Should I buy another sander

3

3Wheelin

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2024
Messages
5
New here and I purchased an ets ec 125/3 eq plus.
Wondering if it's redundant or woth it to purchase the ets ec 150/5 eq plus to help with rougher sanding jobs?
Is there that much difference between the two?
I am still in my 30 day return period on the 125/3
...or should I just purchase the 150/5 and return the 125/3? I am doing paint removal, plywood cabinets and revamping old wood pallets
 
I repulsed suggest you look towards the Rotex 125.  It will use the same paper, and is more suited to quick removal, then you could use the current sander for final sanding. Welcome to the forum!
 
Thanks. One question though...I have very little use of my right hand...is the rotex 125 going to be a problem for that?
 
I used RO125 for the first time in ages over the past week and yes, it's a handful because it is so powerful. Sanding a 36 by 76 sycamore glued up tabletop with 50G Granat it was the right tool but needed to be wrestled and controlled.

Great sander for solid wood and removing material effeciently.

And [welcome]

RMW

 
On the /3 vs /5, I can tell you I have both-

And I haven't picked up the /3 in years.  I don't do "fine" finishing, in the sense of perfection.  But I do use "fine" grits, and it works just.... fine.  :) 

The RO150, it has been said, is actually easier to control than the RO125.  Can't confirm, I don't have a 125.  But for flat work, if your right hand works even a little bit to help steer, the RO150 will make the serious jobs shorter, which may work to your advantage anyway.  You said paint removal and pallets- I can't imagine anything better than a Rotex. 

Cabinets- are you planning to sand them vertically?  ETS EC all the way, it's the most one-hand-able sander on the market.  Rotex COULD do it in random mode, but man..... it'd wear a guy out even with three hands. 

 
3Wheelin said:
Thanks. One question though...I have very little use of my right hand...is the rotex 125 going to be a problem for that?
Click to expand...

Rotex (all versions) are more or less two-handed tools, both because of the nature of the rotary function when it's in use and how they are balanced. If you can use your right hand well enough to stabilize the tool, then you should be ok. But if you don't have enough grip to do that, I'd be cautious. If you can find a local Festool dealer to do some hands-on, that would be ideal. If not, and you think you might be ok with it, the generous return policy will be your friend.

Personally, I've stayed in the 150mm sander arena with the exception of now also owning an RO90 for both "small work" and the versatile delta orbital pad.
 
Man, you guys are awesome! I was thinking the ets ec 150/5 would be my sweet spot, but you guys have convinced me. The only fine sanding I do is 220 or 320 grit...Hopefully the 5 will do that...I think there might be an exchange in my future...the 3 for the 5...
 
[member=82180]3Wheelin[/member] the pad from the ETS EC 150 series also fits the ETS EC ,
125. Works fine been using one for years. In use, with 80 grit on the pad I honestly don’t think you’ll notice a difference between the /3 and /5 orbit. If you throw a 150 pad on the 125 you will have either size if you want.

The 125 pad will NOT fit on the ETS EC 150 series

Ron

 
Hello.

I own the Ro125 and have had it about 10 years.
I had the ETS EC 125/3 for 3/4 years and sold it last year for the 150/5 version.

Firstly the RO125 is the hardest sander to use I’ve ever owned. I LOVE it, but it requires learning, and can be a handful.
The RO150 is a joy to use by comparison, but still heavy and powerful.

I sold my ETS EC 125/3 after getting the 150/5. It removes material so much faster and it’s still perfectly good for finishing. I don’t do mirror/gloss/polished type surfaces myself. So i much prefer the 150/5

PLUS, i realised that some minor modification to the 125 pad (witha multi tool) meant it fits the 150/5 perfectly. So now i have an ETS EC 125/5 150/5 :)

As an all round sander i think the ETS EC 150/5 is the best out there by some margin. I also sold my mirka 5mm after getting the ETS EC 150/5.
 
Welcome to the Forum!

I'd get the 150, either 3 or 5, and call it a day. 

It's a great well balanced sander. 

All the Best
 
3Wheelin said:
Thanks. One question though...I have very little use of my right hand...is the rotex 125 going to be a problem for that?
Click to expand...
[member=82180]3Wheelin[/member]
The RO125 is a two handed machine.  I'm right handed, you use your left hand above the sanding pad and the right hand to balance the machine whilst holding the motor/power cord/dust hose.  Your right hand thumb or right index finger is used on the power switch.  The power switch is a latching design.
You need to be able to grip the machine.  The motor diameter is about 2" and is comfortable to hold.
HOWEVER!!!! the machine can become a huge nightmare to control, there are lots of reasons why this happens.  Uneven surface, too much vacuum, applying too much pressure.  The problem is WHEN (not if) the machine goes crazy on you, you'll need to use both hands to control it.  Turning down the vacuum and speed helps, but be aware the machine can be difficult to control.

