I bought the same a several years ago and I love it. I recently sanded 50 years worth of paint layers off the walls of a large room with P40 grit in a couple of hours. It's so light and comfortable I wasn't even tired. I use a softer pad for doing walls.
I got the model with the 3mm stroke for finishing work, but use it for walls as well, and it's fantastic. Granat Net pads make short work of things, and dust control is phenomenal (though I still wouldn't recommend working without mask and goggles. I use a full face respirator mask for comfort)
Hello and thank you for your videos- We watched your other Bosch vs Festool 3 part series too. I am just a do-it-yourself homeowner - I have 25 year old plywood with maple veneer kitchen cabinet boxes and curly maple cabinet doors that I am refinishing. They were never stained but just had a polyurethane coating which had turned dark with age and had started to scuff away and chip quite a lot over the years. I used a chemical stripper to take off all the finish on the doors and on the base shelf areas of the cabinet boxes. I then bought the Festool RTS 400 and used that to sand all the cabinet doors first with 120 and then 150. I have been using their mesh sandpaper. I then hand sanded at 150 with the Festool hand sanding block. I hook the power sander and hand sanding block to the CT-15 dust extractor. I now have to sand many areas of the cabinet boxes- the largest section that will need to be sanded is a continuous area of the backs of 4 cabinet boxes that are screwed into each other. None of these cabinet boxes have been stripped using a chemical stripper so I have to use a sander to take the finish off. Once again, these boxes are plywood with maple veneer. I can get the finish off with the 120 mesh sandpaper and RTS 400 sander but not sure if I should buy the ETS EC sander for this purpose or continue using the RTS 400 as I did for the cabinet doors that were previously stripped. I also did not use a chemical stripper on the cabinet plywood shelves and just sanded off the old finish with the RTS 400. It took quite long but It worked. I am not a regular woodworker but I wanted to do the best that I could with my own limited skillset. Love to hear your thoughts on whether I should buy the ETS EC sander for the cabinet boxes or continue using the RTS 400. I'm a bit lost and thought Id ask you for your advice. I'm afraid that the random orbit ETS EC sander will go through the veneer. Thanks a ton again...
Hi and thanks! The RTS 400 is a small orbit (2mm from memory) orbital sander - so great for finishing work, not so fast at stripping a finish from a larger area, as you discovered. But I'd be very cautious about using a larger orbit (5mm) RO sander to take the finish off a veneered cabinet as commercial veneers are often only around 0.5mm thick, so it's easy to overcook it and sand through the veneer - at which point it's game over. You could try taking the bulk of the finish off with the ETSEC and use the RTS 400 for the final couple of passes? Or look at the 3mm stroke version of the ETS EC - but then you'd have a larger finishing sander which you may not have that much use for after the cabinet project is complete. The RO sander would definitely be faster though. Hope that helps and best of luck with it. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Hi. Thank you. I just bought the ETS EC 125/3 sander and saw this comment after buying the sander. Glad that I bought the one with the 3mm orbit as you suggested. Your videos and advice are much appreciated.
I totally agree that Festool should include at least 2 each of the most commonly used grits in Granat with their sanders. That said, I noticed the new starter kits with abrasives, also in systainers that looks really favourable. Great that Festool is realising this. The right accessories makes the tool… Thumbs up Peter!
I've never had the opportunity to use a premium sander so I'm at a bit of a loss to what you get for that money. I have heard many youtubers say a good (expensive) sander is essential but they don't really go into detail of why, I'd love to hear an honest breakdown of this and no doubt Peter will do so in his wrapup! Like a lot of people I hate sanding whether it's machine or by hand and I've done plenty of it (too much!). I can see the appeal of brushless as with every other brushless tool I own or have used, by now all big brands should be solely brushless across the board. My old man was a panel beater for 30 odd years and now is a yacht laminator so I appeciate the effects of vibration and white finger (I suffer too even before I got into making things heavily) but he has always used air tools which tend to vibrate less, it seems all sanders kill your hands over time. I would be really interested to get hands on with a comparible cheaper sander and a premium back to back to get a feel. I know that all sounds here's another "tight arse DIYer" but i's more not having used such tools and not knowing what the difference is, obviously where accuracy and tollerences are involved you get what you pay for.
Many Festool dealers will have a selection of the popular sanders (and other tools) to actually try out at the store, at least here in the US--and I can't imagine they would have a problem if you brought along your own to compare back to back. Some will have a schedule of more comprehensive demo days periodically put on by the local reps also. If you are in the habit of using a sander for many hours a day, even intermittently a hobbyist or DIY home repairer, the higher end sander will usually make you more productive (faster), with less fatigue and fewer tingles in the finges at the end of the day, sometimes doing a better/cleaner job while making your consumables last longer too. Watch out, your wallet/woman might not appreciate your playing with the Mercedes of power tools.
@@nominalvelocity interesting, maybe a trade show would be an option to get hands on. I'm not sure there are many official dealers where I am (I'm a bit out of the way). I'll be honest a lot of RUclips for me is tool porn, most of the time I get on with the tool a hand to the best of my abilities. Fatigue is well worth paying attention to especially if you intend on being able to work for many years. I just look at my dad working using quality tools throughout his career and still struggling wondering how much it helped. I mean it's nice to borrow his gear when I need to 😂
If you use sanders - or any power tools - a lot then you really need to be looking at the vibration associated with them. As you mention, ‘white finger’ is a growing issue that causes permanent nerve damage - I have data from one of my Plus members that showed a marked increase in white finger diagnosis that was attributed to all the DIY people did during covid. To their credit Mirka sanders use the Bluetooth connection to monitor vibration and tool usage, and I can foresee a time when this becomes mandatory for site use, like M class extractors are now. It’s a topic I’ll get into as I use the sander more. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop interesting! I'm surprised such an increase was recorded over such a relatively short period. I thought it took much longer sustained regular exposure to develop.
@@10MinuteWorkshop BTW I agree with your take on the abrasive. I ended up buying from 2 sources: Rockler and Woodcraft here in the states. I loaded up on 100 and 150 in the Rubin; and an array of 5 different grades in Granat. They could have included some 100 grit that almost EVERYBODY uses. Oh well. Also I hardly ever grab my 5” rotes any more!!!
Thanks for another educational and well-balanced video. I bought this a few years back to sand the walls in the house after first stripping the painted wallpaper and washing the glue away. I was very happy with it, especially the weight, button and the ridiculously good dust collection, especially for gypsum dust (I had a respirator and sealed goggles along with ear muffs and used an H class vacuum). I found I went through the jetstream pads faster than expected but after getting a velcro buffer that goes between the jetstream and the hook-and-loop Granet net, those jetstream pads lasted significantly longer. Online it seems to be a face-off between this and the Mirka. From memory from the research I did some years back, more people had issues with the Mirka but professionals seem to swear by either. I'm getting a Rotex RO 90 next to do the stairs : )
Thanks! I ran the Mirka Deros and Deos for over a year without any issues at all, so whatever reliability problems they had they seem to have resolved. But if you’re in the Festool system then this one makes a lot of sense. 👍
I have a Festool 5” and it’s fine, but will remain loyal to my Metabo 6”. Smooth, quiet, durable, and you can choose your orbit size with an easy adjustment. A small orbit is a must for sanding out finishes in to 400 grit range. At about half the price of the Festool. I’m watching the way you’re sanding: stop all that random roaming around, and stick to an overlapping grid pattern. Use a strafing side light.
