LumberJocks
lumberjocks.com › home › forums › reviews › sanders
Review: ETS 125 EQ Random Orbital Finish Sander | LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
The Festool Garnat paper gives great results on veneer. Only took a couple days of use to go buy a 125. This is a "finishing" sander so the power isn't the same as most all other ROS I have tried. The sales person sold me a wool buffing H&L pad for it and the 125 will not spin it with any kind of wax. Pad works fantastic on the Bosch. The ETS 125 is not a Rotex model and only has random orbital, no eccentric motion option.
Tyler Brown Woodworking
tylerbrownwoodworking.com › reviews › festoolets125reqplussander
Complete Review - Festool ETS 125 REQ-Plus — Tyler Brown Woodworking
May 5, 2023 - I was very hesitant in buying a Festool product but was tired of the amount of dust my Dewalt RO sander was creating. I gave in and purchased the Festool ETS 125 and a dust extractor and have become a believer. The difference between the Festool ETS 125 and your standard random orbital sander is night and day, which I go into details in the review below.
Videos
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tools & accessories
Disappointed in ETS EC 125/3 | Festool Owners Group
September 5, 2024 - I just got this sander, was very excited considering the versatility with the larger pad. Unfortunately it has significant amount of wobble. I have read the other threads about the wobble being caused by the use of the protection pad required for Granat Net. And while it is true that the wobble...
Canadian Woodworking
canadianwoodworking.com › home › festool › festool ets 125 req-plus random orbital sander
Festool ETS 125 REQ-Plus random orbital sander - Canadian Woodworking
August 18, 2024 - The sander itself is easy to grip and comfortable in the hand. While working on a variety of pieces, including an end grain cutting board I found the ETS 125 an all-around great sander.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Festool Orbital Sander ETS 125 REQ Review - Watch before ordering! - YouTube
The Festool ETS 125 REQ is an excellent choice for those looking for a high-quality orbital sander. Its combination of performance, build quality, and ergono...
Published November 1, 2024
Reddit
reddit.com › r/woodworking › festool ets 125 upgrade question
r/woodworking on Reddit: Festool ETS 125 upgrade question
October 29, 2023 -
Is the ETS 125 enough of an upgrade from a normal hundred dollar sander? Or not? Is there enough value to justify the extra hundred dollars? Or would it not be worth it, and instead save a bit more for a higher model?
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Firstly, Festool sanders are designed to be used with a dust extractor. It doesn't need to be a Festool dust extractor (you can buy a coupler for connecting other brands) but you need one. That's gonna be a few hundred minimum on its own. Second, yes. Festool sanders are worth it if you're willing to pay. There are two major differences: Electronic motor control. Festool uses the same kind of digital power control systems you'll see in many high-end routers for its other tools. This ensures the motor maintains consistent output, and self-corrects for dynamic loading (which would otherwise change the effective output power of the motor). This produces more even, consistent results. The active dust removal. This produces a virtually loading-free sanding experience. Not only does it make sanding sheets last much longer than they otherwise wood, it provides a more consistent, even finish. If you're looking at buying a Festool sander, there are three different types. The ETS is the palm finish sander. It's meant to be easy one-handed operation for small area and spot finishing. The DTS is the precision version of the ETS, and is like a "mouse sander". It's otherwise the same product. The ROTEX is the one-and-a-half-handed sander. It can be used one-handed (although it requires above-average upper body strength and proper ergonomics to do so effectively), but it has a layout for two-handed usage similar to a power buffer. The ROTEX's default mode is basically the same as the ETS, but it has a gear-driven mode which is designed to really tear through material. I used it to put a 1/2" roundover on a squared piece of maple in about 10 seconds with a 100-grit pad. It is ideal for cleaning up slabs that just came out of a flattening mill. If you're looking for an upgrade, the ROTEX is the Cadillac of sanders. It has the same functionality as the ETS, but with the gear drive function for large surface cleanup. If you just want to shave time off your sanding, the ETS is still a very good choice for that and its performance will be easily seen within the first half hour of using it. Just remember that you need a dust collector with it, so you're looking at a ~$600 cumulative buy-in to get a Festool sander to begin with. It's worth what it costs, but only you can decide if that expenditure is worthwhile to your production demands.
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https://www.festoolrecon.com Save a hundred dollars at least buying factory remanufactured. This is straight from festool, just a side hustle of flipping rebuilt tools
Projectguitar
projectguitar.com › product reviews › tools and consumables
Festool ETS EC 125/3 EQ-Plus Random Orbit Sander - Tools and Consumables - ProjectGuitar.com
March 5, 2021 - "For €500 I was expecting dancing monkeys, free whisky and a complimentary suit!" ... One of the largest selling points pushed about the ETS EC-125 is the highly effective waste management when used in conjunction with a dust extractor.
LumberJocks
lumberjocks.com › home › forums › tools & jigs › power tools, hardware and accessories
Festool ETS 125 or Bosch GET65? | LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
You're paying extra for the box with a Festool but they are great tools. Some of them at least are said to be hand balanced in Germany. Some of the Bosch sanders look the same but I don't know if they are hand balanced. I have a Bosch 1/2 sheet sander I like better than my Rotex 150. The Bosch is surprisingly aggressive with coarse grit paper on it. ... Just to clarify, you're talking about the ETS 125 ...
YouTube
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Unboxing, Review and Demo of Festool ETS 125 REQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander - YouTube
Copy & Paste to shop! https://urlgeni.us/amzn/festoolorbital Drop all your questions about the product below or visit my Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon...
