ETS EC 150 vs Mirka DEROS which way would you go?

[Holmz]

...
I definitely prefer Mirka Abranet sanding discs over conventional sandpaper, so I'm wondering if the Mirka Abranet pad protector will line up with the dust collection holes in the ETS EC 6" so I could use Abranet discs with the ETS EC.  Anyone know about that? 

Thanks

I have not seen the pad protector, but with a screen there are no holes that need to be aligned as there are holes every 1/2-mm in the screen.

If you have 220v in your shop you could get the 220v out of Finland. You get the 20% VAT removed, and the shipping is usually $50.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

SteveRice: I am equally saddened to hear about repeat Mirka failures. Seems like they had a bad batch or something.  [eek] In my own and my colleagues experiences Mirka is at least on par with Festool quality wise.

I have used the ETS EC 150 extensively the past couple of weeks but I still miss my Mirka Deros. I made a bad choice in switching but it works alright and since I have a plug it/vac cable it is the "best compromise".  If I found a way to plug it a Deros I would switch back - for sure.

As a side note my Festool RTS 400 sander is STILL not up to par despite having been sent in once already - it was brand new - it still does not perform as it should - very weak in power which we all agreed on in the shop, we all have one.

After dismantling it and, greasing it up and putting it together again and working the shroud a bit it is a little bit better but that is nothing that I should have to do on a NEW unit. Next step will be to send it in - yet again - with the previous service tag still left on it...  [mad]

 

[Holmz]

SteveRice: I am equally saddened to hear about repeat Mirka failures. Seems like they had a bad batch or something.  [eek] In my own and my colleagues experiences Mirka is at least on par with Festool quality wise.
...

I recall reading that they were mostly with 110v versions.
It was somewhat odd as I thought that the basic tool was DC, but then the older CEROS also had some power supply failures on 110v.
That is what had me looking strictly at 230v models.

 

[junk731]

i have purchased 5 seperate mirka deros 6" 650 sanders, each one had a problem,
they all stopped working after moderate use, or if it stopped working at 10000rpm.
luckily i bought them from amazon, so kept swapping them. the 6" pad mirka provides
is not well balanced and each pad is a different weight and spinning at 10000rpm, they
would get wobbly and stop itself. there is also the stop if too hot problem, i had two
do that for about 2-5 days of purchase and then never turn on again.
i have called mirka in ohio and they swear up and down there is no problem, never heard of
such issue. well i said i bought from amazon, so within 30 days, each bad unit goes back
and funny thing, none of them ever showed on amazon warehouse, which means all
went back to mirka to get repaired.

mirka deros has one advantage, sander is light, so if doing above the head work, work at odd angles,
this is the go to unit, but cant work at 10000rpm, 9000 rpm, 8000 rpm for long, not a selling point.

mirka deros with the festool sandpaper leaves alot of dust as the festool sandpaper does not
have all the suction openings that the pad provides.

i am ordering the ets ec 150 because after 5 mirka deros, and none function, its done.
the ets ec 150 has a slow down speed if wobbly or out of balance feature, the mirka is shut down
if wobbly, there is a difference, imho.

As a followup to your experience I was discussing the Deros with a Dealer in the Toronto area who also sells Dynabrade, and he said while he sells them he has to check everyone before they ship them out, 1 in 4 is bad right out of the box and even with the precheck they have had many service related problems. Once again this is only heresay and came up in the course of a conversation about getting some Abralon pads.

John 

 

[jcpsmallwoodworkershop]

so i have a question to everyone who claims to own a 6" deros,
did you use a pad saver on top of your pad?
if so did you alter the weights on the rotor under the pad?
i bet i get yes and no from the few people who own a deros, and how
many have used 10000rpm?
i suspect there are alot more faulty mirka deros than people are will to bother with
and how many can run their deros continiously for more than 20 min without that
dreaded red light instead of green power light?

i got 5 lemons? sure, but what are the odds of 5 units from amazon all coming
from same batch all being bad?

i protected myself buy using amazon, not a third party, i am not sure mirka in ohio was
going to stand up for their product, the tech rep was hoping i would just return product to
amazon and go away.

this is why i buy festool.

i have purchased 5 seperate mirka deros 6" 650 sanders, each one had a problem,
they all stopped working after moderate use, or if it stopped working at 10000rpm.
luckily i bought them from amazon, so kept swapping them. the 6" pad mirka provides
is not well balanced and each pad is a different weight and spinning at 10000rpm, they
would get wobbly and stop itself. there is also the stop if too hot problem, i had two
do that for about 2-5 days of purchase and then never turn on again.
i have called mirka in ohio and they swear up and down there is no problem, never heard of
such issue. well i said i bought from amazon, so within 30 days, each bad unit goes back
and funny thing, none of them ever showed on amazon warehouse, which means all
went back to mirka to get repaired.

