Deciding between DTS, DTSC or ETSC

[FuzzyFezzie]

Hi everyone,

I've been on the fence for a while now about which of the Festool Sanders to get.
Im currently using a DeWALT 125mm DCW210 excentric Sander but it is dying on me and whenever I sand for more than a few minutes my hand starts to hurt.
I am just a homeowner who likes to build small things every now and then, and sanding large surfaces is not something I plan on doing a lot if at all. And for the rare occasion it might be needed I will make do with the Sander I have chosen. And like I said, anything other than the DeWALT will be a huge upgrade. So for now I would like to keep it to 1 Sander only as my budget does not allow anyhing else.
95% of my sanding takes place outside in the yard as I have no garage.
I do have a CTL midi already so a Festool Sander would be a great match.
Currently using a battery operated Sander and i really enjoy that fact.
What is the difference between the dtsc400 with the cable battery attachment and the regular dts?

Any tips for my use case?

Thank you

 

[Cheese]

If you're happy with the Dewalt sander for what you use it for except that it numbs your hands, then the ETS 125 seems like a natural substitution. It's smooth and pleasant to use.

The DTS & DTSC sanders are usually preferred when sanding into corners is the issue.

Most on this forum prefer a random orbit sander like the ETS series along with a corner sander like the RTS or DTS sanders. Those 2 sanders cover most of the situations.

 

[onocoffee]

This past summer, I went from using my old (but still in great condition) Ryobi 5" ROS to my friends ETC EC 150/5 - woah, Game changer! I've been falling down the rabbet hole ever since.

I went with the ETS EC 150/3 - only because that's the special Festool offered at the end of summer that included a Systainer full of GranatNet abrasives. But I would definitely encourage you to think about the 150mm sanders. Even if you're not typically doing large panels, it makes even small work effortless - and I haven't touched the 5" Ryobi since the summer.

I also have the DTS which I figured was going to be more for detail work but I've been using it more and more. A piece I was sanding yesterday I did completely with the DTS and didn't even bust out the ETS EC. The battery powered seems nice and convenient but since I'm only in my workshop and I don't really want to spend more, I'm okay with the corded versions.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

My opinion is that the best all around sander is the ETS EC 150/5 and I have a number of the Festool sanders. My original reason for going with the brand was because of the vibration issue from "lesser" sanders putting my hands and wrists to sleep after only a few minutes. That stopped immediately when I went Festool; the first one was a 150/3 in the mid 2000s.

 

[BigDan]

My opinion is that the best all around sander is the ETS EC 150/5 and I have a number of the Festool sanders. My original reason for going with the brand was because of the vibration issue from "lesser" sanders putting my hands and wrists to sleep after only a few minutes. That stopped immediately when I went Festool; the first one was a 150/3 in the mid 2000s.

Jim, I totally agree.  I have 5 different Festool Sanders and I always grab the ETSC EC 150/5.  Surely not the cheapest, but I have given it hell for the last 8 years and it still performs magnificently.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Jim_in_PA]

My opinion is that the best all around sander is the ETS EC 150/5 and I have a number of the Festool sanders. My original reason for going with the brand was because of the vibration issue from "lesser" sanders putting my hands and wrists to sleep after only a few minutes. That stopped immediately when I went Festool; the first one was a 150/3 in the mid 2000s.

Jim, I totally agree.  I have 5 different Festool Sanders and I always grab the ETSC EC 150/5.  Surely not the cheapest, but I have given it heck for the last 8 years and it still performs magnificently.

Cheers
Dan

Yea, I bought mine "supposedly used" (IE, barely used) and really found it to be even better for my hand and wrist issues. Hose management when using is a little harder, but I figured that out pretty quickly. I still occasionally use the old 150/3, either as a second sander for expediency or if I truly want the smaller orbit. The basic 125 I have to use with the edge guide is ok, but it would take nearly forever to actually sand something other than fine finish due to the even smaller orbit. (Still a good tool, however, for when it's the right one for the job)

Just like you can't have too many routers...the same can be true for sanders, too, when one does a wide variety of things.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I've seen a lot of posts of people who consider the ETS to be the best sander, but for me the ETS EC 150/x is by far the best sander in every way I've ever used. Since I bought them I actually gave my ETS 150/5 to my daughter replacing their horrible old cheapie as I found them so much better.

I spend a lot of time sanding, and the ergonomics and performance are just amazing.