great overview of this sander! I have the ETS EC125 and like it a lot. One reminder that if anybodies new sander feels like it pushes or pulls in any direction, it could have a bad stroke like mine did. I needed replacing and my store did that.
Great machine and a great review, thank you Peter. I think I'm gone save for this sander, because he is very light and it looks like a great machine. I have not as much strength in my hands as before the accident. Thanks Peter.
Hen Schum I think that this will be a great sander for you. It is very light and easy to use - I nearly said easy to control but it is no effort to control whatsoever. Despite be light weight it is powerful and yet has very low vibration. I understand about your hands and am sure it will work for you. Peter
Thanks Peter, it sounds like a great sander, thank you for your wise words. I have Posttraumatic Dystrophy (CRPS II) it started, after the operation, in my right knee / leg, but now I feel that my hands also become more painful. I do not want to think about it that I get also Dystrophy in my hands. Thanks Peter, for your help
Another well detailed and presented review Peter. Thanks for taking the time to film and upload. I always find the festool kit very interesting as their tools are usually way more sophisticated than need be, for example who really needs a buzzer on a sander just to to tell you the dust hose isn't connected lol, and a vibration detector on a finish sander, ahahahah! Whats it all coming too. That said im sure this sander does a great job but for over £500.00 i personally, would sooner buy one without all the unnecessary extras at less than half the price. Regards Rod.
Exactly, sometimes Festool are in a league of their own, TS55, Domino, Carvex, T18 for example, and sometimes the case for spending Festool money is much less convincing. For me, the sanders are the hardest to justify their price, though I've no doubt a Rotex will find its way into my workshop one day :-)
+Rodney Howe It sounds like the buzzer is nothing less than the electric motor being pulsed at a low voltage, thus giving generating the 'humming' sound. :)
nippychippy Hi Robert, I hope all is well in the self employed world (that we are both in). Going to demo days can really hurt - either the wallet or from not being able to afford that extra item. Peter
Ha ha that is so true there were few guys who went mental on the spending good for them I saw works been good so far it's still all new to me thanks for your reviews enjoy the rest of your weekend
Do you recommend using the Festool ETS EC 150/3 to scratch the surface of the finish? After applying 2 coats of water soluble varnish mixed with a stain, I sanded using my Festool ETS EC 150/3 with Granat 240 paper and it burned through the varnish. I could slow the speed and put an ultra soft pad on the sander, but I just want to scratch the varnish in order to apply a another coat without the stain. I'm wondering with the Festool sander is too powerful for this task?
Hi Annie, I do not understand what you mean by "burn through". If you mean that you sanded through the varnish then I would expect that if you sanded for too long or too hard. Most varnishes will clog 240 grit within a few seconds of use particularly if the varnish is reasonably young or has had years of furniture polish applied. If you just want to establish a "key" for a new coat then use 150 grit and just "kiss" the original finish not dwelling on any spot for more than a second whilst applying minimum pressure. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Peter, Many thanks for the response. Burn through means that the stained varnish has disappeared and i'm back to the naked oak veneer. I saw another technique which simply scratched by hand the new coat of varnish with special no load sandpaper. I'm wondering whether the Festool sander is too powerful for such a delicate task.
@@NewBritWorkshop Hi Peter, an alternative is Festool's HSK hand sanding block according to the Festool Owner Group. Have you ever used this sanding block for scratching between multiple coats? If so, what abrasive do you recommend to go with it?
Hi Annie, I use something similar and it is excellent as you can use an extractor as well if you wish. Aternatively you can use the Festool Granat sanding sponge - they are not expensive at all and I have been buying them for several years. For doing the "kiss" sanding or "scratch" sanding I would always use 150 or 180 grit. Good luck. Peter
Excellent review. Thank you. . I'm in the market for a new sander and have been looking at these.. I am coming from a Metabo SXE 450.. And my "fein tool" sanding pad to finish.. Both ok.. But both on there way out.. I would like to get an all rounder if possible. Rotex seems a bit big for my liking.. Would this sander handle the full process of going from 80 grit.. to 120 grit.. to 220 onwards.. I rarely use rough saw timber.. Mainly machined timber.. Occasionally some reclaimed woods etc.. Your thoughts?