I had the Metabo dual orbit; it was decent, it the thrashed ets 150/5 I bought was so much better. And please don’t presume to give me sanding advice on the basis of old video clips played at high speed. 👍
Isn't the purpose of a "random" orbit sander to sand whenever, wherever and however I want? (For millenials, you can substitute the word "surreal" ... 🙄)
@@10MinuteWorkshop Peter, I love your videos and respect your version of woodworking, but when I see bad technique I have to call it out. You ever watch those remodeling shows when they paint walls? Always start in the middle, flinging the roller around, zigzagging with abandon. It’s the part of the show they let the on-screen “talent” do because they can’t f*** it up. But inevitably, they do.
I've used that exact sander for 8 years now at work. Sometimes hours a day and the button is actually better for longer sanding sessions than pedal like mirka has. Still both are great sanders
I appreciate you taking time to post and make suggestions, but I disagree 1000% Most sander issues around vibration and imbalance stem from those pad protectors, and as I say in the video I’m not a fan. 👍
Had mine for a few years and it's been great, togeyher with the festool dust extractor its a great tool. The dust collection is just fantastic, you van turn the vacuum speed to minimum for the higher grits to avoid squiggly marks and it still captures most of the dust... If i coyld only own one festool piece if kit, this would be it
Hi Peter, I bought the EC ETS 150/5 and I have to say it is superb. When paired with the Festool dust extractor, it takes almost all the dust away and the Granat sanding pads seem to work extremely well to get to the hand finishing stage. The sander is a little heavy when sanding large vertical surfaces, with the dust extractor hose attached but vertical sanding is rare work unless you're a decorator, who apparently rave about Festool sanders as well. I agree the kit is expensive but I like the results, the tools are very well made and over time, the cost per use will be acceptable to me.
@@10MinuteWorkshop Hi Peter, I would also add that I dislike all cordless sanders, they are heavy, more difficult to control and the results are disappointing, with many different brands tested.
I just got my own ETS EC 150/5 about a month ago. Loving it so far! The dust collection with a dust extractor is phenomenal. The speed/comfort is also great. Paired with some cubitron sanding mesh discs, I was surprised at just how fast I sanded to 180 grit (for rubio) on a 46" x 46" coffee table. I think I went from 120 grit to 150 to 180 in maybe like 12-15 minutes? Fantastic. Especially as this was my first high-end sander.
i went with the 150/3 as most of my projects are relatively small and I hardly ever strip paint. And I can always crank up the speed, when i needed to do more aggressive material removal. Matter of fact, I hardly use the 150/3 over speed 4 for sanding my projects. (i did get 1 sheet of 120 grit sanding disc for my purchase)
When I first got into Festool the sanders came with a little variety pack of Rubicon paper. Then it was 1 piece of Granet. Now none lol. Every extractor also should come with a box of bags not just 1 lol.
Hi Peter, A good honest review on the Festool ETS 150/5 looks a good sander, I do use a Black and Decker "mouse" sander I do like it and a B & D orbital and a Bosch orbital sander both of them are good. As always a great video Take care
Peter, with one exception, this sander had been AWESOME for me! The only issue has been that it tends to tear up the soft backing of sandpaper prematurely. The Granat paper seems to work alright (I’ve used it sparingly), but the 3M Cubitron or Xtract and and the Serious Grit brands that I’ve tried with this sander only last one or two sessions of sanding and peeling it off for the backing to wear out. Frustrating when you pay for good sandpaper! The grit on the 3M is impressively long-lasting, but the backing wears out way too quickly on this Saber. To be fair, I’m not sure if this is an issue with the sander or with the sandpaper. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts/and experience.
All abrasives seem to tear at the edges before the actual wear becomes an issue, but the 3M stuff seems to be particularly poor in my experience. Granat was always decent, but haven’t used it for a while tbh.
I’m sorry that I wasn’t very clear in my first comment. It’s not the edges of the paper that are wearing out for me. It’s the soft backing that attaches the sandpaper to the sander that’s been giving me problems. After I use a sheet of sandpaper, I peel the sandpaper off in order to move to the next grit. If I try to reapply that same disc later on, it doesn’t stick nearly as well, and will sometimes fly off the sander mid-session.
It’s because you should use the protection pads if you are using mesh paper. If you apply the mesh pads directly you are essentially sanding the hooks off the backing pad and will wear through it very quickly.
@@jhende7I thought the same thing at first, but the sandpaper sticks beautifully for a sanding session or two, then the backing wears out so it won’t stick anymore. I try a new piece of sandpaper and it sticks great! Definitely not the sanding pad. Also, these aren’t mesh discs I’m using.
@@10MinuteWorkshopIf I should get better from my stage cancer and can start building stuff again I’ll definitely begin to start subscribing to your channel again. After watching this video I realized why I’ve enjoyed your channel so much.
I heard Sedge say that Festool originally planned to replace their cordless orbital [sheet] sander with their newer cordless delta sander (the thought being that the latter can do everything and more than the former), but that feedback from larger cabinet shops saved the sheet sander because they wanted both (using the sheet sander for "open" sanding and using the delta INSIDE cabinets to get closer to edges, for example). That made me wonder if perhaps the ideal two-sander combination for the non-professional cabinet maker might be a 150mm (6 inch) random orbital sander and a delta sander.
Definitely looks like a great sander! I just wanted to mention another brushless 150/5 sander. Not sure if you have Würth in the UK but they've got one that costs a little less than the Deros. It looks a lot like the Festool, actually! Same on/off switch as well. I've got the Würth one and really like it!
Good to know thanks! There are lots of brands that don’t have the reach here unfortunately; Wurth is one that’s only available through wurth stires, which are few and far between. 👍
The sander looks good, I hope it’s better than the Festool cordless table saw, I’ve got the Festool 5 mm 150 ETS which is very good, the Festool sanders are getting very expensive now.
I bought the Sealey 'Deros knock-off' on your recommendation. Its been great for wood and car body prep, although occasionally it can get hot, and then you have to wait a mo' for it to calm down before resuming. At £190 vs ££££ for the Festool, its a no-brainer for me. I watched this video with great interest...OK, I could swallow another £100 for the Systainer, but all that extra cash for an on-off switch and a Festool power cord seems crazy. And no abrasives, that's just tight. Disappointing, as I already have 3 other Festool products which are great, including dust extraction.
Yeah over the years up to my forced retirement I have bought 8 different hand tools from Festool and they have never required any service, any of them. So if you’re using them daily the price of them can end up being cheaper in the long run. (And yes, I have been unfaithful to Festool over the past +20 years with Makita, DeWalt & Bosch - DeWalt because of their many heavy duty drills for an example.)
The box containing nothing except the sander and some instructions forces you to search for sanding disks. I'm not sure what the Festool disks are like, but I purchased 3M Cubitron in 3 different grits and will probably never consider Festool disks since these work great. Had they included a sample package, I would probably be using Festool Disks since my dealer stocks them. I like the storage container, but if the choice were given, I might have gone without the container as my sander sits in the shop connected to the vac all the time.
