ETS EC 150 and 125

[Tayler_mann]

So today the local Festool store called and asked if I'd be interested in coming to try the be ETS EC sanders and sleeved hose. My exact reaction was, "My CNC has 20 minutes left on the job I'll be there in 21 minutes."

I get there to meet the Festool rep for our area and he gladly answered many of my questions of the tools I already own. Enough about that lets get down to the brass tacks at hand here, the ETS EC sanders. Right out of the box I have to say that the systainer was packed very clean. I took the sander out and set it on the table and it sat perfectly. Than I put a chord and dust hose on it and it fell over. Next I set it on its side and the 125 day nicely against the plastic housing and stayed put. The 150 however, sat on the pad and the housing which I did not like at all. The pads edge is one of the most important parts of these sanders. Curl the pad and you'll have nice scratches on your piece of material. Of course he came back with buy the attachment for the CT to hang it up. To me that is just a extra money I could spend on paper, but a very small flaw as well and very easy to deal with.

So than he set down a board of oak with a bull nose on it and clamped a board to the MFT rail vertically. Than he put the interface pad on and have me the sander. He said to turn it on so I did and as soon as it turned on I heard the motor decelerate. The auto stabilization feature kicked in and was trying to stabilize the sander as I swayed it in the air. Than I put it to the board and instantly the motor was at full speed and sanding completely stable. Than I brought the sander over to the bullnose and dropped over the edge and around the radius nice and slowly. The sander instantly compensated and slowed the motor down to hold stability and also kept that perfect radius in tact with an even smooth surface. We drew pencil marks around be surface and the sander took the material evenly until the pencil lines where gone.

My honest opinion on the sande: worth every penny for either one. Theres many other features in this sander like the dust collection switch, the carbide break and so forth that I could go on and on about. The end result is I have never witnessed a sander with this amount of technology and power. I literally could not bog the motor down unless putting all my 200 lbs into it. I will with out a doubt be buying a 125 to add to my line up. I just have to decide if the RO 90 is first or the 125. After using this sander it will be like the first time you used he ETS 150 or 125 only you will think it's WAY better than it.

 

[Cheese]

Tayler,
Do you own or have you used a regular ETS 125 sander? If so, how would you compare the ETS to the ETS EC version?

Your thoughts on the wrapped hose & cord?

 

[Tayler_mann]

Tayler,
Do you own or have you used a regular ETS 125 sander? If so, how would you compare the ETS to the ETS EC version?

Your thoughts on the wrapped hose & cord?

I do not own an ETS 125 but I have used and demoed them. However, I got the opportunity to test them out side by side. He brought the RO 150, ETS 150, and bothe ETS EC 150 and 125. The ETS EC sanders where just as stable if not even more. The part that set them aside for stability was they were half the weight or maybe more. Plus the ergonomics of the ETS EC was much better than the original ETS. There were two ways of holding he ETS EC with either the palm over the top or gripped between you thumb and pointer finger. The ETS EC stayed perfectly stable without holding on to it as the same as the ETS.

The hose was maybe the one thing I thought that was not worth the money. I have a sewing machine and about 3 of the 16 ga wires and could basically make the same hose. The only thing is the taper of the hose I can't replicate. The only thing that was pretty awesome was the 20' hose. Overall though the hose is a glorified canvas wrap with a chord through it. Sorry but I think this one is a dud I don't need to spend the money on. The taper supposely helps in dust extraction but I fuess I've never had an issue with extraction. If someone can help me out and justify the hose I would appreciate it.

 

[Davesbuildtips]

The great thing about the hose is that the sleeve removes the corrugating and contains the lead as well. Nothing to catch on the end of the rails for saw use and no marking of surfaces with the sanders. Love the hose but don't own yet..... that will soon be rectified. [wink]

 

[Kev]

The great thing about the hose is that the sleeve removes the corrugating and contains the lead as well. Nothing to catch on the end of the rails for saw use and no marking of surfaces with the sanders. Love the hose but don't own yet..... that will soon be rectified. [wink]

I've heard we're only getting the short one in Oz [mad]

[member=56306]Davesbuildtips[/member]

 

[Davesbuildtips]

Bs?