+cynicaloptimist This is a very interesting question. The ETS EC150/3 is now my "go to" sander and I have found that it can do quite reasonable surface removal at 80 grit. I can also say that I have not used my RO150 for almost 4 months as a result however, if I were making another Gothic Bench using rough oak then it would be back on the bench in a trice. I hope that this helps. Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) Thanks Peter.. I picked one up yesterday. I love it.. Still a little concerned regarding it's ability to work hard though. As a finisher, it is unbelievable. The best.. Have you tried the other pads? Medium and Hard? Do you think they would improve its efforts with the stronger grit jobs ?. Or even remove cut lines faster than the soft pad? Thanks again.. great channel :)
+cynicaloptimist I have not tried any of the other pads yet but will sort this out as soon as I can. I imagine (cannot be sure) that they will make a difference. Many thanks for your kind and most welcome comments. Peter
Hi Peter, thanks so much for your reviews! I’ve learned a lot from them! Quick question. I’m looking for a sander for guitar building. Will be sanding pre spraypainting (up to 320) and potentially between lacquer coats. Will also use it to pre shape a guitar neck with a coarser grit. What size and stroke would you recommend? I seem to be leaning towards the 125/3. I’ve also read that you can fit 150 discs on the 125 unit but not the other way around...
Hi Nicolas, The ETS EC 150/3 is my most used and favourite sander. However for coarser work you might benefit from the small RO 90 which can also do delta and aggressive Rotex sanding as well. It is nowhere near as good as the ETS for fine sanding though. Given what I know about guitars I would go for the ETS and just put in a bit more work for the coarse stuff. Peter
Yasir Qureshi Hi Yasir, I think that is should work well but I have never tried it. The sander is extremely light and easy to handle which would make it much easier to use it on vertical surfaces. It would be a good idea to ask your local Festool dealer to be certain. Peter
hi Peter, I don't understand what's the difference between 3 stroke and 5 stroke, which is better? there is no dealer in my country so i have no one to ask...also, different model# just the pad size? ex:ETS 150 and ETS 125, RO150 and RO 125
+Andy Fan Hi Andy, The 3 mm and 5 mm refer to the diameter of the circle that an individual grain of sand would move through if it were glued to the sanding sheet. So, an ETS EC 150/3 will do a finer job than an ETS EC 150/5. Peter
Anthony van der Hoorn It will depend on one's typical type of woodwork. For me it would be the Rotex as I do a wide range of stuff including sanding rough oak slabs for garden benches. Peter
New Brit Workshop HUGE thanks! Keep up the great work. I'm making a large festool purchase soon and given the money involved, your videos have made the process much easier! Thanks.
A very informative video. Thank you Peter. I am planning to buy my first Festool sander for fine finish sanding on a large oak veneer wardrobe that I'm building. I'm torn between the new ETS EC 150/3 EQ-Plus and the older model ETS 150/3 EQ-Plus. To my surprise, Festool France has recommended a preference for the older ETS 150/3 for my project on the basis that the ETC 150/3 is more stable for working on a horizontal surface since you can hold the sander with one or two hands. The brushless motor isn't necessary for occasional wordwork. The lighter weight of the ETS EC 150 is most useful for working horizontally on walls or ceilings. The compact size of the ETS EC 150/3 allows for better handling. Both models appear to be capable of doing the job. I have not had the opportunity to test either model, so your hands-on experience would be invaluable. Which model should be my go-to sander for this project and occasional future projects? I eliminated the 150/5mm stroke on the basis that it's too powerful for fine sanding. The ETS EC 125/3 appears to be too small for sanding large surfaces.
I would go for the one that you see in this video. It is fantastic and it really is the sander that I use the most - it produces fantastic results. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Thanks Peter. For fine finish sanding on wood, do you recommend the ETS EC 150/3 or 150/5? I have the opportunity to buy a brand new ETC EC 150/5 at a good price, but I understand that it's too powerful for ultra-fine sanding. Any advice?