It’s outstanding, as was the Mirka, and as it should be on any sander at this price point - as I say in the video, these rings are a given at this level. 👍
I bought one a few years ago, best sander I have ever had, and I have gone through a fair few (only one that comes close was a B&D in the same teardrop shape) Your can bag a bargain after 6 months you can offer them £250 for that used one you have 😁
Remember we live on treasure island. Will be going to DM tools Twickenham to get one . Btw had my festool impact driver 10 years never had a pb with it still working well on original batteries!
Festool not always leading the way these days. But they seemed to respond well to the popularity of the Mafell track saw coming out with very good cordless TSC50 and corded TS60 upgrades and going above and beyond with the TSV60. Be interesting to see if this takes the battle to Mirka in the same way.
I would recommend the protection pads if you are going to use the mesh abrasives. Those pads are expensive when you wear out the velcro. I'm sure you know that already, but when you start flinging abrasive discs across the shop it will be to late. I know you said you are not a fan of the interface pads, but the protection pads are much thinner and come in a two pack. If you still don't like those, I wouldn't use the mesh abrasives, unless you like spending $50 on a new pad after a couple dozen abrasives. I have the ETS-EC 150/3 and the RO 150 but thinking about adding the ETS-EC 150/5 because I'm a Festool junkie.
Thanks, but as I say in the video I really don’t like interface pads generally, and in my experience they’re the biggest cause of vibration and pigtail issues. When U was a working cabinetmaker I’d change the pads annually, and convert the oldies to hand sanding pads👍
Nothing to choose between this and the ceros/Deros in terms of quality of finish or dust collection. Deros is a little lighter, ETSEC has a switch and plug-it cord. 👍
Pretty cool. One of my first purchases was the ETS EC 150/3. I may have to pick one of these up eventually for the stroke. I have the 150 Rotex, but it's not really suited for delicate work.
Perhaps a stupid question, or one you've already answered in an earlier video : could you describe the difference in use of the Random Orbital Sander and the Orbital Sander?
It’s excellent - as it should be at this price tbh - but very happy with it; quiet, powerful, low weight and vibration, great dust collection, and a proper on-off switch. 👍👍
It is interesting you didn't get any paper. It might be something new to cut cost. Sometimes called "Shrinkflation" here in the States. When I bought my Rotex 150 and ETSC 125 each came with one single piece of sandpaper. The product images still show a single piece of sandpaper but do not list any as coming in the set.
Awesome tool indeed, Peter! Thanks for the review! 😃 But yeah, I have quadcopters with brushed and brushless motors... But I could never fly the brushed quads successfully! 😂 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks for the video Peter. In Australia here, we don’t get all the brands mentioned here, but I’d like to know how it compares with the top of the line Bosch 150mm? The Bosch is A$689- and the Festool is A$1225- the Festool as advertised here has a 5mm model and a 3mm model.
The ec 150 is as pleasant as an sanding experience can be ,on flat surfaces . With its low hose height and angle, it can be frustrating in drawers and other tight spaces.
I like mine but find that with the dust hose attached it becomes unbalanced (especially when stretching over a large workpiece) and requires the operator to compensate (by either applying more pressure to the front or supporting the hose by hand) to avoid excessive sanding from the back half of the sander. You then run the risk of over compensating which moves the problem to the front half.
Good advice, I'll think about something like that, thank you. I already wear the hose around the back of my neck for other tasks but hadn't thought to do that for sanding. @@10MinuteWorkshop
Hi Peter, I think you missed at least two important brands in your overview: Flex-tools and Rupes. I have my eyes on the ORE 150-5 for quite some time now, as the ETS a bit out of my league for a DIY person.
Great video, thanks--I recently discovered your channel and I've enjoyed a good number of your videos. How well does the dust extraction work with this sander? (I have a CT Midi extractor.) And what are your favorite sanding pads, or is that a question answered in a previous video?
Thanks! As I think I mention in the vid, things like low vibration, excellent dust extraction low noise etc.. are a given at this price point. I use this with a midi and dust collection is excellent. Re abrasives, I’ve honestly never found much difference between any of them; the 3M is a bit thin and can tear easily, Granat is long lasting but can be delicate around the edges. I’m quite liking the current Mirka abrasive for wood, Ultimax Ligno - works well with the Festool 👍
Hmm, my ETS EC 125/3 came with a single sheet of granat 120 (about 1 month ago) . I'm in the US though, but now you've got me wondering if that is standard here or if the dealer threw one in themselves.
Hi Peter great video btw. The Metabo SXE 450/2 is on eBay at £143.99. It has switchable orbits of 6.2mm and 2.8mm. You mentioned that Metabo is in the £350 - £400 bracket. Am I missing something here?
Thanks! I'm referring to the brushless Metabo with the 150/5 stroke - I'll link it below. The SXE 450/2 is a great sander - I was using the original when I purchsed my thrashed ETS 150 - but a different animal to the brushless sanders mentioned here. 👍 ffx.co.uk/products/metabo-metabo-sxe-5-0bl-240v-150mm-orbital-sander-209809?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA3JCvBhA8EiwA4kujZom8o_TGX3mOky8uiXnWqABMGpWHGkVMjxf-kHcIremqrg22nyG9jBoCwd4QAvD_BwE
Hi Peter! Thanks again for a great video. Just in time for me: i’m about to purchase aan ETS-EC. I had decided to go for the 3 mm stroke. My reasoning was that the 5 mm is to agressive to sand between paint coats. Would you disagree? What do i miss if I would go for the 3 mm?
Hmm, I just checked my receipt, my refurbished Makita ROS cost me £86. New, they're only £125. That's a decent brand that I trust, I also have their corded tracksaw and the SDS drill. I wonder why this model is so much cheaper than the types you mentioned here?
I checked it's specs: model Makita BO5041/2, 125mm pad, 2.8mm stroke, 4krpm to 12krpm. I suppose that makes it a finish sander? Which is a different class to these 150mm x 5mm sanders.
Ah, got it: it's got a 300w motor. Makita do a larger sander with a 750w motor, and that's more like £300. So it all checks out, and I need to own both!
Hi Peter. Can you tell me if that sander cuts out when you put a bit of preasure on it? I know we're not to overload the sander but we all have just put a bit of weight on them. It's just my it's 150/5 cuts out and I've got to restart it, but my ets150/3 doesn't. Wondered if it's a fault on the /5
Hi, yeah it's going back to festool this week. Spoke to them after I messaged you. They just said send it in under warranty. They said if you're struggling in the mean time get peter to send you the one we lent him 👀
I have never seen the point of festool plug it cords. When I first got into power tools, I thought "I should go online and find some sort of standardized connector and convert all my power tools to use this standard connector.... Then I thought about it for about 30 seconds, and realized.... ALL POWER TOOLS IN MY COUNTRY HAVE THIS. It's a dual prong with an optional ground plug, that you can get for free out of dumpsters all the time, and all tools come with. It is also what is on the OTHER END of the festool connnector cord. I don't have any of the silly festool cords in my own setup (my sander is mirka and my dust extractor has standard cords), but I think the first thing I would do is get a 9-12 inch cord whip that converts from festool to standard wall plugs. You can even get locking extension cords in my area, which are cords with a toggle switch that makes it VERY difficult (I won't say impossible because I have never tried) to disconnnect the cord while lit is locked. AND, you can very easily get cord ends with indicator lights, which I find very nice, as then you know if your tool is plugged in/the breaker is working/etc. Look forward to your 6 month review though. I have been holding off on buying a personal sander, as I am just not decided on how much money I need to actually spend. all my experience is with mirka and festool, and I am reluctant to spend that premium money on a tool that may not outperform a budget version. Especially as that is my experience with many other tools, many of which I not only consider as good as brand names, but in some cases, I know to be made in the exact same factory by the exact same people, using shared parts for the internals.