 

[wilde737]

I saw them today as well at my M&M Tool here in SLC.  I really liked the new sanders.  I have an ETS 125 and would love one of the new ones, although the price jumps from $195 to $485 i believe, not an insignificant jump in my book!  I really liked the sleeved hose too, although I was told it was $250 for the new hose, and only the tapered hose will have the sleeve.  I would buy that sleeve in a heartbeat, depending on the price.  My wife has a sewing machine, I may just have her make me one.  I'm in the market for a RO sander right now, but after seeing the new ETS they feel awkward and bulky!  I wish they'd redo the RO like the ETS!

 

[Tayler_mann]

I saw them today as well at my M&M Tool here in SLC.  I really liked the new sanders.  I have an ETS 125 and would love one of the new ones, although the price jumps from $195 to $485 i believe, not an insignificant jump in my book!  I really liked the sleeved hose too, although I was told it was $250 for the new hose, and only the tapered hose will have the sleeve.  I would buy that sleeve in a heartbeat, depending on the price.  My wife has a sewing machine, I may just have her make me one.  I'm in the market for a RO sander right now, but after seeing the new ETS they feel awkward and bulky!  I wish they'd redo the RO like the ETS!

The Ro sanders are a bit to get used to using. I feel that a boom arm or throwing the hose over your shoulder is a must. Also if it is not stable with the collection on low try offsetting the paper t cover 1/2 of the holes to get a little less suction.

Also he ETS EC is only $385. Even though that is a lot for a 5" orbital after using it today I feel it is well worth the money spent.

As you stated I have a sewing machine as well and I think I am going to just sew myself a nice sleeve out of canvas for about $50 total and a good lesson on how to sew. I haven't sewn in quite sometime but picked up a sewing machine when I started skydiving to do repairs to my parachute and rig. Never took any effort to get skilled enough though.

The 150 is $485 but I feel if you bought this one you would have to get the 5mm for that size. Obviously you want the surface area of the 150 so it only makes sense to get the sanding speeds of the 5mm. I used the 5mm today and I was quite impressed how fast it took of sharpie from oak. Also sanded a board with paint and it took no time at all with 150. I felt like I had a much more stable Rotex in my hand.

I've used all brands of sanders and all sorts of air sanders. These are very unique and I am very impressed. i am saving my money now for the Ro 90 and the new 125 for sure.

 

[Tayler_mann]

So I've had some time to think while sanding for the last 8 hours. I feel something I do need to add to my thoughts from before is if I already would own an ETS 150 what my stance would be. So to try and ease out and hindsight I thought like a ETS owner. I don't think I would spend the money on the new ETS EC sanders if I already owned the predecessor. Unfortunately I would already at that point would own an incredibly stable sander. Sure it would be great to have one that is half the weight and more ergonomic but the break and the brushless motor wouldn't appeal enough to me to shell out the money. So to answer the question of if I owned an ETS 150/125 would I buy one the answer is no. I would save that money and buy something more useful to me at that point. If you don't own one and want to buy a sander than you should buy the ETS EC series over the predecessor.

 

[Kev]

Bs?

[member=56306]Davesbuildtips[/member]

That's what I was told when I asked at Northern Abrasives this week.

 

[Davesbuildtips]

The thing to consider with the sleeve is that it also has a full length zip. Not a cheap item. The 150 is just over $900 in Australia. It does run cooler and I am sure that the carbide brake will give you much longer pad life. I would buy one if I could get enough from my ets on eBay.

 

[Cheese]

So I've had some time to think while sanding for the last 8 hours. I feel something I do need to add to my thoughts from before is if I already would own an ETS 150 what my stance would be. So to try and ease out and hindsight I thought like a ETS owner. I don't think I would spend the money on the new ETS EC sanders if I already owned the predecessor. So to answer the question of if I owned an ETS 150/125 would I buy one the answer is no. I would save that money and buy something more useful to me at that point.

