NEW ETSC 2-125 & 150-18V battery powered
- Thread starter neeleman
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MMCO
Member
I acquired the ETSC2 150 and really enjoy using it. I have 2 Rotex (90 and 125) and an ETS 125, DTS 400. For me the built in light is awesome. I have very bright lighting in my garage but find the built in light so much better. Battery life is disappointing but the charging time is so quick compared to all my DeWalt batteries it's no big deal. If you always swap the 2 included batteries from sander to charger I find they charge in about the time the sander battery dies with constant sanding.
As a side note, the ETSC2 was my first battery powered Festool and has been a gateway drug for other Festool battery powered tools. I recently acquired two Festool drills and the reciprocating saw. All great and I really enjoy using them compared to my DeWalt tools. I didn't think there would be a reason to switch battery platforms but I will be investing in Festool replacements as needed and when available.
As a side note, the ETSC2 was my first battery powered Festool and has been a gateway drug for other Festool battery powered tools. I recently acquired two Festool drills and the reciprocating saw. All great and I really enjoy using them compared to my DeWalt tools. I didn't think there would be a reason to switch battery platforms but I will be investing in Festool replacements as needed and when available.
anthonymall
Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2024
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- 35
@Cheese I have the 150 pad on my 125, (ETSC2) but have yet to try it. Just saw a different post somewhere saying it doesn’t work “correctly” because of the the counterweight that comes on the 150. Have you noticed anything? Obv that would explain the vibration that @FestitaMakool was referring to, but I wanted to know from someone who has some actual usage time on it.Very interesting @FestitaMakool ...
I'm surprised at how the ETSC 2 "soils" itself compared to the ETSC sander. I noticed the pile of saw dust was smaller with the ETSC 2 but maybe that's because the ETSC 2 wears more of the dust.The removal rate appears to be the same for both sanders inspite of the different orbit sizes, is that correct?
The photo of the ETSC 2 minus the pad is also interesting. They chose an aluminum fan instead of the normal plastic variety, I wonder why?
Here's a photo of the ETS EC 125 without a pad vs your photo of the ETSC 2 125. Note that both sanders use the same bearing/retainer/shaft assembly, 200017.
Cheese
Member
I'm thinking about picking up my ETSC 2 125 from Woodcraft tomorrow. I paid for it 3 weeks ago to avoid paying for the Trump tariffs. I have 2 teak outside door mats to sand and have been saving these for the new ETSC 2 125 sander.
This will be fun as I will be comparing an ETS EC 125 vs an ETS 125 vs an ETSC 2 125 sander. Part of the fun will be to swap out the different 125mm & 150mm diameter pads and to determine if there are any pad compatibility issues.
This will be fun as I will be comparing an ETS EC 125 vs an ETS 125 vs an ETSC 2 125 sander. Part of the fun will be to swap out the different 125mm & 150mm diameter pads and to determine if there are any pad compatibility issues.
onocoffee
Member
I saw that guy too @anthonymall talk about that vibration. So I'm definitely interested to learn of your experience with the 150 pad, @Cheese.
Cheese
Member
Picked up my ETSC 2 125 from Woodcraft today. My initial observation is that it's really nice. 
There are just certain brands of tools that make you smile when you hold them...Festool is certainly one of them along with Mafell & Starrett.
My first thought is that this sander is heavy to use on vertical or overhead applications. I have a pair of teak door mats I made that need to be sanded and refinished. My plan is to compare the ETS EC 125 vs the ETSC 2 125 vs the ETSC 125 sander for this trial. I'll then throw in a bunch of 150 mm pads and see how that tweeks the outcome.
There are just certain brands of tools that make you smile when you hold them...Festool is certainly one of them along with Mafell & Starrett.My first thought is that this sander is heavy to use on vertical or overhead applications. I have a pair of teak door mats I made that need to be sanded and refinished. My plan is to compare the ETS EC 125 vs the ETSC 2 125 vs the ETSC 125 sander for this trial. I'll then throw in a bunch of 150 mm pads and see how that tweeks the outcome.
johnmpf
Member
I did not find the ETSC 2 125 to be too heavy for overhead work. Maybe all day sanding would be a problem. I really like the ability to use one hand while sanding while maintaining control. My old none Festool sander required two hands to get good results. Why no one put LED lighting on a sander before is beyond me.
