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

[nehardwoodfloors]

For festool- rotex, hands down.Out of all companies, the CEROS owns them in every way! It is WICKED. Not to mention superior ergonomics.

 

[hhh]

Mirka or ETS 125

I have every FT sander (several of some), several Mirka, 2 Makita and 3 PC sanders.  I know folks love the rotex sanders for the 'I need just 1 sander' queries, but that will only get you so far...  In fact, I really don't use rotex as much as the ETS, RS2, etc.  I can't recomend the rotex beyond course sanding and some specialty applications.  They are just too heavy and course action for finer sanding applications -- full stop...  They are all great for stripping and construction sanding.  The 90 is the most useful of the bunch.

In order, my workflow use: 150/5, 150/3, 400, 2E, 125, RO90.  The makes-up over 70%.  The remaining 30%: RO150, RO125, 93, RAS.  This is my furniture / built-ins workflow... My stuff comes-off the planer very clean (shelix head) and ready for drum sanding.  For those who need more construction sanding, I could see the RO150 moving-up much higher in the workflow...  If you are doing a lot of stripping, then I could see the 90 and RAS moving much higher...  The ROs are certainly the 'hot' product, but if you are going to spend a couple of hours working through the grits on a project, then the Mirka or ETS is a far more pleasant experience.

 

[fshanno]

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

There are moments.  But if I could only have one it would have to be the 6".  There are more moments when the extra surface area is better.  Plus the stroke on the 125 is too small for my ROS needs.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

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

We all roll different ways...  I sold my POS DeWalt and PC 5" sanders and never looked back, never felt the need.
To step off my high horse for a minute, I have the RO150, the RO90, DTS400 (made redundant by the RO90 really), LS132, ETS 150/3, Performax 16/32, Rigid spindle sander, a Delta combo belt & disc, and a file cabinet full of hand sanding stuff.  Pretty wide variety of sizes, but somehow the 5 inch format just doesn't tempt me.

Like Vindingo, the ETS 150 and the RO90 are my go-to gear.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Sanding is a lot about personal preference and finding a combination that works for you and your work -- there is no right or wrong answer here.  Some folks swear by the ETS125 and the RO125 combination and others prefer the 150 series.  I really like the RS2E and it sees the bulk of my sanding where others would traditionally use an ETS sander.  There are a few on the forum that only own a Rotex and that serves all of their sanding needs.  My preference is 150MM size pad as it is easier for me to keep things flat and I cover a wider area.  The RO90 shines where I need to get into smaller areas.  I still prefer the DTS400 delta pad to the RO90 delta pad and use that sander more for corners than I do the RO90.   

I think that this is a case where the 30 day return policy really shines.  If you are new to Festool sanders, then try one out and see how it does for your application.  I would limit the paper you buy initially as it would not be covered in the 30 day return policy, but this gives you a risk free chance to put the tool through its paces and find out what works for you.  If you made the wrong choice, then it is easy to swap it for a different tool.

Scot 

 

[ericbuggeln]

I hear what the last three posters said. I think what happened to me was that my first sander ever was a Dewalt five inch and now I just "think" that all sanders should be one handed with nothing off the back, hence my need for a ETS 90 to do FFs or if I could ditch the remodeling and only do custom stuff, get a nice drum sander, Eric

 

[rjwz28]

Should I also mention that I have very small hands?  Will that make a difference as to Rotex sanders look a lot bigger?

Thanks,
Rob

 

[rjwz28]

I just found out that there is a RO-90 from Paul Marcel that may be the right one for me.  I know in my original post I said 5", but this size may suit me better.  Anyone have this model and can let me know how you like it?

thanks,
Rob

 

[Brice Burrell]

I just found out that there is a RO-90 from Paul Marcel that may be the right one for me.  I know in my original post I said 5", but this size may suit me better.  Anyone have this model and can let me know how you like it?

thanks,
Rob

I think you'll get a lot of good feed back about the RO90.  I happen to really like mine.  Do a search here and you'll get a lot of good info.  Here's my review of the RO90 on my blog. 

 

[RONWEN]

I just found out that there is a RO-90 from Paul Marcel that may be the right one for me.  I know in my original post I said 5", but this size may suit me better.  Anyone have this model and can let me know how you like it?

thanks,
Rob

I think you'll get a lot of good feed back about the RO90.  I happen to really like mine.  Do a search here and you'll get a lot of good info.  Here's my review of the RO90 on my blog. 

If I could only have one Festool sander it would be the RO90 coupled with the Mirka Ceros 6".

 

[JimB1]

I guess I'll be the one to say it, I would hate to have the rotex as my only sander. I have the RO150 and it's noisy, pretty heavy with a lot of vibration. The RO125 didn't sound or feel much better when I tried it. It's great to get the rough spots sanded out quick but if I had to use one for a few hours, my hands would be buzzing for days afterwards and earplugs are a must. Running it vertical can make your shoulders ache after a short time (I guess it could double as a work out appliance, maybe Festool has an untapped market there )

I liked the ETS125 but it has an odd shape to the handle, some folks like it, some don't. Seemed OK to me. It has a decent amount of power but the stroke makes it not great for aggressive removal. Really from  the limited amount of time I got to play with it I'd say 150 grit and up is where it will shine. Might do rougher stuff but it'll still take a long time to remove planer marks or clean up burns or saw blade marks.

ETS150 is the best sander I've tried (haven't played with a Ceros yet so I can't say how that compares) Quiet, decent removal rate (better with the /5), little vibration, excellent control and I can use it for hours without any problem with noise or buzzy hands. Honestly if I was looking for one, do it all ROS I think the ETS150 in either /3 or /5 is it. I used a 5" for years and while the 6" is slightly taller then most 5" sanders with more surface area, I really haven't felt any need to pull out a 5" sander for anything over the last 6 months. I will say I need to pick up the hard pad for doing rails and stiles to keep the 6" pad from rounding over the edges. You can keep it from happening with the medium pad it comes with but it takes more finesse and you need to watch it more. I use my ETS150 one handed all the time. Two hands works a little better below 120 grit, above that it floats well and one handed works fine.

It just seems to me that Festool sander world centers on the ETS150 and everything else is there to assist it.
Happy hunting...
-Jim