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
Tayler thanks for your last post. I bought into the 125mm platform years ago and own an RO & ETS. For sanding large surfaces I use the RS 2. However, I've always wondered if a 150 series machine would be better for medium sized surfaces. Kind of like small=125mm, medium=150mm & large=RS 2.

I've had an ETS EC pre-order page open in my browser for the last 2 weeks because I couldn't decide whether to pre-order a 125mm or a 150mm machine. Had the new ETS EC been capable of using both 125 and 150 pads the ETS EC would already be on pre-order. In an earlier post, I characterized this lack of interchangeability of pad sizes on the new ETS EC as an opportunity lost and still feel that's the case.

If I'm understanding you correctly, your feeling is that the ETS EC series is a nice improvement over the standard ETS but not necessarily a gamechanger in the sanding arena. That being said, you've helped me make my decision. I'll pre-order a 150 machine and enjoy the benefits of the larger sander. Thanks again for posting.

 

[Tayler_mann]

So I've had some time to think while sanding for the last 8 hours. I feel something I do need to add to my thoughts from before is if I already would own an ETS 150 what my stance would be. So to try and ease out and hindsight I thought like a ETS owner. I don't think I would spend the money on the new ETS EC sanders if I already owned the predecessor. So to answer the question of if I owned an ETS 150/125 would I buy one the answer is no. I would save that money and buy something more useful to me at that point.

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
Tayler thanks for your last post. I bought into the 125mm platform years ago and own an RO & ETS. For sanding large surfaces I use the RS 2. However, I've always wondered if a 150 series machine would be better for medium sized surfaces. Kind of like small=125mm, medium=150mm & large=RS 2.

I've had an ETS EC pre-order page open in my browser for the last 2 weeks because I couldn't decide whether to pre-order a 125mm or a 150mm machine. Had the new ETS EC been capable of using both 125 and 150 pads the ETS EC would already be on pre-order. In an earlier post, I characterized this lack of interchangeability of pad sizes on the new ETS EC as an opportunity lost and still feel that's the case.

If I'm understanding you correctly, your feeling is that the ETS EC series is a nice improvement over the standard ETS but not necessarily a gamechanger in the sanding arena. That being said, you've helped me make my decision. I'll pre-order a 150 machine and enjoy the benefits of the larger sander. Thanks again for posting.

[member=44099]Cheese[/member]

The one thing that was a large improvement was the automatic motor stabilization for sanding smaller surfaces and edges. The sander automatically controlled the spin of the motor to find a stable sanding rhythm. That and if you do ALOT of sanding it would be real nice with the weight issue. Weighing just in as much as the RTS it is a real comfortable sander. I haven't pre-ordered mine yet but finish a few jobs and it'll be the new tool in my line up. Which seems to grow evey time my local store lets me demo something. Hmmmm I think they have me figured out.

On a side note something the rep told me was crazy. you can use ou TS to cut granite and marble with special blades!

 

[idratherplaytennis]

So... the consensus, for those like me... who don't have any sanders yet (besides a planex, but with plans to get a RO 90 paired with a CT 26 within a week or two, and a 150 of some sort, the ETS 150 was in my original plans...)- is that if we can pony up the extra $125... go with the ETS EC? I have a Makita equivalent of the RS2 so my large, flat surfaces are covered, the RO 90 will be my small area work horse- but for a decent all around 150, I was originally planning on the ETS 150, and expanding into the RO 150 for remodeling and rougher work that I do- to share sanding paper sizes. This whole ETS EC email just HAD to throw a big ol' monkey wrench into my plans  [sad] but I still have this paycheck sitting here that will cover the cost of either sander.

 

[leakyroof]

So... the consensus, for those like me... who don't have any sanders yet (besides a planex, but with plans to get a RO 90 paired with a CT 26 within a week or two, and a 150 of some sort, the ETS 150 was in my original plans...)- is that if we can pony up the extra $125... go with the ETS EC? I have a Makita equivalent of the RS2 so my large, flat surfaces are covered, the RO 90 will be my small area work horse- but for a decent all around 150, I was originally planning on the ETS 150, and expanding into the RO 150 for remodeling and rougher work that I do- to share sanding paper sizes. This whole ETS EC email just HAD to throw a big ol' monkey wrench into my plans  [sad] but I still have this paycheck sitting here that will cover the cost of either sander.