Cheese
Member
I was just quickly comparing the weight of the ETSC 2 to the ETS EC as they were both sitting on the couch. I'm sure the light weight advantage of the ETS EC will soon disappear once a cord and a dust hose is attached to it as will the one-hand usage because one hand will have to control/hold the cord & hose.
Cheese
Member
Today, I was organizing a sander comparison that I want to start tomorrow? and as I was laying out the sanders to compare, I was once again struck by the weight of the ETSC 2 125...it's a nice small compact package but it definitely has some heft. It's the weight and size of a paver brick. 
Tomorrow, I need to bury some 120 volt UF-B in PVC conduit and when I become bored or annoyed with that process, then I'll switch to the sander project. This is how I initially think the comparison will roll out for sanding a teak door mat.
Tomorrow, I need to bury some 120 volt UF-B in PVC conduit and when I become bored or annoyed with that process, then I'll switch to the sander project. This is how I initially think the comparison will roll out for sanding a teak door mat.
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onocoffee
Member
Neil Lickfold
Member
I got the 150 etsc2 and have the 125 pad as well. I needed to recut the pad geometry to fit the 150 model, and added a shim to reduce the preload on the brake seal. I didn't notice any difference in the amount of vibration in the 2 setups. I have a vacuum hose attached when I use the sander. I have not noticed the build up of alot of dust on the machine as being reported. I am very pleased with the dust collection of the sander and surprised how long the battery lasts. I mean, the amount that gets sanded and the time frame, is very impressive. I have never used a Festool sander before. I have the sand paper that has the little relief area for better dust collection, and certainly seems to work very well. I have only used the 125mm pad once, as the 150 was too large to get into the area that needed to be sanded. 140mm wide. I like that there in minimal amount of vibration and hands don't feel funny after using the tool. Been sanding Pine, plywood, Kwilla
Neil
Neil
Cheese
Member
Neil, you may want to rethink the shim part.
I have new and used 125mm pads for the ETS EC & ETSC 2 sanders. I swapped out all 4 pads between the sanders and interestingly enough, in every case, the new pads produced less drag than when I replaced them with the used pads.Once the new pads are used for a while, the top surface of the pad is burnished by the individual brake segments along with the rubber surround that holds the brake segments in place. Here are a couple of photos that clearly show the burnished areas on the used pads. The pads shown are 492286 (soft) and 492284 (hard).
I also have a new 492288 (super soft) that I attached to each sander and the results were the same as I noted above.
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Neil Lickfold
Member
Is your sander the ETSC-2 125 ? If so, the height from the screw base, to the brake pad is shorter on the ETSC2125 than that of the ETSC2 150. I tried the 125mm pad initially , and it did not want to rotate at all. I measured the distance from the pad seat area to the rim area that the brake seat against. The height difference is 1.2mm. The 125 pad from the metal seat to the seal is 3.4mm, while the 150 pad from the metal seat to the seal is 4 .6mm. The shim that I added is 1mm thick and works very well. It may well be that the 150 pad on the 125 sander, has a small gap between the pad and the break ring. From your pictures it looks like the 150 pad is rubbing against the brake ring though.
The pads are different on the paper side, with the 150mm pad having vacuum ports to the outer edge, while the 125 does not have this feature built into the pad. The pad savers do effect the outer edge dust collection. So there is more surface dust when using the pad saver adapter piece, versus the paper directly on the pad itself. The 125mm sanding pad did leave more dust on the surface compared to a the 150mm pad. This has been my experience so far. I am yet to cut a portion of the outer ring to mimic the 150mm sanding pad on the pad protection ring and see if it then works the same in collecting the surface dust.
One day Festool may bring out a 125 pad with the outer edge vacuum porting like the 150mm pad.
