Which Festool 5" sander if you could only buy 1!

[rjwz28]

If you could afford to buy only one 5" sander from Festool. which one would it be?  I want something I can use all around from initial sanding with 80 or 100 grit to fine finishing maybe with 220.  I see that some has 2 options with fast removal and another for finishing.  I would want that feature.  Please don't tell me about how good they all are and that I would need this one for this and that one for that.  You only can choose one!

Thanks to all in advance.

Rob

 

[Zacharytanner]

ETS 125

 

[Kevin Stricker]

I would buy the Mirka Ceros.  If you stick with Festool PM me and I can sell you either/both of my 5" sanders (ets125 and RO125) probably for what you could get a new Rotex for.  Personally I think having only 1 of the 5" Festool sanders would be a bummer.

 

[Zacharytanner]

I agree with kevin about needing both to cover the whole range of most your sanding needs

 

[ericbuggeln]

I played with the Mirka Ceros at ToolNut. It is wicked sick, but I already own the ETS 125 and love that. Probably my most used sander, Eric

 

[waho6o9]

Rotex, yeah buddy

 

[AlexThePalex]

If you could afford to buy only one 5" sander from Festool. which one would it be?  I want something I can use all around from initial sanding with 80 or 100 grit to fine finishing maybe with 220.  I see that some has 2 options with fast removal and another for finishing.  I would want that feature.  Please don't tell me about how good they all are and that I would need this one for this and that one for that.  You only can choose one!

I don't get it, you seem to have your mind made up already, why ask us?

Furthermore, the specific task you mention, sanding from 80 to 220 is very limited. In that specific area, both sanders will do just fine. 80 is not that rough and 220 is not that fine. The ETS 125 will do those grits just as good as the RO 125 and vice versa. The RO will be A LOT faster to work with in the low grits, while the ETS 125 will be just A TAD easier to work with in the higher grits. But both sanders can get the job done nicely in the 80 to 220 range. So take your pick, makes little difference.

All in all, the RO 125 seems like the best all-round solution. Just as you more or less already suggested yourself.

If I were you, I'd take Kevin up on his offer. Two for the price of one seems like a great deal to me. If he prefers the Mirka, that's his choice. I for one think both 125 mm Festools are great sanders. Used Festools are just as good as new Festools.

 

[ericbuggeln]

The ETS 125 has by far the nicest one hand feel of any of the sanders, besides the Mirkos, Eric

 

[Kev]

I've read feedback about the Mirkas ... in line with them being light and powerful, but prone to fatigue due to high vibration (balance issues???).

I don't personally know - but it's worth searching on ... flip side the ETS125 is certainly smooth.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

They had a display of the Mirka at one of my suppliers and I played around with it.  There has been a lot of great feedback, but I was not impressed at all -- the sander vibrated a lot and it reminded me of sanding with some of my older sanders before I found Festool.  Maybe it was a bum unit but I will stick with my Festool collection.

Scot

 

[fshanno]

If I could buy only one 5" sander it would be the 6" ETS 150/3. 

 

[Jesse Cloud]

If I could buy only one 5" sander it would be the 6" ETS 150/3. 

ditto... life is short, the 6" sander has almost fifty percent more sanding area and is almost fifty percent faster.  yeah, I would rather spend more time sanding.... [wink]

 

[ericbuggeln]

Fshano, are you saying that you never encounter a moment when you would rather have a five inch as opposed to a six inch? I find that hard to believe? Prime example, would you want to sand FFs with a six inch? Eric

 

[ericbuggeln]

I guess that question also applies to Jesse? I think you really need both. The combo i use is the ETS 125 and RO 150. Those have really been handling my sanding needs, Eric

 

[Vindingo]

I guess that question also applies to Jesse? I think you really need both. The combo i use is the ETS 125 and RO 150. Those have really been handling my sanding needs, Eric

RO150 + RO90 is where it's at.

5" is still too big for FF, and 6" is better at flat.  I would probably still like an ETS150 just for ease of use. 

