Advice -CT 36 & Sander for Beginner

[Yeon]

Hi,

I'm brand new here to these forums and hope I am posting this in the correct section. If not please let me know and I'll delete to remake in the appropriate section.

First a little background. I would consider myself a beginner woodworker. I've taken woodshop for four (4) years through High School and made some small projects after that. (End table, computer desk, interior door and most recently an adirondack chair). Currently 23 yrs old.

Right now I have what I would consider some standard go to tools, circular saw, sander, router, jigsaw (all makita) and I have access to a tablesaw in the small garage I do projects out of.

My most recent project was the adirondack chair which came out better than I expected. Some family members saw it and are looking to get some made. (8 in all) While this isn't a large amount by any means I definitely feel like getting quality tools will be worthwhile as I see myself continuing to do woodworking projects beyond this. Right now I have no shopvac which is a real pain. Sweeping only does so much in the shop and the dust gets especially crazy when I sand and use the router. I've been looking up reviews on the CT 36 and festool in general and from what I've seen the festool line of products looks very appealing.

My question is from everyone's experience here using the festool CT 36 and sanders do you think it is a worthwhile investment for someone with my level of experience thus far? The price is obviously higher than competitors, but I am definitely willing to spend the extra to get something that works great and will hold up over time. My plan is to do the CT 36 and a RO 125 sander to start because I think it will save me an enormous amount of time on clean-up. Also even though I am obviously working small scale I think the value of the CT 36 is better than the smaller models for the price and gives me the option if I expand to a bigger location later on.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shane Holland]

Welcome to the forum.

Always invest in the best tools you can afford. Otherwise, you'll just be frustrated and disappointed with an inferior tool. Been there, done that.

The Rotex is a great, versatile sander. If you're in the U.S., take advantage of the 15% off vac sale which ends on 6/30.

Shane

 

[semenza]

Hi,

      Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

      CT36 is a great choice unless you need to transport frequently. If you are looking for a general purpose woodworking sander the Rotex 125 or 150, or an ETS 150 / 5 or ETS EC 150 / 5 are good choices.

    When it comes to dust (especially hazardous fine dust) you will certainly make a huge leap forward by having  a Festool sander and vac.  After that get a 1400 router and D36 hose to take care of the mess a router makes.

Seth

 

[McNally Family]

You might want to consider the Festool 583492 CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor, on sale in the States for $573.75, and apply the money saved to one of the cleaning kits.
https://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-583492-CT-26-HEPA-Dust-Extractor-p/583492.htm

I purchased the Festool 497700 Tradesman / Installer Cleaning Set, also on sale in the States, for $216.75 (it also comes with the larger 36mm hose for increased suction).
https://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-497700-Tradesman-Installer-Cleaning-Set-p/497700.htm

Whatever model you get, Don't forget to also get the Festool 496169 Wet Filter for CT 26 and CT 36 and CT 48, on sale for $19.95,  just in case you find the need to suck up water (that turns your dust extractor into a wet/dry vac).
https://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-496169-Wet-Filter-for-CT-26-and-CT-36-and-p/496169.htm

 

[oldie]

And don't forget to consider the DTS400 - whatever other sander you end up with. 
Right useful little sander - don't understand why corners etc so often, apparently, overlooked. 

For sure though, does depend on your sanding needs. 

Richard (UK) 

[Edit 1: to add couple of words.] 

[Edit 2:  Regarding post #6 by Seth.  The OP asked about sanders - ie plural?  That's how I read the post anyway. 
Not suggesting that the DTS400 be a first sander; but that it's worthy of consideration - after getting ETS / Rotex - whatever.  Apologies that my post not clear on that point.] 

[Edit 3:  Oh boy - I was wrong.  OP wrote that thinking of getting a CT36 and RO125 first!  [embarassed] 
I'm digging a hole here.  So, I'm off to eat some crow pie, and then to bed] 

 

[Kev]

[member=61509]Yeon[/member] ... sounds like the direction you're heading in will have you eyeing off a Domino pretty soon [wink] [big grin]

 

[semenza]

And don't forget to consider the DTS400 - whatever other sander you end up with. 
Right useful little sander - don't understand why corners etc so often, apparently, overlooked. 

For sure though, does depend on your sanding needs. 

Richard (UK) 

[Edit: to add couple of words.]

    I think a lot of times when the "which sander first" question is posed,  it is not so much that corners are over looked but that the sanders that do corners are not necessarily the best for all other types of sanding. RO90 will do everything but not so great for even somewhat larger surfaces, which in my opinion is more important than corners. Same for the DTS400, and though it can do the job, it is not exactly a flattening or removal tool.

  I had great success with the ETS150/5 for a nearly all purpose general woodworking sander for several years.

