ets 125

[GregR]

I just received an ets 125 sander, and it doesn't seem to rotate very well. The slightest pressure on it and it stops rotating. It continues to vibrate though. If I tip it a little it will start rotating albeit not very fast. At this point I'm disappointed in the way it sands. Is there a break in period for this sander, or is this the way it is supposed to work? I have many other Festool products and love them all.
Thanks for any replies.

Greg Robbins

 

[Sparktrician]

If you're putting pressure on it, DON'T.  It's a RANDOM-orbit sander and will do just what you say it's doing.  That's what it's designed to do.  It's one great sander in my book.  Give it some time; learn to let the tool do the work.  I think you'll find it to be very versatile. 

 

[GregR]

Thanks. But even if the sander is just sitting flat without even holding it, it will barely rotate. When I say the slightest pressure, I mean my hand is just holding it. I have a Porter Cable and Dewalt, and you have to put some pressure on them to stop the rotation. I'm not heavy handed when it comes to sanding.

 

[AlexThePalex]

This sander does have a break in period and at first can be a lot less strong. Running it for 8 hours will make sure to get the brushes properly seated and then you'll have full power and the sander works as supposed to.

Mind you, this is not a very strong sander. Even when properly broken in it doesn't require too much pressure to make it stop. It is a finish sander for the finer jobs.

I still use it often for paint removal, which it will handle fine with grits like 80 or 60. Just not that fast. Just like Sparktrician, I like this sander very much

 

[Sparktrician]

You really can't compare the ETS 125 to the others you mentioned.  As I said, it's working as designed.  Be sure, too, that you turn down the suction on the CT to no more than 1/3 to prevent the abrasive from being sucked into the material being sanded.  You'll get a much better job doing this. 

 

[GregR]

Thanks again for the replies. I guess I'm just used to a more aggressive sander. I'll take it sloooooow and easy.

 

[anthonyz]

Hmmm, I use the ets 125 more than any of my other sanders, and I have never notice it stopping even with a bit of pressure, but in general I let the sander do all the work. I usually keep my speed at 6 and that may make some sort of difference if you happen to be running a slower speed, but beyond that doesn't sound normal from my sanding experience. Definitely turn down you DE.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Hmmm, I use the ets 125 more than any of my other sanders, and I have never notice it stopping even with a bit of pressure,

You're right, I should have said "stopped rotating", because I meant that and not a full stop. When you put some pressure on the sander it will quickly loose its rotation but will keep on vibrating. Nothing wrong here, that's how it is supposed to behave.

 

[GregR]

I've been playing around with it this morning and here's what I think the problem is. This is a refurbished sander, and I think the pad was tightened down too much. When I would just set it on the wood and not even touch the sander the pad wouldn't rotate. I could stop the rotation just by touching the pad with my finger. I loosened the screws holding the pad just a little bit and now it rotates unless I apply some pressure to the sander. I think all is good. Once again, Thanks.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Greg, the problem you are seeing is that the pad brake is too effective. I'm guessing it is a brand new brake with the refurb. There should have been some sort of light lubricant between the brake and the pad, but it was probably wiped off. With use, there would be some fine dust that would act as this lubricant, but on a brand new, dry sander, its a little sticky.

You could add some paste wax or even paraffin wax to loosen this up a little. The pad brake is a bit of a catch-22. It is there for when the sander is not sanding to prevent excessive freewheel, but you don't want it slowing down pad rotation during sanding.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Rick has a point, you also need to wear the pad brake a bit in the beginning.

Loosening the screws from the pad is really not a good idea. You want them as tight as possible. If they are a bit loose, vibration will loosen them even further. And when you use the sander and push down on it, you're pushing the pad tight against the body again anyway.

 

[GregR]

I'll try some paste wax tomorrow and see how it goes. I tightened the screws back down without really torquing on them and it seems to be working pretty good. Thanks