The pads are different on the paper side, with the 150mm pad having vacuum ports to the outer edge, while the 125 does not have this feature built into the pad. The pad savers do effect the outer edge dust collection. So there is more surface dust when using the pad saver adapter piece, versus the paper directly on the pad itself. The 125mm sanding pad did leave more dust on the surface compared to a the 150mm pad. This has been my experience so far. I am yet to cut a portion of the outer ring to mimic the 150mm sanding pad on the pad protection ring and see if it then works the same in collecting the surface dust.
One day Festool may bring out a 125 pad with the outer edge vacuum porting like the 150mm pad.
Cheese
Member
This sander comparison was just a quick way for me to see if there's a difference in sanding efficiency between the 2mm, 3mm and 3.5mm sanders.
Figuring that the ETSC would probably be the slowest of the bunch, I decided to sand with it for 60 seconds and then see how long it took the other sanders to attain the same approximate results. Nothing very scientific just a general observation test.
The 3 sanders I used were:
1. ETSC 125...2.0mm orbit cordless @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 60 seconds
2. ETSC 2 125...3.5mm orbit cordless @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 35 seconds
3. ETS EC 125...3.0mm orbit corded @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 36 seconds
4. ETS EC 125 fitted with a 150 pad corded @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 25 seconds
Here's the before and after sanding photos and the thing to look for is, are the 4 sections approximately sanded the same? If so, then the time it took to sand each section is valid.
My impressions:
A. There is a large difference between the 2mm orbit and the 3.5mm orbit.
B. There's little to no difference between the 3.0mm and the 3.5mm orbit.
C. There's a significant difference between the 125mm pad and the 150mm pad.
D. While the ETSC 2 is heavy, when sanding a horizontal surface the weight is not noticed at all and it's pleasant to use.
E. When using the cordless sanders with a bag, it's probably a good practice to vacuum out the dust port from time to time.
F. The cordless sanders continue to "dirty" themselves with sanding dust on the outside of the sander while the corded sander stays relatively dust free.
Figuring that the ETSC would probably be the slowest of the bunch, I decided to sand with it for 60 seconds and then see how long it took the other sanders to attain the same approximate results. Nothing very scientific just a general observation test.
The 3 sanders I used were:
1. ETSC 125...2.0mm orbit cordless @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 60 seconds
2. ETSC 2 125...3.5mm orbit cordless @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 35 seconds
3. ETS EC 125...3.0mm orbit corded @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 36 seconds
4. ETS EC 125 fitted with a 150 pad corded @ 10,000 rpm. Sanded section in 25 seconds
Here's the before and after sanding photos and the thing to look for is, are the 4 sections approximately sanded the same? If so, then the time it took to sand each section is valid.
My impressions:
A. There is a large difference between the 2mm orbit and the 3.5mm orbit.
B. There's little to no difference between the 3.0mm and the 3.5mm orbit.
C. There's a significant difference between the 125mm pad and the 150mm pad.
D. While the ETSC 2 is heavy, when sanding a horizontal surface the weight is not noticed at all and it's pleasant to use.
E. When using the cordless sanders with a bag, it's probably a good practice to vacuum out the dust port from time to time.
F. The cordless sanders continue to "dirty" themselves with sanding dust on the outside of the sander while the corded sander stays relatively dust free.
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Neil Lickfold
Member
So I cut the slots in the 150mm protector pad to mimic the 150mm sanding pad outer slots. It made a huge difference to the dust collection. The sander is cleaner now and most of the dust collection is better too. I was having trouble trying to sand nicely the edge of some 18mm wide pine. I was effectively crowning the surface.
Then realised that I have a bubble level. So attached it with 3 dots of Velcro . Then took off the battery and sat the sander on the flat surface inside the box and orientated the handle how I has going to use it and set it close to the centre. 3 deg makes the bubble go outside the ring.
