The October issue of wood magazine tests 12 sanders, including the Festool ETS125. I don't find testing sanders that exciting, but one item interested me. The Noise Level measures. The Festool ETS125 was 5 db lower in noise than the NEXT "quietest" sander. In other words, the next "most quiet" sander was 3 times as noisy as the Festool. The average noise level of the other 11 sanders tested was 7.7 db (5.89 times as loud) greater than the Festool. More noise almost always equates to a poorer design and vibration. Plus you have to listen to it.
Wood Magazine test of Sanders
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Loren Hedahl
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My RO125 gets a lot of use and I can actually say I enjoy using it.
However my old cheapo Porter Cable 1/4 sheet sander gets used more because it sands right to the edge and almost to the corner and it uses standard locally procurable sand paper. It also hooks up directly to the hose of my CT22 vacuum cleaner and in that mode is practically dust free.
It is terrible noisy and you can see sparks flashing around the brushes as they contact the segments of the armature. I have had to clean the eccentric ball bearing of the packed up dust that got past the rubber shielding. Sometimes I wonder why it just doesn't give up and die. But I stick in my ear plugs and sand away.
I also have the older Porter Cable with the rubber case. It cost about twice and runs so nice and smooth. So I know Porter Cable knows how to make a good 1/4 sheet sander. But it has no dust pickup function. It spews dust everywhere. Even though I really like to use it, I don't use unless the weather is good and I can work outdoors.
So I'm waiting for Festool to come out with a 1/4 sheet sander. I know it would be a difficult area to compete in, with all the cheap units on the shelves. I even saw one at Harbor Freight, in the $30 range that had dust pickup. The more genteel brands come at about twice the price.
What would Festool have to price their's at, if they were to produce one? Would I be ready to commit that much? Would others? What might be the overall demand for such a product? I don't know the answer to these questions, but for the amount of time I end up using that little buzzer, I'm surprised there isn't a quality unit to be had.
Please tell me I'm wrong concerning my last statement.
However my old cheapo Porter Cable 1/4 sheet sander gets used more because it sands right to the edge and almost to the corner and it uses standard locally procurable sand paper. It also hooks up directly to the hose of my CT22 vacuum cleaner and in that mode is practically dust free.
It is terrible noisy and you can see sparks flashing around the brushes as they contact the segments of the armature. I have had to clean the eccentric ball bearing of the packed up dust that got past the rubber shielding. Sometimes I wonder why it just doesn't give up and die. But I stick in my ear plugs and sand away.
I also have the older Porter Cable with the rubber case. It cost about twice and runs so nice and smooth. So I know Porter Cable knows how to make a good 1/4 sheet sander. But it has no dust pickup function. It spews dust everywhere. Even though I really like to use it, I don't use unless the weather is good and I can work outdoors.
So I'm waiting for Festool to come out with a 1/4 sheet sander. I know it would be a difficult area to compete in, with all the cheap units on the shelves. I even saw one at Harbor Freight, in the $30 range that had dust pickup. The more genteel brands come at about twice the price.
What would Festool have to price their's at, if they were to produce one? Would I be ready to commit that much? Would others? What might be the overall demand for such a product? I don't know the answer to these questions, but for the amount of time I end up using that little buzzer, I'm surprised there isn't a quality unit to be had.
Please tell me I'm wrong concerning my last statement.
Brice Burrell
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Loren, Festool makes the RTS 400, while not a true 1/4 sheet sander it is their version so I don't believe you'll ever see a one. When my old PC 1/4 sheet sander died a year and half ago I decided to replace with a Festool sander. I looked at both the RTS 400 (rectangle shaped pad) and DTS 400 (iron shaped pad). I decided on the DTS 400 offered a bit versatility so went with it and I have no regrets. It runs much smoother than my old PC and the dust collection like almost all Festool sanders is great.
Brad Evans
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>>> More noise almost always equates to a poorer design and vibration. Plus you have to listen to it.
Unless you're talking about Ferraris and Lambos!
Unless you're talking about Ferraris and Lambos!
Julian Tracy
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Brad Evans said:
Or, unless you are talking about the Rotex150 sander.
My Rotex (newer version) sounds like it's grinding gears or something when it's running. It's a noisy sucker.
For that matter, the Kapex saw at lower speeds sounds like it has motor issues... (although I think any universal motor at low speeds sounds like that)
Julian
I would guess that a medium cost 1/4 sheet sander, over its lifetime, might be as expensive as a Festool sander with the dust pickup holes.
I have an old Milwaukee 1/4 sheet orbital sander that i have almost never used since i got my RO 150. With the RO, I go thru grits, setting the last one back into my storage box when i load the next. I use the Festool grits overandoverandoverand>>>>>>>.
With the old Milwaukee 1/4 rotary, I used to be constantly changing using several sections of paper thru each grit. When i made my first order of paper for the RO, I did not quite believe "Uncle Bob" when he told me how much further paper would go with the new toy. i got full pacs of paper in several grits. i think I have enough to last a lifetime. And it doesn't curl while waiting to be used. If it does curl, the hook 'n loop takes care of the problem right away. And, it takes a lot of sanding before the paper on the RO even thinks about tearing. NOT so with the old sander.
