New brushless sander

[mandatory66]

I used my new ETS EC 125/3 yesterday for the first time.This is my first Festool product. I also have a new CT 26 E hooked up to the sander.I Really like the Vac & the instant stop feature on the sander.  It's sanding performance is not to much better than my 7 year old Dewalt ROS, but it is fine. What surprised me was that the ETC ES was harder to control, it wanted to spin out of my hand more so than my old Dewalt,which made it seem less smooth to use. I turned down the vac to about midway and it made no difference. I was using Granat 150 & 220 paper. I sanded 2 complete drawers and the paper never loaded up, which was great. After reading great reviews about this sander I am a little disappointed about the control issue.

 

[JCLP]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. All sanders need a breakin period. When I purchased mine I let it run for about an hour. After that it ran without issues. Also, don't press to hard on the sander. Sometimes that will make it jump and hard to control. Also I found that even the CT26 at 1/2 power is too much, I drop mine down to approx 1/3.
Good luck.
JC

 

[Shane Holland]

The debate has raged on for years about the need for a break in period. I think the jury is still out on that one.

What I would suggest is making sure that you're not inadvertently tipping the sander. The Rotex and new ETS EC designs with an extended handle area make them more prone to being influenced by the weight of the hose. A common tactic is shown in this blog article:

http://blog.festoolusa.com/post/2011/02/18/Why-Technique-Matters.aspx

 

[mandatory66]

Hi Mark & JC,

 

[ear3]

Yeah, I thought the break-in period just applied to Rotex sanders. 

Sorry to hear you're having issues with the control.  Could it just be the unfamiliar motion of the EC?

I find my ETS-EC 150/5 to take more attention than my normal ETS 150/3, but after a short time using it I actually prefer the action.  It feels almost like guided sanding -- the only thing I can liken it to is back when I was young and liked to play around with the Ouija Board with some friends, and you had this feeling like you're hands were following the motion of the magnifying glass indicator across the board, when in reality it was simply you doing it.  It's just the combined effort of another set of hands makes it feel like you're following something on auto-pilot.  So once I got a sense of the natural motion of the ETS-EC, it felt like my hand was simply directing it to where it instinctively wanted it to go. 

 

[Shane Holland]

Not to throw this thread into a death spiral of debate for and against a break-in period...

The premise of needing a break-in period is based on the fact that Festool ships tools with new brushes that are square on the ends. There's a period of time for the brushes to conform to the commutator. The theory is that the tool is not making full power until that happens. Is the difference appreciable or does it even make a difference at all? Some say yes. Others say no.

Festool's stance, at least when I was there, was not to run your sanders for a break-in period.

If you want to debate or discuss, I would recommend a new thread to do it and tag Rick Christopherson, who will certainly have opinions and experise on the matter.

 

[SS Teach]

I have 5 sanders that were great right out of the systainer. They "don't need no stinking" break in.

 

[Kev]

So ... regardless of whether a tool's brushes require a breakin period - a brushless motor should still require no break in!!

I think we underestimate our familiarity with tools - you unconciously become "one" with a tool .. change that tool to something else and no matter how much better it is, it will feel foreign for a while.

 

[weekendwarrior]

I used my new ETS EC 125/3 yesterday for the first time.This is my first Festool product. I also have a new CT 26 E hooked up to the sander.I Really like the Vac & the instant stop feature on the sander.  It's sanding performance is not to much better than my 7 year old Dewalt ROS, but it is fine. What surprised me was that the ETC ES was harder to control, it wanted to spin out of my hand more so than my old Dewalt,which made it seem less smooth to use. I turned down the vac to about midway and it made no difference. I was using Granat 150 & 220 paper. I sanded 2 complete drawers and the paper never loaded up, which was great. After reading great reviews about this sander I am a little disappointed about the control issue.