Hi Peter - Thanks for the great review, I'm sold. What are your thoughts on 125 vs 150 versions? I tend to build small to mid size furniture as a hobby. Traditionally I have only used 125 sanders but am thinking about going to the larger size. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Nick, I have the ETS EC 150 as you know and have recently had the ETS 125 on loan from Festool in order to make a video. I suspect our types of woodwork are very similar. I love the ETS EC 150 and do not find the size a limit in any way. The smaller 125 works as it should but even though it has been on my bench for a while I do not reach for it at all. I have not checked but I understand that it is more economical to run a 150 mm sander as the paper lasts longer. I do have the RO150 which takes the same paper as the ETS EC 150 but that has not been a consideration for me. Peter
New Brit Workshop nice review, i had recently purchased 150 and was surprised it was 6” disc , so i now ordered 125 , only reason i like to go with 125 is because i also have mirka sander deros 5” and easier to just be dealing with one size sanding discs . But still the few min i held the 150 it felt like nice sander was very tempted to keep it
Hi Peter, thanks for an excellent video on the sander. I'm new to purchasing Festool products and wanted to know in general if the orbit difference of 3mm vs 5mm really makes that much of a difference in your results? I'm guessing it does since Festool went through the trouble of making 2 different versions, but for me who's basically never used an orbiting disc sander, it seems all so minute.
+Richard Kirschenbaum Hi Richard, Ther 5 mm will be more aggressive but I find my ETS EC 150/3 perfectly good when it comes to removing a lot of material (it is brilliant at fine sanding of course). Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) Thanks Peter (good morning to you too.. it's late here in Hawaii). On the same token, does the larger 150mm pad vs the 125mm really cover that much more area and save you a lot of time? It's probably a bit of a dumb question, but I don't see why they made the sizes so close to each other.. whereas I think I saw in the older sanders a 90mm version, but not in this lineup. Anyway, here in the USA.. bigger is always better I guess. Thanks.
+Richard Kirschenbaum Hi Richard, The 150 mm is an advantage over the 125 mm as you imply. The RO90 was my first Festool sander and it is 3 sanders in one and very capable despite its 90 mm pad size. I do not use it quite so much now as I just love the ETS EC 150/3. Peter
Tim Brennan Hi Tim, I am afraid that I have never tried the DTS400. All I can say is the ETS EC150 is beautiful and for me (with my arthritic wrists) it would be perfect. Sadly it goes back to Festool next week. Peter
Excellent video. Could the EC150/5 satisfactory be used for occasional removal work with 40 grit paper? I will only have one sander and can't decide between this and Rotex.
Hi Goran, I am sure it would work fine. I have the 150/3 and I often use 80 grit to take a lot of material away and it really does a fantastic job. For greater removal, particularly with coarser grits the 150/5 would be better. I assume that you still need the sander for fine grit work otherwise you might want something completely different. Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) It actually would not surprise me at all if it says "mirka" under the hood of the Festool........................................
Mark Garth Hi Mark, I have tried the 150/5 at a demo day and, as far as I can recall, is exactly the same - perhaps there should be a slight difference because of the different stroke but I could not tell. Yes, it is sad to see it go especially when I discovered that it is perfect for the very fine work that I do in my spare time. Peter
Hi. Thanks for your video. I have a question about festool vacuum cleaners. To work with sanders and vacuum dust do I need ctm cleaner or ctl will be enough
Thank you for your wonderful review. You answered many questions that festool Germany would not or could not answer. I was hoping that the ets ec will keep the out of this world sanding pattern of the lex 150/3 where the pad has almost zero free spin at full speed making it the fine sander ever made Seeing that it does not have the same drop in motor as the lex it makes complete sense. The ets ec will have its place though for 400-600 when trying to keep the scratch pattern as small as possible. Will festool sell the hose cover individually so it can be also used for the ias3 light?
karwork Many thanks. I am sure that the hose sleeve will be available as a separate item but am not sure that it will be suitable for other hoses. Your main point is spot on - the new ETS EC 150 is a very capable sander. Peter
+Jacob hede pihl Hi Jacob, It depends what sort of work you want to do - the Rotex can be used to take a lot of material off quickly in rotary mode and then finish it off quite well in random orbit mode. The ETS is a beautiful finishing sander. Peter
Jim Porter Hi Jim, I do not do comparisons between tools as it is just too subjective. What is a critical quality for me may be just an incidental attraction to another. To do that sort of thing properly one needs to do some science and measure performance and output - I do not have the skills or the equipment to do that. Peter
Peter Parfitt My worry is Peter, and I am a fan of both yours and Festool, is that without any comparison (subjective or otherwise) or pointing out any pros and cons your some of your reviews (especially for Festool) are starting to look like adverts. On the subject of comparisons, people do not care that what is critical quality for you may not be one for them. We want to hear opinion of someone that has experience and then way it up. This is exactly what happens on the forums, you listen to views, weigh up what has been said and the apply - maybe. Personally I would like to hear some subjective comment. Just not adverts.
