks on September 01, 2019, 09:00 PM

So like at least one other here, I've been sitting on this one for a long time but never realized it was good for scribing. Does it perform well with one hand on edge stock? I always try hard to use two hands but sometimes it aint happening. also I see the listing at Toolnut has in the specs sticky backing pads. Am I misreading that? I have a handful of festool sanders (all from toolnut) and a literal mountain of sandpaper of various sizes but its all H&L. If the pads are available (in H&L) I might have to spring for this tomorrow.

Ya, I used the RAS today for scribing my neighbor's countertop, while also helping him remove & clean the carbs on his 1974 Norton. He also needed to remove some more junk from some repainted wooden surfaces in-house that are circa 1934. Overall it's a really sweet tool...the Norton not so much.

It's a dinosaur...but a very, very cool dinosaur.

safety1st · « **Reply #107 on:** September 03, 2019, 04:44 PM »

sorry if this was already covered in the forums somewhere, but can somebody tell me what abrasives are included with the tool?

thanks in advance!

Shane Holland · « **Reply #108 on:** September 03, 2019, 05:33 PM »

@safety1st, you generally will get one sheet of paper with a sander. The series and grit can vary.

Svar · « **Reply #109 on:** September 03, 2019, 05:44 PM »

Quote from: safety1st on September 03, 2019, 04:44 PM

sorry if this was already covered in the forums somewhere, but can somebody tell me what abrasives are included with the tool?
thanks in advance!

@safety1st With the tool I got 8: 1 vlie, 1 unlabeled (about 60 by the looks of it), and 2 of each Rubin 40, 80, 120.
And that was from ToolNut I might add.

Shane Holland · « **Reply #110 on:** September 03, 2019, 05:55 PM »

Ha, fair enough Svar. Festool used to include sample packs like that. Must be that these that were manufactured at earlier dates had the sample packs.

Svar · « **Reply #111 on:** September 03, 2019, 06:07 PM »

Quote from: Shane Holland on September 03, 2019, 05:55 PM

Ha, fair enough Svar. Festool used to include sample packs like that. Must be that these that were manufactured at earlier dates had the sample packs.

Either that or I'm special!

RKA · « **Reply #112 on:** September 03, 2019, 09:14 PM »

@safety1st I got the same as Svar in my order from Toolnut last week. I wasn’t expecting anything, so that was a nice bonus. That mystery sheet might be cristal? It’s a more rigid material around 60 grit as he stated.

Edit - that mystery sheet is saphir 80 grit. For some reason that grit isn't labeled on the back, but comparing it to a new sheet of saphir from the box, that's it! Seems more course than a comparable Rubin.

safety1st · « **Reply #113 on:** September 03, 2019, 11:46 PM »

Thanks guys!

Getmaverick · « **Reply #114 on:** September 04, 2019, 03:59 PM »

How long will these continue to be sold? I have a job coming up in late October that will be needing this.

Michael Kellough · « **Reply #115 on:** September 04, 2019, 08:48 PM »

Quote from: Getmaverick on September 04, 2019, 03:59 PM

How long will these continue to be sold? I have a job coming up in late October that will be needing this.

Until they’re all sold. Place your bets...

RKA · « **Reply #116 on:** September 04, 2019, 09:06 PM »

Get it now. They just dropped the price to $215, they don’t want them sitting on their shelves until late October!

Cheese · « **Reply #117 on:** September 04, 2019, 09:24 PM »

Quote from: Getmaverick on September 04, 2019, 03:59 PM

How long will these continue to be sold? I have a job coming up in late October that will be needing this.

Once these were announced as discontinued, I paid full list to purchase mine and I’m certainly not regretful for that decision. At $215 these are essentially free. The cost of the papers and pads will easily become more expensive than the cost of the tool.

Shane Holland · « **Reply #118 on:** September 05, 2019, 12:31 AM »

As mentioned, these are while supplies last. No guarantees of availability or how long we will be able to continue to have them in stock.

awshucks · « **Reply #119 on:** September 12, 2019, 08:08 PM »

Received the RAS yesterday, and finally got to take a look today. I noticed in the tool manual that they caution about air-borne sparks when grinding metal and that a spark trap should be used. One of the intended uses I have for this beast is heavy sanding of problem spots in subfloors, framing etc that I can grind down (I'm kinda hoping this thing is a quasi grinder with awesome dust collection). As such I definitely foresee some sparks from nails, screws etc. I've always been super careful when using the DC units when sparks are possible because of the possibility of one getting inside the DC and smoldering in there until it causes a fire.. nightmare right?
So my questions are, A. Why isn't the spark trap mentioned (484733), to be found on the festool usa site?
B. Is this a unit that installs on the tool end or the DC end? C. does it work with sanders? D. Does it work at all? E. where/can I get one?
Thanks any and all for any info!