Sander advice for beginner woodworker?

[Brice Burrell]

hi tm3, the answer is easy, go for an ets 150/5. great all rounder.  i would think twice about the hose caddy. i made my own for $30 based on photos of what i saw on this forum. in australia the boom arm sells for $500. thats a lot of cash for a couple of pieces of pvc pipe and a few 22.5 degree bends. diy. happy days!
regards, justin.

Yeah, but the Festool boom arm isn't made of PVC that will sag. It's well engineered and made out of steel so its stout. It disassembles easily for transport. Don't get me wrong you can make your own it's just that I've found the Festool boom arm to be a good value for me. 

 

[Neill]

hi tm3, the answer is easy, go for an ets 150/5. great all rounder.  i would think twice about the hose caddy. i made my own for $30 based on photos of what i saw on this forum. in australia the boom arm sells for $500. thats a lot of cash for a couple of pieces of pvc pipe and a few 22.5 degree bends. diy. happy days!
regards, justin.

Yeah, but the Festool boom arm isn't made of PVC that will sag. It's well engineered and made out of steel so its stout. It disassembles easily for transport. Don't get me wrong you can make your own it's just that I've found the Festool boom arm to be a good value for me. 

Brice,

At first I could not see the value of the boom arm.  But then I noticed that when using my track saw and router with the guide rail, my cord and vac hose kept getting caught up on the sharp edges.  I tried the deflector for the guide rail and it helped but still things did not flow as I would have liked them to.

I really could not afford nor did I want to spend the money for the boom arm.  Since I have a stationery workplace in my basement I came up with the solution of installing a vinyl coated hook from my rafters.  You know one of those big hooks you buy at the big box store for garage organization.  I hung it over my MFT/3.  I had to buy a longer hose so I purchased the 5 meter, 27mm nonantistatic hose.  It is more flexible than the antistatic hose.  The hose and tool cord both fit over the hook.  I leave the original CT-22 hose hooked up to my Kapex.

I am very happy with this arrangement.  I could see the need for some kind of boom arm device if I had to go mobile.  Having the cord and vac hose out of the way is saving a lot of aggravation.

Neill

 

[Deke]

Hi tm3, I think Jesse's post says it all, he is much more experienced than I am. As a hobbiest a new owner of a 150/3 and a CT22, I can tell you I am very happy. From my old Bosch to this is no contest, not even close. In fact, without all the dust I wasn't sure I was sanding. It is probably the most versatile sander you could get from Festool and will be your go to. I have used this thing a ton in just a month. it does hurt in terms of the $$$ outlay, but that will fade very quickly.