Sander died: ETS EC125/3 EQ - replace with cordless? Mirka?

E

eightball

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Messages
38
My trusty ETS finally died and the Festool repair costs are too close to a new unit to justify repair.
Contemplating either going with a cordless (though this would be my first in this battery) or do I look at Mirka?

Any advice would be appreciated. Sanding mostly simple panels and solid Doug fir but often going to 1200.
 
Where do you use your sander? If it is primarily in the workshop (and primarily at your workbench) then a corded model may make more sense. The corded models tend to cost less, and seem to be more powerful (but I don’t have data to support that last statement), and don’t require replacement batteries.

My 18 gage and 15 gage nailers are battery driven; my 23 gage pinner is pneumatic. The pinner is pneumatic because I use it almost exclusively at the work bench.

I had 18 gage and 15 gage pneumatic nailers, but remodeling a small bath ended that. The compressor, hose, electric hookup just made working in a cramped space too difficult. I stopped the work and waited for the battery driven replacements to arrive.

Think how and where you will use the sander and make your decision based on your usage. I think in most cases it will favor batteries. Though I have a fast spinning plug in electric drill to compliment the slower spinning battery driven ones. For drilling for doweling I always work in the shop and the faster drilling makes the job go much faster.
 
I was thinking of checking out a Mirka sander. The reviews on Amazon had me deciding to stay away. Even the comments about customer service were cause for concern.
Maybe buying from an “authorized dealer” makes a difference?
 
Aside from the reliability and warranty considerations (I believe the faulty switch design from earlier models has been rectified) the important thing to note with the Mirka's is would you be happy using the paddle switch on top of the sander?

I just couldn't get used to it, and found it a PITA when changing discs, as I usually lay it on it's top to do this.

For me if I had a Festool sander die, I'd replace it in a heartbeat, likely the corded model again over the cordless as I tend to sand for long sessions anyway.
 
IMHO, sanders are a longer run-time per use than many other tools, which would always lead me toward corded.
Unless you would have a specific need for using it in a remote area, I wouldn't bother, especially if you don't have any other tools that share the same batteries.
They are usually bulkier too, same as battery powered nailers, though they make more sense because of eliminating the compressor........assuming it still fits where you need it.
Although I have tested several brands, I don't own any cordless nailers. All four different sizes/types are pneumatic.

Bottom line, if I were needing to replace an ETS, it would be with an ETS EC. The form factor/ergonomics make for a much more balanced unit. The only downside is that it requires an extractor, there is no internal fan. That is the part you lose, to get the machine so much shorter.
 
I love my Mirka. Vibration is so low, and the low profile helps when working on narrow workpieces. I'm used to paddle now, and like it.
 
If you do some on site touch ups of framing and finishing where you have to fill a lot of holes a cordless sander makes sense.

I own 6 sanders, all corded BTW. One of 'em is a Mirka (125/150 Deros), the rest Festool, but my-go to is the ETS EC 125 with 150 pad. If I were forced to make a choice about retaining just one or two of the six, that would be my number 1, and the RTS400 (or DTS400) the number two, although the RO150 almost made second place, : ))
 
I purchased an ETS EC 125 when they were first released in September 2015, it still works well. I recently purchased the new ETSC 2 125 and compared the 2 sanders by removing some finish from a teak doormat with each of them. Although the sanding orbit is slightly larger on the ETSC 2, the sanders were virtually the same in the amount of finish they removed over the same time period.

For me, the ETS EC gets used in the shop while the ETSC 2 gets used when I'm on a ladder or a scaffold. You only get about 30 minutes of runtime before the battery needs to be swapped out. If the ETS EC went toes-up, I'd immediately replace it with another ETS EC, no question about that.

I've also used a 3M Xtract sander but don't really care for the paddle switch location on the top.
 
I would just note that the automotive repair industry seems to prefer pneumatic sanders. I suspect that part of the reason is that they already have large capacity compressors, but also for prolonged sanding sessions, the pneumatic sanders do not get hot. The long pneumatic hose would be an issue.

