Newbie... Which sander should I buy?

[JEFF JOHNSON]

So I'm diving in... Ts55, extra 55 inch rail, ct-22 and some clamps coming tomorrow from Bob Marino...
I have a bunch of built-ins to build.. almost exclusively with 3/4" birch ply and poplar face frames...
Mudroom cubbies, laundry cabinets, bathroom vanities... all inset doors and drawers.. painted.. all beaded face frames.. and will be using kreg jig for most of the joinery..
Currently I own a pc random orbital 1/4 sheet sander... that the pad is wearing away...
I don't have a problem replacing it if necessary..
I don't own a belt sander or any other besides..
I don't own a jointer or planer..

If I were to purchase one sander which one should I purchase?
Thanks..

 

[festool_SWFL]

OK, let's say you can buy just one sander . . today . .    I would go with the Rotex 125.  I bought one used it for a week, and then went and got the ETS125 to accompany it.  The Rotex is great with the dual mode, however for fine sanding, the smoothness of the ETS 125 is very nice to use.

Thanks,

William

 

[Notorious T.O.D.]

If only one and money is not an issue, even though it often is... probably a ROTEX. What you have to consider is if you want a 5 or 6 inch sander and therefore only have to stock one size of each grit of paper.  My first Festool sander is a ETS150/5 which is the 6 incher...  It is middle of the road in Festool price and works great with the dust collection and is pretty aggressive with the longer stroke, but it also sands very fine.  I'll probably think about a ROTEX 150 on down the road but I have a wide belt sander and that does most of the heavy sanding very quickly...

Best,
Notorious T.O.D.

 

[gkeas]

On that note:

Shameless SPAM

In the interest of full disclosure, I am replacing these with the larger versions (RO150 & ETS150/3).

I have been very happy with both, but I want the big boys, now.

GK

 

[mwhafner]

If I could only have one sander, then the Rotex 150 is the one.  It is not my most used sander, but it is the most capable. 

Having said that, the ETS150/3 is my right-hand.  It is, by far, the most comfortable sander I have ever used. 

 

[rwdawson]

Jeff,

I'm with mwhafner on this; the Rotex 150 is the most versatile, the ETS 150/3 produces a great finish.  Together, they are an unbeatable team.  I would get the Rotex, followed by the 150/3.  For the kind of work you are going to do, there is nothing better.

If put to a vote, these two sanders would come out on top in their respective categorie

Happy sanding,

Richard

 

[tenfingers]

I, too, recently purchased some festools, mainly for built-in type work with plywood and chose the ETS 150/3 as most plywood is already roughly finished. I have been extremely happy with my purchase. My understanding is that the Rotex is more versatile and can be super aggressive. In my situation, building mostly with birch plywood, I went with the ETS 150/3.

 

[Jim Becker]

150/3 would be my recommendation. The Rotex is great, but it's a two hand tool for me and for general sanding, I use my 150/3 90% of the time. I pull out the Rotex for heavy work, polishing and so forth where it really shines.

 

[JEFF JOHNSON]

Thank you all for your feedback,
Curious why no one is recommending the rts400... vs the ets...
It seems as though the square profile would be good for getting into corners...
Any feedback on this would be appreciated....

 

[nickao]

The rts does not remove materiel nearly as fast or in the same way as the ETS, it is more of a finish sander. The ETS can be  a finish sander too, but it is  slightly more. It's a general sander where the rts is not a general sander in my book. The rts is not a sander you could use solely like you can with an ETS, IMHO.

 

[Neill]

I agree with most of the others regarding a Rotex if you only have one sander.  Whether you buy the 150 or the 125 is a matter of personal preference.  Your next sander should be the corresponding ETS.  By keeping the same size sander, it will save you the investment of having to maintain two separate inventories of abrasives.

The third sander I happen to like personally is the LS 130.  It is more of a finish sander but provides a lot of versatility with the available profiles and scraper.

The hand sanding block is also kind of neat.  It's great for small jobs when you don't want to bother with one of the larger sanders.  It does a great job when you want to sand drywall touch ups or wood filler.

Whatever you choose, you cannot go too far wrong.

Neill

 

[fshanno]

Another vote for 150/3.  It makes sanding fun.  Well, maybe not fun, more like... rewarding.  A cabinet shop owner told me he has one 150/3 and his people fight over it verses the PC's and Bosch's.

Inset doors?  Beaded poplar face frames?  Sounds like you've been watching Norm.