  Been there...  I and others started out like this. So you buy the ETS 150/5, it's more aggressive of a sander than the 150/3 or the now old ETS 125 which had a very small orbit. You can still get fairly fine sanding results with a 150/5 through higher abrasive grits and careful technique, but you can also sand quickly through some fairly rough work if needed. Not a ROTEX to be sure, but a great all-around sander.  You always had the option of getting the Rotex if you needed it, but the 150/5 wasn't heavy and was easy to use for long hours, plus not bad overhead on ceilings.
With the new EC models, things change yet again. The different in ergonomics between the new ETS sanders and the current Rotex 150  grows further apart due to the weight loss of the EC sander and the different design. The loss of the really fine orbit on the new EC 125 model is also interesting for owners of the old 125 who loved and swore by its finer sander orbit for their work. But, will they really notice the 3mm orbit versus what they had?  Will be interesting to hear from them... [huh]
And finally, how low will used prices on the older ETS sanders go if the EC versions take off in sales volume. None of us want to get stuck with a huge price loss when selling off our older ETS models... [embarassed]

 

[Tayler_mann]

So... the consensus, for those like me... who don't have any sanders yet (besides a planex, but with plans to get a RO 90 paired with a CT 26 within a week or two, and a 150 of some sort, the ETS 150 was in my original plans...)- is that if we can pony up the extra $125... go with the ETS EC? I have a Makita equivalent of the RS2 so my large, flat surfaces are covered, the RO 90 will be my small area work horse- but for a decent all around 150, I was originally planning on the ETS 150, and expanding into the RO 150 for remodeling and rougher work that I do- to share sanding paper sizes. This whole ETS EC email just HAD to throw a big ol' monkey wrench into my plans  [sad] but I still have this paycheck sitting here that will cover the cost of either sander.

In my honest opinion and just my opinion if you want a sander with a 5 mm stroke by the Rotex. If you want an orbital sander to do nice finish work and also take extra time to sand through some rougher work get the 3mm stroke. Each sander had its own tasks to take care of and each sander is a time saver in different ways. Than if you want to take material fast put the hard pad on your Rotex with a sheet of 150 or 180 in Rotex and get he worst of your sanding done. Than put it in eccentric mode and get your Rotex marks out with the same grit paper. Now put your brand spankin' new dream of a sander the ETS EC 150/3 into use and make that wood gleam. That is how I would do it to get my best finish results. Like I said that is just my honest opinion. To me woodworking is 25% cutting, shaping and glueing and 75% sanding and finishing. If you have a bad sanding finish all your other work went in the dumpster out back with it.

 

[Joe Jensen]

I have and love the RO150 3mm and I have a Rotex that does 5mm on RO mode.  Question to those who have used both, is it worth the upgrade to the new EC 150mm?

 

[Kev]

I have and love the RO150 3mm and I have a Rotex that does 5mm on RO mode.  Question to those who have used both, is it worth the upgrade to the new EC 150mm?

I have current ETS150/3, /5 and RO150. I think its certainly "worth" having the ETS150/3 to partner with the RO150 , so I'd say an even lighter ETS150 EC would be great!

(I tend to use the ETS150/5 on plasterboard, etc)

 

[idratherplaytennis]

Yea. The 150/3 when combined with ownership of a RO 150 with the 5mm sounds good to me. I'm not too concerned with overhead sanding or even much on the walls, but I do like the new grip and lower profiles of the EC's. Any massive amounts of drywall work will be delegated to our Planex, and any uneven surfaces that the Planex don't like (50 year old poorly floated plaster walls that make it bounce like a.. well- bounce like crazy  [mad]) go to hand. Smaller patch jobs just might be taken upon an ETC EC 150/3, also a good reason to go with the 150 over the 125 as even the smallest patch jobs need decent feathering and the larger size would work quite well for me there. The planex though... it's just too big sometimes to bother pulling out for a patch, hehe.

 

[leakyroof]

Side by side, old and new...