Bob
 
bobtskutter said:
Turning down the vacuum and speed helps, but be aware the machine can be difficult to control.

Bob
Click to expand...

Yep, definitely spend some time dialing things in

You'll find that some of the time, turning the sander speed UP will actually settle it down.  It gives the pad more momentum, so it's less grabby. 
 
tsmi243 said:
You'll find that some of the time, turning the sander speed UP will actually settle it down.  It gives the pad more momentum, so it's less grabby.
Click to expand...

Yea, that's been my experience also...I find that a faster speed doesn't allow the RO 125 to dig into the wood as easily. The best 1-2 punch is an RO AND an ETS EC sander. You have just about every sanding situation covered except inside corners.
 
My votes:

1) get the 150 hard and soft pads for the ETS EC 125/3

2) consider getting the RO 150 for the heavy lifting

Stick to 150 paper for most stuff.

Reasoning:
For any non-minimum volume of work the 6"/150 paper pays itself in saved time.
Even the 150/5 is not *that* much more aggressive compared to 150/3. I have the WTS 150/7 (7mm orbit) and it is not even approaching what a ROTEX does.

Keep in mind that a 150/3 setup has already about 50% higher material removal rate when compared to the 125/3 setup you have now - just from the bigger paper contact surface.

If you have issue with one hand, the RO 150 will be fine - you will just use the weaker hand to hold it to the back/hose end. But mainly, the sanding time will be cut easily like 5x. So the actual load on the hands is less than slow-sanding with a 150/5.
 
Life's complicated enough without having to choose between a zillion different 'designed to do one job very well' sanders all made by the same company.

So my advice? Grab a Mirka Deros 5650CV with the 5mm orbit option. It comes with both 125mm and 150mm pads in the box. Pad change takes 30 seconds max. It does pretty much everything from heavy paint stripping using Abranet HD 40-grit, through to smoothing with Abranet 120/180/240/400/800 grit, through to high-gloss acrylic/composite polishing using wet-diamond Abranet grades followed up by dry Mirka sheepskin pads. It's made by the company who invented and perfected net-type abrasive sheets for perfect dust extraction - a technology subsequently copied by many. I'm a professional woodworker with 38 years on the tools, and excepting the Makita 9903 4" belt sander for the really brutal jobs - it's all I've ever needed. My evidence? It all sits in the 'Member Projects' section of this forum. Mine's now 7 years old, it's been tortured on a virtually daily basis. Zero failures or breakdowns. And given your comment about restricted right-hand use  - it weighs almost nothing = 1 kilo (2.2 pounds). Anyone serious about acquiring an incredibly versatile, 'most-things-to-most-men', robust, lightweight and hugely reliable sander owes it to themself to at least try it out. Sometimes - you need to look beyond the grey-and-green.

I think you'll like it. My 10 cents.
 
Thanks everyone for all the great info!
I ended up trading my 125/3 ets ec for the 150/5 ets ec...bought the sander and abrasive duo for $650 ($100 more than the 125/3)...we will seeing I made the right choice...again, thanks to all...😃
 
My first Festool sander was a 150/5. In fact that with a Mini were my first Festools and they got me hooked.

125 is a size I have mostly avoided .. even in ROTEX I have 90 and 150 but avoided the momma bear size. Old habits I suppose but I've always gravitated to using a 150 and a Delta for the majority of sanding.
 
I was giving the Rotex125 a workout last night removing some lacquer from pine boards (recycling an old wardrobe).

Rotex mode was great, nice and easy to use, no problems - even with the CTM vac turned up to max power.
RO mode was awful.  120granat lowest vac setting and the machine was all over the place.  Nothing made any difference to stopping the machine jumping around (other than not using it).

It seems weird that Rotex mode is OK but RO mode is not.  Is there something about the orbit distance on the Rotex?  Do dedicated RO sanders (Mirka / Festool) also try to rip your arms off?
I'd like to get an ETS EC 125, because I already have the Rotex125 and don't want to get another sand paper size, but Festool UK have stopped offering it.  Maybe need to look at the Mirka that Kevin recommended.

Thanks
Bob
 
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