mirka deros has one advantage, sander is light, so if doing above the head work, work at odd angles,
this is the go to unit, but cant work at 10000rpm, 9000 rpm, 8000 rpm for long, not a selling point.

mirka deros with the festool sandpaper leaves alot of dust as the festool sandpaper does not
have all the suction openings that the pad provides.

i am ordering the ets ec 150 because after 5 mirka deros, and none function, its done.
the ets ec 150 has a slow down speed if wobbly or out of balance feature, the mirka is shut down
if wobbly, there is a difference, imho.

As a followup to your experience I was discussing the Deros with a Dealer in the Toronto area who also sells Dynabrade, and he said while he sells them he has to check everyone before they ship them out, 1 in 4 is bad right out of the box and even with the precheck they have had many service related problems. Once again this is only heresay and came up in the course of a conversation about getting some Abralon pads.

John

 

[Kev]

Reliability is one of the reasons I gravitate towards Festool products. The Mirka stuff has looked tempting, but I haven't been able to sample "the feel" locally .. so I haven't risked it.

Stories of multiple fails doesn't improve the cause .. [member=37016]jcp2wood[/member] , do you have a Mirka now?

 

[pingvinlakrits]

Since I am all for being totally honest when it comes to woodworking tools and regardless of brand I feel I need to post an update on the Mirka vs Festool: still prefer the Mirka in action over the ETX EC 150 but yesterday the Mirka Deros cable "gave up" and the machine stopped working. After checking it thoroughly we came to the conclusion that the power cord was "worn out" and had failed. We could get the Deros to spin a little by wiggling the cord.

Since the cord attachment isn't a standard fitting we have to order a new cable, hopefully we can pick one up from a demo machine for the time being.

Sucks when power tools fail. I pulled out the ETS EC 150 and it did a nice job.

I have had a few plug it cord fails over the years so I don't think Festool is necessarily better but I do like that I can switch Plug-It cords and even replace broken Plug-It cables and connectors on the fly. I have a small box of spares, just in case.

 

[Steve-Rice]

I was originally very interested in the Mirka Deros and I've been a long time user of Mirka Abranet on my old DeWalt ROS, but the many stories of Deros failures and poor Mirka customer service eventually influenced me to purchase the ETS EC 150/3.

I used a hole punch to modify a 150mm Mirka pad protector to match the Festool 17 hole pattern and fitted it to my ETS EC. Now I'm able to use Abranet abrasives with the ETS EC and I couldn't be happier with the results. The ETS EC just glides effortlessly over the wood, even with my new CT 26 turned up to MAX suction. I don't notice any vibration at all and the near instant stop of the pad brake makes the ETS EC a complete joy to use.  The on/off switch on the ETS EC has an advantage over the Deros paddle switch because I don't have to hold the sander and instead can guide the sander by the hose on large surfaces, eliminating a lot of bending and reaching, for a much more comfortable sanding experience. I also prefer the speed dial as opposed to the Deros buttons.

All in all, I'm extremely pleased with my choice to stay with a Festool product.  I always disliked sanding, but now I honestly look forward to it. I LOVE this sander!

 

[morrisericd]

A very timely thread for me.  I have an assortment of Festool sanders including the Rotex 150 and a couple of ETS 6" 3mm strokes.  I went in to look at the new ETS EC yesterday and also demo'd the Deros 550 5mm.  The Deros felt really nice even in the 5mm stroke and really took down material quickly.  They didn't have a demo of the ETS but I did turn it one and I like the ergonomics.  Here's the question: I need a sander that removes material quicker than the ETS but not as aggressive as the Rotex.  I think the Deros could be it.  Or is it the ETS EC in the 5 mm?  We do a lot of sanding furniture and custom cabinetry. 

Next question: I almost always gravitate towards a 6" over a 5" sander.  Even on smaller face frames, etc. I don't mind the bigger pad and it's really nice to have on bigger stuff.  Is the Deros 6" 5mm going to feel similar to the 5" I demo'd or is it going to be too aggressive?  Same question for the Festool.  Thanks!