I would think that the upside of the Festool removable power cable is mostly to do with ease of use, you can have 1 end plugged into a vacuums power socket (or a socket that acts the same on a fixed installation). And just switch tools at the work bench instead of the vacuum. You can even Have it cable managed along the hose, for less snagging and tripping hazards. Lastly tools are also a bit easier to store
@@quantaca5773 That definitely is a thing they can do, but it's by no means unique or hard to come by. You can just cut off all but the last foot of any cord and put a new end on (For example, I did this with all my battery chargers so I can cram them in a single systainer, and have a shared cord I can plug into a single wall outlet). It's not also a festool specific idea, it's pretty standard for computer power supplies and monitors. And mirka has one on their sander. I am sympathetic to the apprentice proofing idea though. That's probably pretty important when you market your tools to pros and charge as much as festool.
@@timmietimmins3780 as DIYer cutting a cord id a solution but as a professional workshop (even a 1 person) there are many worksafety standards that you need to adhere to (esp EURO, festools biggest base)... And when you start modifying tools you give your insurance a valid reason to not pay incase of an accident or (electrical) fire. And as a workshop, the upside is that it also eliminates 1 point of failure, damaged cords. Well it still happens but you can easily switch them out.
Festool just works. Nice looking sander. Does it have the fast change pads? The Rotex I have, just needs a quick twist on and off. Magic, works with other brands abrasive too. I struggle to justify Festool drills and impacts. Extraction, domino x2 and Rotex I have are fantastic. Track saw I went Bosch as I like the tracks better. I can’t see you are going to be disappointed some how
No, old style Allen key for the pads. Had fast change pads on the Rotex 90, found them a bit bit & miss tbh, but I think they were the first sander that had them. Love the drills - centrotec is a great system. 👍👍
Yes. Here in Australia Festool never provide all you need There is always an accessory to purchase. And Festool abrasives are disgracefully costly. God at least it doesn’t have a battery
My biggest issue with Festool is the sustainer you have to get with their tools that contribute about $250 USD to the price. I wish they offered all of their tools without the sustainer markup included for a plastic box I don't want or need.
@@airnashville3883 I kind of doubt that. I have looked, in canada, a lot for used systainers. Nothing. They are not on the market, just like basically anything used festool, you have to look VERY hard to find it. Also, there is no way that box is worth 250 USD. you can get a systainer3 M 237 or 337 in my country (canada), for about 85 bucks US, after currency conversion. Tanos branded, but frankly, I consider that upside. I don't want to advertise how much my tools are worth any more than is absolutely necessary. As for me, I wouldn't pay full retail, but if someone gave me 25% off retail on a medium sized systainer, I would IMMEDIATELY buy it, even if I didn't have a use for it. Just because I know that I will want it eventually and I know that there isn't really a cheap source. I got a smoking deal on some promotional T-loc I's when I first started, and one of my bigger regrets about the trade is that I didn't buy twice as many as I actually got.
Enjoy the Ferrari of sanders, the best of German engineering, As a talented poor amateur, this one is above my retirement pay grade. Even for telling my wife I need it for her next project. Keep us informed, who know, I may still win the Lottery.🤣
A few years ago there were scattered deals to be found with tool suppliers selling Festool but nowadays it seems that every item is listed at full msrp, with maybe a shirt included. It is a great tool line, but their marketing strategy has shallow roots in presenting good buy deals.
![I bought them all so that you don't have to! [video 589]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9SHIrwWMiz8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bosch PBD 40 Drill Press First Look [video 597]](/img/1.gif)
I bought the same a several years ago and I love it. I recently sanded 50 years worth of paint layers off the walls of a large room with P40 grit in a couple of hours. It's so light and comfortable I wasn't even tired. I use a softer pad for doing walls.
I got the model with the 3mm stroke for finishing work, but use it for walls as well, and it's fantastic. Granat Net pads make short work of things, and dust control is phenomenal (though I still wouldn't recommend working without mask and goggles. I use a full face respirator mask for comfort)
Hello Peter, you'll be glad to hear you are now successfully in my RUclips feed after the hiatus!
Woo! 😆 👍
Best sander I've ever owned 👍 Had mine around 3 years now. Great piece of kit 💪
This video hits your sweet spot. Great to have the good stuff back. Proper tools + experience + cerebral insight. 10MW dynamite
Thank you! 🙌👍
Hello and thank you for your videos- We watched your other Bosch vs Festool 3 part series too. I am just a do-it-yourself homeowner - I have 25 year old plywood with maple veneer kitchen cabinet boxes and curly maple cabinet doors that I am refinishing. They were never stained but just had a polyurethane coating which had turned dark with age and had started to scuff away and chip quite a lot over the years. I used a chemical stripper to take off all the finish on the doors and on the base shelf areas of the cabinet boxes. I then bought the Festool RTS 400 and used that to sand all the cabinet doors first with 120 and then 150. I have been using their mesh sandpaper. I then hand sanded at 150 with the Festool hand sanding block. I hook the power sander and hand sanding block to the CT-15 dust extractor. I now have to sand many areas of the cabinet boxes- the largest section that will need to be sanded is a continuous area of the backs of 4 cabinet boxes that are screwed into each other. None of these cabinet boxes have been stripped using a chemical stripper so I have to use a sander to take the finish off. Once again, these boxes are plywood with maple veneer. I can get the finish off with the 120 mesh sandpaper and RTS 400 sander but not sure if I should buy the ETS EC sander for this purpose or continue using the RTS 400 as I did for the cabinet doors that were previously stripped. I also did not use a chemical stripper on the cabinet plywood shelves and just sanded off the old finish with the RTS 400. It took quite long but It worked. I am not a regular woodworker but I wanted to do the best that I could with my own limited skillset. Love to hear your thoughts on whether I should buy the ETS EC sander for the cabinet boxes or continue using the RTS 400. I'm a bit lost and thought Id ask you for your advice. I'm afraid that the random orbit ETS EC sander will go through the veneer. Thanks a ton again...
Hi and thanks! The RTS 400 is a small orbit (2mm from memory) orbital sander - so great for finishing work, not so fast at stripping a finish from a larger area, as you discovered. But I'd be very cautious about using a larger orbit (5mm) RO sander to take the finish off a veneered cabinet as commercial veneers are often only around 0.5mm thick, so it's easy to overcook it and sand through the veneer - at which point it's game over. You could try taking the bulk of the finish off with the ETSEC and use the RTS 400 for the final couple of passes? Or look at the 3mm stroke version of the ETS EC - but then you'd have a larger finishing sander which you may not have that much use for after the cabinet project is complete. The RO sander would definitely be faster though. Hope that helps and best of luck with it. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Hi. Thank you. I just bought the ETS EC 125/3 sander and saw this comment after buying the sander. Glad that I bought the one with the 3mm orbit as you suggested. Your videos and advice are much appreciated.