I used Ridgid and Harbor Freight ROSs before I had gotten my first Festool sander, the RO90.  The others never jumped around; the RO90 would sometimes just take off in a direction spinning out like the RAS115, but really pulling the sander roughly.  It sounds like the issue you're describing.  This happened to me while sanding drywall and wood, both vertical and horizontal planes.

I found that when the spin-out happened, I really just needed to simply change my handling position like Shane mentioned earlier, but of course you need to adapt that sort of an awareness to a different sander form factor.  With more on-tool time, the issue happened less and less for me.

My vote is that the issue is your technique.  Festool sanders are not typical ROSs.  Don't push down too hard and focus on balancing the pad out such that the paper glides along the surface.  If it takes off again, pick it up and take a deep breath!

Also, probably a good idea to not work on really important surfaces while you're getting used to the tool in case you really gouge it up.

 

[Scott B.]

I don't want to discount one bit that first project experience with a new sander, but speaking from experience, I will say that drawer fronts can be awkward and unstable depending on setup and orientation. Any finish sander is looking for maximum stability of the piece being stabile and drawer boxes and fronts can be awkward whether sanding in place (at the mercy of the slop in the slides) or removed but still attached to the secondary (which is worse).

I'd definitely double check set up and maybe go up a grit to 240 or 320 (depending on the nature of the prep and next finish) and back right into it.

PS - and definitely double to check to make sure sander speed is up.

 

[ajcoholic]

Been using my new 125/3 brushless for a few weeks now, pretty much daily.

Having two older ETS125's, which I did find a bit jumpy at times (really depends what you were sanding, with what grit) the new brushless seems very smooth.

I used a dozen DeWalt 5" ROS over the past 15 or so years (still have a few kicking around - but we'd wear them out pretty qucikly) but the new Festool certainly has more "umph" IMO.  I'm not a Festool crazy guy - I half expected to return this sander and buy another Mirka Ceros... but it will stay in the shop, I like it.

Funny thing, myself and one of my guys like the new sander better, the other guy still likes the older ETS'  I guess its whatever you get used to.

Give it a bit of time, get used to it.  One day isn't a lot. 

If I had one complaint about the new sander, it would be my hand seems to get a bit more cramped after a long time using it VS some of my other sanders.  Prob just gripping it a bit harder than I need to.

 

[mandatory66]

Great input, A few thoughts,Scott might be on to something,I usually sand the drawers prior to assembly just by holding them down with my hand.Doing this with the EC125 was difficult because the sander kept fighting me. I finally had to secure the parts in a table clamp and things went a little smoother. I think I might have been pressing down on the sander to hard as well. As Andrew said I may just have to get used to it. I will note that running the sander in your hand without touching wood it is much smoother than my Dwalt. (and quieter) I will not jump to any conclusions yet and hope things work out. Help here at FOG is amazing.
                                                                                                                Thanks,Bill

 

[sancho57]

What Kev said

 

[mandatory66]

Worked with the sander today and no problems. I think I was pushing down on the sander to hard, I also took the suction down to about 1/3 capacity.Liking it better now.

 

[idratherplaytennis]

For what it's worth, the etc etc 150/3 is my first festooned sander along with an ro90 (same purchase, same projects). The ro90 worked well and a LOT better when I dialed the suction to minimum, and the 150/3 workedo amazing as well on low suction.

Never found it jumpy or anything other than as amazing as the Festool stigma is. I will say, I was using the ro90 on 80 grit to blow through the finish on some cabinets, then my worker was using my 1/2 sheet Makita with 150 (no dust collection) then I was hitting the cabinet doors faces with 220 on the ec150, and all that, there was no issues. The ec150 on low suction took the dust left by the Makita up perfectly, only leaving small dust that was stuck in the grain (maybe 30% of the time) that I hit with the air compressor blow gun.

That said, I'm of the opinion of no break in needed. I will advocate that you need to make sure what you are sanding is pretty flat and to play with suction levels. That can cause chatter for sure.