next purchase

[jimmy986]

I'm trying to decide what to make my next purchase. My two thoughts are adding to my sanders or adding a router.

I have a dx 93 and a RO 125. I'm thinking of possibly an ETS 125, and ETS EC 125, or an RS 2. I'm not sure about the ETS EC because of the price. I don;t know if doubling the price from the ETS to ETS EC is needed. Maybe I'm missing what is so great about it. The RS 2 looks good for tabletop finishing.

As for the router, I'm considering the OF 1400. I have a craftsman fixed/plunge model but the OF looks really nice and tons of features.

I just can't decide which will be more useful to me.

 

[Shane Holland]

I definitely don't think the ETS or ETS EC 125s will add much for you if you have the Rotex 125, unless you're just looking for something that's a lighter weight. The RS 2 is a Cadillac of a sander, but it's purpose built for sheet goods and large/flat surfaces. If you do enough of that, it's a worthwhile investment.

My vote would be for the OF 1400. I've owned an old Craftsman router and I hated it even before I knew about Festool.

 

[erock]

If you're gonna let me spend your money......then get the OF1400 AND for the heck of it.....see if you can pick up a used ETS 125.

Sell the craftsman router, use the money for that for a used ETS 125.

Once you use the OF1400 you'll forget all about the craftsman router.  Dust collection with the OF1400 is freakin' great.  The OF1400 is very versatile.  It's accepted every challenge I've thrown at it and laughed at me.    [wink]
I believe a good router is a must for a woodworking shop. 
The ETS 125 is a great finish sander.    Since you have the DX93 for detail work, the RO 125 for aggressive and polishing work.  The ETS 125 will be a nice sander to have when you only want to use one hand.  [tongue]

Just my thoughts.

Eric

 

[jimmy986]

I'm definitely leaning towards the router for now. My craftsman covers me in wood chips even when I have it hooked up to dust collection. Plus, I have an MFT/3 so being able to hook it up to guide rails and do easy repeatable dados and such would be nice. The ease of use with things like the ratcheting collet look like they would speed up things so I can spend more time actually working.

For the sander, I was mostly thinking the ETS because the light weight seems like it would make finish sanding easier as its less likely to keep flat but it doesn't seem like a necessity just yet.

For the RS 2, my projects have mostly consisted of occasional tables and bookshelves. The tables obviously have flat, open tops so it seems like it would be great for that.

The bookshelf I'm working on now will be pre-finished before assembly so the side panels and shelves are all open and flat. After assembling a lot of my projects before finishing I am going to try and do this as often as I can. Assembled furniture is just so much more work to finish well.

Is the RS 2 good for sanding once the poly is down? I know festool doesn't have the high grits but with the cutter I can use any sandpaper I want so it seems to me that the RS 2 would speed up that part of a build as opposed to doing it by hand. I've not done anything but hand sanding on poly yet so maybe I'm wrong.

And I do already have a festool DE along with some other tools, domino 500, TS 55, CXS...

 

[rst]

I'm with Erock, I have all four of the Festool routers (and six PCs and three Bosch and planning to buy another 2200, ssh, don't tell but I keep mine in two CMSs) but if I could only have one it would definitely be the 1400.  My first sander was an ETS-125 that I bought through the recon sale.  I have the Makita version of the RS2 and see no advantage to switching.