 

[leakyroof]

A very timely thread for me.  I have an assortment of Festool sanders including the Rotex 150 and a couple of ETS 6" 3mm strokes.  I went in to look at the new ETS EC yesterday and also demo'd the Deros 550 5mm.  The Deros felt really nice even in the 5mm stroke and really took down material quickly.  They didn't have a demo of the ETS but I did turn it one and I like the ergonomics.  Here's the question: I need a sander that removes material quicker than the ETS but not as aggressive as the Rotex.  I think the Deros could be it.  Or is it the ETS EC in the 5 mm?  We do a lot of sanding furniture and custom cabinetry. 

Next question: I almost always gravitate towards a 6" over a 5" sander.  Even on smaller face frames, etc. I don't mind the bigger pad and it's really nice to have on bigger stuff.  Is the Deros 6" 5mm going to feel similar to the 5" I demo'd or is it going to be too aggressive?  Same question for the Festool.  Thanks!

Can't speak about the Mirka sanders, but I own both versions of the older ETS 150 sander and the 5mm orbit is def. faster in material removal than the 3mm.
Both are lighter than the Rotex and not as tiring to use even with the Rotex in the gentler ROS mode, but none of them are as light as my new ETS EC 150/5 sander.
The EC is as aggessive as the older ETS that it replaces for me, and maybe even more so since I feel there is more power in this sander than either older ETS model.
But I haven't done any timed test between the two versions to be sure, and not just subjective.
I also own the 6"/ 150mm Rotex, and while you always have that option of the dual modes, it's probably going to become strictly a rough job sander for me since the new EC is so da@# light and powerful, esp. in a Vertical/Wall usage or overhead for ceilings.  Not that I used my Rotex for ceilings really ever, but you get my meaning right.... the new sander is an eye opener.
I may yet get the 3mm version of it later if the 5mm one that I have now is any indication.
I don't own any of Festool's 5"/125mm sanders, so I can't comment on them versus any other brand.

 

[Steve-Rice]

A very timely thread for me.  I have an assortment of Festool sanders including the Rotex 150 and a couple of ETS 6" 3mm strokes.  I went in to look at the new ETS EC yesterday and also demo'd the Deros 550 5mm.  The Deros felt really nice even in the 5mm stroke and really took down material quickly.  They didn't have a demo of the ETS but I did turn it one and I like the ergonomics.  Here's the question: I need a sander that removes material quicker than the ETS but not as aggressive as the Rotex.  I think the Deros could be it.  Or is it the ETS EC in the 5 mm?  We do a lot of sanding furniture and custom cabinetry. 

Next question: I almost always gravitate towards a 6" over a 5" sander.  Even on smaller face frames, etc. I don't mind the bigger pad and it's really nice to have on bigger stuff.  Is the Deros 6" 5mm going to feel similar to the 5" I demo'd or is it going to be too aggressive?  Same question for the Festool.  Thanks!

As far as the Festool ETS EC sanders are concerned and your question regarding 5" vs. 6", the 5" ETS EC only comes in the 3mm orbit, so if you want an agressive sander, I believe the 6" 5mm ETS EC would be your choice between the two.

As far as the Mirka Deros is concerned, I believe thier 6" Deros may also come in an 8mm orbit, which I would imagine is more aggressive than thier 6" Deros with a 5mm orbit.  I think their 5" Deros only comes in a 5mm orbit - But you should verify this as I'm not certain what is available in which countries.

Hope this helps...

UPDATE: I just checked and I believe the 8MM Deros is available in Europe only.  My apologies for the confusion.

 

[NorthSound]

Hi everyone! Been lurking here awhile and this is my first post. In southern Finland I run a hobby/semi-pro luthiery shop (and build home furniture to justify all the cool machines). My first fix was a TS55 REBQ  then CTL26 and, well, you all know the story Within a year the colour scheme in my small shop has turned to green. Blues and yellows... all gone. Last to go was a Mirka Ceros 125. I was on a fence for a long time on whether it'll be the Deros 125/150 combo or Festool ETS EC 150. Once Festool came up with the EC 125 it was a no-brainer. Performance-wise my old Ceros 125 was/is excellent but the transformer (no plug-it) and need for an extra adaptor for the hose was a bit cumbersome. The Festool hose would fit the new Deros but cable was still different. A definite BIG plus was the possibility to use two size(125/150) pads in one machine. Not the case with Festool ETS EC Size, weight, price in both machines are quite comparable...so...When the ETS EC 125 version was launched I thought I could fit 125 pads to a 150 machine as they look exactly alike. Nope ...I couldn't give up 'cos I could already taste the green... So, I made them fit. Probably I shouldn't give the details here? The machines are both really good so to me it was the little things: plug-it cord and a good stock of 150mm Festool sandpaper I allready had that didn't quite fit the Mirka hole pattern. I 'm quite happy with my choice. The system approach is great! Oh, and I chose the 3mm stroke. The guitar below was a delight to work on with green gear compared to ones before.

