Festool RO 125 or 150?

[Dave Sabo]

It's probably a tough situation in your geography, but if by chance there are any retailers that handle Festool in your area, go there and put them in your hand. The other good thing is that you can return Festool if you are not satisfied. I think that probably the most universal choice right now in the Festool sander line is the 125mm that can also take the 150mm platter. That extra 25mm/1" of disk can be handy on larger surfaces while the 125mm is slightly more maneuverable.

people need to be careful - there is only one model that takes both sized pads, and it’s not the rotex. It’s the EC125

I started with 6" because in my experience I can get surfaces flatter with a 6" sander. But.....my investment of like 15 boxes of 50pc of 6" Festool paper keeps me from adding a 5" sander. I'd like one for edges but I hate to buy a bunch of 5" paper. Depends I suppose on how much paper you have. I don't think the 1 lb weight difference would be enough for me to give up the much larger pad area of 6" over 5". For the math people in the crowd, the 5" sander has 19.6" of area and the 6" sander has 28.2" of area, or 44% more sanding area.

this may be advantageous for doing large flat pieces, but a 6” rotex is far from a universal sander. I wouldn’t let my current inventory of consumables determine which tool is best for my projects needs.


[QUOTE]That sander in the 5" version has been in my Amazon shopping list for a few weeks now. I was actually thinking about buying it, as well as the smaller AirAVantage palm sander. Both would be about the same cost as one of the Rotex sanders.[/QUOTE]


those will give you waaaaaaay more capability than a single rotex. The Bosch pretty much an equal to its rotex cousin. Be sure to get the SP adapter for attaching to you a dust extractor.

[Joe Jensen]

I only use the rotex for rough sanding, usually in rotary mode. For anything finer I used the ETS150 or the rectangular pad finishing sander. I also have the smaller rectangular, all Festool. I generally gravitate to the largest pad sander that makes sense for the job.


[QUOTE=Dave Sabo;3093038]people need to be careful - there is only one model that takes both sized pads, and it’s not the rotex. It’s the EC125




this may be advantageous for doing large flat pieces, but a 6” rotex is far from a universal sander. I wouldn’t let my current inventory of consumables determine which tool is best for my projects needs.

That sander in the 5" version has been in my Amazon shopping list for a few weeks now. I was actually thinking about buying it, as well as the smaller AirAVantage palm sander. Both would be about the same cost as one of the Rotex sanders.[/QUOTE]


those will give you waaaaaaay more capability than a single rotex. The Bosch pretty much an equal to its rotex cousin. Be sure to get the SP adapter for attaching to you a dust extractor.

[Jim Becker]

people need to be careful - there is only one model that takes both sized pads, and it’s not the rotex. It’s the EC125

ETS EC 125 full name just so folks have the whole name. That's what I was referring to in my comment, but neglected to say the the specific model number. Thanks for the reminder.

[John Redford]

How is it possible the ETS EC 125 can use both 5 and 6 inch sandpaper?

[Dave Sabo]

How is it possible the ETS EC 125 can use both 5 and 6 inch sandpaper?

Because , unofficially of course , the EC125 will accept the pad from the EC150.

You buy the 125 sander and purchase a replacement pad for the 150 and bolt it on in place of the original.

[John Redford]

Because , unofficially of course , the EC125 will accept the pad from the EC150.

You buy the 125 sander and purchase a replacement pad for the 150 and bolt it on in place of the original.

Thank you. For some reason I was having trouble understanding how 6” paper goes on a 5” pad. You have cleared up my confusion.

[Matt Day]

I have the 125, and could convert it to the 150 by changing the pad if I wanted to. It’s some point I would love to get a Rotex, but honestly I would probably save some money and get the Bosch version.

[Michael Drew]

I'm grateful for the help/input provided. I think my best option is to buy two different tools, verse the single Rotex. As cool as they are, I don't think I'll be very happy using one as an 'all purpose' sander. I'm going to get one of the AirVantage sanders. I haven't decided which one to get yet.... I'm leaning toward the Gen 2 with dust collection over the first gen. Only because I think the separate DC converter box will irritate me. I'd rather just unwrap a cord and go, like I do with all my other 120V tools..... I'll get the Bosh GET75 for the times I need a quicker, more aggressive sander. Then the belt sanders after that.......

Jeezus.....I'll never give my better half crap about wasting time picking out a pair shoes again. I've exceeded her record by a significant amount deliberating over a sander. Analysis paralysis....

[Dave Sabo]

Many find a belt sander obsolete after buy a rotex type sander.

[Joe Hendershott]

Many find a belt sander obsolete after buy a rotex type sander.

I haven't used a belt sander since I got the rotex, it works just as well and actually easier. If the OP can try a Bosch and Festool side by side it would be good. I ditched that same Bosch after getting the Festool, the difference in vibration is huge. Maybe someone here lives close enough by to try one?

[Dave Sabo]

I haven't used a belt sander since I got the rotex, it works just as well and actually easier. If the OP can try a Bosch and Festool side by side it would be good. I ditched that same Bosch after getting the Festool, the difference in vibration is huge. Maybe someone here lives close enough by to try one?

You’re the first person I’ve heard that feels the GET75 is not the equal to the rotex. Well, except for Festool employees and dyed in the wool fanboys. The older Bosch versions were not as good, but the GET series seems to have nailed it.

For sure an in hand comparison would be best, and all Michael need do is order them up. Both have a 30 day NQA reTurn policy, so return the whichever one doesn’t win.

[Michael Drew]

I ordered the AirVantage sander. I'll get the GET75 next. It probably will not see much use, so if it vibrates a tad more than the $600 Festool, I can live with that. The little palm sander will get used every day I'm building something. That's the one I am most concerned about, with respect to comfort. I have both carpal tunnel and tendonitis. It doesn't take much to make my hand go numb anymore.

I wish it was a simple, buy and send it back thing for me...... Not so. Shipping costs to/from Alaska make buying tools (or anything, really) a more complicated decision. Many suppliers refuse to send anything through the USPS. FedEx and UPS are horribly expensive, because everything goes air. A friggin envelope costs about $50. As much as I hate using Amazon, their free Prime shipping (when available) is generally where I migrate to when buying stuff I can't find locally.

[Jim Becker]

I hear you on the numbness...that's what drove me to get my Festool sanders originally. Even wearing gel filled gloves, the old PC sanders made me have to stop after no more than about 30 minutes of sanding. I can go for hours with the better tools. So regardless of other things, if you have that challenge, it's worth buying a higher quality product, no matter what the brand.

[Dave Sabo]

The AV sander and its surfprep/uneeda cousins are some of the smoothest vibration free sanders I've ever used.

Keep in mind too, that the Rotex sanders are not what I'd called smooth and vibration free. Especially in rotary mode. I just used the ro90 to strip some finish off of some walnut frames and my hand was tingly after an hours worth.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, rotary mode on any flavor is a "real ride" sometimes, especially when one is using the more aggressive and coarser abrasives. It's not just vibration, either...it's a little more work to control the tool as it can start to have a mind of its own as it grabs the material.