Fathers day. Getting a brushless sander. Thoughts??

[PA floor guy]

Just wondering if anyone has any input on them. I am a floor sander by trade, I already has 31 festool sanders.  So there crucial to my business.  What will this do better

 

[ear3]

Um, with 31 festool sanders do you really need convincing? [laughing]

 

[RKA]

The power is there, but the one trait you may not like is they won't stay flat on the surface you're finishing without a steady hand.  The old sanders were balanced such that they could, so you only needed to guide the sander.

 

[Shane Holland]

I just want to say Happy Fathers Day.  [smile]

 

[Kev]

I'm quite a few short of 31 ... [eek]

I have the older ETS150/3 and /5. I really like the balance of the older sanders and the weight is perfect for flat sanding, you just guide them round. For similar flat sanding I feel the ETS150 EC's are simply too light and I also don't like the fact that they don't seem to be balanced. If I was working on a car or sanding walls and ceilings, the lighter weight and smaller form of the EC's would be perfect.

I honestly don't think the primary target of the ETS150 EC's was the cabinet maker. When they were first released and before I even touched the new EC's I was tempted to Ebay my existing ETS150's and get the new ones ... really glad I didn't.

 

[Cheese]

I honestly don't think the primary target of the ETS150 EC's was the cabinet maker.

I agree with you Kev, I think they are a spin-off from the automobile body work trade. They've just been repurposed.

 

[Holmz]

I honestly don't think the primary target of the ETS150 EC's was the cabinet maker.

I agree with you Kev, I think they are a spin-off from the automobile body work trade. They've just been repurposed.

A floor sander probably has little need for a 1/2 sheet sander, but I like mine a lot. The RS2E is similar.

 

[Brice Burrell]

A floor sander probably has little need for a 1/2 sheet sander, but I like mine a lot. The RS2E is similar.

I have no idea if the op needs a George Foreman grill, but I love mine. [blink]

 

[Holmz]

So which brushless sanders are there?
I did not know FT has >=31 sanders...
The ETS EC are brushless... Are there others from FT?

And can the George Forman grill use a brush?
My BBQ requires one, but the Teflon is generally brushless...

Ok... Maybe I am a bit  comfused ...;(

 

[leakyroof]

Okay, you own 20 more sanders than me ...Having said that, buy which ever new ETS EC best suits your needs. I have no trouble keeping mine flat while sanding. Think of the comments that the RO 90 had when it was new , and it's less balanced than the EC sanders .
Okay, so it won't sit flat like the older ETS sanders did with a cord and hose hooked up, but I don't sand hands free with any of my sanders anyway... [cool]
What you get, smaller , lighter package with Plenty of power that's easy to control.
Much like a pneumatic sander, which is part of where the Body Shop/Paint Division comments come from I think.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I like the EC sanders - I bought a 5 inch since I did not have that size and it suited what I needed to do. The power on this thing is amazing. I prefer 6 inch sanders for most things, but sometimes the 5 inch is the right size. So, that is what I did - I do not plan on changing my older style ETS anytime soon. The thing I like the most about the new EC sanders is the automatic off and the pad stops -- there is no wind down at all, which is great. A few seconds can add up over a day of work. Not a huge deal, but it has helped my workflow.

 

[PA floor guy]

Great input.  The flat issue is concerning. But I'm looking for something in between a Ets and a rotex. That's seems perfect. As far as the 31.  I lied.  It's 33. Mostly rotex sanders and Ets.  But yes I have at least one of every model.  Except the drywall sander. 

 

[KRKWW]

But I'm looking for something in between a Ets and a rotex.

That's exactly what I thought when I tested the EC at the Festool Roadshow when it came through. I have the ETS 125 and the Rotex 150 and exclaimed to the German gentleman helping me, "why wasn't this available when I bought my ETS!?" I thought it felt well in hand and was not fatiguing though my testing of it was limited. The power was far better than my ETS too. If I had the money today I would without hesitation purchase one of the EC models. It was exactly what I was looking for when my ETS arrived.

 

[Holmz]

Just wondering if anyone has any input on them. I am a floor sander by trade, I already has 31 festool sanders.  So there crucial to my business.  What will this do better

Do what better?
Usually they run cooler, and they have less issues dust in the motor/brushes.
But They're still a sander, so they basically are the same.
Floors are horizontal, so sander weight is not likely an issue.

Is it for you, or for your father?

 

[leakyroof]

Great input.  The flat issue is concerning. But I'm looking for something in between a Ets and a rotex. That's seems perfect. As far as the 31.  I lied.  It's 33. Mostly rotex sanders and Ets.  But yes I have at least one of every model.  Except the drywall sander.

. One other thought, since the new EC sanders are much lower than the older ETS's, you might be able to sneak under a cabinet to sand the floor next to the toe kick without always reaching for a Duckbill or entended reach Sander if the cabinet doesn't jut out too far.  [scratch chin] [scratch chin] [scratch chin]

 

[Kev]

Maybe you should go the PLANEX .. I think it's a sad state to have 33 Festool sanders and no PLANEX in the line up [scared] [eek]

The BS105 with the floating frame is really nice [wink] [big grin]

One thing is for certain, your 33 count has cured me of worrying that 9 seemed excessive!

 

[leakyroof]

One thing is for certain, your 33 count has cured me of worrying that 9 seemed excessive!

Me too.... [eek]