Jim Porter Hi Jim, I really do take your point. I have not used all of the other sanders in this sector of the market and, perhaps like most people, my opportunity to acquire a representative sample is also limited. I am honestly impressed with the new ETS EC 150 and would not lie about anything. So, although you may feel that it appears as an advert I consider it to be an honest product tour and demonstration of what I believe to be an excellent piece of kit. There are plenty of experts on the various forums who can give their unhindered views and nobody will ever know if they have a hidden agenda or grievance towards or against a particular manufacturer. As individuals they may be able to establish some credibility on those forums but that takes time and care. My work is entirely based on one unbreakable rule - I only make videos about products that I am prepared to recommend to my very best friend. Peter
New Brit Workshop I agree. with Jim Porter. test of various machines at simliar price points would be great. I have recently acquired a Mirka DEROS which is working out just fine, handles beautifullly, has great ergonomics and dust extraction and has two pads, 125mm and 150mm which allows for greater flexibility. I think it's a given that the Festool will work well. Virtually all Festool products work well, almost without exception, and so they should do for the price. A comparison with the Mirka sander would be interesting because it's blatantly obvious that this new Festool model was developed and brought to the market in direct response to the Mirka CEROS and DEROS, which up until now have had no real competition in the woodwork market place due to their unique ergonomics and design. I imagine their would be very little in it to be honest. But the Mirka is 50-100 quid cheaper, still pretty expensive for sure, but cheaper nevertheless. Mr Parfitt-over to you!!
Pretty darn cool feature. Never knew you could do that setting with the hose. I’m actually looking to buy one of these right now.
great overview of this sander! I have the ETS EC125 and like it a lot. One reminder that if anybodies new sander feels like it pushes or pulls in any direction, it could have a bad stroke like mine did. I needed replacing and my store did that.
Cheers. Peter
Nice video! Thanks this make sense 👏🏼
Best sander on the market: and it doesn't brake down as the Mirka Deros does. Lots of complaints here on YT.
Great machine and a great review, thank you Peter. I think I'm gone save for this sander, because he is very light and
it looks like a great machine. I have not as much strength in my hands as before the accident.
Thanks Peter.
Hen Schum I think that this will be a great sander for you. It is very light and easy to use - I nearly said easy to control but it is no effort to control whatsoever. Despite be light weight it is powerful and yet has very low vibration. I understand about your hands and am sure it will work for you. Peter
Thanks Peter, it sounds like a great sander,
thank you for your wise words. I have Posttraumatic Dystrophy (CRPS II) it started, after the operation, in my right knee / leg, but now I feel that my hands also become more painful. I do not want to think about it that I get also Dystrophy in my hands.
Thanks Peter, for your help
Another well detailed and presented review Peter. Thanks for taking the time to film and upload. I always find the festool kit very interesting as their tools are usually way more sophisticated than need be, for example who really needs a buzzer on a sander just to to tell you the dust hose isn't connected lol, and a vibration detector on a finish sander, ahahahah! Whats it all coming too. That said im sure this sander does a great job but for over £500.00 i personally, would sooner buy one without all the unnecessary extras at less than half the price. Regards Rod.
Exactly, sometimes Festool are in a league of their own, TS55, Domino, Carvex, T18 for example, and sometimes the case for spending Festool money is much less convincing. For me, the sanders are the hardest to justify their price, though I've no doubt a Rotex will find its way into my workshop one day :-)
pcb1962 If you need convincing just go to a show, a demo day or your local dealer and try the sanders then decide. Peter
pcb1962 I have a Festool ETS 150/3 with CT26 and it's the best sanding experience ever.
