Review: Delta sander DTS 400 EQ-Plus (many pictures)

[six-point socket]

Hi! (Sorry for the mix up in the pictures when I first published the thread, it's sorted out now )

I'd like to share my experience with using the Festool delta sander DTS 400 EQ (230V) extensively over the last two days.

Preface:

It all started on Wednesday, the weather outlook was fine so I wanted to lightly sand/clean my shed before applying a new coat of wood protection/preservation finally. I got ready, set everything up and started sanding with an older delta sander - my Dad used it, I used it and apparently it's time was over - it quit on me after 30 minutes. There I stood - everything set up, dusty but without a working sander. I decided to call it a day, put everything back on the patio. After changing clothes I started looking through my Festool catalog for a new sander and after some reading and comparing I decided on the DTS 400 EQ. I knew of a (Fes)-tool dealer very close to where I go shopping for the finer things in the next bigger city regularly - so off I went on a shopping spree to turn a "bad" day into a good one. To cut a long story short after a couple of hours in "my" regular stores and a great lunch I went to visit the new to me (Fes)-tool dealer (only drove by his windows about a thousand times at least but never went in, stupid me...) I was really impressed, it's a relatively small store but packed to the max with Festool, Bosch Professional, Makita, Gesipa, Prebena, Fein and Fischer. Not just tools but also consumables and accessories - unbelievable. If I had only known what I've been missing out on all those years... The gentleman who served me has been behind the counter of (t)his store for more than 30 years we had a nice long talk and I left with the DTS 400 EQ and got 20 sheets of Festool 120 grit Brilliant 2 sandpaper on top for free.

"Unboxing":

Besides the sander and power cable included items: StickFix sanding pad 100 x 150 mm, filter cartridge, Systainer SYS 2 T-LOC

Technical Data:

Dust extraction connection dia.: 27 mm
Power consumption: 200 W
Idle engine speed: 6000-14000 min⁻¹
Sanding stroke: 2 mm
Interchangeable sanding pad: 100 x 150 mm
Weight: 1,1 kg

What Festool has to say about this delta sander:

Compact corner sander.

- Triangle-shaped sanding pad for efficient sanding of corners and other awkward spots
- Saving you time and reworking
- The enclosed dust proof bearing and high tear-resistant MPE sanding pad ensure a long service life and maximum economic efficiency
- Effective integral turbo dust extractor
- Small, lightweight and extremely handy for non-tiring work

Main areas of use

- One-handed sander for small surfaces, edges and tight corners
- Ideal for vertical surfaces or overhead work
- Sanding natural wood and veneer prior to varnishing
- Sanding close to edges on different materials
- Sanding in narrow gaps

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As you can see the Systainer offers quite some additional space for accessories like additional sanding pads, filters and of course consumables (sandpaper...)

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Even with installed filter still very compact and lightweight. The filter fits nice and tight on the dust extraction connector and in addition to already sitting quite a bit higher than the sanding pad it can still swivel up (and down) a bit if necessary during work.

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Power connection and speed selection.

Work (Thursday):

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Set up.

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Safety first and "selfie" time

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Getting acquainted. I noticed that with this type of work and equipment (Wood with prior coatings of wood protection and Festool 120 Grit Brilliant 2 sandpaper) I need to select at least speed "4" for smooth movement over the surface and good sanding results.

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Fits perfectly into the gaps.

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Right into the corner.

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Great results and progress

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Festool said something about awkward spots, here's the first one.

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Another type of corner - no problem.

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Same corner, but beneath the handrail - no problem.

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Larger gaps.

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Following the edge.

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Corner on the roof. If you take a close look to the right corner of this photo you can see the filter resting on the window frame. Since it can swivel a little up there would have been no problem even if the spot had been a tad bit tighter/smaller.

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Another, tighter spot.

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Right up to the roof board.