I totally agree that Festool should include at least 2 each of the most commonly used grits in Granat with their sanders.
That said, I noticed the new starter kits with abrasives, also in systainers that looks really favourable. Great that Festool is realising this. The right accessories makes the tool… Thumbs up Peter!
Thanks! Yes, seemed an odd omission from them - a marketing opportunity missed, for sure. 👍
I've never had the opportunity to use a premium sander so I'm at a bit of a loss to what you get for that money. I have heard many youtubers say a good (expensive) sander is essential but they don't really go into detail of why, I'd love to hear an honest breakdown of this and no doubt Peter will do so in his wrapup! Like a lot of people I hate sanding whether it's machine or by hand and I've done plenty of it (too much!). I can see the appeal of brushless as with every other brushless tool I own or have used, by now all big brands should be solely brushless across the board. My old man was a panel beater for 30 odd years and now is a yacht laminator so I appeciate the effects of vibration and white finger (I suffer too even before I got into making things heavily) but he has always used air tools which tend to vibrate less, it seems all sanders kill your hands over time. I would be really interested to get hands on with a comparible cheaper sander and a premium back to back to get a feel. I know that all sounds here's another "tight arse DIYer" but i's more not having used such tools and not knowing what the difference is, obviously where accuracy and tollerences are involved you get what you pay for.
Many Festool dealers will have a selection of the popular sanders (and other tools) to actually try out at the store, at least here in the US--and I can't imagine they would have a problem if you brought along your own to compare back to back. Some will have a schedule of more comprehensive demo days periodically put on by the local reps also.
If you are in the habit of using a sander for many hours a day, even intermittently a hobbyist or DIY home repairer, the higher end sander will usually make you more productive (faster), with less fatigue and fewer tingles in the finges at the end of the day, sometimes doing a better/cleaner job while making your consumables last longer too.
Watch out, your wallet/woman might not appreciate your playing with the Mercedes of power tools.
@@nominalvelocity interesting, maybe a trade show would be an option to get hands on. I'm not sure there are many official dealers where I am (I'm a bit out of the way). I'll be honest a lot of RUclips for me is tool porn, most of the time I get on with the tool a hand to the best of my abilities. Fatigue is well worth paying attention to especially if you intend on being able to work for many years. I just look at my dad working using quality tools throughout his career and still struggling wondering how much it helped. I mean it's nice to borrow his gear when I need to 😂
If you use sanders - or any power tools - a lot then you really need to be looking at the vibration associated with them. As you mention, ‘white finger’ is a growing issue that causes permanent nerve damage - I have data from one of my Plus members that showed a marked increase in white finger diagnosis that was attributed to all the DIY people did during covid. To their credit Mirka sanders use the Bluetooth connection to monitor vibration and tool usage, and I can foresee a time when this becomes mandatory for site use, like M class extractors are now. It’s a topic I’ll get into as I use the sander more. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop interesting! I'm surprised such an increase was recorded over such a relatively short period. I thought it took much longer sustained regular exposure to develop.
I bought mine last summer. Best sander I’ve ever used. You’re correct about only needing 2 sander’s if this is one of them.
Absolutely! 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop BTW I agree with your take on the abrasive. I ended up buying from 2 sources: Rockler and Woodcraft here in the states. I loaded up on 100 and 150 in the Rubin; and an array of 5 different grades in Granat. They could have included some 100 grit that almost EVERYBODY uses. Oh well. Also I hardly ever grab my 5” rotes any more!!!
Great timing! I just got mine delivered yesterday along with a CT 36!
Nice!! 👌 👍
Thanks for another educational and well-balanced video.
I bought this a few years back to sand the walls in the house after first stripping the painted wallpaper and washing the glue away. I was very happy with it, especially the weight, button and the ridiculously good dust collection, especially for gypsum dust (I had a respirator and sealed goggles along with ear muffs and used an H class vacuum). I found I went through the jetstream pads faster than expected but after getting a velcro buffer that goes between the jetstream and the hook-and-loop Granet net, those jetstream pads lasted significantly longer.
Online it seems to be a face-off between this and the Mirka. From memory from the research I did some years back, more people had issues with the Mirka but professionals seem to swear by either.
I'm getting a Rotex RO 90 next to do the stairs : )
Thanks! I ran the Mirka Deros and Deos for over a year without any issues at all, so whatever reliability problems they had they seem to have resolved. But if you’re in the Festool system then this one makes a lot of sense. 👍
Great video Peter. Happy to see more videos about Festool.
I have a Festool 5” and it’s fine, but will remain loyal to my Metabo 6”. Smooth, quiet, durable, and you can choose your orbit size with an easy adjustment. A small orbit is a must for sanding out finishes in to 400 grit range. At about half the price of the Festool. I’m watching the way you’re sanding: stop all that random roaming around, and stick to an overlapping grid pattern. Use a strafing side light.
I had the Metabo dual orbit; it was decent, it the thrashed ets 150/5 I bought was so much better. And please don’t presume to give me sanding advice on the basis of old video clips played at high speed. 👍
Isn't the purpose of a "random" orbit sander to sand whenever, wherever and however I want? (For millenials, you can substitute the word "surreal" ... 🙄)
@@10MinuteWorkshop Peter, I love your videos and respect your version of woodworking, but when I see bad technique I have to call it out. You ever watch those remodeling shows when they paint walls? Always start in the middle, flinging the roller around, zigzagging with abandon. It’s the part of the show they let the on-screen “talent” do because they can’t f*** it up. But inevitably, they do.
I'm Australia. Both of my Festool Sanders came with a single sheet of 180 grit.
Good to know. It was probably a mistake, or an overly keen dealer, lol! 😂
@@10MinuteWorkshop it was one of those moments. "You need 80 grit. We'll. Too bad we're using 180 today"
I've used that exact sander for 8 years now at work. Sometimes hours a day and the button is actually better for longer sanding sessions than pedal like mirka has. Still both are great sanders
Totally agree. 👍
PETER! Get a pad protector if you use mesh sand paper!!! This is pivotal to not wreck the pad.
I appreciate you taking time to post and make suggestions, but I disagree 1000% Most sander issues around vibration and imbalance stem from those pad protectors, and as I say in the video I’m not a fan. 👍
Thanks Peter, always interested to hear what you think of different products !
Had mine for a few years and it's been great, togeyher with the festool dust extractor its a great tool. The dust collection is just fantastic, you van turn the vacuum speed to minimum for the higher grits to avoid squiggly marks and it still captures most of the dust... If i coyld only own one festool piece if kit, this would be it
Hi Peter, I bought the EC ETS 150/5 and I have to say it is superb. When paired with the Festool dust extractor, it takes almost all the dust away and the Granat sanding pads seem to work extremely well to get to the hand finishing stage. The sander is a little heavy when sanding large vertical surfaces, with the dust extractor hose attached but vertical sanding is rare work unless you're a decorator, who apparently rave about Festool sanders as well. I agree the kit is expensive but I like the results, the tools are very well made and over time, the cost per use will be acceptable to me.
Exactly my findings too! 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Hi Peter, I would also add that I dislike all cordless sanders, they are heavy, more difficult to control and the results are disappointing, with many different brands tested.
I just got my own ETS EC 150/5 about a month ago.
Loving it so far!
