Festool ETS 125 - Watch Before You Buy

[@badyorkiewoodworking1531]

100% worth the $$$. It is my go to for almost all of my finish sanding. The dust collection when hooked up to a CT is unmatched. Buy once cry once. Pair it with the edge guide and you may have solution that will outperform anything on the market. Skip the 3m extract. Go with the cubitron II instead.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

It’s definitely a great sander! I got a great finish from it and found out the hard way that the protection pads are what cause the intensity in the “wobble”. Although, I’m 10x happier with the ETS EC 150/5

[@uptopmikep7065]

You should try the Festool Rotex sanders. Amazing! They can nearly replace a belt sander. The 3m orbitals are killer too.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

I want a rotex really bad!

[@toolchuck]

Hello, I have an ETSC 125, an ETS 125, and an ETS EC 125, and a few more but my point is I’m familiar with both the sanders you have. The first thing I would ask regarding the “Wobble” is what level or power setting do you have your CT-15 at? Many people make the mistake of turning it up all the way to 5, this will suck the sander down onto the board as if you were pushing down on it. The dust extraction on Festool sanders is incredibly good to say the least so you only need to set the extractor to 2. This will suck up or extract all the dust, but it won’t pull the sander down onto the board. I’m not sure that this is causing the “Wobble”, but it is good advice on any Festool sander. Also, I would try using it without the pad saver with regular sandpaper to see if it still wobbles. Mirka has additional weights to place on the inside of the pad attachment plate to offset the weight of pad savers when used and suggests lowering the max speed to 7k RPM down from 10k RPM. Festool doesn’t have a way to offset the weight, nor do they suggest lowering the max speed while using pad savers, so this should be something to consider as well. The Mirka comments are not included to bash Festool, it is only to inform people that there are differences in way that the two approach pad savers and the possible impact of each. The ETS 125 is a good sander, and it can edge sand better than the ETS EC 125 with the “Edge Sanding Guide AH-ES-ETS/ETSC” accessory. But the ETS EC 125 is an overall better sander IMHO, but I wouldn't be without either. Also, the ETS 125 only has a 2mm stroke/orbit, so it is a "very fine" less aggressive sander compared to ETS EC 125 that has a 3mm stroke/orbit. And brushed vs brushless really has nothing to do with vibration, noise wise the brushed might be a bit louder though and the brushless can be more powerful for less weight making them great choices for cordless applications and of course there are no brushes to wear out. The lower profile of the ETS EC 125 is a lot more comfortable for most that use it. I just got a 6"/5" Mirka 650 CV 5mm stroke/orbit and it is even lower profile, but I’ll reserve comment until I have time to use it. Checkout the "Workshop Dojo" if you already haven't, specifically his video on sanding "Why you should love sanding not hate it". I love this guy's videos, after watching it you'll want to go out sand something I swear! 🤣🤣 You're going to love your new sander! 😎 Good video, thank you! All the Best, Chuck

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

So as far as the wobble, the extractor stays at half way as far as power goes. That’s the first thing I was told about when I bought it at Woodcraft. The wobble actually comes from the protection pad. The sander is WAY better without the protection pad but Xtract sandpaper is by far superior to use. The ETS 150 has the same wobble issue with the protection pad but it’s not as bad and still stands well.

[@toolchuck]

@@TheWoodenHobbyist My bad, I thought you traded it for a ETS 125, you went for a 150, which one, the 3mm or 5mm stroke? It looks like a 5mm, do you know that it is a much more aggressive sander? Just a heads up, there is a reason Festool, Mirka and others sell various stroke or orbit sizes and not just one, it's because you trade off either speed for finish, or finish for speed. There is also a reason the ETS 125 has only a 2mm stroke/orbit, it's for an even finer finish that only a smaller stroke can make. And the ETS EC 125 is only available in a 3mm stroke/orbit, this one kind of baffles me though. Remember, wood is really meant to be sanded with the grain, orbital sanders cut across it with a lot of very small circles, which is why it's hard to see them. They are even harder to see when they are randomized by a dual action (DA) or a random orbit (RO) sander. But the circles are still there, and it is a balance of finish (hiding the sanding marks/circles) and speed or efficiency, you can't have both. I just wanted to be sure you and others were aware of this because many seem to be jumping on the 5mm stroke/orbit band wagon, which is fine, but they need to understand it shouldn't be your only sander. All the Best, Chuck