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Last picture from Thursday, lunch break - man I love doner kebap. Fresh salad(s), tomatoes, cucumber, coleslaw, onion and some chicken stuffed into a quarter of a turkish bread loaf and a nice sauce. + Guy who makes them has his restaurant right around the corner and he knows if he hears machines running from my direction - I'll swing by sooner or later in the day to pick some up.

Work (Friday)

I didn't take as much pictures as I wanted to finish the job - so I could apply the coating of wood protection.

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Sanding inside a flower box, try that with a different/bigger sander...

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Finally, starting to apply the wood protection. (I felt safe enough with the paint roller to crack up a cold beer... )

--

What I definitely liked about the DTS 400 EQ is it's ergonomics and very light weigh, even with the filter filling up. I was able to work, work and then work some more without feeling any fatigue. Also the palm rest is extraordinarily well isolated from/against vibrations, especially in comparison to my old sander or my oscillating multitool from another brand. This alone speaks volumes to me and for the quality of Festool sanders.

During this two days of continuous use I "killed" the very tip of the sanding pad somehow and ripped through the surface of the sanding pad for a cm or two because I overlooked the tip of a screw sticking out on my shed.

Given the awkward positions I used this sander in: tip down close to concrete foundations, in very constricted spaces over head and so on I don't blame the sanding pad for any of it and at 20 bucks a piece, I honestly don't care.

I had a new one delivered to me by early morning on Friday but decided not to install it an go with the "old" one. So I do have an intact one now in my Systainer if the need should arise.

What I did not like, and I don't know if it was my gloves, the positions/ my handling of the sander but I managed to "hit" the speed selector a couple of times - obviously resulting in either higher or slower speed and I had to set it back. No big deal.

The power cord held up great, it's a great system that I wish more companies would use. I'm kinda in love with it

Sandpaper. I got 20 sheets of 120 grit Festool Brilliant 2 sandpaper for free with the tool from my dealer. I figured they would last a day, so I ordered another pack of 100 120 grit Festool Brilliant 2 and a pack of 50 120 grit Festool Rubin 2. Boy I was wrong - I mean I can't say how much I would have needed if I had wanted to really sand down the hole shed to 100% bare wood - but for what I wanted I ended up needing only 9 sheets of the Brilliant 2 - didn't even try the Rubin 2 - that's impressive. These hold up and work so well, totally amazed. And I guess someone who tries to get the most out of every sheet would have used 1 or maybe even 3 less, I can't say for sure. All I know is that I sanded about 48 square meter with 9 sheets to a for me, and for the coating satisfactory result - and that still impresses me.

Thank you for reading and I hope you like my review - If you're on the edge about buying a DTS 400 EQ - do it.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[kenobi]

Six-Point Socket,  Thank you for this great in-depth review!  You know it's one thing to look at these in a catalog or online and read about what comes with a tool.  Your detailed pics seemed as if I was there watching you unpack it!  This review could not have been more timely either.  I'm planning on sanding and staining the cedar siding on my house later this year and I've been trying to get a game plan together.  I was originally thinking of going with the RO90 for the tight areas, but would still need another larger sander for the bulk of the job.  So now I'm thinking that maybe I could go with the RO125 or even the ETS EC 125 for the larger areas and the DTS 400 for the tighter spots.  More to think about!  [popcorn]

Thanks again for taking the time to post this and especially for all of the pics!  They are most helpful.

Ken

 

[RKA]

Good stuff, glad you found the sander everything it was advertised to be!  You can extend the life of the pad by resisting the urge to lean into the tip and just let the sander work.  Replace the paper as soon as it starts to fray (paper is cheap-er).  But to some extent, it was bound to happen since you weren't always sanding flat surfaces.  Ultimately the pad is a consumable.  Try it with a vac or dust extractor if you can.  The hose will get in the way with some of those nooks, but the dust extraction gets better.  You may need to bleed off some of the suction though, these sanders work best with the suction dialed down.

And sorry you got bitten by the bug! 