The dust collection with a dust extractor is phenomenal.
The speed/comfort is also great.
Paired with some cubitron sanding mesh discs, I was surprised at just how fast I sanded to 180 grit (for rubio) on a 46" x 46" coffee table.
I think I went from 120 grit to 150 to 180 in maybe like 12-15 minutes?
Fantastic. Especially as this was my first high-end sander.
My ETC EC 150/5 is being delivered today. Can't wait to open the box and test it out
Woo! I know exactly how you feel! 😆👍
Bought my 3mm version last week. Love it
Nice 👍
i went with the 150/3 as most of my projects are relatively small and I hardly ever strip paint.
And I can always crank up the speed, when i needed to do more aggressive material removal.
Matter of fact, I hardly use the 150/3 over speed 4 for sanding my projects.
(i did get 1 sheet of 120 grit sanding disc for my purchase)
When I first got into Festool the sanders came with a little variety pack of Rubicon paper. Then it was 1 piece of Granet. Now none lol.
Every extractor also should come with a box of bags not just 1 lol.
Yep. 👍
Hi Peter, A good honest review on the Festool ETS 150/5 looks a good sander, I do use a Black and Decker "mouse" sander I do like it and a B & D orbital and a Bosch orbital sander both of them are good. As always a great video Take care
Thanks! 👍
Thanks Peter
Good info and nice to see you
Cheers Michael! 👍
Peter, with one exception, this sander had been AWESOME for me! The only issue has been that it tends to tear up the soft backing of sandpaper prematurely. The Granat paper seems to work alright (I’ve used it sparingly), but the 3M Cubitron or Xtract and and the Serious Grit brands that I’ve tried with this sander only last one or two sessions of sanding and peeling it off for the backing to wear out. Frustrating when you pay for good sandpaper! The grit on the 3M is impressively long-lasting, but the backing wears out way too quickly on this Saber. To be fair, I’m not sure if this is an issue with the sander or with the sandpaper. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts/and experience.
All abrasives seem to tear at the edges before the actual wear becomes an issue, but the 3M stuff seems to be particularly poor in my experience. Granat was always decent, but haven’t used it for a while tbh.
I’m sorry that I wasn’t very clear in my first comment. It’s not the edges of the paper that are wearing out for me. It’s the soft backing that attaches the sandpaper to the sander that’s been giving me problems. After I use a sheet of sandpaper, I peel the sandpaper off in order to move to the next grit. If I try to reapply that same disc later on, it doesn’t stick nearly as well, and will sometimes fly off the sander mid-session.
It’s because you should use the protection pads if you are using mesh paper. If you apply the mesh pads directly you are essentially sanding the hooks off the backing pad and will wear through it very quickly.
@@jhende7I thought the same thing at first, but the sandpaper sticks beautifully for a sanding session or two, then the backing wears out so it won’t stick anymore. I try a new piece of sandpaper and it sticks great! Definitely not the sanding pad. Also, these aren’t mesh discs I’m using.
Damn! You did it again! Another excellent video with lots of important information for new buyers.
Thanks! 👍 More to come on this specific sander too, as I get to use it more.
@@10MinuteWorkshopIf I should get better from my stage cancer and can start building stuff again I’ll definitely begin to start subscribing to your channel again. After watching this video I realized why I’ve enjoyed your channel so much.
I heard Sedge say that Festool originally planned to replace their cordless orbital [sheet] sander with their newer cordless delta sander (the thought being that the latter can do everything and more than the former), but that feedback from larger cabinet shops saved the sheet sander because they wanted both (using the sheet sander for "open" sanding and using the delta INSIDE cabinets to get closer to edges, for example). That made me wonder if perhaps the ideal two-sander combination for the non-professional cabinet maker might be a 150mm (6 inch) random orbital sander and a delta sander.
I have a delta sander but rarely use it; the RTS400-sized orbital sander does pretty much everything I need. 👍
Definitely looks like a great sander!
I just wanted to mention another brushless 150/5 sander. Not sure if you have Würth in the UK but they've got one that costs a little less than the Deros. It looks a lot like the Festool, actually! Same on/off switch as well.
I've got the Würth one and really like it!
Good to know thanks! There are lots of brands that don’t have the reach here unfortunately; Wurth is one that’s only available through wurth stires, which are few and far between. 👍
The sander looks good, I hope it’s better than the Festool cordless table saw, I’ve got the Festool 5 mm 150 ETS which is very good, the Festool sanders are getting very expensive now.
Cordless table saw is fantastic. 👍
I bought the Sealey 'Deros knock-off' on your recommendation. Its been great for wood and car body prep, although occasionally it can get hot, and then you have to wait a mo' for it to calm down before resuming. At £190 vs ££££ for the Festool, its a no-brainer for me. I watched this video with great interest...OK, I could swallow another £100 for the Systainer, but all that extra cash for an on-off switch and a Festool power cord seems crazy. And no abrasives, that's just tight. Disappointing, as I already have 3 other Festool products which are great, including dust extraction.
Nice! Have had my eyes on this particular model.
Festool has never disappointed me (except for the price 😂)
@@thomasfhollandAgreed :-) I own their plunge saw TS 55 as well as their OF 1010 router and very happy with both.
Yeah over the years up to my forced retirement I have bought 8 different hand tools from Festool and they have never required any service, any of them. So if you’re using them daily the price of them can end up being cheaper in the long run. (And yes, I have been unfaithful to Festool over the past +20 years with Makita, DeWalt & Bosch - DeWalt because of their many heavy duty drills for an example.)
@@thomasfhollandthe price is never disappoints it is always high……
The box containing nothing except the sander and some instructions forces you to search for sanding disks. I'm not sure what the Festool disks are like, but I purchased 3M Cubitron in 3 different grits and will probably never consider Festool disks since these work great. Had they included a sample package, I would probably be using Festool Disks since my dealer stocks them. I like the storage container, but if the choice were given, I might have gone without the container as my sander sits in the shop connected to the vac all the time.
Yep, seriously shortsighted move from Festool. 🤷♂️
@@10MinuteWorkshopIt was buying a car without air in the tires.
I would like to see your evaluation of the dust collection when used with this sander.
It’s outstanding, as was the Mirka, and as it should be on any sander at this price point - as I say in the video, these rings are a given at this level. 👍
I bought one a few years ago, best sander I have ever had, and I have gone through a fair few (only one that comes close was a B&D in the same teardrop shape) Your can bag a bargain after 6 months you can offer them £250 for that used one you have 😁
😂😂 I suspect they have plans for this one after six months! But who knows, maybe I can convince them to give it away to a lucky viewer! 🤔🤷♂️👍
Remember we live on treasure island. Will be going to DM tools Twickenham to get one . Btw had my festool impact driver 10 years never had a pb with it still working well on original batteries!
Bought one and the extractor box had a play last night with it daz good
I’ve a Rotex 90 and a Rotex 150 both came with some abrasives. But I’m not in the UK, I bought them here in the Netherlands.
Festool not always leading the way these days. But they seemed to respond well to the popularity of the Mafell track saw coming out with very good cordless TSC50 and corded TS60 upgrades and going above and beyond with the TSV60. Be interesting to see if this takes the battle to Mirka in the same way.