+Rodney Howe It sounds like the buzzer is nothing less than the electric motor being pulsed at a low voltage, thus giving generating the 'humming' sound. :)
Hallo Peter. Vielen Dank für das tolle Video. Freu mich schon auf die kommenden Videos.
Aleksei Kampen Hi Aleksei, Vielen Dank für Ihre Unterstützung. Es wird viele weitere Videos sein. Peter
Well done Peter another great review glad Festool are starting to get you involved. Your going to cost me a fortune all for the best do
Cheers Robert
nippychippy Hi Robert, Many thanks. Will it be you or your boss buying this beautiful sander? Peter
Me I went out on my own I am freelance now lol went to the demo day a few weeks ago a spent a fortune oh well it's money well spent
nippychippy Hi Robert, I hope all is well in the self employed world (that we are both in). Going to demo days can really hurt - either the wallet or from not being able to afford that extra item. Peter
Ha ha that is so true there were few guys who went mental on the spending good for them I saw works been good so far it's still all new to me thanks for your reviews enjoy the rest of your weekend
Do you recommend using the Festool ETS EC 150/3 to scratch the surface of the finish? After applying 2 coats of water soluble varnish mixed with a stain, I sanded using my Festool ETS EC 150/3 with Granat 240 paper and it burned through the varnish. I could slow the speed and put an ultra soft pad on the sander, but I just want to scratch the varnish in order to apply a another coat without the stain. I'm wondering with the Festool sander is too powerful for this task?
Hi Annie, I do not understand what you mean by "burn through". If you mean that you sanded through the varnish then I would expect that if you sanded for too long or too hard. Most varnishes will clog 240 grit within a few seconds of use particularly if the varnish is reasonably young or has had years of furniture polish applied. If you just want to establish a "key" for a new coat then use 150 grit and just "kiss" the original finish not dwelling on any spot for more than a second whilst applying minimum pressure. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Peter, Many thanks for the response. Burn through means that the stained varnish has disappeared and i'm back to the naked oak veneer. I saw another technique which simply scratched by hand the new coat of varnish with special no load sandpaper. I'm wondering whether the Festool sander is too powerful for such a delicate task.
Hi Annie, It will work but on a low speed and with just a brief and gentle technique. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Hi Peter, an alternative is Festool's HSK hand sanding block according to the Festool Owner Group. Have you ever used this sanding block for scratching between multiple coats? If so, what abrasive do you recommend to go with it?
Hi Annie, I use something similar and it is excellent as you can use an extractor as well if you wish. Aternatively you can use the Festool Granat sanding sponge - they are not expensive at all and I have been buying them for several years. For doing the "kiss" sanding or "scratch" sanding I would always use 150 or 180 grit. Good luck. Peter
Excellent review. Thank you.
.
I'm in the market for a new sander and have been looking at these..
I am coming from a Metabo SXE 450.. And my "fein tool" sanding pad to finish.. Both ok.. But both on there way out..
I would like to get an all rounder if possible. Rotex seems a bit big for my liking..
Would this sander handle the full process of going from 80 grit.. to 120 grit.. to 220 onwards.. I rarely use rough saw timber..
Mainly machined timber.. Occasionally some reclaimed woods etc..
Your thoughts?
+cynicaloptimist This is a very interesting question. The ETS EC150/3 is now my "go to" sander and I have found that it can do quite reasonable surface removal at 80 grit. I can also say that I have not used my RO150 for almost 4 months as a result however, if I were making another Gothic Bench using rough oak then it would be back on the bench in a trice. I hope that this helps. Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) Thanks Peter.. I picked one up yesterday. I love it..
Still a little concerned regarding it's ability to work hard though. As a finisher, it is unbelievable. The best..
Have you tried the other pads? Medium and Hard? Do you think they would improve its efforts with the stronger grit jobs ?. Or even remove cut lines faster than the soft pad?
