Ets 125 EQ trigger locking up

[humantorch]

Hey all, First post on this forum. Love reading all the great ideas/reviews/projects etc.
So thank you for all that!
I'm sanding some joint compound w my 135 eq and the on/off switch has locked up. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
I'm on site and don't have a proper tool to open the sander yet. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this problem before.
Thanks!

 

[Roseland]

Mine was ridiculously stiff to start with, but it's eased up with use.  Don't know if this helps!

Andrew

PS: and welcome to the forum!

 

[AlexThePalex]

Hi, welcome to the site.

I've experienced this problem indeed and it's an easy fix, but you have to open the sander.

On top there are two screws you have to unscrew and then the top comes off. The green switch is now exposed and you'll see it has two extrusions that alternatively catch behind two metal pins on either side of the switch. The problem is those two pins that can become rusted or dirty from dust build-up. You have to clean or sand those pins clean to make the switch move normally again.

As for the proper tool, all you need is a slotted screwdriver.

 

[humantorch]

Thanks Alex!
Sanded the small amount of rust off and although it's still a bit sticky, it's working!
Seemed crazy that such a small amount of rust could affect the tool to that degree. Guess that's the gist behind "precision engineering".

 

[AlexThePalex]

You're welcome. But this was a quick field fix. When you're at home, do it once again and then use a dremel or a drill with a small wire brush to remove every last speck of rust. Also clean the green button thoroughly. Then it should work as new again.

Whatever you do, do not try to put some grease on it, that will kill your sander quickly.

As for the quality of the pins and precision engineering, I don't think it's that big of a deal in this case. My experience with these sanders is that apart from some minor quirks, they're virtually indestructable.

My experience with a lot of sanders from many brands is that they simply need to be serviced often, due the dust they create.

I do think that Festool should think about the quality of steel they use, all their stuff rusts way too easily. Their rust protection definitely leaves something to be desired.