Seth

 

[ear3]

Curious about your choice of 125 over the 150.  I think people sometimes lean towards the 125 as a goldilocks option (not too big not too small), but given the smoothness and stability of the 150mm sanders, you may be missing out (greater surface area and reduced sanding times) on more than you gain (lower price; lighter weight sander for overhead work; more stability on narrow boards -- though here I question how much difference there is in the end).  I bring this up simply to take the long view, which is that if you consider adding more sanders in the future, I think the 150mm is a better platform, both because you can share abrasives between an RO150 and the ETS or ETS-EC150, and because you can cover more bases (e.g., pairing the 150mm with an RO90). 

 

[Yeon]

Curious about your choice of 125 over the 150.  I think people sometimes lean towards the 125 as a goldilocks option (not too big not too small), but given the smoothness and stability of the 150mm sanders, you may be missing out (greater surface area and reduced sanding times) on more than you gain (lower price; lighter weight sander for overhead work; more stability on narrow boards -- though here I question how much difference there is in the end).  I bring this up simply to take the long view, which is that if you consider adding more sanders in the future, I think the 150mm is a better platform, both because you can share abrasives between an RO150 and the ETS or ETS-EC150, and because you can cover more bases (e.g., pairing the 150mm with an RO90).

I was thinking the RO125 because at least as of now I don't do much work that has very large surfaces. The adirondack chairs I will be making are fairly narrow pieces and I figured the RO150 would probably be too aggressive on some of the smaller pieces. Obviously who knows what the future has in store, but for the first sander I get I want something that can be an "all-purpose" type sander that will allow me to do small work and large work (even though it'll take longer working with larger surfaces). The ETS models intrigued me, but I assumed that the RO models were a better value with the additional settings.

That being said I trust the feedback from you all who have experience with these sanders. From the forums it seems that once I start down the festool road I'll soon add additional tools, but for first jumping in I want to pick a sander that can last me a long time and be used on the widest range of projects as possible.

Thanks for all the replies so far, greatly appreciated.

 

[McNally Family]

And don't forget to consider the DTS400 - whatever other sander you end up with. 
Right useful little sander - don't understand why corners etc so often, apparently, overlooked. 

For sure though, does depend on your sanding needs. 

Richard (UK) 

[Edit: to add couple of words.]

    I think a lot of times when the "which sander first" question is posed,  it is not so much that corners are over looked but that the sanders that do corners are not necessarily the best for all other types of sanding. RO90 will do everything but not so great for even somewhat larger surfaces, which in my opinion is more important than corners. Same for the DTS400, and though it can do the job, it is not exactly a flattening or removal tool.

  I had great success with the ETS150/5 for a nearly all purpose general woodworking sander for several years.

Seth

I agree with the idea great corner sanders are not the best for other flat surfaces, although in a pinch, could work inefficiently.  I just went through the whole process of picking my first Festool sander, and because I wanted a solid flat surface capability, with a little bit of corner capability, and the ability to buy cheaper sandpaper, I ended up with the 1/2 sheet RS 2 E.  It just seemed like a good starting point.

I originally thought the ETS EC 150/3 would be my next sander, but am now thinking the ETS EC 150/5 would better compliment what I now have.  I suspect I will change my mind a few more times before I swipe the plastic. 

 

[Holmz]

Hi,
....
Right now I have what I would consider some standard go to tools, circular saw, sander, router, jigsaw (all makita) and I have access to a tablesaw in the small garage I do projects out of.

My most recent project was the adirondack chair which came out better than I expected. Some family members saw it and are looking to get some made. (8 in all) While this isn't a large amount by any means I definitely feel like getting quality tools will be worthwhile as I see myself continuing to do woodworking projects beyond this. Right now I have no shopvac which is a real pain. Sweeping only does so much in the shop and the dust gets especially crazy when I sand and use the router. I've been looking up reviews on the CT 36 and festool in general and from what I've seen the festool line of products looks very appealing.

My question is from everyone's experience here using the festool CT 36 and sanders do you think it is a worthwhile investment for someone with my level of experience thus far?
...

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I can only make a cogent argument for the health aspects. Less dust in the area means less chance for dust ingestion/aspiration.
So any vacuum should hook up to most modern sanders. Does your makita have a vacuum port?

The high end tools are a pleasure to use, and less vibration is also a health benefit.
In end though the sanders all sand, and a end result from the sander is usually more influenced by sanding papers/media and technique than the sander.

So what tools make the parts better? Or make the parts faster?
A hand plane or scraper may fit in here.

Unless you sander does not have the dust port, then you do not NEED a new sander to replace it. A different sander may be useful... Like a 1/2 sheet sander, or a belt sander, or a corner sander. But some CT type vacuum seems worthwhile.

 

[Steve-Rice]

Unless you need to remove a great deal of paint or an existing finish, I would highly recommend either the ETS EC 125 or one of the ETS EC 150 sanders instead of the Rotex.  The Rotex is great for removing a lot of material, but for general sanding, the ETC EC sanders can't be beat.  Besides, do you really want to spend hours of time sanding with a big heavy two handed Rotex, when you can fly through your sanding with a one handed,  light weight, low center of gravity ETS EC?  Not much of a choice as far as I'm concerned.  Even for paint and existing finishes, you'll be surprised how fast an ETS EC sander will get the job done and much more comfortably and with significantly less fatigue than a Rotex.