Thanks again.. great channel :)
+cynicaloptimist I have not tried any of the other pads yet but will sort this out as soon as I can. I imagine (cannot be sure) that they will make a difference. Many thanks for your kind and most welcome comments. Peter
Hi Peter, thanks so much for your reviews! I’ve learned a lot from them! Quick question. I’m looking for a sander for guitar building. Will be sanding pre spraypainting (up to 320) and potentially between lacquer coats. Will also use it to pre shape a guitar neck with a coarser grit. What size and stroke would you recommend? I seem to be leaning towards the 125/3. I’ve also read that you can fit 150 discs on the 125 unit but not the other way around...
Hi Nicolas, The ETS EC 150/3 is my most used and favourite sander. However for coarser work you might benefit from the small RO 90 which can also do delta and aggressive Rotex sanding as well. It is nowhere near as good as the ETS for fine sanding though. Given what I know about guitars I would go for the ETS and just put in a bit more work for the coarse stuff. Peter
whiz they sold the hose sleeve separate. have many hose. but nice ide
Would this sander be suitable for smoothing down painted walls before re-sanding? I'm not sure how to decide between this and the Rotex
Yasir Qureshi Hi Yasir, I think that is should work well but I have never tried it. The sander is extremely light and easy to handle which would make it much easier to use it on vertical surfaces. It would be a good idea to ask your local Festool dealer to be certain. Peter
Thanks Peter!
hi Peter, I don't understand what's the difference between 3 stroke and 5 stroke, which is better? there is no dealer in my country so i have no one to ask...also, different model# just the pad size? ex:ETS 150 and ETS 125, RO150 and RO 125
+Andy Fan Hi Andy, The 3 mm and 5 mm refer to the diameter of the circle that an individual grain of sand would move through if it were glued to the sanding sheet. So, an ETS EC 150/3 will do a finer job than an ETS EC 150/5. Peter
New Brit Workshop Thanks Peter for lots of helpful information and advice
When do you chose this over the Rotex?
Anthony van der Hoorn The Rotex for the initial work then the finishing work with the ETS. Peter
New Brit Workshop If you could only have one?
Anthony van der Hoorn It will depend on one's typical type of woodwork. For me it would be the Rotex as I do a wide range of stuff including sanding rough oak slabs for garden benches. Peter
New Brit Workshop HUGE thanks! Keep up the great work. I'm making a large festool purchase soon and given the money involved, your videos have made the process much easier! Thanks.
Anthony van der Hoorn Hi Anthony, Many thanks to you too - good luck and do not hesitate to contact me again. Peter
A very informative video. Thank you Peter. I am planning to buy my first Festool sander for fine finish sanding on a large oak veneer wardrobe that I'm building. I'm torn between the new ETS EC 150/3 EQ-Plus and the older model ETS 150/3 EQ-Plus. To my surprise, Festool France has recommended a preference for the older ETS 150/3 for my project on the basis that the ETC 150/3 is more stable for working on a horizontal surface since you can hold the sander with one or two hands. The brushless motor isn't necessary for occasional wordwork. The lighter weight of the ETS EC 150 is most useful for working horizontally on walls or ceilings. The compact size of the ETS EC 150/3 allows for better handling. Both models appear to be capable of doing the job. I have not had the opportunity to test either model, so your hands-on experience would be invaluable. Which model should be my go-to sander for this project and occasional future projects?
I eliminated the 150/5mm stroke on the basis that it's too powerful for fine sanding. The ETS EC 125/3 appears to be too small for sanding large surfaces.
I would go for the one that you see in this video. It is fantastic and it really is the sander that I use the most - it produces fantastic results. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Thanks Peter. For fine finish sanding on wood, do you recommend the ETS EC 150/3 or 150/5? I have the opportunity to buy a brand new ETC EC 150/5 at a good price, but I understand that it's too powerful for ultra-fine sanding. Any advice?
