choosing a sander

[Pyotr]

Yes, the question has been raised before but the more I read the more trouble I have making up my mind... So why not ask for even more opinions  ;D On my shortlist are:

• ets 150/5 - $460
• ro 125 - $560
• ro 150 - $700

These are local prices (converted from euros for your convenience) including VAT and autumn rebates. I am a hobbyist woodworker and price is a factor in the decision, esp. since a sander without abrasives is rather useless so I need to spend even more money

Anyway. I'll probably use the sander most for sanding between layers of paint and as a final finish on paint (I am a lousy painter...) and for prepping wood for finishing with oil (there's a local linseed/tungoil product I happen to like). I am a skinny guy with about average size hands and not too fond of dust. Which is, besides having been bitten by the Festool bug, the reason why I'm looking at Festool instead of Bosch/Metabo etc. The new 6" sanders should do even better in this department with the multi-jetstream (I have a Nilfisk vacuumcleaner that fits Festool btw).

So, which one to choose? The RO 150 is the most versatile (its also the one my dealer seems to prefer), but also most expensive and maybe not as easy to handle (sizewise and with a learningcurve). The ETS is the other way around and the one I am leaning to. And the RO 125 is somewhat in the middle (is that "best of both worlds" or "neither fish nor flesh"?) Aaargh...

 

[Neill]

First of all, welcome to our group even though I see you are not new to Festool.

I personally think you have a dilemma in trying to accomplish your goals with just one sander.  I think that between coats of paint you want to use as gentle a sander as you can.  After all, you just want to remove the little nibs and imperfections in the finish.  I have found that the ETS 125 is as gentle as it gets as far as mechanical sanding.  I have actually found using nylon abrasive pads to work best.  You can get them in various "grits" and they will not sand through your finish.

For preparing wood for finishing, your best bet is probably the 150/5 or 150/3.  They are considered by many to be the best sanders Festool makes, although I do not have one.  I think the RO series might be a little too aggressive for what you want to accomplish at this time.

Wish you well with your decision...

Neill

 

[butzla]

Awe hell, Peyote,  Festool sanders are like eatin Lays potato chips:  no one can eat just one.  Get em all!

 

[mwhafner]

Welcome

If you have any need for aggressive sanding, I would go with one of the Rotex models.  I personally prefer the 150, but the 125 is also a fine machine.  Either is also capable of producing a fine finish, I just don't think it is as comfortable to use as the ETS150.  If I could only have one sander, it would be the RO150.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Awe hell, Peyote,  Festool sanders are like eatin Lays potato chips:  no one can eat just one.  Get em all!

Yup, once you pop....

Seriously, just go into knowing you will eventually own most of their sanders.  Once I accepted that, it feels so good buying more.

 

[Roseland]

This may help!

http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/how_to_pick_the_right_festool_sander.pdf

Andrew

 

[jvsteenb]

As much as I like my RO 150, I don't see myself using it between paint layers.
My RTS 400 on the other hand, is a perfect fit for this.
I consider myself to be a step up from a lousy painter - a decent painter at least, for it pays a good part of the mortgage
Please be aware that for best results your Nilfisk-Alto should be equipped with some sort of suction control ( electronic or even a mechanical bypass ) regardless of the type of sander you choose - a sander is best equipped to work its magic when it's allowed to "float" on the surface, and using the RTS 400, in the finer grits ( 320, 400 ) with densely laid paper like Brilliant 2 even the lowest setting on my CTL-22E feels just a pinch too strong on a horizontal surface. On vertical surfaces the balance is somewhat different, for the weight of the sander doesn't add in.
Since I suspect you'll be using a lot of the finer grits between paint layers, that's something to be aware of.
Suction control is important when sanding. I met a painter that was more or less ready to spit on my RTS 400 / CTL-22E combo, he totally preferred a comparable Rupes sander. The RTS400 he had used was now used by his apprentice, with  a makeshift dustbag - looked like a sock with a bicycle spoke frame to me....

To be honest: the Rupes is a very good palmsander. The constructional quality is alomost on par with the Festool, and many professional painters use it and love it.
The dustbag is useful, and I honestly can't say the same for the RTS 400 dustbag, for it gets the job done, but will wear you out quickly price-wise.

