Getting near time for a new Random Orbit Sander....

[stairman]

For versatility, you know the Rotex is going to be the best choice,  but for the task at hand,  I think you'd find the RS2 would produce fantastic results.

Take advantage of the fact there are so many dealers around where you live,  and go take some "test drives" on some of your actual work piece samples / drops.

I would work through 150g max,  no finer.  Maples have a tendency to blotch, as well as other anomalies exacerbated by sanding too fine.

try this,  sand one sample through 120,  another to 150g, another to 220g  and finally to 320g on the 4th  use large enough sample pieces to get an accurate portrayal,  and ensure the samples are consistent with one another.
then proceed with the finish you'll use.  you'll see what I'm talking about....

what are you finishing your cabs with anyway?

 

[JimB1]

For versatility, you know the Rotex is going to be the best choice,   but for the task at hand,  I think you'd find the RS2 would produce fantastic results.

Take advantage of the fact there are so many dealers around where you live,  and go take some "test drives" on some of your actual work piece samples / drops.

I would work through 150g max,  no finer.   Maples have a tendency to blotch, as well as other anomalies exacerbated by sanding too fine.

try this,  sand one sample through 120,  another to 150g, another to 220g  and finally to 320g on the 4th   use large enough sample pieces to get an accurate portrayal,  and ensure the samples are consistent with one another.
then proceed with the finish you'll use.  you'll see what I'm talking about....

what are you finishing your cabs with anyway?

I'm using minwax pre-stain then colonial maple stain followed by the minwax fast drying poly in semi gloss. Three coats of the poly seems to work out fine with a light buffing between coats.
The pre-stain actually does seem to help keep the stain from blotching the maple.

I tested up to 220 but the stain wouldn't absorb into the wood all that well at 220 and came out way lighter then I wanted it. 150 and 180 looked very similar as I recall. The cabinets are already done and in place as well as all the drawers (no storage space for completed cabinets so I had to install them to get room to work on the rest) and they were done to 180. I don't want to alter the formula on the doors and make them darker then what is there already.

Good thought on the RS2, that's something to look into.
Thanks
-Jim

 

[festoolgolfer]

I have a 150/3 as my only Festool sander and I don't have any trouble sanding stiles and rails or for that fact anything. I'm positive I made the right choice and don't regret spending that much money on it.

 

[Kevin Stricker]

People tend to recommend the sanders that they own.  As Stairman said most Festool sanders will be a big upgrade from box store sanders.  Here is the thing, the sander is only part of the equation.  Without proper technique you will still have sanding problems even with Festools.

Rotex sanders are great tools, but I feel from my personal experience best suited to refinishing tasks.  Yes they can do just about anything, but rarely does that type of tool do the best job at everything.  Rotex sanders can be a good investment  because of their versatility, so many users own one.  If you own a RO150 you might not buy an ETS 150/5, and guess which sander you are going to recommend for just about any task?  Testing out different sanders and studying their recommended uses is a good start to getting the best sander for you.

 

[JimB1]

People tend to recommend the sanders that they own.

I think someone once said that if all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail

It's entirely possible that I may end up with multiple sanders, but in the short term, the reality is Festool is expensive so best bang for the buck is better so I think that's where I need to be thinking. Yeah, I think any festool is superior in quality to pretty much any other sander out there (not counting Ceros) but they do seem to be more specialized then most. 

Here's my thoughts so far:

The ETS-125 looks like more of what I am used to in a ROS (palm sized, 5" sander) and the price is reasonable (in relative terms to other Festool sanders) but the question there is on capability down to 100 grit. Most folks seem to think it is far less aggressive then most so that makes it more of a very fine finish sander (150 + grit)

ETS-150/3 - ETS-150/5 Not sure I understand exactly what the cutoff between these two is. It's very good to say /5 handles intermediate and /3 handle fine/very fine sanding but what does that actually mean? /3 can't do 80 grit or less? /5 doesn't work well at 220 grit? Stroke size doesn't really tell me much without something familiar to compare it to. I mean I am guessing if you want to sand paint off a old rusty railing with 40 grit /5 is the way to go and if you want to sand 600 - 800 grit the /3 is the way to go but everything in between seems a bit nebulous...

Rotex seems interesting to me. Sort of a jack of all trades which is normally the place I like to be with tools but price wise, I could buy a dozen sanders of varying types from other companies for the price of the RO-125 or 150. RO-90DX seems like a good place to be if I were looking at Rotex models as the most versatile to me as a hobbiest...

The other specialty sanders look interesting but really I think I am looking for something ROS at this point so why muddy the waters...

Did I miss anything? Anyone care to expand on any of my list with observations on any of those models?

