Biggest regret with new ETS EC150/5

[Muttley000]

I finally got to use the sander, albeit without an extractor, and this thing is awesome. I’ve only used throw alway 5 inchers in the past and I truly regret not pulling the trigger sooner.  Bravo Festool, I am excited to go deeper into the worm hole!

 

[Peter_C]

Which extractor are you going to own? The ETS EC 150/5 is my most used sander, albeit with dust extraction.

 

[Cheese]

Well...FWIW, the ETS EC does NOT have an internal impeller for dust collection so the dust just sits on the surface you're sanding. If you really want to find out how awesome the capabilities of the ETS EC series sanders are, I'd suggest you hook up some dust collection apparatus. That's the reason a dust bag is not offered for this sander...it's meant to be used with a vacuum.

 

[Muttley000]

Which extractor are you going to own? The ETS EC 150/5 is my most used sander, albeit with dust extraction.

Not planning on taking it outside my shop so thinking the CT48 at the moment

Well...FWIW, the ETS EC does NOT have an internal impeller for dust collection so the dust just sits on the surface you're sanding. If you really want to find out how awesome the capabilities of the ETS EC series sanders are, I'd suggest you hook up some dust collection apparatus. That's the reason a dust bag is not offered for this sander...it's meant to be used with a vacuum.

Thank you, the dust covers my bench and sticks to everything!

 

[Coen]

Sanding without dust extraction is disgusting. Once used to clean working... there is no way back.

 

[Cheese]

Not planning on taking it outside my shop so thinking the CT48 at the moment

Consider this...I have a 14 gallon Milwaukee (52 liters) that I never try to fill to much over 1/2 full. I have let it fill completely up on several occasions and I find the bag is difficult to remove and heavy to carry upstairs and place in the trash. A fully bricked CT 26 bag on the other hand is easy. Just a thought...

 

[Peter_C]

Consider this...I have a 14 gallon Milwaukee (52 liters) that I never try to fill to much over 1/2 full. I have let it fill completely up on several occasions and I find the bag is difficult to remove and heavy to carry upstairs and place in the trash. A fully bricked CT 26 bag on the other hand is easy. Just a thought...

On the other hand if you are going get a CT26 it makes more sense in a woodshop to get a CT36 as the bucket is just slightly taller, and typically the "brick" won't be very heavy. Bags are the only common expense once purchased as the filter seems to last. A cyclone can be used at times for severe wood chips to save on bags. I use a Dust Deputy on a bucket when needed mostly when routing bulk. The CT48 is fine if never drug around inside a house for instance.

 

[Coen]

With fine dust, the top of the bag will eventually clog up, making you replace bags before they are full more often with a 48 than with a 26.

I did the math when I bought mine, and it would take something like 120 full bags to earn back the premium for the 48. But since prices for the 26 bags have risen, prices for the 48 bags have come down and the price difference between the vacs themself are lower in the USA than here.

But I would rather have the cyclone + 26 than that 48. Also note you can fit a 26 below a CS-50, a 48... definitely not.

 

[Bertotti]

CT26 here and with a dust deputy the bag lasts quite a long time. Without it, I was filling it up routinely. 7 bags in a year.

 

[Muttley000]

Thanks all, settled on the ct 36 although I will have to wait a few weeks for my favorite supplier to have one!

 

[mino]

All went the right way so this is mostly for others reading:

The ETS EC series MUST be used with external dust extraction. No ifs and buts here.
Not using DE with them is not only dangerous to your health, would be a pain to use, clog the abrasive and destroy/melt the pad (no cooling from the moving air). Not even sure Festool would warranty it as DE is a requirement in the manual.

The thing is, every orbital sander needs (some) form of dust extraction (from the sanded surface) to work properly. When no internal impeller is provided, external must be used. You can possibly use the ETS EC for edge sanding without DE, but that is probably it.

Unlike the "plain" ETS, the ETS EC series skips the internal impeller to be lighter so dust extraction must be provided externaly for them to function properly.

 

[Cheese]

Unlike the "plain" ETS, the ETS EC series skips the internal impeller to be lighter so dust extraction must be provided externaly for them to function properly.

Like mino points out, that lack of an internal impeller is what makes the ETS EC sanders so much shorter than the previous versions. The ETS EC is 1 1/2" shorter than the ETS 125 and at least 3" shorter than the ETS 150.

 

[Coen]

Unlike the "plain" ETS, the ETS EC series skips the internal impeller to be lighter so dust extraction must be provided externaly for them to function properly.

Like mino points out, that lack of an internal impeller is what makes the ETS EC sanders so much shorter than the previous versions. The ETS EC is 1 1/2" shorter than the ETS 125 and at least 3" shorter than the ETS 150.

The biggest gain is probably still the brushless motor..?