I would recommend the protection pads if you are going to use the mesh abrasives. Those pads are expensive when you wear out the velcro. I'm sure you know that already, but when you start flinging abrasive discs across the shop it will be to late. I know you said you are not a fan of the interface pads, but the protection pads are much thinner and come in a two pack. If you still don't like those, I wouldn't use the mesh abrasives, unless you like spending $50 on a new pad after a couple dozen abrasives. I have the ETS-EC 150/3 and the RO 150 but thinking about adding the ETS-EC 150/5 because I'm a Festool junkie.
Thanks, but as I say in the video I really don’t like interface pads generally, and in my experience they’re the biggest cause of vibration and pigtail issues. When U was a working cabinetmaker I’d change the pads annually, and convert the oldies to hand sanding pads👍
Any thoughts on this model vs Mirka Ceros in terms of overall quality of sanding
Nothing to choose between this and the ceros/Deros in terms of quality of finish or dust collection. Deros is a little lighter, ETSEC has a switch and plug-it cord. 👍
Wow what a timing, was thinking about picking one up today
Me too - then I got offered a loaner! 😆 Great sander! 👍
Pretty cool. One of my first purchases was the ETS EC 150/3. I may have to pick one of these up eventually for the stroke. I have the 150 Rotex, but it's not really suited for delicate work.
Perhaps a stupid question, or one you've already answered in an earlier video : could you describe the difference in use of the Random Orbital Sander and the Orbital Sander?
Ah, I just found your "Which Sander When?" Thanks.
Hi, What was your conclusion after 6 months of use? Thinking of getting the same sander and your opinion woulf be great to hear.
It’s excellent - as it should be at this price tbh - but very happy with it; quiet, powerful, low weight and vibration, great dust collection, and a proper on-off switch. 👍👍
It is interesting you didn't get any paper. It might be something new to cut cost. Sometimes called "Shrinkflation" here in the States. When I bought my Rotex 150 and ETSC 125 each came with one single piece of sandpaper. The product images still show a single piece of sandpaper but do not list any as coming in the set.
I’ve heard that from US users too - the single sheet of abrasive. Could be the dealers, of course. 🤷♂️👍
Awesome tool indeed, Peter! Thanks for the review! 😃
But yeah, I have quadcopters with brushed and brushless motors... But I could never fly the brushed quads successfully! 😂
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks! You too! 👍
Thanks for the video Peter. In Australia here, we don’t get all the brands mentioned here, but I’d like to know how it compares with the top of the line Bosch 150mm? The Bosch is A$689- and the Festool is A$1225- the Festool as advertised here has a 5mm model and a 3mm model.
in Canada, the sander does come with ONE disc.
It was probably a mistake - or an overly keen dealer, lol! 😂
The ec 150 is as pleasant as an sanding experience can be ,on flat surfaces .
With its low hose height and angle, it can be frustrating in drawers and other tight spaces.
I like mine but find that with the dust hose attached it becomes unbalanced (especially when stretching over a large workpiece) and requires the operator to compensate (by either applying more pressure to the front or supporting the hose by hand) to avoid excessive sanding from the back half of the sander. You then run the risk of over compensating which moves the problem to the front half.
Are you just letting the hose trail across the workpiece? Might be worth some kind of overhead strap/ bungee just to take the weight of the hose. 😂
Good advice, I'll think about something like that, thank you. I already wear the hose around the back of my neck for other tasks but hadn't thought to do that for sanding. @@10MinuteWorkshop
Hi Peter,
I think you missed at least two important brands in your overview: Flex-tools and Rupes. I have my eyes on the ORE 150-5 for quite some time now, as the ETS a bit out of my league for a DIY person.
Not missed, they’re just very niche brands in the overall market. 👍
Flex are not really easy to get in the uk. It’s annoying because I use their corded grinders for stone/tile and would like some of the 24v stuff
Great video, thanks--I recently discovered your channel and I've enjoyed a good number of your videos. How well does the dust extraction work with this sander? (I have a CT Midi extractor.) And what are your favorite sanding pads, or is that a question answered in a previous video?
Thanks! As I think I mention in the vid, things like low vibration, excellent dust extraction low noise etc.. are a given at this price point. I use this with a midi and dust collection is excellent. Re abrasives, I’ve honestly never found much difference between any of them; the 3M is a bit thin and can tear easily, Granat is long lasting but can be delicate around the edges. I’m quite liking the current Mirka abrasive for wood, Ultimax Ligno - works well with the Festool 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Great! I've had great results with Mirka products for 15 years but nothing in the 150 mm size. Cheers!
Hmm, my ETS EC 125/3 came with a single sheet of granat 120 (about 1 month ago) . I'm in the US though, but now you've got me wondering if that is standard here or if the dealer threw one in themselves.
Dealers are a bit more proactive in the US. 👍
Hi Peter great video btw. The Metabo SXE 450/2 is on eBay at £143.99. It has switchable orbits of 6.2mm and 2.8mm. You mentioned that Metabo is in the £350 - £400 bracket. Am I missing something here?
Thanks! I'm referring to the brushless Metabo with the 150/5 stroke - I'll link it below. The SXE 450/2 is a great sander - I was using the original when I purchsed my thrashed ETS 150 - but a different animal to the brushless sanders mentioned here. 👍
ffx.co.uk/products/metabo-metabo-sxe-5-0bl-240v-150mm-orbital-sander-209809?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA3JCvBhA8EiwA4kujZom8o_TGX3mOky8uiXnWqABMGpWHGkVMjxf-kHcIremqrg22nyG9jBoCwd4QAvD_BwE
Hi Peter! Thanks again for a great video. Just in time for me: i’m about to purchase aan ETS-EC. I had decided to go for the 3 mm stroke. My reasoning was that the 5 mm is to agressive to sand between paint coats. Would you disagree? What do i miss if I would go for the 3 mm?
If it’s only for de-nibbling between paint coats, then 3mm will do a great job. But I had a 3mm and 5mm ETS sanders and hardly ever used the 3mm.
Thanks! In your experience, can these in between paint sanding jobs be done with the 5 mm or is to indeed (as i suspect) too agressive for that?
Hmm, I just checked my receipt, my refurbished Makita ROS cost me £86. New, they're only £125.
That's a decent brand that I trust, I also have their corded tracksaw and the SDS drill. I wonder why this model is so much cheaper than the types you mentioned here?
I checked it's specs: model Makita BO5041/2, 125mm pad, 2.8mm stroke, 4krpm to 12krpm.
I suppose that makes it a finish sander? Which is a different class to these 150mm x 5mm sanders.
Ah, got it: it's got a 300w motor. Makita do a larger sander with a 750w motor, and that's more like £300.
So it all checks out, and I need to own both!
Yep, different animal. 150mm sanders have almost twice the contact area as 125mm, and the bigger stroke makes a huge difference. 👍👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop time to start saving my pennies!
Wish Festool would make a similar low profile style version of the RTS, it’d be better for working vertically
Yes! Different body shape, more comfortable, would be excellent. 👍
Hi Peter. Can you tell me if that sander cuts out when you put a bit of preasure on it? I know we're not to overload the sander but we all have just put a bit of weight on them. It's just my it's 150/5 cuts out and I've got to restart it, but my ets150/3 doesn't. Wondered if it's a fault on the /5
Hi there. I've had no issues like that at all - sounds faulty to me, I'm afraid!
