Festool ETS EC150/5 6" Random Orbit Sander

[Scott B.]

I don't think it really matters if you are a DIY/Hobbyist or a daily user, what I have been chewing on and starting to digest lately is that regardless of tool type, if a tool is too large or powerful for the task at hand, it will slow you down. No matter how many sanders you have, there are times when you will choose your DTS over your RO150 because it is the right size and power for the task at hand. Same applies with pressure washers, paint sprayers or saws. Call it, right sizing.

I think the world of Festool sanding boils down to whether you are a sander user who just wants to own one and get the most out of it in all tasks possible, or whether you feel you need to own a fleet of sanders and demand the best of the strengths from each. The viability of either will be different from one person to the next. It seems that it is hard to live with just one.

.  True- I size the tool to the job at hand, doesn't matter if it's sanding or something else.

That's just reality in tool selection. There is no right or wrong answer, it just always seems to come down to frequency of use and types of tasks. Some people sand 6 hours a year, and some people sand 6 hours a day.

 

[Cheese]

Ya... [member=4047]greg mann
and [member=13337]Scott Burt[/member] you guys are probably right. There's just something weird about needing to own all the Festool sanders. I can't explain it, I owned 6 of them including the RO/ETS 125 so that size should have been covered. However a few days ago I just HAD to purchase an ETS EC 125 so now I own 7 and I still don't own a 150 sized entry. There's just something about those sanders....

 

[AlexThePalex]

Owning 7 Festool sanders but no 150 sized entry, now THAT'S weird.  [big grin]

I'm trying to kick the habit, I once had 11, but it's now down to 7.

 

[ear3]

Hey, nothing weird at all [member=44099]Cheese[/member] !.  I did a box-style table a few weeks ago, which was a pretty straightforward project, yet I found I needed to have 4 sanders on site.  The RO150 for the coarse sanding of the plywood (and for cleaning up the dents made during transport), the ETS 150/3 for a final finish sand to remove the swirl marks of the Rotex mode, the RTS400 for the edges, and then the RO90 in delta mode to get the glue out of the corners and along the inside of the butt joints.  Could I have done all this with, say, the RTS400 alone?  Probably (though it doesn't get as far into the edge as the delta head of the RO90), but it would have been really slow going, and no fun at all. 

Ya... [member=4047]greg mann
and [member=13337]Scott Burt[/member] you guys are probably right. There's just something weird about needing to own all the Festool sanders. I can't explain it, I owned 6 of them including the RO/ETS 125 so that size should have been covered. However a few days ago I just HAD to purchase an ETS EC 125 so now I own 7 and I still don't own a 150 sized entry. There's just something about those sanders....

 

[greg mann]

A little off topic but I am bringing it up since Scott is following this discussion. Whoever said, "Throw a coat of paint on it and they'll never see it." was a bald-faced liar. The six-panel door I referred to earlier has 2 coats of primer(W and W) and two coats of Pro Classic and I can see EVERYTHING underneath.  [embarassed]

Of course, the wife doesn't see everything and is happy so I take solace in that. I've got 6 more doors to do and I am holding out hope that I just might be satisfied with the last one. I was too casual prepping the door before painting and I have come to the realization that prepping for paint is analogous to prepping lumber for furniture, i.e. straight, square parallel, and flat in that case. Smooth, uniform and flaw free for painting. One should approach painting preparation as though he would be staining and finishing with a clear medium like oil, varnish, shellac, lacquer. To bring it back on topic, I believe that is one of the places where sander choice comes into play, before painting and in between coats. 

 

[leakyroof]

Owning 7 Festool sanders but no 150 sized entry, now THAT'S weird.  [big grin]

I'm trying to kick the habit, I once had 11, but it's now down to 7.

. What sanders did you sell off?

 

[Scott B.]

A little off topic but I am bringing it up since Scott is following this discussion. Whoever said, "Throw a coat of paint on it and they'll never see it." was a bald-faced liar. The six-panel door I referred to earlier has 2 coats of primer(W and W) and two coats of Pro Classic and I can see EVERYTHING underneath.  [embarassed]

It depends what "it" is. There are very few times when that old adage ever really holds up. It is most possible when painting interior walls with flat paint. You can lose some imperfections in flat paint. When there is a sheen, it is a different ballgame.

The mind F is that with primer (which is flat) everything looks great.

First coat of paint (sheen) you start to see something (especially if inspecting with LED). Then, there is the temptation...will more paint make it better or worse? Sounds like you have discovered the answer. So, the solution is to learn how to do cosmetic work after first coat of paint and make THAT go away without flashing in one more finish coat. Therein lies much of the art.

 

[Cheese]

The mind F is that with primer (which is flat) everything looks great.

I guess that's the reason why all of the walls in my house are painted flat white...

 

[Cheese]

[member=5277]Alex[/member]

Owning 7 Festool sanders but no 150 sized entry, now THAT'S weird.  [big grin]

You're right...I won't argue that point with you...

But the ETS EC is really nice, I don't really consider it to be that much smoother than the ETS, just a bit perhaps...a little bit lighter and closer to the ground, but almost all of the Festool sanders are smooth operating, so it's just a matter of which sander do you feel most confortable with. Which sander speaks to you...as my wife would say on the golf course...