What I found is that the heavier the back of the sander became, ie from 4amp battery to the 5 amp battery and the sanding hose, I was actually over compensating for that weight and was tilting the sander forwards a bit, about 2 deg to 5 deg or so. A lot. So I damaged the paper going into the corner join as a result of holding it wrong. It was a good training thing for me to learn the feel of a sander when it is on the flat and not tilted an a particular way. It also helped to reduce the crowning that I was doing too. No doubt the experienced ones don't have these sort of issues that the newbies have.
The dots on the sander are from when I got it 3d scanned. Going to get printed at some stage a 90 deg holder to make edge sanding a lot easier. Take away the amateur guesswork of edge sanding a nice edge.
I am using the vacuum hose and have never used the bag. I am allergic to some woods, so prefer to have the most dust possible to be collected. So far I am very happy with. When I switch to the 125 pad, i will cut into it like the 150 pad and create the vacuum vents onto the outer edge as well.
Thanks for the reply and the very informative images and knowledge shared.
The paper I am using is 120 grit. Should have got some courser 80 grit for some of the things I was sanding. But the 120 did work very well.
Pics of the sander inside the box that I was sanding the edges of and the sides.
Sander with the damaged paper before putting on the level. (Didn't change the paper)
The sanding saver pad, with the cut out slots to match that of the original sanding pad
The sander showing the very little dust on it with the level fitted.
Neil
Then realised that I have a bubble level. So attached it with 3 dots of Velcro . Then took off the battery and sat the sander on the flat surface inside the box and orientated the handle how I has going to use it and set it close to the centre. 3 deg makes the bubble go outside the ring.
What I found is that the heavier the back of the sander became, ie from 4amp battery to the 5 amp battery and the sanding hose, I was actually over compensating for that weight and was tilting the sander forwards a bit, about 2 deg to 5 deg or so. A lot. So I damaged the paper going into the corner join as a result of holding it wrong. It was a good training thing for me to learn the feel of a sander when it is on the flat and not tilted an a particular way. It also helped to reduce the crowning that I was doing too. No doubt the experienced ones don't have these sort of issues that the newbies have.
The dots on the sander are from when I got it 3d scanned. Going to get printed at some stage a 90 deg holder to make edge sanding a lot easier. Take away the amateur guesswork of edge sanding a nice edge.
I am using the vacuum hose and have never used the bag. I am allergic to some woods, so prefer to have the most dust possible to be collected. So far I am very happy with. When I switch to the 125 pad, i will cut into it like the 150 pad and create the vacuum vents onto the outer edge as well.
Thanks for the reply and the very informative images and knowledge shared.
The paper I am using is 120 grit. Should have got some courser 80 grit for some of the things I was sanding. But the 120 did work very well.
Pics of the sander inside the box that I was sanding the edges of and the sides.
Sander with the damaged paper before putting on the level. (Didn't change the paper)
The sanding saver pad, with the cut out slots to match that of the original sanding pad
The sander showing the very little dust on it with the level fitted.
Neil
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luvmytoolz
Member
@Neil Lickfold What brand is the disc you're using there? Haven't seen that one before.
One to keep an eye out for and that I'm planning to try when Best Abrasives have them on special next, are the new Mirka Ligno discs, looks fantastic for wood.
One to keep an eye out for and that I'm planning to try when Best Abrasives have them on special next, are the new Mirka Ligno discs, looks fantastic for wood.
luvmytoolz
Member
@Cheese Interesting results, I haven't had a 125mm sander for many years, preferring 150 when I got into Festool, how do you find handling the 125 compared to the 150?
I kind of remember having to consciously control the handling on the old 125mm, which admittedly was a crap and very cheap sander, compared to the 150's that I more or less let glide over the surface with little effort.
I kind of remember having to consciously control the handling on the old 125mm, which admittedly was a crap and very cheap sander, compared to the 150's that I more or less let glide over the surface with little effort.
Cheese
Member
We have a large teak outdoor table that needs to be sanded every 2-3 years. I typically sand that with the ETS EC sander using both the 125mm & 150mm pads. I can turn on the sander at full speed and without a hand on the sander, I can guide it across the teak surface just by holding the vac hose at around the 2 foot mark. I think the low profile and the balance of the ETS EC allow that to happen.