The paper i have stored for use with the Milwaukee had been around so long, it curls almost immediately when I take out a sheet.
Of course, need I mention dust collection comparrison?
Tinker
I have an old Milwaukee 1/4 sheet orbital sander that i have almost never used since i got my RO 150. With the RO, I go thru grits, setting the last one back into my storage box when i load the next. I use the Festool grits overandoverandoverand>>>>>>>.
With the old Milwaukee 1/4 rotary, I used to be constantly changing using several sections of paper thru each grit. When i made my first order of paper for the RO, I did not quite believe "Uncle Bob" when he told me how much further paper would go with the new toy. i got full pacs of paper in several grits. i think I have enough to last a lifetime. And it doesn't curl while waiting to be used. If it does curl, the hook 'n loop takes care of the problem right away. And, it takes a lot of sanding before the paper on the RO even thinks about tearing. NOT so with the old sander.
The paper i have stored for use with the Milwaukee had been around so long, it curls almost immediately when I take out a sheet.
Of course, need I mention dust collection comparrison?
Tinker
I have the RTS 400 and it is really great for small work. You definitely need a larger sander, but it fills the 1/4 sheet sander 'spot' quite well. It's super light and easy to use. I've managed to get by with that, the RO150 and a BS75. If I was to get another sander it would probably be the ETS150/3.
Speaking of paper going further Tinker, I've found on this last job that the Himalayan Cedar clogged the paper in the first minute of operation. Really soft and oily wood. I bought a rubber stick from a woodworking place like you'd use to clean a floor mounted oscillating drum or disc sander and it's been fantastic for keeping paper working through the whole job. It will pull melted paint, plaster, wood fiber, etc right off the surface of the paper and make it look brand new. Over the last three months, we've used the same twenty or thirty discs for the whole job. Obviously at some point you have to rerate the paper, although it looks clean it just doesn't cut as well. But it works great. For seven bucks I've found a way to stretch the paper way out. Make sure you press the rubber to the sander in such a way the rotation throws the rubber bits away from you, wear safety glasses. When the stick starts to catch and bounce, it's clean.
Speaking of paper going further Tinker, I've found on this last job that the Himalayan Cedar clogged the paper in the first minute of operation. Really soft and oily wood. I bought a rubber stick from a woodworking place like you'd use to clean a floor mounted oscillating drum or disc sander and it's been fantastic for keeping paper working through the whole job. It will pull melted paint, plaster, wood fiber, etc right off the surface of the paper and make it look brand new. Over the last three months, we've used the same twenty or thirty discs for the whole job. Obviously at some point you have to rerate the paper, although it looks clean it just doesn't cut as well. But it works great. For seven bucks I've found a way to stretch the paper way out. Make sure you press the rubber to the sander in such a way the rotation throws the rubber bits away from you, wear safety glasses. When the stick starts to catch and bounce, it's clean.
Loren, I also have the P/C 1/4 sheet sander which at 5yrs was getting tired, when I went to replace it I found that P/C changed the dust port and it no longer fit the Festool hose. I replaced it with the RTS400 and switching between it and the other Festool sanders with the quick cord loc and vac hose, is fast enough to offset the $200 cost. I have switched most of my portable power tools over to Festool in the last 3 yrs.
David Werkheiser
David Werkheiser
Woodenfish
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Loren Hedahl said:
What do you think the chances are that Festool would approve a tool design that did not use proprietary consumables? :
;D 
Steve Jones
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Yeah, festool would never, ever consider doing something like give us a sander that doesn't need their supplies, If they ever did they'd probably call it RS 2 E or something and sell it for $325.00 and have it accept half sheet paper, and then they'd have to add clamps at both ends to hold non-stickfix paper.
If they ever did that, they'd probably put it on page 154 of the 2008 catalog.....
If they ever did that, they'd probably put it on page 154 of the 2008 catalog.....
Bob Strasser said:
I have an ETS 125 and it is indeed a quiet sander; however, the loudness descriptions above are incorrect.
I can elaborate if necessary but suffice to say a 10 dB increase in sound level is roughly equivalent to a perceived doubling of loudness. A 5 dB difference is noticeable but certainly not 3x louder/quieter; a 7.7 dB increase is still less than twice the subjective loudness.
Joe Jensen
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Woodenfish said:Loren Hedahl said:
What do you think the chances are that Festool would approve a tool design that did not use proprietary consumables? :
Pretty good, I have the RS2-E. Guess what, because the Festool paper was so good, I ended up stocking Festool paper for the RS2-E also...joe
Dave Ronyak
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Brice Burrell said:
I second Brice's endorsement. I have an RTS 400, an RO 125 and an ETS 125, and a few Bosch sanders, including a 1/6th? sheet model that allegedly has built in dust collection. The Bosch unit makes my hands go numb after 15 minutes of use. The Festool does not. The RTS 400 is rather noisy in use, however, compared to the ETS 125. The RTS is great for easing edges with excellent control and getting into inside corners, and leveling applied solid wood edging to match the veneered plywood without sanding through. When making furniture, I find I use my RTS 400 and ETS 125 far more than my RO 125 which is more aggressive than needed and harder to control. I use ear protection when using any of these sanders and recommend that others do the same. Whatever sander I am using is usually connected to my CT 22.
Dave R.
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