 

[Holmz]

Unless you need to remove paint or an existing finish, I would highly recommend either the ETS EC 125 or one of the ETS EC 150 sanders instead of the Rotex.  The Rotex is great for removing a lot of material, but for general sanding, the ETC EC sanders can't be beat.  Besides, do you really want to spend hours of time sanding with a big heavy two handed Rotex, when you can fly through your sanding with a one handed,  light weight, low center of gravity ETS EC?  Not much of a choice as far as I'm concerned.

The only choice then is the ETS EC or the Mirka. Both are great.

The 1/2 sheets the RS2E or uva115e have a lot to recommend them. The former takes regular paper, which can be cost effective. The later goes 22000 stroke/min and has 450w. Both produce flatter surfaces than a random orbital, and both can attach to a CT vac.

the side of an adirondack chair's boards and arm boards, could require a different sander, or the use of a template and router.

 

[rst]

I recently finished completely sanding a single unit double Adirondack chairs that have a table between them.  It was a beast to sand.  I used my ETS 125, RO 90, LS 130, HSK, and Festool roll sandpapers.  Where the slats got narrow at the seat I cut the outside corners
off a Multimaster pad and used it for the narrow slats and to get down into the cracks.  I'll bet I put 50 hours in this monster.  Still in the process of coating it with spar varnish.  The things we do for our better halves.  I have a Midi with an Oneida on top that I used for this.  I also have a CT26 that I use on site and would never buy one of the bigger vacs...just not necessary. Oh, and I also have three older Feins with variable suction that are great.

 

[Kev]

For years I had Rupes and Makita sanders ... then, like Seth, I added an ETS150/5 to the mix (with a CT-Mini at the time) and I don't think I touched any of the other sanders again.

Years went by and I added a RO90 .. DTS400 .. RO150 .. LS130 .. ETS150/3 .. RAS115 - seeing a pattern? [wink]

Anyway, people often trip up by buying a tool with more features rather than the tool for the job. This is the hobbyists dilemma! You can end up with something that's heavier and more awkward than your job demands. Rather than a RO125, an ETS150 and a RO90 may suit your future projects better. Who knows? ... certainly not me, but try to consider the tasks you'll be performing with the tool and not get sucked into features purely for the sake of them.

Now having said all that, the RO125 is great sander but for me I haven't had the need for one ... yet.

 

[ear3]

Just to follow up on point by [member=2162]Steve[/member] Rice , the ETS-EC sanders actually sand faster than the Rotex equivalent in random orbit mode.  The Rotex in geared mode is still the fastest, but you will get a consistently better finish in random orbit mode anyway.

Again, not to try to dissuade you from a Rotex, which are fantastic sanders, but if I had to do it all over again, I might have gotten the ETS-EC first (they weren't yet available when I started getting Festool sanders), and then added the Rotex when I encountered my first heavy stripping job.  That said, if you foresee the need for heavy stock removal in addition to finish sanding, then the Rotex is the one to have.

And another thought -- for Hobbyist purposes, the CT26 should be enough capacity.  Remember the 26-48 Festool vacs all have the same suction power.

 

[Yeon]

Just to follow up on point by [member=2162]Steve[/member] Rice , the ETS-EC sanders actually sand faster than the Rotex equivalent in random orbit mode.  The Rotex in geared mode is still the fastest, but you will get a consistently better finish in random orbit mode anyway.

Again, not to try to dissuade you from a Rotex, which are fantastic sanders, but if I had to do it all over again, I might have gotten the ETS-EC first (they weren't yet available when I started getting Festool sanders), and then added the Rotex when I encountered my first heavy stripping job.  That said, if you foresee the need for heavy stock removal in addition to finish sanding, then the Rotex is the one to have.

And another thought -- for Hobbyist purposes, the CT26 should be enough capacity.  Remember the 26-48 Festool vacs all have the same suction power.

From all the feedback I've received & reviews I think I am set on the ETS EC 125/3 Sander. The rotex is probably going to just be really excessive for my purposes. Even though the 26-48 CTs have the same suction power, with the sale going on right now the CT 36 is only $43 more than the 26. It is only about 1 LB heavier but provides another roughly 2.5 gal capacity more. That extra capacity would just mean less bag changes and for a fairly small increase in price the extra capacity seems like it's worth it.

The dust extractor is going to stay in the shop unless I have a need for a project in the house which is rare so I don't think the added size dimension wise is much of an issue. If I was a professional moving between job-sites frequently then I would be more focuses on portability.

 

[SS Teach]

Welcome to FOG. My first sander was the RTS 400, quickly followed by an ETS 125, and a CT 36. At the time I was refinishing the cabinets in the house. They were great for the job. Then came the LS 130 for the detail work. It all depends on what your project needs are. Everyone is speaking from their particular experience. It is all great advice what you need to do is decide which piece or pieces of great advice will fit your circumstance. Good luck in deciding, which ever sander or sanders you get they will be great and most likely not the last.