 

[Steve-Rice]

For those of you who are considering a Mirka Deros sander, I just received an email from Peachtree Woodworking supply (ptreeusa.com) that Mirka is having a mail in rebate promotion and giving away 105 free Abranet sanding discs with the purchase of a Deros sander. 

The odd number of 105 discs is because they are including 3: 35 disc Abranet assortment packs, which contains 5 discs of the following grits: 80, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400 & 600, so (for those of you who are mathematically challenged) you wind up with 15 sanding discs of each of those grits.

I'm guessing Mirka is offering this mail in rebate incentive now because they are feeling the competition from the introduction of the Festool ETS EC, but that's just a guess on my part  [big grin]

 

[hemdale]

Got a Deros. Couldnt be happier [emoji6]

 

[Holmz]

Got a Deros. Couldnt be happier [emoji6]

Which begs the question as to how much less happier one would be with the other?
It is not like they are bad.

Northsound had both so it sounds like the plug it was the deciding factor for him.

 

[sae]

Depends how wisely you spend the $100 price difference.

Though I guess elsewhere the prices are the same.

 

[Holmz]

Depends how wisely you spend the $100 price difference.

Though I guess elsewhere the prices are the same.

^yes^ - and if you have 220/230v already too.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

Got a Deros. Couldnt be happier [emoji6]

Which begs the question as to how much less happier one would be with the other?
It is not like they are bad.

Northsound had both so it sounds like the plug it was the deciding factor for him.

I also had both - at the same time for a while - and the plug it was the deciding factor for me. If I had been able to fit a plug it to the Deros I would not have gotten the ETS EC. Now that I have it, I am pleased with it. I sanded down walls and a ceiling the other day (small room) and for that the ETS EC trumps the Deros.  I have a pad saver on the ETS EC - for me it is a must have.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

.  Here's the question: I need a sander that removes material quicker than the ETS but not as aggressive as the Rotex.  I think the Deros could be it.  Or is it the ETS EC in the 5 mm?  We do a lot of sanding furniture and custom cabinetry. 

Next question: I almost always gravitate towards a 6" over a 5" sander.  Even on smaller face frames, etc. I don't mind the bigger pad and it's really nice to have on bigger stuff.  Is the Deros 6" 5mm going to feel similar to the 5" I demo'd or is it going to be too aggressive?  Same question for the Festool.  Thanks!

The Deros takes down sheets and panels more rapidly than the ETS EC 150/5 in my comparison with same grit. Both machines are a great sidekick to the Rotex 150. I would not get a 125 to complement the Rotex, I would get another same size pad. But then again I have a few other non circular sanders too. I fell that the ETS EC 150 is a little underpowered for aggressive sanding but it was never meant to be another Rotex. Festool calls it an intermediate sander - which is exactly what it is. It can be used succesfully as a finishing sander too but it is not a Rotex. I find the Deros bridging the gap a little more but not by a huge margin.

 

[morrisericd]

I was able to take home both the 5" Deros 5mm and the ETS EC 6" Festool 5mm for the weekend and Monday.  My local Festool and Mirka supplier is the best!  I used both yesterday for a couple of hours and have a lot of sanding to do on Monday when they'll get the real test.  I also threw in my ETS 6" 3mm a few times for comparison.  My initial thoughts are that the Festool is well laid out and I really like the 5mm stroke.  I went into this thinking I should get the Deros and I do really like it but do I like it more than the Festool?  I'm still not sure.  It's a cool little sander (I really should have the 6" Deros for comparison to the ETS but they don't have it - I'd have to order it) and I really like it but there's the cord issue (not easily swappable with other Festools) and I'm still not sure about the paddle.  When I sand really big table tops and other large items I tend to let the sander float and move my hand around quite a bit on the tool.  Not going to be able to do that with the Deros.  Also - and this is something I'm sure I would get used to - when changing paper I kept accidentally turning on the sander when I was holding it upside down in my hand.  Small quibble.

I found the 5" Deros removing stock as fast if not faster than the 6" Festool.  The smaller sander was nice on edges.  It did look small after my 6" ETS and the ETS EC but it was efficient.

I'll have to decide Monday I guess.