Festool Planex Vs Mirka Leros

Updated Jul 22, 2024 | Posted Aug 28, 2018 | Tool Insight | 3 comments

My name is James Brett and I’m a professional decorator. On top of decorating, I also do an awful lot of spray plastering and choosing the best possible kit is very important to me. Before buying an extendable dust free sanding unit I had reps visit me from both Mirka and Festool.

We’re talking about a big chunk of investment, so I needed to make sure I did as much research as possible before buying. I’m glad I did because the difference in quality is vast! This is my honest rundown of the Festool Planex Vs Mirka Leros. I hope you find it useful.

 

Festool Planex

 

  • I first tried the Planex last week and I was very disappointed, I mean really disappointed!!
  • 90% of my tools are Festool so it’s safe to say I’m a Festool Fan. However, the Planex just didn’t do it for me. Way too many settings to mess about with and I always felt that I was fighting with the sander. Either the suction was too high, so unable to move, or too low making it hard to keep it held against the ceiling. The rep was constantly making adjustments for me but non really ever made it much easier to use.
  • The main problem with the planex is the motor design and hose. The motor position is on the inside closest to the pole so when doing ceilings gravity causes the head to flip down because the motor isn’t positioned central.
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  • The second thing is the hose which enters on the opposite side. It’s a stiff hose and wants to push the head round. So with both of these causing the head to rotate round it’s another thing you’ve got to fight against to keep it flat against the ceiling.
  • It also increases the risk of it cutting in on the edge of the disk. So to avoid this you have to start AND stop the sander while it’s fully flat on the ceiling.
  • Another problem with the hose is when the head is fully at 90 degrees the hose bends past the sanding disc area. This stops you getting close up to the edge, so you have to tilt the pole away to adjust the head angle so the hose doesn’t sit past
  • ANOTHER major problem with Festool planex is that it doesn’t have orbital oscillation. Not having this makes it more difficult to control the sanders direction because it wants to go where it wants to go. Finally, the planex head can only pivot 90 degrees. This means it forces you to use the tool in more awkward positions and you need more swinging room. So for smaller areas it gets very awkward. You’re also having to always keep the sander away from your body when doing ceilings making it harder work

I even tried the harness system with the planex and that still didn’t make it any more enjoyable to use, in-fact it was a right faf to set up. I think with any high end tool you are often better looking online, rather than trying to buy from a trade counter. However it is always worth shopping around.

Mirka Leros

 

  • The Leros, now what a machine in comparison!! It solves all the problems the planex has!
  • A full 180 degree head is amazing for doing walls and makes doing ceilings far easier!
  • the weight feels more balanced.
  • The 5.0 oscillating head makes controlling the sander in every direction easy! I was able to hold it with one hand and sand the wall no problem.
  • The motor sits in the centre and the two hoses enter the tool on the pivot area of the head which means the hoses have little effect on the position of the sanding head. I was able to remove the Leros from the ceiling while still switched on and the head remained at the same plane as the ceiling it didn’t try and tip suddenly.
  • It’s extendable like the planex but also smaller and lighter than the planex easy.

As with the Festool, it is normally cheaper to buy high end gear like this online. It is always worth shopping around for the best deal.

 Festool Planex Easy

 

  • I haven’t tried the planex easy so can’t make a full comparison. I know the position of the hose is far better being on the inside and a motor positioned central all makes for better balancing head so I would assume as the name says it’s easier to use. However, it’s not extendable
  • It doesn’t oscillate
  • It still only pivots 90 degrees
  • It’s slightly heavier than the Leros
  • So even though Festool have improved the planex from the old one it’s still not quite there yet.
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Is it Worth Going Dust Free

 

I thought I’d touch on this briefly. Dust free sanders can be very expensive and it seems as though there is always a bigger and better sander out there. For example, if you’re looking at one of these big wall sanders, you’ve probably had say a Mirka Deros and you’re looking for an upgrade. These are not the type of tools needed by a DIY’er. If you are going to get regular use out of these sanders as part of your profession, you will make your money back in no time at all. Your jobs will be cleaner and your labour will be reduced. If you’re looking for vindication, take it from me and go and buy yourself a new tool.

There is another blog on the Decorators Forum UK which I think you’ll find interesting about the best dust free sanders on the market. It takes you through a lot of the Indasa, Mirka and Festool options. Unfortunately, it leaves the extendable versions out, so I hope this review has helped.

Updated Jul 22, 2024 | Posted Aug 28, 2018 | 3 comments

About the Author

About the Author

Mike Cupit has been in the decorating industry since 2002 and has mostly worked as a Trade Decorator in the domestic sector (peoples’ homes). Self-proclaimed “product geek”, Mike has a passion for paint and decorating tools. Mike now spends most of his time testing paint products and tools, comparing them to similar products on the market, and blogging about the industry in general.

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3 Comments

  1. Ryan Agius

    Hi,
    Does the Mirka Leros attach to a Festool extractor Ok?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      Yes

      Reply
  2. Jarred

    Can the mirka leros sand hard plaster ? We use a porter cable looking at upgrading but want make sure it can handle harder compounds

    Reply

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