Have been lurking on this forum for some time and thought it was about time I registerd. I'm just a hobby woodworker not nearly as skilled as some I have seen on here,but learning all the time. I work mainly in MDF building painted cabinets etc. At the moment I have the TS55 which I use for breaking down sheets. I would like to now buy a Festool sander and extractor and this is where I need some advice. I have the budget to buy a midi or mini extractor and one sander. At present it will be used mainly on doors and door trim but I also have about 20 feet of work top to sand and refinish. Can anyone give me suggestions as to what the best combination would be? I have looked at the RO 90 , the palm sander , the ETS 125 and am just getting more confused. At present I use a 5 inch Bosch RO and a small Makita palm sander but really like my saw so thought I would get a Festool one for the dust collection. My vac doesn't have variable suction so this is why I'm looking at the midi/mini. Thanks for any advice you can give to a confused sander. Great site by the way I just wish I had the money to buy half the great stuff Festool makes.
Vac and sander
- Thread starter normcat
- Start date
normcat said:
For the sanders, my first vote is for the DTS (great for those doors), second the ETS, third any of the Rotexes. I would point you towards the spec differences between the Rotexes and the "finish sanders", the stroke for starters. It is my opinion, and this is just my opinion that I will probably get flamed for, that the Rotexes aren't very good as true finish sanders. To me, and I speak mainly for the RO125, it's much better for faster more aggressive sanding and material removal. Whereby the ETS and DTS can also remove material (slower) but produce phenomenal results as a finish sander. But it depends on the results you want to get, if it's paint grade the RO90 might due just fine for now. Eventually you will realize a true finish sander from the Festool line up compliments the Rotexes very well.
welcome normcat
i would go with the midi over the mini . they have the same power but for a small extra cost you get more capacity.
my reconmendations would be one of the rotex models. probably the 150. im sugesting this because of the worktop refinish. you willl want the ro150 to remove teh old finish. the rotex sanders are great. you get all the agression of a belt sander and the finess of the random orbit sanders. you also have a bosch ro sander . if this is working ok then it should hold up for the finer sanding
if you dont need the agresion of the rotex sanders then an etc would be great
i would go with the midi over the mini . they have the same power but for a small extra cost you get more capacity.
my reconmendations would be one of the rotex models. probably the 150. im sugesting this because of the worktop refinish. you willl want the ro150 to remove teh old finish. the rotex sanders are great. you get all the agression of a belt sander and the finess of the random orbit sanders. you also have a bosch ro sander . if this is working ok then it should hold up for the finer sanding
if you dont need the agresion of the rotex sanders then an etc would be great
[welcome] Normcat,
I would go with the CT MIDI and either the ETS150/3 or ETS150/5 or DTS400. If you ever plan on buying a RO150 in the future I would get the ETS150/3 now, but if you don't see yourself buying the RO150 I would buy the ETS150/5. The DTS400 is a good option as well and you could continue to use your Bosh with it. It is really hard to just stop at one or two Festool sanders.
Good luck and have fun,
Daniel
I would go with the CT MIDI and either the ETS150/3 or ETS150/5 or DTS400. If you ever plan on buying a RO150 in the future I would get the ETS150/3 now, but if you don't see yourself buying the RO150 I would buy the ETS150/5. The DTS400 is a good option as well and you could continue to use your Bosh with it. It is really hard to just stop at one or two Festool sanders.
Good luck and have fun,
Daniel
My vote is to get the ETS 150/3 - the action is much smoother and more comfortable to use than the /5 or a Rotex. Really - it's dreamy. You won't have any problems using it to strip and refinish if you use the right paper (the Granat is phenomenal, and much faster than Cristal.)
As for the vac, the MIDI is a sweet little machine. It's a few dollars more, but it will save you money long term over the Mini in bag costs.
As for the vac, the MIDI is a sweet little machine. It's a few dollars more, but it will save you money long term over the Mini in bag costs.
MrToolJunkie
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I think the midi and DTS would be a great choice. The DTS is a gem of a tool. The RO90 would also work for your application
and give some added versatility.
Scot
and give some added versatility.
Scot
AlexThePalex
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I'd go for the DTS and the Mini.
Kev
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My first Festools where an ETS150/5 and a CT Mini.
You can't go wrong with any of the Festool sanders - but you can buy the "wrong" first sander for you needs. The DTS400 is a fantastic multi purpose sander, it makes a great partner to an ETS150/3 or /5 - if you've doing panel work the combination would be great.