 

[Sean_C_G]

Hi Jeff, although I'm also a Festool novice, and don't have anywhere near the time on the ETS 150/3 than the people who have already recommended it to you, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It is a gem to use. When I was getting set to take the plunge, I was hung up between the ETS 125 EQ and the ETS 150/3. Two things occurred to me: the difference in disc surface area between the two is substantial (approx 19.6 in. sq for ETS 125, but more than 28 in. sq. for the 150/3), and the ETS 125 has a smaller stroke (5/64") than the 150/3 (1/8"). To me, I felt that I could justify the higher initial outlay for the 150/3 because it would make for a fine finish sander that would also be faster than the 125. Plus, the RO 150's stroke in sanding mode is 3/16", which is equal to that of the ETS 150/5. If and when you decide to purchase the RO 150, then you'll have a really nice range of sanding options to choose from without any unnecessary overlap.

EDIT: Jeff, to answer your question more directly, if I had to buy but one sander, I'd still go with the 150/3, based on my current needs, which I think are similar to yours. But if you decide that the RO 150 fits your needs more, I would also check into the Bosch 1250DEVS, even if only to have something to compare with the Festool. I've not used it, but I'm contemplating trying it out at my local dealer based on the positive reviews of it here and at amazon.com (thank you, nickao).

 

[Dan Uhlir]

rotex/rts400 great combo you can not have only one festool sander.
                                                                                            Dan
Painter makin' some noise.
                                                                                                       

 

[Dave Ronyak]

If only one sander at this point, and you are going to work with poplar that is to be painted, my recommendation is the ETS 150/3.  It came out on top over a wide field of competitors in a recent comparison test in Fine Woodworking Magazine.  Later you can add an RO 150 later if you find a need for a more aggressive sander.

I first bought an RO 125 and used it a lot for heavy duty sanding of cracked plaster and refinishing several interior flush doors.  Later I purchased an ETS 125, LS 130 and Deltex 93.  I also have several Bosch and Milwaukee sanders that I purchased prior to learning of Festool products.  I find I use my ETS 125 and LS 130 most for making furniture, and I find I reach for my Festool products more than any other.  My projects are made mostly from oak and other hardwoods such as black cherry, hard maple, black walnut and African and Honduras mahoganies.  I have also made some shop furniture items from [yellow] poplar which is relatively much softer than any of these other woods, and restored and refinished some old furniture made from soft maple and chestnut, both of which are soft relative to red oak.  The RO 125 in Rotex mode is far more aggressive than is needed most of the time when making furniture, and harder to control than the ETS sanders.  The LS 130 is great for sanding solid wood banding that has been glued to an edge of plywood without sanding through the plywood face veneer, and it can sand right up to an inside corner.  The LS 130 does not leave arcuate swirl marks that are hard to detect until the stain is being applied like any of the rotary or orbital sanders may leave.  (I know, I know, I should sand longer at each grit level before moving to a finer grit.)

Note also that the range of abrasive and polishing supplies and accessories for use with the 150 sanders is greater than the range available for the 125 sanders.

Even though I own an ETS 125, eventually I will likely buy an ETS 150/3 to speed up finishing.

Dave R.

 

[Toolpig]

RO150.

So I'm diving in... Ts55, extra 55 inch rail, ct-22 and some clamps coming tomorrow from Bob Marino...
I have a bunch of built-ins to build.. almost exclusively with 3/4" birch ply and poplar face frames...
Mudroom cubbies, laundry cabinets, bathroom vanities... all inset doors and drawers.. painted.. all beaded face frames.. and will be using kreg jig for most of the joinery..
Currently I own a pc random orbital 1/4 sheet sander... that the pad is wearing away...
I don't have a problem replacing it if necessary..
I don't own a belt sander or any other besides..
I don't own a jointer or planer..

If I were to purchase one sander which one should I purchase?
Thanks..

 

[wnagle]

I'm in aggreement with Dave Ronyak.  When I bought mine, the festool rep told me if I only had one sander to get the RO 150...which I did.  and it is great...especially on heavier applications and flatening.  Then I bought the ETS 150/3...  If I had it to do over I would buy the ETS 150/3 first.  It is my "go to" sander 95 percent of the time.  They are both great sanders but the 150/3 is unbelievable ....  I build cabinets, furniture and home projects as a hobby.  For the work I do, I would buy in this order... ETS 150/3 then RO 150, Then Deltex 93 then LS 130, then ets125 if you have a need for a smaller, lighter ros.  Each festool sander is excelent however each one excells in a different area.  Once you use the ETS 150/3 you will love it!!! Then go get the Rotex150 and the hard pad...