Mirka has used a Q&A with Professional Builder to put its DEROS RS 600 random orbital sander in front of the UK trade audience, with Ryan Jones, Business Sector Manager for Consumer Trade at Mirka UK, framing it as a tool built around three things: a brushless motor, consistent power delivery under load, and operator comfort over a full day. The pitch sits alongside Mirka's Abranet abrasive range and its DEXOS dust extraction systems for wall, ceiling and wood preparation.
Source: Professional Builder
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Where Mirka's sanders differ from the mainstream
Mirka is unusual among power tool brands in that the abrasive came first. The company built its reputation on Abranet — a mesh abrasive rather than a paper or film disc — and the sanders exist largely to make that system work properly.
That matters practically, and it is the part most buying guides skip:
Mesh abrasive extracts across the whole face. A conventional sanding disc has six or eight extraction holes punched through it, so dust only leaves the cut at those points and the rest of the abrasive clogs. A mesh net abrasive is effectively all hole — extraction pulls through the entire disc surface. The consequence on site is a disc that keeps cutting for far longer before it loads up, and noticeably less airborne dust.
Disc life is the real cost line. Mesh abrasives cost more per disc than standard paper. On soft fillers and freshly skimmed plaster, where paper discs clog within a couple of minutes, they usually work out cheaper per square metre. On bare hardwood, the gap narrows considerably.
Low profile means overhead work is survivable. Mirka's DEROS family runs a brushless motor directly rather than via a separate gearbox housing, which keeps the tool body short and light. For ceiling work and above-shoulder sanding, that height reduction is the difference between an hour of work and a sore shoulder.
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What "brushless" is actually buying you on a sander
On an impact driver, brushless buys torque and runtime. On a sander, the benefit is different and less advertised: speed stability under load.
A brushed sander loses rotational speed when you lean on it. Because a random orbital sander's cut rate is a product of orbit speed and abrasive grade, a tool that sags under pressure produces an inconsistent scratch pattern — which shows up as visible swirl marks once you put a coat of paint or lacquer over it.
Electronic speed control on a brushless motor holds the set orbit speed as pressure varies. For anyone sanding to a finish standard rather than just knocking down high spots, that is the specification that matters.
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Dust: the compliance angle
Mirka's DEXOS extraction systems are being positioned alongside the sanders, and the reason is regulatory as much as commercial.
Silica and wood dust are both subject to HSE workplace exposure limits, and the enforcement position is that on-tool extraction is the expected control for dry sanding, not an optional upgrade. Hardwood dust in particular carries a workplace exposure limit of 3mg/m³ over eight hours, and softwood 5mg/m³ — figures that a sander without extraction will exceed in a confined room quickly.
Two practical points on extraction that get overlooked:
- M-class extraction is the minimum for wood and plaster dust. L-class units do not filter finely enough for respirable dust in a sustained sanding operation.
- Hose diameter changes performance. A narrower hose increases airspeed but reduces total volume. For fine sanding dust, the smaller 27mm hose usually extracts better than a 32mm or 36mm hose sized for chippings.
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Who this is aimed at
The DEROS RS 600 is positioned at decorators, plasterers and joiners doing surface preparation rather than heavy stock removal. If your work is taking a wall from skimmed to paint-ready, or bringing a joinery surface to a finish, it is the right category of tool. If you are dimensioning timber or removing old paint layers at volume, a belt sander or a coarse-grade random orbital with a higher orbit throw is the better buy.
UK pricing and availability were not stated in the Professional Builder coverage.
Source: Professional Builder
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