I wonder about the ETSC 2 if I used a vac hose on that one?
I wonder about the ETSC 2 if I used a vac hose on that one?
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Neil Lickfold
Member
I saw a video on Youtube and they were using them. Not promoting them and had no link to where they came from. So did a google image search and Temu had them. I got them from this site, and are from 60 grit to 600, I got,120,240, 400,600. Going to get some 80 and 60 next for the rough sawn wood. They call it Diamond shaped sand paper discs. Fused Zirconia Alumina Abrasive for Woodworking.
Dr. P. Venkman
Member
I like the ETSC 2. I like the standard battery, I love the light, and like all Festool sanders, I think the motor/vibration/stroke are fantastic.
But I haven’t quite figured out how to hold it yet. I haven’t used it a ton, and what I have used it on has been shaped or oriented such that I don’t want to draw too many conclusions.
Like Cheese, I have used my ETS-EC in something of a “hands free” mode at times. I haven’t tried that with the ETSC2, but I will as soon as I’m sanding something large enough. I suspect it’s kind of possible - I’ll bet it works, but requires some lift from the hose that the ETS-EC doesn’t. I worry that with the dust port slightly to one side, that lift will tilt it or feel awkward.
Other times, I place one hand on the hose and cup one hand around the front of the ETS-EC to guide it (with very little upward or downward pressure). All the hose hand is doing is supporting the weight of the hose and power cord. With the ETSC2, I have gotten it to feel very well balanced this way. It requires a bit of upward pressure under the battery, which I have not found uncomfortable. But that really only works for horizontal surfaces, and it requires two hands.
I have also been able to get a good feel with one hand by holding it as far back on the handle as possible (near the battery) and letting the back end of the sander sort of lever up into my palm, but that’s a little bit harder on the hand (though I could see getting used to it).
The one way I have not loved using it so far is by putting one hand on top of it near the front, without any support on the back end (basically how they show people using it in the marketing photos). You have to apply forward tilt to keep it level. It’s not terrible, but I haven’t gotten good at it yet.
I remain confident that I’ll improve my technique and learn how to use it in the way that’s best for me. I really do like it (it’s my first cordless sander).
One thing I love that I didn’t quite see coming is the ability to connect two hoses and have 30 feet of range around a room without moving the dust collector or worrying about a power cord.
But I haven’t quite figured out how to hold it yet. I haven’t used it a ton, and what I have used it on has been shaped or oriented such that I don’t want to draw too many conclusions.
Like Cheese, I have used my ETS-EC in something of a “hands free” mode at times. I haven’t tried that with the ETSC2, but I will as soon as I’m sanding something large enough. I suspect it’s kind of possible - I’ll bet it works, but requires some lift from the hose that the ETS-EC doesn’t. I worry that with the dust port slightly to one side, that lift will tilt it or feel awkward.
Other times, I place one hand on the hose and cup one hand around the front of the ETS-EC to guide it (with very little upward or downward pressure). All the hose hand is doing is supporting the weight of the hose and power cord. With the ETSC2, I have gotten it to feel very well balanced this way. It requires a bit of upward pressure under the battery, which I have not found uncomfortable. But that really only works for horizontal surfaces, and it requires two hands.
I have also been able to get a good feel with one hand by holding it as far back on the handle as possible (near the battery) and letting the back end of the sander sort of lever up into my palm, but that’s a little bit harder on the hand (though I could see getting used to it).
The one way I have not loved using it so far is by putting one hand on top of it near the front, without any support on the back end (basically how they show people using it in the marketing photos). You have to apply forward tilt to keep it level. It’s not terrible, but I haven’t gotten good at it yet.
I remain confident that I’ll improve my technique and learn how to use it in the way that’s best for me. I really do like it (it’s my first cordless sander).
One thing I love that I didn’t quite see coming is the ability to connect two hoses and have 30 feet of range around a room without moving the dust collector or worrying about a power cord.
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