Newbie looking for sander

Less fatigue with the EC sanders is primarily in vertical use, where it's lower center of gravity and weight are an asset.  But 30 minutes with them will leave my hand tingling. 

The non-ETS doesn't have the same level of dust extraction, but it's still quite good.  Less power as well, but in a 5mm stroke, I think you'll be okay.  Finally, you've mentioned price a few times and it wins in that department too. 

The EC version may be newer, but remember, Festool didn't kill off the old one because they are slightly different and at different price points.  Give it a whirl, worst case, you bring it back in 30 days and get the EC.
 
Welcome to FOG. Looking at your picture I would think a 150, either ETC or Rotex. You will also want Festool sandpapers and a systainer to hold them. A CT works best with Festool sanders. The suction is adjustable, and with the HEPA filter it is amazingly clean. Yes you can use others but Festool is a system that just works best together. I understand your concern about cost but when you get into Festools you better have a card with a high limit. Also there is no such thing as one Festool sander. Somehow you end up with five. It's called the slippery slope for a reason. If you go with the Rotex you really need to look at YouTube videos concerning their proper use. Good luck in choosing. I'm sure you'll be happy with what you choose, if not you have 30 days to exchange it.
 
Holmz said:
ETS/EC 150/5 is a stunningly good sander, and essentially the same[/u]. The ETS is not the same beast.

... then there are Bosch and Rupes (etc) ...
They would get you down to smooth finish a lot faster than an ETS (non EC).

The wood sounds like it needs to get from milled to finish, not from nearly finished to finished. As maple can be hard, I think you either less time (bigger stroke, more watts), or something that will not vibrate you to numbness and take a lot longer. You need something more than a gentle finish sander like the ETS. (Bosch, Makita, Rupes, etc.)

Thanks all for the advice again.  So, trying to decode this (lots of info in your post, forgive my ignorance).  So, will I be ok with the EC 150/5 getting the mill marks out of the hard maple?  Does it have more to give than the non-EC?

Sounds like I need more than a gentle finish sander.  So, is the EC 150/5 enough of a step up?  I found a dealer locally, but they don't have many models in stock and I think demo isn't going to happen.  I much appreciate all the input here. 
 
I have and ETS150/5 (before EC sanders) and going from coarse (like 40 or 60 grit) to as fine as you need to go should get rid of most roughness unless there are deep marks from the CNC. It's amazing how much 40 or 60 grit Granat or Rubin paper will take off. With a hard pad you should be able to maintain flatness. I also have an ETS125 which I thought I would use for the final fine sanding grits, but the 150/5 does almost as well with 220 and 320, so I sometimes don't even use the ET125 and just go all the way with the 150/5. It's a great sander and, if I had it to do over again, I might just buy the 150/5 (although is't nice to have a smaller sander for smaller surfaces). If you truly have to really flatten a surface, the you might need something more, but if you're merely trying to get router ridges smoothed out, my experience is the ETS150/5 (or maybe the new EC sander) would do the job.
 
Cosmos275 said:
Holmz said:
ETS/EC 150/5 is a stunningly good sander, and essentially the same[/u]. The ETS is not the same beast.

... then there are Bosch and Rupes (etc) ...
They would get you down to smooth finish a lot faster than an ETS (non EC).

The wood sounds like it needs to get from milled to finish, not from nearly finished to finished. As maple can be hard, I think you either less time (bigger stroke, more watts), or something that will not vibrate you to numbness and take a lot longer. You need something more than a gentle finish sander like the ETS. (Bosch, Makita, Rupes, etc.)

Thanks all for the advice again.  So, trying to decode this (lots of info in your post, forgive my ignorance).  So, will I be ok with the EC 150/5 getting the mill marks out of the hard maple?  Does it have more to give than the non-EC?

Sounds like I need more than a gentle finish sander.  So, is the EC 150/5 enough of a step up?  I found a dealer locally, but they don't have many models in stock and I think demo isn't going to happen.  I much appreciate all the input here.

Nothing beats experience... Whereabouts are you located?
I could envision that you could arrange them to have an ETS and an ETC/EC, and rock up with a notepad and few pieces of the maple and give it a whirl.
You could probably do the same with someone local that a Bosch and give them a latte or a beer, and work out what the fuss is with the machines.
A Woodcraft near my sister's house had an ETS/EC and I was pleasantly surprised.

Are you traveling over the holidays?
If so you could probably find some place en route, and try it on your parts.
That would also give you time to investigate the various options.

I would suggest including these as possibilities for the final step:
https://www.amazon.com/Mirka-91402-4-Inch-5-Inch-Abranet/dp/B0042D6P32

Festool version:https://www.amazon.com/Festool-496962-130mm-Sanding-Block/dp/B0058HW8C8
 
I have an ETS 150/3 and it is not really fast at removing mill marks, not even on soft pine, let alone hardwood. I much prefer my Rotex 150 to do this type of work.
 
Hmm, I'm in Iowa.  No woodcraft near me.  Does the Rotex 150 vibrate much more than the ETC sanders?
 
If you can make it to Des Moines (Urbandale, to be specific), I think the Woodsmith Store has a demo area. Acme Tool does not and hasn't been very helpful any of the times I've been there.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

 
I do hit the Woodsmith store from time to time (I'm in Ames), but wasn't looking for a sander previously.  I been meaning to check out Acme.  Thanks for the info.  Considering the return policy, I'll probably just order one on Monday.  My dewalt gets rid of the marks with 120 grit in a couple minutes.  It's stroke is 3/32 (I think), so the 5mm should be a step up.  I've never used coarser than 80 grit which seems pretty aggressive, so I must have some learning to do.  Thanks again guys.
 
Dovetail65 said:
If you want to stay in 5" and have the cream of the crop this a fantastic 5" sander, but even for me it makes little sense as at 200.00 just get into the 6" sanders. If you want no vibration this is it, 209.99:

(Bosch ROS65VC-5)

Vibrations are my main motivations here.  I ordered the 6" version of the Bosch, the Bosch ROS65VC-6.  Sorry to just be a needy guest to the forum :)  If my wood products sales jump, I will upgrade to a Festool.  Saving 300 bucks makes sense for me right now. Wish me luck.  Thanks all for the great advice.  Talk later
 
I don't know if this was mentioned...but you HAVE to use dust collection with the EC models.
 
I have a dust collector already.  I will be using it.  Thanks again guys for the advice.  I added a couple packs of 60 -120 -240 to start.  Thanks!
 
For your amusement, here's me DC.  It's homemade.  There a 1/2 Hp Dayton blower in the box on top.  I can duct back into the shop, or outside depending on what I'm cutting and the temperature.  I have two ports for this on the far side of the chopsaw.  Both go down into the "dustbox".  One goes into a dust bag for stage one.  Stage two is the furnace filters.  The other port detours to outside the shop.  I move the hose from tool to tool.

Here's one of my wood products, but I have a new product coming soon that I will probably sell more than onesy twosies.
http://cosmos-industrial.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=13
 

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