Recommendations for Festool ROS

[Dan Friedrichs]

Yes, I've decided on the /3 because I'm also picking up the Rotex 150 for the heavy duty sanding. Depending on the bundles offered, I might also get the Rotex 90.
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Was about to ask if you'd considered getting a Rotex. If you've enjoyed the Domino, you will enjoy the Rotex, too.

[Clint Baxter]

I ended up with the Rotax 150, the ETS EC 150/5 and the ETS 150/3. Rarely use the RO 150, but will sometimes set each with a different grit and just switch sanders as I progress through my sanding. That said, I prefer the ETS EC of the lot. If I’m grabbing just a single sander, it gets the nod. The brake is something one misses when you get used to having it.

I do, however, think the ETS has the best hose arrangement. It seems to glide over the work better than the other two when the hose is attached.

[Randy Heinemann]

I own the ETS150/5, the ETS125, and the Rotex 125. Of these three I like the ETS150/5 best and I think it does just about as good a job as the ETS125 on finish sanding. I do use it sometimes for rougher sanding with coarser grits and it works great. Of all my sanders I like the Rotex the least because I find it harder to operate even in its less aggressive mode. The ETS150/5 (or 3 would be the same except for the rotation pattern) is a very smooth sander. I don't know about the EC version but I suppose, if you are a professional contractor it might be a better choice for longer term heavy use. For me, the older ETS150 version works just fine and I doubt I'll ever wear it out; maybe never need new brushes.

[Jim Becker]

Don't look at the spec sheet and think that a Rotax is a partial replacement for a /5 ROS sander just because it matches the /5 pattern on ROS mode. It works for small amounts of ROS work but is basically a beast.

I agree with this in that the Rotex is really a "two hand" tool and not comfortable for general sanding (at least for me) where its specific benefits are not needed. That said, I've never felt the need for a /5 orbit and do 98% of my sanding with the 150/3. I only pull out the Rotex when I actually need the rotary function.

[Tim Bueler]

I have both the ETS EC 150/5 and 150/3. Thought about getting a Rotax 150 but I wanted a one-handed sander. The 150/5 will remove copious amounts of wood with courser grits and still fine sand with finer grits though I do my final sanding with the 150/3. If I had to have just one it would be the ETS EC 150/5. It's low and stable, the vac hose can be used as an extra handle when more control is needed and variable speed helps when using non-woven pads and/or "trickier" sanding situations. I also have a hard pad on the 150/5 and a soft pad on the 150/3. It's interesting how much difference just that makes.

For me, these sanders are head and shoulders above the PC and Bosch sanders that they replaced in every meaningful way.

[Derek Cohen]

Thought about getting a Rotax 150 but I wanted a one-handed sander.

What about the Mirka Deros? I have the older Ceros. I doubt there is a Festool sander to compare with either.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Orlyn Gaddis]

I purchased an ETS EC 150/5 last year and was initially overwhelmed by the smooth, efficient operation of the sander. It is far superior to the PC and Makita sanders I've used in the past. It actually makes sanding a chore that I can look forward to instead of dreading. The smooth operation makes it easy to use for long periods of sanding unlike the other sanders that I've used that vibrate you to numbness. It's not cheap though at around $500 so you do need the additional assurance that it will last a long time. And that's where I found a big problem. Within a few hours of initial use my sander started shutting off randomly (no pun intended). The problem became more frequent until I could no longer use the sander as it would shut off after only a few minutes of use. I looked this problem up on the Festool Owners forum and it seems to be a well documented issue. I sent it back to Festool for repair and in less than 2 weeks I had the machine back with electronic modules replaced. I used the machine for a few minutes after receiving it back and it seemed to be working fine. The next day I sanded for about an hour and had the machine randomly shut down a couple of times. With additional use the failure continued to repeat. I'll use it as before until the shutdowns are so frequent that I can no longer efficiently sand with it, then it will be going back to Festool again for repair. This is not what I had in mind from a $500 machine that is marketed for the professional user in terms of durability. It is curious that there aren't more reports of this apparently common problem on the forum. I want to be able to give the sander an unqualified positive endorsement but am very disappointed with the electronic failures. Until the 3 year warranty expires the repairs are free but the sander is obviously not available to the owner when away for repair. I can't bring myself to buy a second $500 sander as a backup. After the warranty is expired the repairs will be on my dime. One discouraging note is the conversation I had with the repairman before sending the sander in for repair. I mentioned that I had read of others similar problems with this sander on the Festool Owners Group forum and wondered if Festool had addressed the issue. The repairman dismissed this as internet misinformation. Denial won't solve the problem.

[Ben Zara]

I have the ETS EC 150/5 and it works really well. Can't even tell a sander has gone over the board. Bottom line is that it's remarkably effective and pretty quiet as well.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions. After spending a good part of today in the store, I bought the ETS EC 150/3. I compared it to the ETS 150/3 and liked the feel and balance of the EC version. This is the same store where I bought my Minimax SC2 Classic, so they gave me a generous discount for my Festool purchases. Today, I also bought the ROTEX 90 and ROTEX 150, plus plenty of sanding discs for each tool. Between the bundling of free accessories and the discounts, I am very pleased with the purchases.

[Bruce Page]

Congrats. I likely would have gone with the EC had it been available when I bought my ETS 150/3