 

[225]

I haven't used mine yet. I hope the 5mm throw isn't too aggressive.

 

[jmac80]

I think the below video will really help your understanding.

Thanks for the great video.
Forgive me if this question is completely stupid as i'm fairly new to festool sanders.
Watching the video he uses to rotex to go from 40 grit to a highly polished finish, Why do you then need a ets ec 150 if the rotex can do a finish like that?
PS. i have the etc es 150 and love it!

 

[ear3]

You don't.  But the Rotex is big -- and so if you work on a vertical plane or up high, or on something were the long tail of the Rotex makes maneuverability an issue, or on narrower pieces, the greater stability/reduced vibration/smaller footprint/lighter weight of the ETS(EC) sander is a plus.  Also, while the Rotex can theoretically climb to the top of the grit charts, I've found the 3mm stroke ETS sander much better for getting a consistent, swirl free finish at this level.  But I've sanded up to 800 grit with the RO150 before, and have been pretty happy with the results. 

I think the below video will really help your understanding.

Thanks for the great video.
Forgive me if this question is completely stupid as i'm fairly new to festool sanders.
Watching the video he uses to rotex to go from 40 grit to a highly polished finish, Why do you then need a ets ec 150 if the rotex can do a finish like that?
PS. i have the etc es 150 and love it!

 

[AlexThePalex]

Owning 7 Festool sanders but no 150 sized entry, now THAT'S weird.  [big grin]

I'm trying to kick the habit, I once had 11, but it's now down to 7.

. What sanders did you sell off?

Well, let me first say I trade a bit in used Festools, I look to buy cheap tools, refurbish them, and sell them again. It is a nice way for me to get to know all Festools, because I know if I don't like them I can sell them off again with a bit of profit. A couple of years ago I had the habit of buying every Festool I could get my hands on, keep the ones I like and sell the ones I don't like or just don't need. Since then I've calmed down a bit.

So over the last 8 years I had almost every Festool sander except the two belt sanders, the RAS 180 and the RS 100 C.

The ones I like I keep and see them as "my" tools instead of just inventory, and at one point I had these 11 as my own sanders: RO150FEQ, ETS150/3, RAS115, DTS400, DS400, RTS400, ETS125, LS130, DX93E, RS100, RS300.

But then I found out I hardly used some of them, so I sold these: RS100, RS300, LS130, RTS400 and DTS400.

Later added the RO90. I planned to sell the DX93 because after buying the RO90 I hardly used it, but now I'm thinking of letting the RO90 go because I find the 90mm paper too expensive. The ETS150/3 is also on the nomination to go because I don't use it a lot.

With the DS400 I can exchange the DS pad for the RS pad, so I have two sanders in one with that. But I've found a new appreciation for the RTS shape again and used it often this summer, so I'm looking to add an RTS again. 

And as soon as I get a chance I'll get me a ETS EC sander to try it out.

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

I was looking at purchasing a ets ec150.  I'm having a hard time deciding between the 5mm and the 3mm.  I currently own a ro150e and ro90.  I have read several post that say that the 3mm complements these two sanders well.  I also read a post that 5mm works best for wood.  I just watched Peter Parffits video on the 3mm and was doing some sanding with 80 grit and he said it was pretty powerful.  As far as sanding,  I sand a little bit of everything.  Just don't have a good finish sander.  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GarryMartin]

The RO 150 has a 5mm orbit in random mode, so that's why people suggest the ETS 150/3 as a good companion sander with its 3mm orbit. Otherwise if you went ETS 150/5, with the RO in random orbit mode you'd essentially have two 5mm orbit sanders with different ergonomics.

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

The RO 150 has a 5mm orbit in random mode, so that's why people suggest the ETS 150/3 as a good companion sander with its 3mm orbit. Otherwise if you went ETS 150/5, with the RO in random orbit mode you'd essentially have two 5mm orbit sanders with different ergonomics.

I definitely like the ergonomics of the ets ec 150.  What sanding tasks would you use a 3mm over a 5mm?

 

[GarryMartin]

The smaller the orbit the less aggressive and a finer "scratch" pattern from the orbit. So all things being equal, the 3mm will produce a finer finish than the 5mm.

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

The smaller the orbit the less aggressive and a finer "scratch" pattern from the orbit. So all things being equal, the 3mm will produce a finer finish than the 5mm.

Is it that noticeable if you work up through the grits?  Some people say you can't see the difference with finer grits,  is that true?

 

[w802h]

I do get some swirl marks with 5mm that I don't with 3mm or 2mm orbit sanders. 

I have the Rotex 150 and use it primarily in Rotex mode.  I own a 150/3 and an RTS400 and bought the new EC 150/5.  I use and enjoy them all in a variety of tasks from drywall to cabinetry in owner-occupied remodels or my shop.  I bought the 150/5 as a lighter option for overhead work and quicker one-handed operation.  It does a good job with that, however, for drywall I thought the 5mm stroke was too aggressive and turned the machine to 1/2 speed.  So there are times sanding drywall, between coats of paint, or on veneers where I prefer a smaller stroke and less aggressive performance to get my result and these tend to be using higher grits.  I also would use a scraped finish or the 150/3 for unforgiving stuff like an ebony stained maple cabinet top.   

I value the different stroke sanders.  It all depends on what you're doing.