Just got my new ETS EC 150/5 about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, it has the intermittent stop/start issue (or sometimes just stop). Festool told me it is a known issue affecting the EC sanders that they are working on. But no expected date for resolution yet, and no new units available as they are back ordered by about 33 weeks.
ETS EC 150/5 intermittent stop/start
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Wood_Slice
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True on all fronts, I had same issue with the ETS EC 125 and their engineers are still working on it last I heard. Those sanders are on backorder till July 2021 I heard from a dealer. With whats going on now and shipment issues (by postal services) I hope they can at least keep the July date. I have one on pre-order.
My dilemma is should I return to the dealer (who wants $35 for sipping it back) and take a chance with another unit that can have the same issue (not sure if the problem affects units randomly or a group of manufacturing dates) ? Should I send it to Festool for a repair and risk waiting for months to get a sander? Should I try the Mirka Deros instead and gamble with their reliability issue? I hate this as I was so excited to finally put my hand on a premium sander to use in my home shop!
squall_line
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Bird in the hand, how many in the bush, and all that jazz.
If it's because of the lockout feature and you can get around it by disabling the feature, I would just do that and hold out for a fix. If not, and you have any way to mitigate the cutouts, I would keep it and put up with it if it wasn't too terrible, since you know it could take forever to get a new one.
If Festool finds an issue, they will repair it under warranty, and hopefully even the ones not under warranty, depending on if it's considered a safety recall or not. The turnaround on a repair once the engineers have identified the issue would be shorter than sending it back and hoping they can figure it out.
This assumes that the engineers aren't looking for sample units with the issue to help them troubleshoot, of course.
I'm sorry you're in this spot and have to make this decision.
If it's because of the lockout feature and you can get around it by disabling the feature, I would just do that and hold out for a fix. If not, and you have any way to mitigate the cutouts, I would keep it and put up with it if it wasn't too terrible, since you know it could take forever to get a new one.
If Festool finds an issue, they will repair it under warranty, and hopefully even the ones not under warranty, depending on if it's considered a safety recall or not. The turnaround on a repair once the engineers have identified the issue would be shorter than sending it back and hoping they can figure it out.
This assumes that the engineers aren't looking for sample units with the issue to help them troubleshoot, of course.
I'm sorry you're in this spot and have to make this decision.
Cheese
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I’d send it in as Festool is now touting a 2 day repair turnaround.
https://www.festoolusa.com/service
https://www.festoolusa.com/service
[member=75217]squall_line[/member] , what is the lockout feature you refer to? It is currently unusable. It will stop at just about the 2 minutes mark every time. And before that 2 minutes, it will briefly stop and restart once or twice.
[member=44099]Cheese[/member], Festool already warned me that for this issue, it is not 2 days. They told me their German engineers think they are close to a solution. Not sure why it means in regard to timelines.
[member=44099]Cheese[/member], Festool already warned me that for this issue, it is not 2 days. They told me their German engineers think they are close to a solution. Not sure why it means in regard to timelines.
Cheese
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binettea said:
Do you need a sander immediately or do you have some time to wait?
So, if the 2 day Festool service turn-around is off the table, you could always return it to the dealer PROVIDING the dealer has a replacement unit in his possession and is willing to place your name on it. I mention this because as you know, these sanders are on a 4-7 month backlog.
Better yet, I'd talk to your dealer and verify that he will send you the replacement unit, you pay for it up-front and then when you receive it you can send in your damaged unit for a credit. That makes sure you always have possession of a sander just incase wires get crossed or mixed up somewhere.
I have the 125 mm model that you can mount a 150 mm pad on and it's a real sweet sander. I wouldn't trade it in for anything else.
I mention all of this stuff because as many ETS EC 125/150 discussions as there have been on FOG, there have been few...maybe 3-5 instances where people have mentioned the issue you reference. I believe it's not a widespread problem and have used mine a ton since 2015.
I have been using a 5" Ridgid ROS for about 10 years now, and decided I wanted something more capable. Don't get me wrong, that little unit was smooth, good dust collection, etc, but wasn't allowing me to deal with my drum sander lines. First I had looked at the Rotex but then decided for the 150/5. So I can wait some time, but not 6-9 months. The dealer accepted to briefly test one of their remaining stock unit to confirm there wasn't an obvious stopping issue with it, and I will buy it, and return my current defective unit to them. As best as I can tell, this whole stopping issue started to be brought up online in February or just about, and seems to be affecting all EC sanders (confirmed by Festool). I hope my next unit will not have this issue, although it was manufactured in the same month (that manufacturing date is all they have left). On a slightly different topic, how much more vibration do people usually get when adding a protection pad?
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