The reason I'm talking about two sanders when you're looking for one is because you will want another after you initial experience and it's best you buy with a clear vision (FOGgy vision ??) of your end state - thereby ending up with a good combination.
You'll find people happily doing most things with a RO90 and RO150 - another great combo, but not the friendliest combo if you're only finishing!
You can't go wrong with any of the Festool sanders - but you can buy the "wrong" first sander for you needs. The DTS400 is a fantastic multi purpose sander, it makes a great partner to an ETS150/3 or /5 - if you've doing panel work the combination would be great.
The reason I'm talking about two sanders when you're looking for one is because you will want another after you initial experience and it's best you buy with a clear vision (FOGgy vision ??) of your end state - thereby ending up with a good combination.
You'll find people happily doing most things with a RO90 and RO150 - another great combo, but not the friendliest combo if you're only finishing!
AlexThePalex
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I agree with Kev that you shouldn't stick with a single sander. The best combination to satisfy most sanding needs is to get one round sander and one that has a tip that can do corners.
It would be helpful to me and probably the original poster if someone could explain in one or two sentences (or maybe one or two words, e.g. final finish, rough stock removal, etc) the intended use of each Festool sander. The catalog, at least to me, is not very clear at all.
mouppe
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There are really only two things to remember (excluding the grit number).
i) Random orbit mode will give a finer finish than the rotex mode.
ii) The smaller the stroke size, the less aggressive the stock removal.
So, for example, the finest finish sander is the ETS 125 which is a random orbit sander with a 2mm stroke. The most aggressive sander is the RO150 in geared rotex mode which has a 5mm stroke.
i) Random orbit mode will give a finer finish than the rotex mode.
ii) The smaller the stroke size, the less aggressive the stock removal.
So, for example, the finest finish sander is the ETS 125 which is a random orbit sander with a 2mm stroke. The most aggressive sander is the RO150 in geared rotex mode which has a 5mm stroke.
Kev
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rljatl said:
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/festool-sanders-comparison-table-or-which-sander-to-chose/
has a decent table of use
MrToolJunkie
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Here is my take on this question and I am sure others will weigh in too. There is a lot of overlap within the sanders, but each one has its place. Some sanders that are ideal for finish work are capable of rougher stock prep with coarser grit paper -- and time. Sanders with a smaller orbit will take longer to hog off lots of material than a sander designed for more aggressive work. There are lots of special purpose sanders available to assist with linear sanding only (great for profiles, for example) and delta sanders ideally suited to reach corners. Pad size determines how wide a path you make with each pass -- some folks prefer 5 inch size and others prefer a larger 6 inch size. The smaller the pad, the longer it can take to smooth a surface and you have to pay attention to moving the sander to keep a surface flat -- it is easy to oversand in an area if you are not careful -- that is why I really like the RS2E sander for larger panels and for surfaces that I want to ensure stay flat.
Generally the orbital sanders (DTS, RTS, RS2E) excel at finish work. Great with higher grit papers; capable of more aggressive sanding with coarser grits but not as fast as an RO sander.
ETS 125 and the 150 /3 or /5 are good all around sanders -- capable of more aggressive sanding and fine finish work -- wide range of paper in different grits and pad density improve their versatility. Great for open field work and bigger areas.
Rotex Sanders -- very versatile machines -- good for hogging off lots of material quickly in orbit mode as well as finishing work in random orbit mode -- the 150 has the same orbit in RO mode as the ETS 150/5. Again, grits, pads, paper will determine how effective each one is for the task at hand. RO90 is a true multifunction tool with the Delta pad -- see below.
RAS -- truly an aggressive wood eating machine that is easy to tame -- think of it similar to a grinder -- excels at rough material removal, paint removal and carving, coping and sculpting wood.
LS130 -- Linear sanding -- great for sanding profiles like mouldings and hand rails, edges, etc... you can customize the pad to fit the profile at hand.
Delta Sanders - the DTS fits in here as does the RO90 with the delta pad and the DX93 -- again, getting into corners is what these excel at and into tight, narrow spaces. The RO90 is extremely versatile as it does the RO, agressive and delta modes in one machine. Smaller pad size makes it ideal for smaller surfaces like rail and stiles and smaller fields.
Air sanders -- not as popular, but for use when you have to sand for 8+ hours daily -- less parts to wear out, quiet sanders but need air.
