orbital sanders????????

[Mike Mortenson]

The biggest trouble we are having is the hook and loop pads seem to wear out fairly fast

[Jim Becker]

The biggest trouble we are having is the hook and loop pads seem to wear out fairly fast

Tools with good dust extraction tend to have the abrasives last longer. I really have noticed that with the sander's I'm using now...I'm not throwing away disks nearly as quickly as I used to. That center hole in the Festool design alleviates the worst area of build-up since that's where a lot of dust will collect normally, even with good airflow through the ring of holes typical on ROS.

[Mike Mortenson]

Sorry i wasnt talking about the sanding disc. i meant the hook and loop pad on the sander

[Jim Becker]

Sorry i wasnt talking about the sanding disc. i meant the hook and loop pad on the sander

That's caused by heat generated by friction. If you tend to "bear down" a lot on the sander, you'll accelerate the degradation process, which in effect is melting/deforming the "hooks" on the pad. Nature of the beast...but they are easily replaceable on most units. I did that a few times with the PC333s I used to own. Let the sander to the work...you only need a little pressure from your hand and more will generate both more heat and slow down the sanding pad.

[Mike Mortenson]

Thanks for the info guys. I would love to have a festool sander but i think its crazy to spend that kind of money for one. If they were only twice as high sure.

[Dan Oliphant]

[QUOTE=Jim Becker][QUOTE=Phil Phelps


Ray, I do most of my sanding with the 150/3 but also have the Rotex 150 which I use for any "heavy" sanding work and polishing. If you can only buy one, the 150/5 or the 150/3 are nice units. And yes, you can take them up pretty high on the grits if you need to. However, for sanding wood, that's really not necessary. I generally sand to 180 or maybe 220 and only go higher if I'm doing a strictly oil & wax finish.[/QUOTE]

Jim,
After looking at festools web site for the ETS 150/3 EQ-plus and the ETS 150/3 EQ-C, I see zero difference in the units. What is your input on these two units? Like you, my arm starts to go to sleep fairly quick using a PC333 unit.
I have stayed away from any consideration of festool products until now, but I must say this discussion may have changed my mind.

[Dan Forman]

Along the same lines, can someone explain the difference between the 150/3 and 150/5, in terms of practicality or use (not just what the 3 or 5 means?). Thanks

Dan

[Bob Marino]

[QUOTE=Dan Oliphant]

Jim,
After looking at festools web site for the ETS 150/3 EQ-plus and the ETS 150/3 EQ-C, I see zero difference in the units. What is your input on these two units? Like you, my arm starts to go to sleep fairly quick using a PC333 unit.
I have stayed away from any consideration of festool products until now, but I must say this discussion may have changed my mind.

Dan and Dan,

The ETS 150/ and 150/5 are identical sanders, except for the size of the orbit (in mm's). BTW, the "150" is the size of the pad in mm's - 150 mm = 6". The 150/5 has a 5 mm orbit, while the 150/3 a 3 mm orbit. The larger the orbit the more aggressive the stock removal. The 150/5 is a more "general purpose" type sander, while the 150/3 is more of a finish sander. Practically speaking, while you can use the 150/3 with 24 grit paper, that wouldn't play to it's best applications. If you want a sander best suited for grits of 120/150 and up, the 150/3 is the preferred sander, if you want a sander with a wider range of applications, the 150/5 is a better bet.
Bob

[Dan Forman]

Thanks Bob. I'll be getting back to you sooner or later for the 125/3 as a companion for the Rotex.

The other Dan

[Greg Mann]

Playing golf or even guitar after several hours on the ROS is impossible for me. What I want to know is.....assuming I even know how to play either....will Festool help my golf game?
How's that Bob Marino...another sales angle. Us golfers will buy ANYTHING that promises to improve our games.

The Festool sanders are designed specifically for golfers. They even have nine hols in the disks!!!!