I know there is a 30 day return on anything I buy but I'd like to be close on what I want before I buy. It's a pain to me to get something and have to return it not because there was a problem with the item but that I just didn't get something suitable to the task because I didn't research enough. And I have time to do that research because I have another month until tax time so why not try and get the right thing up front right? Besides that, there aren't many Festool dealers near me. Two of the closest ones (same company, different locations) I won't buy stuff from (long story that I'm not going into) and the next closest are actually either in NY, PA or pretty far away in NJ so it's actually kind of a pain to return stuff.

Thanks
-Jim

 

[stairman]

HTC TOOLS Festool Sanding Pad Jet Stream

You will be blown away by the ETS125,  and there is no problem sanding down to 100g...    the guys who own a herd of these tools, and are used to the power and efficiency of the larger sanders, would say it is underpowered,  -everything is relative...
but there is NOTHING wrong with the ETS sander,  and considering you are leaning towards multiple sanders anyway, I think the ETS125 is a great 1st purchase.  -application specific, I still maintain the RS2 would be the ideal sander for you,  but you'll be doing more than just a set of cabinets,  you've made a solid choice.

as soon as you buy it, you're going to learn all about FESTOOL ROI,  and a RO90 purchase will likely follow very soon  8)    --so be prepared

 

[oldie]

+1 Stairman.
Thanks, you have put it just right – totally spot on.
My first sander was an ETS 125 (ex demo.)

My buying decision was based on:
cheapish way of testing the Festool water – price was important factor in this context
seemed could sell easily if didn't like
a simple 'wanted to get an idea of what all the fuss about'
was turning paint work down, as no longer was prepared spend so much time cleaning up, and, having to hand-sand so much.

First used on an external balcony, where paint had deteriorated badly (customer knew the score and understood what I was doing.)
Can't really remember, but think even went to 80 – just took my time and let sander do its job.
Yes, it was slower than I expected; but not a problem - enjoyed the experience – nice and easy.  Not surprisingly got very good finish
Was not using a vacuum – outside my experience for sanding – but still impressed with dust collection.

Very quickly progressed to RO 150 + Midi – would stress this was a speed thing, particularly on large surfaces, and, improved dust collection with vacuum.  But the ETS 125 was still playing its part.
Now, with a slightly wider range of sanders,the 125 isn't used so much  –  for the reasons you explain.  But good to know its there.
Would I get rid of it – no.  Although that might change when I can get a ETS 150/3 at the right price – but very much doubt it at the moment.

I have a soft spot for the ETS 125 - definitely suggest giving it a try.

 

[jacko9]

OK, I'm looking for q new sander BUT,  I have a Bosch 3725 DVS attached to my Festool mini 22 dust collection system and I use it to smooth finish timbers on new furniture after joining and planing the furniture pieces.  I'm curious as to what Festool sander would replace my Bosch?

 

[JimB1]

OK so ETS-125 sounds pretty good at the moment but if I did want to go for a ETS-150 which would make more sense (/3 or /5) if I wasn't going to get a rotex 150?

I rarely, if ever, go below 100 grit for anything and have never had to go above 320 grit for anything.
If they are both good in that range, which would it make more sense to go for and why?

Thanks
-Jim

 

[peter halle]

OK so ETS-125 sounds pretty good at the moment but if I did want to go for a ETS-150 which would make more sense (/3 or /5) if I wasn't going to get a rotex 150?

I rarely, if ever, go below 100 grit for anything and have never had to go above 320 grit for anything.
If they are both good in that range, which would it make more sense to go for and why?

Thanks
-Jim

If you went to the 150/x line I would offer my opinion:

Go got the 150/3.  Why?  It has a final better product due to its orbit.  But is it the fastest?  NO.  But you can go courser and get the benefit of the finer orbit and then advance up in grits.  I Use mine to death and smile every time.

Peter

 

[Brice Burrell]

............but if I did want to go for a ETS-150 which would make more sense (/3 or /5) if I wasn't going to get a rotex 150?

I rarely, if ever, go below 100 grit for anything and have never had to go above 320 grit for anything.
If they are both good in that range, which would it make more sense to go for and why?

Thanks
-Jim

Jim, given your description above you'd probably be happy with either /3 or /5.  I think most people assume the smaller sanding stroke of the /3 is going to give you a "finer" finish.  While it's technically true, it's not appreciable when sanding wood.  For super high gloss finishes sure but not for most common wood working applications.  I say go for the /5 if rate of material removal is important to you, the /3 if you think you'll want to get into super high gloss finishes that require very fine grit sanding.    

 

[semenza]

Jim,

I agree with Brice that either the /3 or/5 will be fine for what you describe.  If you really don't plan on getting the ROTEX any time soon I'd get the /5.  Which is what I did  quite a few years ago when I was trying to make the same decision. It was my only sander for several years. My feeling was and is that the /5 is a bit more versatile.  You may not be planning to go below 100gr,  , but the /5 will be better to have if you do. I frequently used 40gr Cristal and the hard pad for material removal.  On the other end of the spectrum it also gives a fine finish , including between coats.

