Disappointed in ETS EC 125/3

[woodferret]

For me, soft pad with mixed soft/hard grain is on the left.  Sometimes it has gotten even more janky than that in that it won't keep lanes.  The slight regular undulation on hardwood panels I previously talked about is about consistent with the one on the right - it keeps lanes perfectly fine though but can feel weird when coming from other sanders.

 

[tdatta]

For me, soft pad with mixed soft/hard grain is on the left.  Sometimes it has gotten even more janky than that in that it won't keep lanes.  The slight regular undulation on hardwood panels I previously talked about is about consistent with the one on the right - it keeps lanes perfectly fine though but can feel weird when coming from other sanders.

I ended up going with the one on the right. I think the difference is minuscule, and might have just been my own bias. But I am now happy with the tool.

 

[Eank1954]

Check the "throw" on your Makita. I'm betting it's a lot smaller.

The /3 may be considered the milder sander compared to the /5, but pretty much any other brand of sander I've looked up has been closer to 1 or 1.5mm throw. So the /3 is still a pretty aggressive machine. It's also lighter in weight, which does amplify the behavior a bit.

The 150/5 is my main sander, and it definitely does some of what you're showing in the vids. But it sands sooo much faster than my old cheapy 5" palm sander. And no tingly hands when I'm done.

You got 30 days to decide. Test it out on a few different things, and after spending time with it, go back to the Makita. See if you notice anything? Play with the speed settings, and TURN DOWN your suction, in whatever way you can.





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Excellent advice regarding the throw. Many people often forget that the difference between 3 mm and 5 mm isn't just a number, but a completely different tool performance.

The Makita (if it's a regular BO5031 or 5041 series) does have a throw of about 2.8 mm, but it weighs and feels different. The Festool ETS 150/3, although considered a "finishing" model, feels much more aggressive than typical budget models due to its power and efficiency.