Hi, yeah it's going back to festool this week. Spoke to them after I messaged you. They just said send it in under warranty. They said if you're struggling in the mean time get peter to send you the one we lent him 👀
I have never seen the point of festool plug it cords. When I first got into power tools, I thought "I should go online and find some sort of standardized connector and convert all my power tools to use this standard connector.... Then I thought about it for about 30 seconds, and realized.... ALL POWER TOOLS IN MY COUNTRY HAVE THIS. It's a dual prong with an optional ground plug, that you can get for free out of dumpsters all the time, and all tools come with. It is also what is on the OTHER END of the festool connnector cord.
I don't have any of the silly festool cords in my own setup (my sander is mirka and my dust extractor has standard cords), but I think the first thing I would do is get a 9-12 inch cord whip that converts from festool to standard wall plugs. You can even get locking extension cords in my area, which are cords with a toggle switch that makes it VERY difficult (I won't say impossible because I have never tried) to disconnnect the cord while lit is locked.
AND, you can very easily get cord ends with indicator lights, which I find very nice, as then you know if your tool is plugged in/the breaker is working/etc.
Look forward to your 6 month review though. I have been holding off on buying a personal sander, as I am just not decided on how much money I need to actually spend. all my experience is with mirka and festool, and I am reluctant to spend that premium money on a tool that may not outperform a budget version. Especially as that is my experience with many other tools, many of which I not only consider as good as brand names, but in some cases, I know to be made in the exact same factory by the exact same people, using shared parts for the internals.
I would think that the upside of the Festool removable power cable is mostly to do with ease of use, you can have 1 end plugged into a vacuums power socket (or a socket that acts the same on a fixed installation). And just switch tools at the work bench instead of the vacuum. You can even Have it cable managed along the hose, for less snagging and tripping hazards.
Lastly tools are also a bit easier to store
@@quantaca5773 That definitely is a thing they can do, but it's by no means unique or hard to come by. You can just cut off all but the last foot of any cord and put a new end on (For example, I did this with all my battery chargers so I can cram them in a single systainer, and have a shared cord I can plug into a single wall outlet). It's not also a festool specific idea, it's pretty standard for computer power supplies and monitors. And mirka has one on their sander.
I am sympathetic to the apprentice proofing idea though. That's probably pretty important when you market your tools to pros and charge as much as festool.
@@timmietimmins3780 as DIYer cutting a cord id a solution but as a professional workshop (even a 1 person) there are many worksafety standards that you need to adhere to (esp EURO, festools biggest base)... And when you start modifying tools you give your insurance a valid reason to not pay incase of an accident or (electrical) fire.
And as a workshop, the upside is that it also eliminates 1 point of failure, damaged cords. Well it still happens but you can easily switch them out.
Mine came with one sheet of Granat 80
Hi Peter
With this sander how does it go about leaving swirls. I’m a bugga for those little shits
I’ll get into that as I use it more, but it’s pretty much flawless - as to be fair was the Mirka. 👍
So what's the "real world" difference between the older one and this one ?
Brushless, better profile and ergonomics, and about £100 if you shop around. 👍
Thanks for the review.
8:27 hmm, as you got lots of Festool, how many of this cords do you have around unused? 😂
Most of them! 😂🤷♂️
@@10MinuteWorkshop this is what i guess 😄
Festool just works. Nice looking sander. Does it have the fast change pads? The Rotex I have, just needs a quick twist on and off. Magic, works with other brands abrasive too.
I struggle to justify Festool drills and impacts. Extraction, domino x2 and Rotex I have are fantastic. Track saw I went Bosch as I like the tracks better.
I can’t see you are going to be disappointed some how
No, old style Allen key for the pads. Had fast change pads on the Rotex 90, found them a bit bit & miss tbh, but I think they were the first sander that had them. Love the drills - centrotec is a great system. 👍👍
I won’t be buying one anytime soon but thanks for the review.
Thanks. Just a first impressions - the review will come after I’ve used it a lot more. 👍
I've been kind of on the fence about this one or the rotex 150 for a little while--it'll probably come down to it that I get both eventually. Sigh. 🤑
Don’t do much very heavy sanding these days so couldn’t live with just the rotex - too heavy for me. Great sanders though! 👍
Yes. Here in Australia Festool never provide all you need There is always an accessory to purchase. And Festool abrasives are disgracefully costly. God at least it doesn’t have a battery
My biggest issue with Festool is the sustainer you have to get with their tools that contribute about $250 USD to the price. I wish they offered all of their tools without the sustainer markup included for a plastic box I don't want or need.
If you don’t use it, sell it.
New systainers are an easy sell
@@spycedezynuk Not here in the USA. Nobody wants them.
Yes, it’s a little weird - some tools you use to be able to get in a carton, then they went away. 🤷♂️👍
@@airnashville3883 I kind of doubt that. I have looked, in canada, a lot for used systainers. Nothing. They are not on the market, just like basically anything used festool, you have to look VERY hard to find it.
Also, there is no way that box is worth 250 USD. you can get a systainer3 M 237 or 337 in my country (canada), for about 85 bucks US, after currency conversion. Tanos branded, but frankly, I consider that upside. I don't want to advertise how much my tools are worth any more than is absolutely necessary.
As for me, I wouldn't pay full retail, but if someone gave me 25% off retail on a medium sized systainer, I would IMMEDIATELY buy it, even if I didn't have a use for it. Just because I know that I will want it eventually and I know that there isn't really a cheap source. I got a smoking deal on some promotional T-loc I's when I first started, and one of my bigger regrets about the trade is that I didn't buy twice as many as I actually got.
first time I've seen a sander remove wood stain and finish in one pass been wasting hours with my cheap sander this whole time sweating like a slave
Yep. 100% worth it if you have that need. 👍
Enjoy the Ferrari of sanders, the best of German engineering, As a talented poor amateur, this one is above my retirement pay grade. Even for telling my wife I need it for her next project. Keep us informed, who know, I may still win the Lottery.🤣
what about makita you missed makita off your list they have quite a few and a reasonably priced 150/5 ro at about £150
Not brushless. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop for what noise ? or reduced profile are the brushless quiet enough to use without ear defenders
That's it then! Best start saving my pennies now 😅
Yep. Honestly, if you have flappy-paddle phobia like me, then there’s not a whole lot of choice at the top end. 🤷♂️👍
A few years ago there were scattered deals to be found with tool suppliers selling Festool but nowadays it seems that every item is listed at full msrp, with maybe a shirt included. It is a great tool line, but their marketing strategy has shallow roots in presenting good buy deals.
Nice
For the same money I think I could fully equip my workshop…These tools are aimed at professionals not back yard wood butchers like myself. 😊
It's bad karma to not include a starter pack of pads . Imagine our Kapex or TS without a cutting disk 😮 The Aussie one comes with a P80 to start with
I got a sheet of sandpaper with mine. 🤷🏻♂️
Mine came with a sheet of paper.
That sander is good, but it’s just too expensive.
Similar price to the others at the top end - Mirka and 3M.👍
Wow the deluge of spam comments on this video… complete with butt-rich profile pics… nuts!
Deleted and blocked, but yeah - madness! 🤷♂️
@@10MinuteWorkshop is “sander” some sort of trigger word or what? 😅
👍💥💥💥👌😎
Too dear for me