Seth

 

[JeromeM]

OK so ETS-125 sounds pretty good at the moment but if I did want to go for a ETS-150 which would make more sense (/3 or /5) if I wasn't going to get a rotex 150?

I rarely, if ever, go below 100 grit for anything and have never had to go above 320 grit for anything.
If they are both good in that range, which would it make more sense to go for and why?

Thanks
-Jim

I went for the 150/3 as I was going to get the Rotex 150. Those 2 are my main go to sanders. AAMOF the 150/3 is the one I use most then the DTS then the Rotex

 

[JimB1]

OK, so I am in a toss up between the ETS-125 and the ETS 150/3 and possibly adding the RO-90 or something to get into corners later.

I don't own and have never used a belt sander on wood and have a DeWalt planer to bring parts down to size reasonably smooth and I'm not flattening large tables or anything so I don't think I have much need for a Rotex at the moment. Definitely more of a finishing sander user.

I think the 125 with the 2mm stroke would be better at between finish sanding then the 150 (which I am currently doing by hand with sanding blocks) but the 150 seems to have an all around better removal rate and every review I've read gives it high marks for comfort, low vibration and balance even on edge sanding.

Thanks for all the help, it really made me narrow down what I am looking for in a sander. Festool just has a lot of choices so sometimes you just get overwhelmed
I just need to try out these two now and decide which is the one.

-Jim

 

[builderbob]

I'll honestly say that I do not like my ETS 125. The size is certainly more appealing for certain tasks, but I love love my ETS 150/3. I'm sure it's a preference thing, but I've gotten so used to the 150 that I'll even use it on 1 1/2" face frames. I use the RTS 400 as well...and of course I really enjoy the RO 90, but isn't my go to for larger surface sanding. I'm soon to purchase the RS2E for that task!

Just another opinion for you!

Bob

 

[jacko9]

Jim,  I purchased the ETS 125 last week after trying out the various sanders at my local Festool dealer for two hours.  

I've been using it for a week and I keep thinking about trading it in for the ETS 150/3 to get faster results on large glued up sections like table tops. etc.  However, the ETS 125 is so easy to use I think I'll keep it and buy the 150/3 at a later time.  I purchased the RO 90 yesterday and I already love it for certain jobs like leveling a butterfly key I just glued into a walnut slab - it worked GREAT!

I would start off with the ETS 125 and see for yourself if you ever feel the "need" for faster or bigger.  I have a Milwaukee half sheet sander, a Makita palm sander that are gathering dust and will probably never be used in my shop again.  I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Festool sanders your looking at buying.

 

[Timtool]

I also do not really like my ETS 125, any of the two other ETS models is heaps better at most tasks.
A problem with the 125 is that there is hardly any force behind the rotation of the pad, the lowest suction setting on my CT22 is often enough to stall it when sanding a smooth flat surface, when you want to actually remove material by pressing slightly down on it, it will rapidly stall as well.
The other two models (DTS and RTS) who share the same body and engine don't have this problem, i suspect this is because they commit all their power toward the orbital action only, and the ETS has the random action to power on top of that.

I also am not keen about the body grip of the ETS 125, it may be light and smooth but i find the body awkward to hold and even painful when using it for long periods. Of all he palm sanders i owned/used these ones have the worst ergonomics.

 

[mouppe]

Love hate love hate.

The ETS 125 is without doubt the most divisive sander in the Festool product line. My dealer told me it is his most returned Festool, but mainly because it wasn't powerful enough for what people wanted to do.

It's perfect for me for finish sanding, but below 180, I pull out the rotex.

 

[jacko9]

Love hate love hate.

The ETS 125 is without doubt the most divisive sander in the Festool product line. My dealer told me it is his most returned Festool, but mainly because it wasn't powerful enough for what people wanted to do.

It's perfect for me for finish sanding, but below 180, I pull out the rotex.

I think Richard is correct in that the ETS 125 is a great finish sander and for me, that's really what I need.  I remove bandsaw ridges with a hand plane or spokeshave and finish sand with my ETS 125.  I am using my Rotex for rough sanding when needed.  I don't have any issues with the sander bogging down or with my Festool Mini 22 causing an issue between the sander and work interface.  I like the bigger sanders but, I don't know if I have that much use for them.  So I guess it depends on the work your going to do with the tool.

 

[andvari]

It is really tough to figure out which finish sander to go for. I have mostly 6" abrasives so I'm leaning towards the ETS 150/3 but I'm wondering is there is something one of the other finish sanders does that will have me kicking myself a year from now. I have an RO 90 and a Mirka Ceros 150 right now.