ETS EC Sander Grip Differences

[Newbeetofes]

Hello, I am looking into buying one of the ETS EC sanders (125/3, 150/3, or 150/5). I've had the opportunity to put my hands on the 125/3 in store and it feels great. I'm considering whether the 150 might be a better choice, but I'd like to know if the grip size is any larger on the 150 vs the 125. For anyone that has both or has tried both, are there any differences?

 

[Cheese]

All 3 sanders are the same except for orbit size and pad size...everything else is the same.

 

[Newbeetofes]

Thanks, I've had some conflicting information lately and sometimes it's hard to tell.

• Festool emailed that the form factor is "about the same" and the main difference is pad size (though not the only difference?)
• Local dealer said the 150 grip is slightly larger but also said the 150/3 was more aggressive than the 150/5
• Some people online have said the 125 and 150 are weighted/balanced differently to accommodate pad size
• Other online comments mention that Festool said using the 150 pad on the 125 may wear out or damage the break indicating break differences

 

[woodferret]

.... Yes....

 

[mino]

• Festool emailed that the form factor is "about the same" and the main difference is pad size (though not the only difference?)

Language nuance, per Cheese. You can look in the eKat spare parts catalog the parts lists ..

• Local dealer said the 150 grip is slightly larger but also said the 150/3 was more aggressive than the 150/5

Both false.

• Some people online have said the 125 and 150 are weighted/balanced differently to accommodate pad size

Correct on the letter, though the difference is negligible in practice. Many using the 150 pads on the 125/3 sanders daily for years. If you ever held the pads in hand you will understand why. They are very light on the outside perimeter. The difference when using a protection pad is probably more than between the 125 and 150 pads.

You can check in eKat, the "fan assembly" is the part doing the eccentricity as well as the balance.

• Other online comments mention that Festool said using the 150 pad on the 125 may wear out or damage the break indicating break differences

A misunderstanding, probably assumed from other vendor sanders design. The ETS EC series does not have a mechanical brake but an electronic/powered one and the motor assembly is the same.

---

Advice:

If you are a hobby user, stick to the /3 sanders and consider pairing it with the ETS 125 with the edge guide down the line, so I would go with the 125/3 and immediately get the 150 hard and soft pads for it and some abrasives.

The main advantage of the 150 is the bigger coverage area hence faster standing of flat surfaces. If you do not have another sander for that, you want to use the 150 paper as the default.

Also, make sure you have a good dust extractor to go along. These are Pro sanders and cannot work without dust extraction as the dust impeller is skipped /to make the sander lighter/. If on a tight budget, the CT 15 is a very good cost/value proposition. Otherwise the consensus here is the CT MIDI is the "best first buy" for a hobby user with an unequipped workshop.

 

[Cheese]

I purchased the ETS EC 125 when it was first released in the US September of 2015. One of the first things I did was to install the 150 mm sanding pad from the ETS EC 150 sander. Ten years later and everything is still working the way it did 10 years ago.

The only differences between the sanders is pad size & orbit size. The "bearing" is different but that's only because it includes the different bearing shaft pad mount that's used on the 2 sized sanders. Here's what you see if you remove the sanding pad from the ETS EC 125...all ETS EC 150 parts.

 

[Newbeetofes]

I really appreciate the information and advice from everyone! I'm definitely a hobby user and I've only used my battery powered DeWalt orbital that leaves your hand feeling like you played one of those vibration challenge games in no time. The 150/5 was only a consideration due to a couple videos I watched that boiled down to "it does the same job but faster".

I recently bought a Domino and a CT26EI, so I think I'm good on dust extraction. Looking at the Festool granat discs in store today I also noticed the substantial quantity of extra holes in the disc pattern of the 6" discs for dust collection. Obviously the surface area is far larger but it looked disproportionately more than the 5".

Obvious advantage to being able to use my existing 5" diablo discs and the slightly lower price is nice but making the switch to 6" (150/3) seems to be a hot choice

 

[mino]

...
Obvious advantage to being able to use my existing 5" diablo discs and the slightly lower price is nice but making the switch to 6" (150/3) seems to be a hot choice

Keep note Festool 5" sanders have differently spaced holes. They are closer to the edge compared to "standard" ones. It helps with dust collection. You need Festool-compatible paper also for the 5" sander.

With the smaller pad the different hole placement works well-enough, not so at the bigger size. So AirStream 2 pads - those with the many secondary/small holes - were introduced more than decade ago only for the 150 mm size where the "basic" hole pattern was not adequate.

Also, there are no 5 /nor 7/ mm orbit small sanders that would need to support rapid material removal, again making the case for why the 150 pads need to be more complex. *Forgot about the Rotex 125 somehow.