Indasa E-Series Sander Review

As a professional decorator, I have been using dust-free sanders for the best part of 10 years. There are three main players: Festool, Mirka, and Indasa. In this blog, I’m going to conduct a full Indasa E-Series Sander and Extractor Review. I hope you find it useful.

Indasa is a Portuguese company with a huge presence in the automotive industry across Europe. They manufacture a wide range of masking tapes, scrapers, and sandpapers, as well as the famous E-Series dust-free sander. Indasa products are available from Crown Decorating Centres, as well as many other stockists. For more information, please visit www.indasa-abrasives.com

Indasa E-Series Extractor Review

Right, let’s start with the extractor. For anyone who has not used a dust-free sanding system before, the extractor is a vacuum unit that you plug the sander into. It sucks the dust from the sander and prevents it from entering the atmosphere in the room, eliminating the mess. The dust is collected in a bag, which you then dispose of once it is full.

The Indasa E-Series Extractor has an automatic on/off setting, so it switches on when you turn your sander on and then turns itself off when you are done. Plus, the extractor is mounted on sturdy wheels, so it is easy to manoeuvre around the room. These two features mean that, once set up, the extractor basically looks after itself and you can concentrate on the act of sanding.

Unlike the Mirka and Festool alternatives, there is no variable-speed setting on the E-Series Extractor, but I have always considered variable speed on an extractor pointless anyway. One drawback is that your Systainer (sander box) does not clip to the top of the extractor. This means storage and transportation are not as neat as they could be. However, this is just one minor drawback on an otherwise phenomenal bit of kit.

I own a Festool MIDI, and I have used the Mirka, but the E-Series wipes the floor with both. The manoeuvrability, ease of use, and power are all fantastic. Plus, this machine also has a party trick that the others do not. You feel a sharp kick every five or ten minutes while using it (I thought it was faulty at first). What is happening is that the filters are cleaning themselves with a sudden blast of air. This is a brilliant feature, as it means your Indasa E-Series Extractor will never lose any of its power. It just carries on purring as you blast through the work.

My Indasa E-Series Sander Review

Right, let’s talk about the sander. It comes with variable speed, so you can slow it down when you want to take it easy or when sanding varnish. It plugs neatly into the extractor, and it has a power button so that you do not accidentally set it off. It also has a paddle trigger at the back, allowing you to operate it one-handed.

The Indasa E-Series Sander is powerful too! When set to its fastest setting, it eats away at filler or paint with unrivalled speed. Moreover, the sander is light, so working with it is not only quick but also very comfortable and easy. There is no excess strain on your body, which is refreshing.

The only negative is it isn’t completely dust-free. When sanding a wall skimmed with Easy-Fill, you still see the heavier dust falling onto the floor beneath the sander. I would estimate that the extractor catches and contains around 90% of the dust, leaving roughly 10% in the room.

Review Summary

Final Thoughts

All things considered, both the extractor and sander are fantastic. The extractor is extremely impressive and easy to use. I know the sander is not completely dust-free, but it catches most of the dust, and everything else about it is excellent.

I would recommend this kit to anyone.

FAQs

What is a dust-free sander?

A dust-free sander is an orbital sander attached to a powerful vacuum. As you use the sander, the vacuum collects the dust that would otherwise settle in the room you are working in.

Do dust-free sanders work?

Dust-free sanders are never 100% dust-free, but they come very close. They make an incredible difference to the standard of your preparation and your health. Most decorators now use dust-free sanders.

What are the biggest sanding mistakes to avoid with a sanding machine?

A lot of people push down too hard on the sander, which does speed up the sanding process, but it also burns out the motor very quickly. The other mistake is using the wrong sanding pads; the higher the grit rating, the smoother the finish.

What is the golden rule of sanding?

The golden rule of sanding is to get someone else to do it! Other than that, try hard not to inhale dust, and always sand in the same direction as the grain when working on wood.