Aftermarket Sander Pads - Speed Tiger

[JayStPeter]

Over the weekend, I finally got some shop time and decided to complete a project that's been laying around for a while.  Fired up the ETS 150 and got to work.  After a few minutes the pad flew apart and across the room.  Great, so much for that plan.
I wanted to get back to work, so I quickly hit up Amazon and ordered the first thing that popped up when I searched "Festool ETS 150 pad".  It was a sponsored link, but said all the right stuff and had a Festool part number in the description.  I thought, Huh, it's only $23.  But, I really did the whole thing in 30 seconds so I didn't pay any more attention to it than that.
It arrived last night and is a Speed Tiger (Made in USA) brand.  It's a copy of the newer pad with the extra holes and seems to work OK.  Anyone else have any experience with these?  The holes seem slightly smaller than what was on my older pad, but maybe that's the same as the newer Festool pads since there are a bunch more of them.

 

[xedos]

at less than half the price - how can you go wrong ?

 

[DeformedTree]

at less than half the price - how can you go wrong ?

Last less than have as long? Fail in a way that destroys your project? Injure you? Scare your pets? Run off with your spouse to the Caribbean?

 

[xedos]

Last less than have as long? Fail in a way that destroys your project? Injure you? Scare your pets? Run off with your spouse to the Caribbean?

Oh, so just like his OEM pad did ? 

 

[AlexThePalex]

at less than half the price - how can you go wrong ?

Last less than have as long? Fail in a way that destroys your project? Injure you? Scare your pets? Run off with your spouse to the Caribbean?

Half as long? Festool pads hardly last. Made out of the softest material possible. Some cheap aftermarket pads will last a lot longer because they are made out of cheaper but harder materials.

 

[JayStPeter]

Fail in a way that destroys your project?

Hopefully they haven't figured out a way to have them self destruct in a different way than the Festool pads.

Run off with your spouse to the Caribbean?

Should've gotten one a few years ago.  Would've been easier  [big grin].

 

[DeformedTree]

at less than half the price - how can you go wrong ?

Last less than have as long? Fail in a way that destroys your project? Injure you? Scare your pets? Run off with your spouse to the Caribbean?

Half as long? Festool pads hardly last. Made out of the softest material possible. Some cheap aftermarket pads will last a lot longer because they are made out of cheaper but harder materials.

Just so folks are clear, my point was simply that just because something is half the price, doesn't mean it will be a great deal (nothing can go wrong). It very well could be, we know there is plenty of room for quality under festool prices.  Many times cheap stuff like this just isn't worth it and you can go thru more than just spending more on the OEM part.

 

[xedos]

I got your point, I think you may have missed mine though. 

Namely, Festool gear isn't always better because its' OEM or more expensive.  Several others have pointed out that the OEM pads aren't super duper uber quality either.  Even if speedtiger lasts half as long as OEM, I'm still ahead of the game. 

I'll also bet you a box of sandpaper FT isn't making those pads.  They are getting them made to spec and branded to sell to us at huge margins like the rest of their accessories.  Which means you're gonna pay markup for the logo and distribution chain. 

So, don't sell an accessory short because it's not OEM by Festool.  Caveat Emptor still applies, but sometimes cheaper is better. Like TSO's guide rail connectors vs. Festool's.  But in others, cheap junk is just that.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Which means you're gonna pay markup for the logo and distribution chain. 

This is so true. Festool's markup is ridiculous. I would not be surprised if the pads they sell for €50 cost only €5 to produce.

So, don't sell an accessory short because it's not OEM by Festool.  Caveat Emptor still applies, but sometimes cheaper is better.

I think Festool's pads are expensive junk. They cost an arm and a leg and they last 5 years, sometimes less.

I've had a cheap Black & Decker sander and that pad lasted 16 years before I accidentally destroyed its hook & loop by sanding without a paper attached. New pad cost me €9.

 

[JayStPeter]

Honestly, if I had noticed I probably would've picked the $50 Festool pad.  That said, these things (I actually got 2) seem OK. 

Oddly, they are made in the USA.  I say oddly because it seems like a Chinese company selling them.  Labeled as from rookieabrasives.com with some poor english on their sticker.  But, fulfilled by Amazon.

 

[mrboult]

To be honest I thought festool pads were pretty great. I’ve had pads on so many sanders go in my time, some within months of purchase. Admittedly £80-£130 sanders. And mostly the hook and loop, but once the whole pad.

After beating my Rotex pads for years I simply can’t believe how well they hold up. Different expectations from different comparison I guess. .

 

[DeformedTree]

I got your point, I think you may have missed mine though. 

Namely, Festool gear isn't always better because its' OEM or more expensive.  Several others have pointed out that the OEM pads aren't super duper uber quality either.  Even if speedtiger lasts half as long as OEM, I'm still ahead of the game. 

No, I fully get this, and I agree, just because it says festool, doesn't mean it will be the best.  Often though you see people buy generic type stuff because it's much cheaper, but it doesn't last and they end up spending more and don't realize it.  Thus "you can go wrong".

I would want to hope Festool would make a quality pad, I don't have the experience with them to know how they are.