Using a well run-in RTS 400 with Brilliant 2 P240 hooked to my CTL-22E on the lowest setting completely changed his mind. For pride he had to utter a few mumbled objections about the inability to take the CTL up a ladder but  before the end of the project he switched sanders with his apprentice and had bought a CTL-MINI to pair with the sander. I guess if you do a lot of scaffold-work that's a decent choice., for the MINI may be a bit less ballsy than  the CTL 22E, but it sure is  a good part lighter.

Bottom line: I can't speak for the RO125, but the RO 150 is a great sander. It's great for surface-prepping, but you may want to have a big surface, for in this kind of work it doesn't shine just so brightly on smaller parts. In my experience it shines when the sanding pad completely sits on the surface. It does rails and such, but I'd rather not use it like that.
The RTS 400 does this, and big surfaces as well, be it a bit slower. It's a lot more down-to-earth, and doesn't have the same "Wow !"- factor. But at the end of the day, I like the "Wow !" to be about the paintwork.

As a side note: the difference in price will buy you a nicely stuffed systainer with a range of abrasives.....

Regards,

Job

 

[AlexThePalex]

Anyway. I'll probably use the sander most for sanding between layers of paint and as a final finish on paint

For this the Rotex is completely worthless. Much too aggressive. It will eat your paint in a second, even with high grits. Especially the fragile edges. Even the ETS150 seems to be overkill. I agree with jvsteenb that the RTS or perhaps the DTS would suit best.

Anyway, I never sand between layers of paint. I mean ... not with a machine. I find that much too aggressive. I only sand by hand between layers. I use my sanders when I start out, before applying the first layer of grounding paint. At that moment I make sure the surface is as flat as possible using the Rotex150 and the Deltex. Fill out the holes with a 2 component filler. Apply the first layer of grounding paint. Fill out the last uneven bits with filler again and sand them flush only locally with the Deltex. To get it really nice and flat you have to sand to bare wood again. Then apply some grounding paint again on the bare spots. And from then on by hand only.
 

 

[jvsteenb]

I have to agree with Alex - I forgot to mention that. Apart from large flat surfaces I don't machine-sand between layers of paint either. I use sanders for surface-prepping on mature paint layers, but on a fresh layer I usually just "top-off" with a sponge backed sanding pad ( I like to use 220 grid Siatur pads ). Oil based exterior paints may take several days  to harden, and months to develop their full rigidness.  
When I (spray)paint some Urethane-based coatings, I do machinesand between layers - these coatings usually are very hard and scratch-proof so hand-sanding just doesn't cut it.
Rereading my post I realise that I should have mentioned it.
Still, I think the RTS 400 is perfectly fit for most paint-prepping work, and if for some reason you want to use a machine to sand between layers, it would be a good choice.
Especially when smoothing out the repairs before, or ( if absolutely necessary ) the filler after the ground-/base coat I wouldn't like to be without it.

Regards,

Job

 

[justinmcf]

hi pyotr. i will make your decision easier for you. buy the ets 150/5. you will not be dissapointed. i have been using all the festool sanders for 10 years and this has always been my go to sander.
regards, justin.

 

[Pyotr]

Thanks for all suggestions guys. As expected almost as many opinions as voices  After much fretting I got myself a RTS 400 last week. Yeah, it wasn't even on the shortlist... Based on this and some other threads about abrasives I did not read before I decided that the RTS would best fit the projects I have in the near term, while being a good complement for a RO whenever I get around to buying one of those (when, not if, d*mn festool addiction  ;D)

Dust collection is surprisingly good (without fancy jetstream technology) and the result is very smooth. So far I have used brilliant P120, P180 and P220. Crystal P100, brilliant P150, P320 and P400 is on order. If there is one complaint then it's the fact that 10packs are relatively expensive and some grits are only available in 100packs. Oh well, there's always marktplaats (the local craigslist) to sell off some sheets.

My Nilfisk Alto vacuum does a good job, even better after I drilled a couple of 5mm holes in the adapter so there's less airflow through the sander. An unexpected feature of the Alto is that it will automatically reduce its power when I decrease the speed of the RTS.