 

[HarveyWildes]

Very cool.  That was a -big- job, and the sander looks like it performed.  Just curiously, after your long conversation with your dealer, why did you not buy one of the 5" random orbital sanders?  Was it all about getting into the corners, or were there other considerations?

What about the exposed bag?  It looks like it would be easy to run it by a nail sticking up and rip it open.  Did you ever find yourself consciously protecting the bag?

 

[six-point socket]

Six-Point Socket,  Thank you for this great in-depth review!  ... I'm planning on sanding and staining the cedar siding on my house later this year and I've been trying to get a game plan together.  I was originally thinking of going with the RO90 for the tight areas, but would still need another larger sander for the bulk of the job.  So now I'm thinking that maybe I could go with the RO125 or even the ETS EC 125 for the larger areas and the DTS 400 for the tighter spots. ...

Hi Ken,

Thank you! Sounds like a good plan to combine the DTS 400 with either the RO125 or ETS EC 125 - if you have a lot of large, flat surfaces. I'd say you will be very happy with the DTS 400 for all tight corners and constricted spaces and then on the large surfaces love the speed of the RO125/ETS EC 125.

Good stuff, glad you found the sander everything it was advertised to be!  You can extend the life of the pad by resisting the urge to lean into the tip and just let the sander work.  Replace the paper as soon as it starts to fray (paper is cheap-er).  But to some extent, it was bound to happen since you weren't always sanding flat surfaces.  Ultimately the pad is a consumable.  Try it with a vac or dust extractor if you can.  The hose will get in the way with some of those nooks, but the dust extraction gets better.  You may need to bleed off some of the suction though, these sanders work best with the suction dialed down.

And sorry you got bitten by the bug! 

Hi Raj,

Thank you - especially for the additional input on handling the sander. I'm pretty sure I pressed it down to hard on the tip in the beginning, I definitely also consider the sanding pad a consumable. I guess the new one will hold up a little better as I now have some experience with the sander, but I will wear out the old one just a little more before ultimately replacing it.

I thought of using my CTL-SYS first but decided against it. For most because you can read almost everywhere that you should be able to turn down suction - which you can't on the CTL-SYS and secondly because I thought the hose might get in my way to often - I worked outdoors, had the mask and the filterbag so I ditched the idea. If I had to do something inside - I would definitely use a dust extractor.

The bug bit me quite some time ago  [scared] [eek] [big grin]

Very cool.  That was a -big- job, and the sander looks like it performed.  Just curiously, after your long conversation with your dealer, why did you not buy one of the 5" random orbital sanders?  Was it all about getting into the corners, or were there other considerations?

What about the exposed bag?  It looks like it would be easy to run it by a nail sticking up and rip it open.  Did you ever find yourself consciously protecting the bag?

Hi Harvey,

I thought about the different options for a night. The truth is that this was my very first larger sanding "job" ever. I did/do a couple of door frames and door leaves every now and then, I have a couple of smaller boards that cover the housing of my shutters that need some sanding before I re-paint them, if I'm going to do that another time in a couple of years. And some other small scale stuff. All stuff the DTS 400 EQ can handle perfectly. So when I went and spoke to my dealer I told him almost straight I was going to buy the DTS 400 EQ, so we never really discussed other options - but we did talk about a lot of other stuff. Of course the RO 90 would have been an option in my case as I could have swapped the sanding pad - but I really don't feel like I miss something with the choice I've made.

Honestly I didn't worry once about that paper bag. It's sturdy paper, it sits higher than the sanding pad - a nail that could reach the bag would have been a real health risk and would have easily catched on my arm - I removed everything obvious, except for that pesky tiny screw tip that ripped my sanding pad... So really, I didn't worry about the bag. They hold up great.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Lemwise]

I used to be a big fan of the DTS400 but not any more since I've been using the Rupes LS71 which is a better sander in every respect.

 

[six-point socket]

I used to be a big fan of the DTS400 but not any more since I've been using the Rupes LS71 which is a better sander in every respect.