For excellent fine sanding and a good coarse sanding capability go for the 150/3 despite the 150/5 being cheaper. Peter
What do you recommends for the sanding disks/abrasives and the different grits for fine sanding of oak veneer?@@NewBritWorkshop
Hi Peter - Thanks for the great review, I'm sold. What are your thoughts on 125 vs 150 versions? I tend to build small to mid size furniture as a hobby. Traditionally I have only used 125 sanders but am thinking about going to the larger size. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Nick, I have the ETS EC 150 as you know and have recently had the ETS 125 on loan from Festool in order to make a video. I suspect our types of woodwork are very similar. I love the ETS EC 150 and do not find the size a limit in any way. The smaller 125 works as it should but even though it has been on my bench for a while I do not reach for it at all. I have not checked but I understand that it is more economical to run a 150 mm sander as the paper lasts longer. I do have the RO150 which takes the same paper as the ETS EC 150 but that has not been a consideration for me. Peter
New Brit Workshop nice review, i had recently purchased 150 and was surprised it was 6” disc , so i now ordered 125 , only reason i like to go with 125 is because i also have mirka sander deros 5” and easier to just be dealing with one size sanding discs . But still the few min i held the 150 it felt like nice sander was very tempted to keep it
Hi Peter, thanks for an excellent video on the sander. I'm new to purchasing Festool products and wanted to know in general if the orbit difference of 3mm vs 5mm really makes that much of a difference in your results? I'm guessing it does since Festool went through the trouble of making 2 different versions, but for me who's basically never used an orbiting disc sander, it seems all so minute.
+Richard Kirschenbaum Hi Richard, Ther 5 mm will be more aggressive but I find my ETS EC 150/3 perfectly good when it comes to removing a lot of material (it is brilliant at fine sanding of course). Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) Thanks Peter (good morning to you too.. it's late here in Hawaii). On the same token, does the larger 150mm pad vs the 125mm really cover that much more area and save you a lot of time? It's probably a bit of a dumb question, but I don't see why they made the sizes so close to each other.. whereas I think I saw in the older sanders a 90mm version, but not in this lineup. Anyway, here in the USA.. bigger is always better I guess. Thanks.
+Richard Kirschenbaum Hi Richard, The 150 mm is an advantage over the 125 mm as you imply. The RO90 was my first Festool sander and it is 3 sanders in one and very capable despite its 90 mm pad size. I do not use it quite so much now as I just love the ETS EC 150/3. Peter
Interesting. How does it compare to the DTS400?
Tim Brennan Hi Tim, I am afraid that I have never tried the DTS400. All I can say is the ETS EC150 is beautiful and for me (with my arthritic wrists) it would be perfect. Sadly it goes back to Festool next week. Peter
Excellent video. Could the EC150/5 satisfactory be used for occasional removal work with 40 grit paper? I will only have one sander and can't decide between this and Rotex.
Hi Goran, I am sure it would work fine. I have the 150/3 and I often use 80 grit to take a lot of material away and it really does a fantastic job. For greater removal, particularly with coarser grits the 150/5 would be better. I assume that you still need the sander for fine grit work otherwise you might want something completely different. Peter
have you compared it to the Mirka Deros?
+Christian Jensen Hi Christian, No I have not. I have never tried the Mirka but I understand that they have a good reputation. Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter) It actually would not surprise me at all if it says "mirka" under the hood of the Festool........................................
That looks nice and smooth; do you know if the 5 mm handles similarly? Shame you have to send it back!
Mark Garth Hi Mark, I have tried the 150/5 at a demo day and, as far as I can recall, is exactly the same - perhaps there should be a slight difference because of the different stroke but I could not tell. Yes, it is sad to see it go especially when I discovered that it is perfect for the very fine work that I do in my spare time. Peter
I’m seriously thinking about selling my mirka and buying one.
Hi Mark, I am not familiar with the Mirka but I am very pleased with my ETS. Cheers. Peter
interesting .But i have wait a year for have ETS EC 150 ? US
Walter Pasuisaca Hi Walter, I do not know. If you are a member of the Festool Owners' Group you could pose that question to Festool US. Peter
Hi. Thanks for your video. I have a question about festool vacuum cleaners. To work with sanders and vacuum dust do I need ctm cleaner or ctl will be enough
Hi Grzegorz, The CTL is fine - that is what I use. Peter
+New Brit Workshop (Peter)
thanx for quick answer.
which model do You use?
And even for sanding dust from oak and beech?
I have had the CT26 for over 4 years and it is brilliant with all woods. I do a lot of work with oak and beech with no problem at all. Peter
The Ctm is the same as the ctl. Only, the ctm has an extra sensor for the hose airflow.
