Sander & Extractor Recommendations - newbee

[climb.on]

Hi all, new to the group.  I've learned quite a bit researching here, but still have a few questions I couldn't seem to locate.  But first...I'm a shop teacher, cabinet maker (but not for a living anymore), and general woodworker for the past 25 years.  I've decided it's time to upgrade the trusty 5" Dewalt sander before my next big project (not sure why, heck the copper in the cord isn't even showing yet).  I'm currently building a new house and workshop and will be doing all the finish work: cabinets, interior doors, and trim.  I make all the base and casing from solid stock, so I will be spending a lot of time sanding.  Material will be Alder and Walnut.  After the house is done, the sander will be used for a variety of woodworking projects, but mostly furniture.  I've decided to purchase an ETS EC 125/3 EQ and a CT36.  Since there will be a lot of sanding with this house project, I'm considering the 2nd sander, since my lovely wife will be helping me, as usual.

Now for my questions...For the 2nd sander I would do either another ETS EC 125/3 or ETS EC 150/5 sander.  Would the 150/5 with say a 220 Abranet, yield similar enough results or would it the difference be noticeable?  If I do a second 125/3, I would just sell it after the project.  If I go with the ETS EC 150/5, it would likely be a keeper, since it sounds like it is different enough to serve other purposes after this project.

Is the CT36 Autoclean useful enough for a woodworking hobby shop to be of value?  I can definitely see it for professionals in some areas like concrete and drywall, but not sure it's worth it for woodworking.

Can the CT 36 effectively collect dust from the 2 sanders mentioned above when used simultaneously, with a splitter? 

Does the 5m hose fit in the hose storage area of the CT36?

 

[blaszcsj]

personally, I would go with a rotex as a second sander. It has the 5 mm orbit, rotex mode and shares the same paper. This way you have all your bases covered with rough sanding (rotex), semi (5mm), and finsh (3mm). This is the combo I did, only with the six inch version. I would also recommend getting the hard disc, as the ets ec comes with the soft pad.

I have the 36ac and I only use the auto clean function when I drywall sand. Using the self cleaning bags keeps the filter pretty clean.

 

[semenza]

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

The CT 36 AC is really designed for drywall. It is  not  the better choice for general purpose woodworking. Go with regular CT Mini, Midi, 26 or 36.

Rotex is a very good companion  to an ETS.  But if you will be sanding lots of trim  .... consider the LS130.

Oh, and two will never be enough sanders .  [wink]

Seth

 

[ScotF]

Rotex would be a good second choice, but I agree if lots of trim, the LS130 is the way to go for that.

 

[Shane Holland]

Welcome to the forum.

As mentioned, the CT 36 AutoClean is specifically made to be used with the Planex drywall sander. Unless you plan on getting the Planex at some point, the AutoClean is overkill. I would recommend the MIDI or 26. But, if you're going to use it for tasks other than sanding, the 36's extra capacity would be good.

As for sanders, I would recommend that you choose the ETS EC 125 or 150, not both. They are essentially the same sander other than the pad size. If you're happy with your current 5" sander, go with the 125. If you're applications could benefit from the larger pad size and covering more surface area faster, definitely get the 150.

I would suggest the Rotex RO 90 DX, DTS 400 or RTS 400 as a second sander. Always good to have something that you can use for corners, detail sanding, the flats on trim, face frames, etc.

The 5m hose will not fit in the hose garage completely. Yes, you can operate two sanders off the same extractor with the Y-splitter.

Be aware that Festool is increasing prices on almost all products on 3/1. So, try to order by then. Feel free to email me if I can answer any other questions.

Shane
shane@toolnut.com

 

[AlexThePalex]

Instead of an ETS125/3 I would go with a Rotex 150 and a DTS400. Covers almost anything in the house and makes you work faster and more efficient than an ETS125/3. If you'd ever decide to get a third sander then the 125 would be a nice choice.

As said, get a Midi or 26 vac, but not the the CT36 AC, that one has no added value for woodworking. You can easily run two sanders of one vac, they don't need full suction, in fact, on many occasions it is better to lower the suction a bit to prevent the sander from acting as a vacuum clamp.

 

[climb.on]

Ok, the Rotex 125 is intriguing...

Now I wouldn't likely do this, but for argument sake...if 2 people are sanding, let's say a pile of base molding, 1 with the Rotex 125 in RO mode and 1 with the ETS EC 125/3 (same grits), will there be a noticeable difference in the sanding quality or scratch pattern?  Wood is Alder and will get a clear lacquer only, no stain.  Like I said, I would more than likely split up the work and have the other person do window casing with one sander and I do base trim, or something like that, even if we are using the same exact sander.

Also with the Rotex 125, in gear driven mode, can this replace my 4" Porter Cable belt sander?  I usually hit the faces of my cabinet doors with the belt sander before moving to the orbital.

 

[Shane Holland]

The Rotex in its aggressive mode will remove material at a rate similar to your belt sander. The reason I didn't recommend the Rotex was you mentioned sanding cabinets and other surfaces that are vertical. The size and weight of the Rotex sanders makes it a bit less comfortable to use in that scenario.

In random orbit mode, the Rotex 125 has a stroke of 3.6mm and the Rotex 150 has a stroke of 5mm. For comparison, the ETS EC 125 has a stroke of 3mm and the ETS EC 150 is available in 3mm (/3) and 5mm (/5) flavors. So, the scratch pattern would be very similar.

Shane

 

[ProCarpenterRVA]

A bunch of good advice here, so I'll just add my thought about tooling up your "sanding partner"... The ETS 125 is a direct replacement for your 5" Dewalt. It's a very easy going sander with a 2mm stroke and not too terribly heavy to use in vertical applications...IMHO It's a screaming great deal at $195. You don't feel so bad about having that one sit around unused while you're using your ETS EC.

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