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

@@toolchuck I did a lot more research before buying the 5mm. I work a normal, not high paying day job so my thoughts were; if I could purchase one overall sander, what would it be? The 5mm stroke is great for removability and still leaves a great finish with the variable speed knob turned down about half way while also using mesh paper. I'm come to terms with the fact that sand paper is actually the most important when it comes to a quality sanding experience and finish...which is why I stick with Cubitron Xtract. As far as the circles are concerned, I don't really experience any sort of flaws with mesh paper and proper sanding techniques. At least I haven't yet lol

[@toolchuck]

​@@TheWoodenHobbyist ​ @The Wooden Hobbyist I apologize if I came off as smug suggesting you or anyone else needs multiple sanders. I was actually trying to inform those that could only afford one of what they could, or might expect when choosing one over the other. Look, everybody sees and experiences things differently, what might be a catastrophe to one is, Meh, to another. One last thing, checkout Stumpy Nubs video on sanding speed, "What's that little dial on your sander for?". All the Best, Chuck

[@toolchuck]

@@TheWoodenHobbyist I took a look at some of your other videos, and besides building some genuinely nice projects, you have a very well outfitted shop for just having a "not high paying job". 👍 All the Best, Chuck

[@chipwyman9138]

hey thanks for mentioning the extra protective pad I found them at Toolnut - Festool 203344 Granat NET Protection Pad for 5" Sanders, 2-Pack 203344r

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Good stuff!

[@toolchuck]

Hello, I just wanted to tell you that I did some research on the 3M Xtract sandpaper you mentioned in your video, and it looks like it's something I'm going to have to try. Thank you! All the Best, Chuck.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Please do! Let me know what you think! It was a game changer for me. I believe Katz Moses has a great video of a “sandpaper shootout” including Festool and Xtract papers

[@toolchuck]

@@TheWoodenHobbyist Haha, that's where I got my info. 🐱🙏 (That's, Emoji for Katz-Moses) 😜 Anyway, I'm sure the ETS EC 150/5 will work great for you, and I'm not trying to be a Debbie downer on the 5mm orbit either. But watch the video from Stumpy Nubs about sander speed, as you slow it down, my concerns regarding the possibility of the 5mm orbit being more visible (at times) will be even greater. So, you could think about using a less aggressive paper, or even using your older sander on occasions when needed over slowing it down. Thanks for the info, and All the Best, Chuck

[@WrongTimeWatch]

I was looking to buy the 125, but looks like I need to consider the 150. I don't own any festool products yet.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

I love my 150. Just make sure you get the adapter pad if you use mesh paper

[@Eagleswatchstl]

Thanks for the review! Good to know.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Thank you!!!

[@bdm1000]

I didn't see a review about the better Festool you purchased. Did you keep it?

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

I did! And I love it! I honestly got so caught up in builds, the review got behind me. I’ll likely post a short video about it soon.

[@celticwoodworking8706]

I agree Cubitron will make any sander better , and the finish is the sand paper, not the sander. Palm sanders are more comfortable but electric versions(Mirka) are pricey. I think I will pass on this and stay with Bosch.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Sandpaper definitely makes the finish. Like the lens to a camera, the picture is best with the best lens. Sad thing is, I have 100’s of sheets with 5 inch paper but upgraded to a 6 inch sander!

[@ianbrown7235]

Aye i upgraded my craftsman ROS to the festool as well!

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

You won’t regret it!

[@synthesaurus]

I wanted to replace my dewalt cordless sander with this. Ended up returning it after one job. Way too slow, weak and wobbly. My cheap Ryoby is much better compared to this. Will try a brushless version of this.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

I’ve never had any problems with Ryobi

[@blarksup]

That wobble does not seem right, I have the same model and do not have that wobble. I also find the vibration on mine to be exceptional compared to my hardware orbital.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

So I spoke with Festool, the backing / protection pad to use mesh paper is the culprit.

[@blarksup]

@@TheWoodenHobbyist The backing was faulty or not the correct part for that sander?

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

The back is what causes wobble. The thicker the backing pad, the thicker the wobble. Also, a counter weight could also attribute to the issue. It still had a wobble with Festool paper and no backing, but not nearly as bad.

[@blarksup]

@@TheWoodenHobbyist You know, I am starting to doubt myself now and am going to test mine tomorrow, I am sure mine does not have this wobble.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

@@blarksup would love to hear your thoughts after checking

[@NicholasANappiNick]

Never heard of Festool for $200🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

lol their systainers of dominos are more than that 😂

[@scrapper666]

It’s “eSpecially”, not “eCspecially”.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Lol thanks. Can’t get rid of the midwestern/ southern draw. Makes me sound like a complete idiot sometimes 😂

[@julianweiser9985]

215$??? Cheap!

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

For some people!

[@JeffRL1956]

$349 in Canada and that's not all due to the exchange rate.

[@TheWoodenHobbyist]

Interesting!