Can it be the only one sander ? Not riping. Just sanding good looking wood
Hi Pawel, It is a beauty but one still needs more aggressive sanders and also ones (delta) that can handle detail. Peter
New Brit Workshop so rotex 150 will be best compromis ?Cause i will have only one of them
Hi Pawel, I do not know the range of tasks that you envisage doing with just one sander. My one sander would be the ETS EC150. Peter
New Brit Workshop mostly sand before putting oil on kitchen oak tops that 90% of my sanding
Then the ETS EC 150 is the one for you. Peter
Thank you for your wonderful review. You answered many questions that festool Germany would not or could not answer. I was hoping that the ets ec will keep the out of this world sanding pattern of the lex 150/3 where the pad has almost zero free spin at full speed making it the fine sander ever made Seeing that it does not have the same drop in motor as the lex it makes complete sense. The ets ec will have its place though for 400-600 when trying to keep the scratch pattern as small as possible. Will festool sell the hose cover individually so it can be also used for the ias3 light?
karwork Many thanks. I am sure that the hose sleeve will be available as a separate item but am not sure that it will be suitable for other hoses. Your main point is spot on - the new ETS EC 150 is a very capable sander. Peter
I have a quick video of me using the etsec125 and sleeved hose to sand doors on my channel.
whist one is best the Festool Rotex RO150 or the ETS EC 150 and whist one shall i bye ?
+Jacob hede pihl Hi Jacob, It depends what sort of work you want to do - the Rotex can be used to take a lot of material off quickly in rotary mode and then finish it off quite well in random orbit mode. The ETS is a beautiful finishing sander. Peter
if i will haw af handy sander ther can teak f lot of materiel, and thank you for assurering so fast :)
Shame you couldn't do a comparison test with the Mirka.
Jim Porter Hi Jim, I do not do comparisons between tools as it is just too subjective. What is a critical quality for me may be just an incidental attraction to another. To do that sort of thing properly one needs to do some science and measure performance and output - I do not have the skills or the equipment to do that. Peter
Peter Parfitt My worry is Peter, and I am a fan of both yours and Festool, is that without any comparison (subjective or otherwise) or pointing out any pros and cons your some of your reviews (especially for Festool) are starting to look like adverts.
On the subject of comparisons, people do not care that what is critical quality for you may not be one for them. We want to hear opinion of someone that has experience and then way it up. This is exactly what happens on the forums, you listen to views, weigh up what has been said and the apply - maybe. Personally I would like to hear some subjective comment. Just not adverts.
Jim Porter Hi Jim, I really do take your point. I have not used all of the other sanders in this sector of the market and, perhaps like most people, my opportunity to acquire a representative sample is also limited. I am honestly impressed with the new ETS EC 150 and would not lie about anything. So, although you may feel that it appears as an advert I consider it to be an honest product tour and demonstration of what I believe to be an excellent piece of kit. There are plenty of experts on the various forums who can give their unhindered views and nobody will ever know if they have a hidden agenda or grievance towards or against a particular manufacturer. As individuals they may be able to establish some credibility on those forums but that takes time and care. My work is entirely based on one unbreakable rule - I only make videos about products that I am prepared to recommend to my very best friend. Peter
New Brit Workshop
I agree. with Jim Porter. test of various machines at simliar price points would be great. I have recently acquired a Mirka DEROS which is working out just fine, handles beautifullly, has great ergonomics and dust extraction and has two pads, 125mm and 150mm which allows for greater flexibility. I think it's a given that the Festool will work well. Virtually all Festool products work well, almost without exception, and so they should do for the price. A comparison with the Mirka sander would be interesting because it's blatantly obvious that this new Festool model was developed and brought to the market in direct response to the Mirka CEROS and DEROS, which up until now have had no real competition in the woodwork market place due to their unique ergonomics and design. I imagine their would be very little in it to be honest. But the Mirka is 50-100 quid cheaper, still pretty expensive for sure, but cheaper nevertheless. Mr Parfitt-over to you!!
I believe you can disable the safety feature that requires a hose be plugged in.
Hi Jacob, Yes you can. I think that I show this in the video. Peter
I could really use an ETS/150 vs Rotex 150 comparison video...
The two are quite different. Rotex=power, ETS EC 150=perfection. Peter