Most smaller compressors have the PSI requirements down pat, but the CFM requirements frequently exceed the capacity of the smaller compressors.

In any case, compressed air sanders should be in the mix when considering sanders.

Small, light and cheap, but no dust collection shown. The Eastwood pneumatic is $58.00.

 
eightball said:
My trusty ETS finally died and the Festool repair costs are too close to a new unit to justify repair.
Contemplating either going with a cordless (though this would be my first in this battery) or do I look at Mirka?

Any advice would be appreciated. Sanding mostly simple panels and solid Doug fir but often going to 1200.
Click to expand...

I have very recently purchased the ETSC 2 18V 150mm Cordless ROS with a 3.5mm orbit. This replaced a 20-year old Festo ET2E (forerunner of the Festool ETS 150).

Why cordless? Firstly, the plan was to use it at my son's house for a table restoration, and this would need to be done outdoors. Cordless made sense here.

In the workshop? The battery matches the 18v types of my drills (TPC 18/4 and CXS18). I only use 3.0 Ah and these are smaller and lighter, so there is no weight/balance penalty. I have a few duplicates in case one runs down. Not to overlook that the ETSC 2 is available as a skin, and this made it considerably cheaper than its stable mates.

Having said (written) this, I am not a huge sander person, preferring to hand plane surfaces. But a sander has its place.

A few weeks ago my woodworking club had a demonstration of the different sanders available, and the ETSC 2 was used with others. It performed as well, perhaps better, than the power equivalents.

I also have a Mirka Ceros, which is 150mm and the model prior to the Deros and Deros ll. The Ceros is a fabulous sander, very light in the hand and perfect for vertical panels. My main gripe is that it requires a separate power supply, and is a pain to set this up each time. Too much to lug to my son's house in Canberra.

Regards from Perth

Derek
 
Packard said:
I would just note that the automotive repair industry seems to prefer pneumatic sanders. I suspect that part of the reason is that they already have large capacity compressors, but also for prolonged sanding sessions, the pneumatic sanders do not get hot. The long pneumatic hose would be an issue.

Most smaller compressors have the PSI requirements down pat, but the CFM requirements frequently exceed the capacity of the smaller compressors.

In any case, compressed air sanders should be in the mix when considering sanders.

Small, light and cheap, but no dust collection shown. The Eastwood pneumatic is $58.00.

Click to expand...

This is absolutely true. When I started in the cabinet shop, I was quite surprised to see the difference. During my time, in the body shop, we used 6" PSA pneumatic sanders. The cabinet shop was using 5" hook & loop, also pneumatic. Neither did anything about dust extraction, at that time. Many years later, as I got into Festool, an RO 90 became my first electric sander. I used it for the Rotex functionality.
All along, the rest of the shop stayed with 5", everybody had one. To this day, none of them use extraction.
The 5" standard was the reason I got an ETS EC as my next electric. It was easier to get the boss to buy sanding discs with the Festool pattern, rather than the regular no-hole stuff.
That is also the reason I have a 125 for the bigger RO too.
Of all silly things though, when they bought an extractor and an RO, for Corian installation/repairs in the field.....the got a 150?

I had a pneumatic, like everybody else,(still do) but I don't use it much anymore. I do have the compressor capacity at home, but I try even harder to keep the dust down, in the tiny shop.

What I never got was the juxtaposition? The body shop was sanding curves and the cabinet shop, mostly flat. Wouldn't the smaller 5", with the softer H&L paper be better? And wouldn't the larger 6" with a harder PSA pad, be better for flat work? But they all do it, not an anomaly.

Granted, there is another difference though. The automotive sanders are the traditional pistol grip D/A type, which are lockable, similar to Rotex. The Cabinet shops use the smaller palm style, with the top flap switch.
I have never adopted the 6", going straight to the 8" PSA geared orbital, for Corian fabrication.
PSA is a giant pain, if you change paper frequently. Yet another reason, beyond dust, to limit its use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top