 

[ericbuggeln]

Two words, ETS 90, Eric

 

[Timtool]

I had the RO125 and have the ETS125 and i would want none as my only sanders, the king of festool sanders is the ETS150, all the rest is complementary!
ETS 125 is a pure finish sander, not really made for grits below 180, it does not have the guts to be really effective at material removal, just good for finishing after the ETS150 if you want a microscopic finish improvement.
RO125 is like a smaller, less powerful and harder to control RO150, RO sanders are not fun to use for general sanding. they are beasts that i use only when i have to because the scratches they make in RO mode require allot of careful re sanding to get them away

 

[rjwz28]

If you could afford to buy only one 5" sander from Festool. which one would it be?  I want something I can use all around from initial sanding with 80 or 100 grit to fine finishing maybe with 220.  I see that some has 2 options with fast removal and another for finishing.  I would want that feature.  Please don't tell me about how good they all are and that I would need this one for this and that one for that.  You only can choose one!

I don't get it, you seem to have your mind made up already, why ask us?

Furthermore, the specific task you mention, sanding from 80 to 220 is very limited. In that specific area, both sanders will do just fine. 80 is not that rough and 220 is not that fine. The ETS 125 will do those grits just as good as the RO 125 and vice versa. The RO will be A LOT faster to work with in the low grits, while the ETS 125 will be just A TAD easier to work with in the higher grits. But both sanders can get the job done nicely in the 80 to 220 range. So take your pick, makes little difference.

All in all, the RO 125 seems like the best all-round solution. Just as you more or less already suggested yourself.

If I were you, I'd take Kevin up on his offer. Two for the price of one seems like a great deal to me. If he prefers the Mirka, that's his choice. I for one think both 125 mm Festools are great sanders. Used Festools are just as good as new Festools.

Alex, I don't know where you got the idea that I already made up my mind which one to get.  I know nothing about the Festool sanders but heard they were all pretty good.  I also just seen on Half inch shy Paul showing the feature that you can switch from reg to RO.

I guess now seeing all the responses I probably want to be able to get quicker results with the lower grits than the rest if I had to choose one over the other.

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I will contact Kevin and see where it goes.

Aloha,
Rob

 

[Kev]

If you could afford to buy only one 5" sander from Festool. which one would it be?  I want something I can use all around from initial sanding with 80 or 100 grit to fine finishing maybe with 220.  I see that some has 2 options with fast removal and another for finishing.  I would want that feature.  Please don't tell me about how good they all are and that I would need this one for this and that one for that.  You only can choose one!

I don't get it, you seem to have your mind made up already, why ask us?

Furthermore, the specific task you mention, sanding from 80 to 220 is very limited. In that specific area, both sanders will do just fine. 80 is not that rough and 220 is not that fine. The ETS 125 will do those grits just as good as the RO 125 and vice versa. The RO will be A LOT faster to work with in the low grits, while the ETS 125 will be just A TAD easier to work with in the higher grits. But both sanders can get the job done nicely in the 80 to 220 range. So take your pick, makes little difference.

All in all, the RO 125 seems like the best all-round solution. Just as you more or less already suggested yourself.

If I were you, I'd take Kevin up on his offer. Two for the price of one seems like a great deal to me. If he prefers the Mirka, that's his choice. I for one think both 125 mm Festools are great sanders. Used Festools are just as good as new Festools.

Alex, I don't know where you got the idea that I already made up my mind which one to get.  I know nothing about the Festool sanders but heard they were all pretty good.  I also just seen on Half inch shy Paul showing the feature that you can switch from reg to RO.

I guess now seeing all the responses I probably want to be able to get quicker results with the lower grits than the rest if I had to choose one over the other.

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I will contact Kevin and see where it goes.

Aloha,
Rob

Alex is saying that because choosing 125mm and dual mode cuts your choice to one - the RO125  [smile]

 

[RONWEN]

I guess that question also applies to Jesse? I think you really need both. The combo i use is the ETS 125 and RO 150. Those have really been handling my sanding needs, Eric

RO150 + RO90 is where it's at.

5" is still too big for FF, and 6" is better at flat.  I would probably still like an ETS150 just for ease of use. 

My vote also for those two plus a 6" Mirka Ceros.

I realize that breaks the original poster rules but I also think most woodworking projects are going to break those same rules.