Now that is a pretty bold statement. Would you care to explain where and how the Rupes LS71TE would have outperformed/ significantly better performed than the DTS 400 EQ during my project? Can you visualize it's advantages maybe side by side with the DTS 400 EQ?

Always eager to learn.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[leakyroof]

Really nice review and pictures for the sander. Your Shed was tailor made for it.... [wink]
You'll also like using Rubin and Granat abrasives with it when you get some more projects.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I used to be a big fan of the DTS400 but not any more since I've been using the Rupes LS71 which is a better sander in every respect.

Now that is a pretty bold statement. Would you care to explain where and how the Rupes LS71TE would have outperformed/ significantly better performed than the DTS 400 EQ during my project? Can you visualize it's advantages maybe side by side with the DTS 400 EQ?

I used the DTS400 and Rupes LS21A (predecessor of LS71TE) next to each other and I saw no real differences between either one as far as performance goes. The DTS was bit heavier and transmitted less vibrations to my hands, and dust extraction was slightly better.

If the LS71TE could improve on either one of them, it bloody well paint the darn wall by itself after sanding.

 

[Lemwise]

The LS71 is lighter, it vibrates less and the sanding result is the best. This is most noticeable with coarser grit sanding paper. With the LS71 going higher than grit 80 isn't an absolute must like it is with the DTS400 and LS21. The cooling fan is also better which really improves the self-extraction and the Ventury filter catches virtually all of the dust unlike the Festool paper bags.

 

[six-point socket]

I can't say that I found the DTS 400 EQ lacking on any of the points you say the Rupes is better at but my experience is limited to this one project. Future/ more sophisticated projects will follow and I will keep this thread alive - let's see where it goes.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Holmz]

I can't say that I found the DTS 400 EQ lacking on any of the points you say the Rupes is better at but my experience is limited to this one project. Future/ more sophisticated projects will follow and I will keep this thread alive - let's see where it goes.

Kind regards,
Oliver

It would be an interesting "comparison review" if you get you paws onto a Rupes.

 

[six-point socket]

Maybe I'll feel playful like that at some point  [eek] [big grin]

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[dalep]

I have a cabin just like that in my garden lol, mine needs either sanding or colour painting, i cant quite decide yet lol

Dale

 

[nclemmons]

Oliver -

Really solid review and I appreciated the amount of time you put into both taking photos of just about every angle and writing it up with comments 'in-line.'  Thank you for that.

I recently sanded a stairway for repainting and used the RTS-400, but also with the bag like you used.  First time I had used it and it made a huge difference for me in navigating the sanding of the steps since the vac hose was not going to reach.

I've debated the RTS-400 and your review certainly confirms it's utility for close corners.

Did you end up vacuuming down the work upon completion and before you applied the finish, or just tack cloth and finish?

Would love to see a broader couple of photos of the completed work.  The closeups look great but a broader photo would show off your talent combined with the sander!

Thanks for sharing the details. 

 

[six-point socket]

Thank you very much Neil!

I didn't vacuum the shed, just tack cloth and then applied the wood protection.

I can take and post a picture or two where you can see a little more of the finished shed, give me a day or two

Again, thank you very much for your nice comment!

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[six-point socket]

[member=167]neilc[/member]

Here are two pictures from the shed as it is now. As I said before, the task was not to make it look brand new (sanding down to bare wood) but to remove some of the old wood protection that peeled already and then re-apply wood protection. And of course to get a little of the green and grey removed.

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Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[nclemmons]

That's a cool building!  Nice work on the restoration.  it's always great to see earlier work restored!

Thanks Oliver -

Neil

 

[Lbob131]

The images  look  very sharp. What  camera  did  that?

 

[six-point socket]

Hi!

I take most of my pictures with my trusty iPhone 4S. All pictures in this thread were taken with it. I have them automatically uploaded to Aperture, tweak them a little there (colors, brightness, filters if I want to) and then resize with GIMP.

Kind regards,
Oliver