Which Festool Sander

[Steve Roxberg]

I have decided to take the Festool plunge.

The first purchase will be a sander. Today I only use a Porter Cabler 333 variable speed, which has been OK, but not up to Festool standards from what I hear.

So, what I'm looking for is a sander that will work in the finishing portion of my work. I hate sanding so if moving up (it's going to be painful either way) to the next model will get me good finishing plus, then I'd probably do it.

I've heard they have a new sander coming out soon, should I hold out?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Per Swenson]

Hands down my favorite, and I have a few, is the 150-3.

It is a joy to hold in your hand and work.

Pretty sappy for a tool description, but there it is.

http://festool.safeshopper.com/407/70.htm?710

Per

[John Miliunas]

I have 4 Festool sanders and the 150/5 is my "go to" sander for the majority of my work. As much as I love my Festool sanders, when it comes to the absolute final stages of finishing (between clear coats and final wet sanding), I still rely on my trusty PC Speed-Bloc. :) :cool:

[Spence DePauw]

I'll second the 150-3. I love mine. Easy on the hands, minimal dust used with a vacuum. I've also used the Rotex dual mode units. They work well, but are much heavier and more tiring in my opinion.

Spence

[Bob Marino]

Steve,

IMHO, in the Festool line, for finish sanding, it's the ETS 150/3.

Bob

[Dave Falkenstein]

The new sander that is coming out is a Rotex, dual mode sander, which is more aggressive than the 150/3. If you want a finish sander, then opt for the 150/3, and get the CT22 dust collector package.

[Russ Massery]

Another vote for the Festool 150/3. I suggest calling Bob Marino or Email him. He can answer all your question and great to deal with.

[Steve Roxberg]

Ok, I stopped by Woodcraft and tested the 150/3 and it is very sweet. Is there a dual model that would allow me to be a little more aggresive, but still give me the finish?

I'm sure the new sander has been talked about can someone point me to that thread, or give me a keyword to search on?

[Robert Waddell]

Steve,
I have the 150/5 which is more aggressive than the 150/3 but the finish (swirl patterns) is not as fine. The dual modes I've seen have been very aggressive regardless of which mode.
Rob

[Mark Singer]

I use the Rotex a lot! The 150 /3 is a great one too!

[Dave Falkenstein]

Ok, I stopped by Woodcraft and tested the 150/3 and it is very sweet. Is there a dual model that would allow me to be a little more aggresive, but still give me the finish?

I'm sure the new sander has been talked about can someone point me to that thread, or give me a keyword to search on?

The sanding stroke on the 150/3 is 3mm. In ROS mode, the stroke on the 150 FEQ is 5mm. In ROS mode the stroke on the RO125 is 3.6mm. Therefore, the 150/3 will give the best finish, based on the shorter stroke. The RO125 is close, but is a 5" sander, with 40% less sanding surface area.

One place to get lots of Festool specific advice is the Festool Owners Group at Yahoo. Or call and talk to Bob Marino - he will guide you in the right direction based on your needs.

[Dave Carson]

I have the 150/3 and ct22 dust collector. I love it. It is not very aggressive. I find myself using lower grits of paper than I am used to using if I want to remove material. I can stop at 180 instead of 220.

I was expensive but I use it on every project.

Dave

[Jay Davidson]

Finish sanding = 150/3 with Festool vacuum - very fine finish; if you want to remove alot of material and fast, whether wood or metal get a Rotex. Great systems and very well integrated; you can use the 150/3 power cord with several other tools (Rotex pulls too much current and can't be changed out.) Great sawdust removal. "Buy quality and only cry once."

[Andrew T]

I'll throw in another vote for the Festool 150/3 absolutely beautiful. I'm sure they work as well in USA as they do in OZ..

[Cecil Arnold]

Welcome to the creek Andrew. Yes, F'tool works very well here.

[Jim Tobias]

Another vote for the 150-3. It is IMHO, a good combination of some agressiveness (with lower grits) and finesse with higher grits. I will say though that it is much easier to handle on flat surfaces. I go down to the 125 for edges and vertical work.

Jim

[John Stevens]

Is there a dual model that would allow me to be a little more aggresive, but still give me the finish?

I own both the 150/3 and the old model Rotex. I'll join in all the good things said so far about the 150/3.

Some folks rave about the Rotex. Usually they rave about how great it is for hogging off lots of material or fine polishing a finish with super-high grits and polishing compounds. It seems to excel at both those extremes, and it is still a competent sander in the "normal range" of 80-180 grit.

Personally, I just don't like the "balance" when holding it, so I never use it anymore. I'm spoiled by the 150/3. I almost never need to go below 100 grit for removing planer marks, and the 150/3 handles that job just as fast as the Rotex. When I need something a little more "agressive" I put coarser grit on the 150/3 or I use a scraper.

If you go to the festool web site and click on the first link below, you can read a recommendation from a pro woodworker to use the Rotex through 120, then use the 150/3 for the finer grits (if I recall correctly).

http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/Sanding_a_table_top_from_rough_to_smooth.pdf

I tried that and it worked fine. Then I tried simply using the 150/3 starting with 100 grit, and it worked just as well. I think the key to using the 150/3 is to remember that it is supposed to be moved along the wood at a rate of about one inch per second:

http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/swirl_marks_tips.pdf

[Andrew T]

Thanks for the welcome.