Scot
Generally the orbital sanders (DTS, RTS, RS2E) excel at finish work. Great with higher grit papers; capable of more aggressive sanding with coarser grits but not as fast as an RO sander.
ETS 125 and the 150 /3 or /5 are good all around sanders -- capable of more aggressive sanding and fine finish work -- wide range of paper in different grits and pad density improve their versatility. Great for open field work and bigger areas.
Rotex Sanders -- very versatile machines -- good for hogging off lots of material quickly in orbit mode as well as finishing work in random orbit mode -- the 150 has the same orbit in RO mode as the ETS 150/5. Again, grits, pads, paper will determine how effective each one is for the task at hand. RO90 is a true multifunction tool with the Delta pad -- see below.
RAS -- truly an aggressive wood eating machine that is easy to tame -- think of it similar to a grinder -- excels at rough material removal, paint removal and carving, coping and sculpting wood.
LS130 -- Linear sanding -- great for sanding profiles like mouldings and hand rails, edges, etc... you can customize the pad to fit the profile at hand.
Delta Sanders - the DTS fits in here as does the RO90 with the delta pad and the DX93 -- again, getting into corners is what these excel at and into tight, narrow spaces. The RO90 is extremely versatile as it does the RO, agressive and delta modes in one machine. Smaller pad size makes it ideal for smaller surfaces like rail and stiles and smaller fields.
Air sanders -- not as popular, but for use when you have to sand for 8+ hours daily -- less parts to wear out, quiet sanders but need air.
Scot
I vote for the RO125. It has two "modes"--Festool calls these "random-orbit mode" and "aggressive mode"--for finishing work and rough work, respectively. A very wide range of abrasives adds to this versatility. While neither a dedicated finisher nor a dedicated stripper, the R0125 (and the other Rotex models as well) is extremely versatile, and will complement your other two sanders. On bare wood, the R0125 will quickly take you from 60 or 80 through 120 or 150. Need to go higher? You have your Bosch. I have had an RO150 for years, and it is still my go-to sander most of the time. I sometimes wish it were just a bit lighter and smaller--hence my suggestion to go with the RO125. I do not have a Mini or Midi DC, so I will defer to my colleagues that do. I will just add that the ability to tailor the DC speed to the abrasive grit and the amount of sawdust being produced is surprisingly helpful. And one more comment for the poster who asked for a more comprehensive description of all the sanders and their intended purpose. I just looked at the festoolusa website, and found what I believe is some new information that does just that. Good luck, and welcome.
normcat said:
Hi,
Welcome to the FOG! [smile]
You describe doing a wide range of sanding work. From large surfaces that may need flattening to small surfaces for finish and also trim work. It will be very hard to cover that well with one sander , even a sander that is very versatile. I suggest you think about a pair that can do the job. Then decide what work you will be doing first and buy that sander first with the idea of adding the second when you need it. Remember to factor a good selection of abrasives into your budget.
Seth
Thanks everyone for all your replies. It shows just like at lot of things in life there is no clear simple answer but various opinions, which are all valid. I will get the midi extractor ( that's the easy decision made ) now for the harder part. Because I have a bosch RO and a makita palm sander already I am tempted to get the DTS 400 and use all 3 with the extractor. I know that will require some creative lash up on the 2 non festools and it wont be as efficient as it should be. I take the point that I really need to get more than one sander , does that mean get the RO 90 which is 2 or is it 3 sanders in one but is it one of these tools which is a jack of all trades but master of none.
Ultimately whatever I do I'd better start saving for another sander although that little router looks tempting. Festools should come with a warning. " May cause divorce "
Anyway thanks for all the input, I'm going to lie down now I feel a financial headache coming on.
Ultimately whatever I do I'd better start saving for another sander although that little router looks tempting. Festools should come with a warning. " May cause divorce "
Anyway thanks for all the input, I'm going to lie down now I feel a financial headache coming on.
normcat said:
You have no idea how true this is.
I think the DTS is your best bet..Not sure if you used a Festool sander yet, but the DTS and ETS are just so pleasant to use. And once you get the DC you just feel like your on cloud 9 when you are working on something.
Pace yourself if you can, nothing wrong with that. Festool can be alot to take on, take it from me. But you won't regret those sanders, and I have a feeling you are going to quickly become snobbish towards that Bosch sander if you get a Festool sander. Again, the Rotexes are very nice, but are more complimentary to the finish sanders in my opinion. Anyone who says they are a start to finish sander isn't producing the best finish they could.
