ETS150

[otis04]

I have an ETS 150 that is about 10 years old with what i would call heavy DIY use.  This past weekend, the sander became very hot on both the body of the tool and the end of the handle where the cord plugs in.  When I removed the cord, there was evidence of heat and discoloration/melting of the plug (both male and female end)
Spoke with Festool service today and he indicated it could well be bad brushes, which seems probable.  And i think it will also need new cord and socket as well as brushes.
Has anybody had similar service done and what was the approximate cost?  I need/want to finish a large project this weekend and i am weighing the pros and cons of a new tool vs waiting to get this one serviced.

 

[AlexThePalex]

This past weekend, the sander became very hot on both the body of the tool and the end of the handle where the cord plugs in.  When I removed the cord, there was evidence of heat and discoloration/melting of the plug (both male and female end)

This is evident, the Plug-it cord and socket needs to be replaced. You could simply order these from Festool and replace them yourself as it is an easy fix and you only need a two screwdrivers, one torx 15 and one Pozidrive 1.

Spoke with Festool service today and he indicated it could well be bad brushes, which seems probable. 

Remarkable conclusion from the service department as this is not probable at all. When brushes go bad, your sander functions normally until they are worn and a safety spring pops out, so the sander stops immediately. There is no shoddy-in-between behaviour, because they either make an electrical connection or not.

In my experience when a sander's body runs hot there is a more serious problem at hand. The sander becomes hot because the cooling fan does not work anymore, and this happens when the motor does not run properly, because either the rotor or the armature is burnt. And that's a costly repair.

I think that if you send your sander in you will get an unpleasant repair cost quote.

 

[ear3]

You can try the socket replacement yourself and see if that fixes it when paired up with a new cord.  New socket only around $10.  You can ask your dealer to order up one, or order from Tools for Working Wood, which keeps a supply on hand.

I have an ETS 150 that is about 10 years old with what i would call heavy DIY use.  This past weekend, the sander became very hot on both the body of the tool and the end of the handle where the cord plugs in.  When I removed the cord, there was evidence of heat and discoloration/melting of the plug (both male and female end)
Spoke with Festool service today and he indicated it could well be bad brushes, which seems probable.  And i think it will also need new cord and socket as well as brushes.
Has anybody had similar service done and what was the approximate cost?  I need/want to finish a large project this weekend and i am weighing the pros and cons of a new tool vs waiting to get this one serviced.

 

[xedos]

If service's conclusion is correct - and I doubt it, see Alex's comments; the parts will roughly cost :

brushes - $20-30
plug-it socket $9-$15
plug it cord - $50  [scared]
shipping both ways: $30 +
labor $50 -$100

Half the cost of a new sander.  Not a great value proposition in my book.      And...............that's assuming that stuff solves the issue.    Which will still leave you with a 10 year old pad too.  [unsure]