Published May 13, 2023
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tool reviews
First use ETS 125 REQ Plus | Festool Owners Group
July 12, 2025 - I bought the ETS 125 a couple of months ago from the Recon site. I finally used it yesterday. I had no idea it was so good. Smooth, quiet and easy on my old arms and wrists. I liked my old orbital sander, but it will not get much use now. I am trying to decide between the older ETS EC and the ...
PaintTalk
painttalk.com › home › forums › professional painters forums › surface preparation and application
Thoughts on the Festool Ets EC 125/3. | Professional Painting Contractors Forum
Just an update: I got my new ETS EC 125/3 at the start of this week and it is working much nicer than the first one. Also, can you believe the new sleeved hose broke at the sander end after a week and a half? My Ben Moore store replaced that within a couple days and I didn't have to contact festool ...
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Festool ETS 125 - Watch Before You Buy - YouTube
I've recently purchased and put to use the Festool ETS 125. I can't tell for you if it's worth it or not but what I can say is, after some decent use, I've g...
Published June 21, 2022
Canadian Woodworking
forum.canadianwoodworking.com › home
Makita B05041K vs Festool ETS 125 REQ? - Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Forum
If you’re careful milling your material, and your joinery is tight and even, you can probably get by with just a finish sander and the ETS 125 is a very good one. I have most of the festool sanders, and I use that one for stain grade material the most, even though it seems to vibrate more than the 3mm and 5mm finish sanders.
Rockler
rockler.com › power tools › sanding › orbital sanders › orbital sanders › festool ets 125 req orbital sander (576070)
Festool ETS 125 REQ Orbital Sander (574993) - Rockler
Festool ETS 125 REQ Orbital Sander (576070)
The versatile ETS 125 has Festool's finest sanding stroke at 5/64'' (2.0 mm), making it the ideal one-handed machine for maximum surface quality when finishing or pre-sanding. Compact in size and weighing only 2.4 lbs., the ETS 125 is perfect for sanding vertical surfaces and for doing overhead work. Additional features such as the sanding pad brake and vibration-stop balancing put the ETS 125 in a category of its own. Features: Ergonomically formed to fit comfortably in any handCompact and lightweight enough for extended vertical and overhead useStepless variable speed allows you to adjust to
Price US$295.74
Sawmill Creek
sawmillcreek.org › forums › woodworking topics › general woodworking and power tools
Just got the Festool ETS-125 sander My review | Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community
November 1, 2007 - I'll admit, I was sceptical as to how much of a difference I could expect from one orbital sander to another.........Then I turned it on:D This thing is not only better than anything I've ever sanded with. It actually doesn't make my hand feel like silicon after 10 minutes of sanding. It also...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/beginnerwoodworking › festool ets 125 what's it good for?
r/BeginnerWoodWorking on Reddit: Festool ETS 125 what's it good for?
July 3, 2025 -
I was thinking of splurging on a high end sander and was eyeing this Festool sander thinking it was not THAT expensive. But then I began to suspect it's a lighter duty finish sander and not an all purpose ROS. Is that the case?
Festool ETS 125 REQ Orbital Sander (574993) - Rockler https://share.google/HOFOnYiNJlYarIWTZ
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Get the ets ec 150/5 instead. More surface area and its orbit is enough to roughly sand and does well doing the finish sanding aspect. I never go higher than 150/180 grit so you’re probably in the same boat
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Festools brand is specialty sanders. The whole point of their brand is to sell multiple sanders not really and all purpose. One for rough finish, one for fine finish, square, circle, delta. ETS125 is a good all around finish sander. But your price observation is correct. It’s not much better than any average ROS. Festool shines in the high end $400+ sander world that companies like dewalt can’t compete with.
Woodcraft
woodcraft.com › sanders
Festool ETS 125 REQ Sander - Smooth Finishes | Woodcraft
5" ETS 125 REQ Random Orbital Sander in Systainer³
The versatile ETS 125 Random Orbit Sander has the finest sanding stroke at 5/64" and is the ideal one-handed machine for maximum surface quality when finishing or pre-sanding. Compact in size and weighing only 2.6 lbs., the ETS 125 offers improved ergonomics, which makes it perfect for sanding vertical surfaces and for doing overhead work. Following in the footsteps of its big brothers, the ETS 125 now has Festool’s Jetstream design, delivering highly efficient dust removal that results in cleaner air, better finishes, and longer abrasive and pad life. Technical features such as the sanding pa
Price US$295.74
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tool reviews
Is the ETS 125 EQ a Beast? | Festool Owners Group
August 11, 2025 - This is not the gentle 2mm stroke of the REQ. This thing feels like its tearing it up. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I felt like it was going at it pretty hard. And seemingly harder than my ETS 125 REQ. That said, for an old sander, it still works great.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Product Review: Festool ETS 125 and Rotex 125 - YouTube
In this video, I will discuss my impressions and opinions on the Festool ETS 125 and Festool Rotex 125 sanders. Be sure to Like, Subscribe, and Share my chan...
Published January 10, 2018 Views 78K
Reddit
reddit.com › r/tools › festool ets 125 req random orbital sander
r/Tools on Reddit: Festool ETS 125 REQ Random Orbital Sander
December 16, 2020 -
Looking for some opinions from anyone who has upgraded to the ETS 125 REQ from maybe one of the other less expensive brands. I currently have a Ridgid ROS (R26011). Is the upgrade worth it? Or is it mostly about the dust collection?
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I upgraded from a Milwaukee sander to an ETS 125 REQ, and then sold that for what I paid and upgraded to an ETS EC 150/5. That tool alone was enough to turn me from a total Festool skeptic to a complete fanboy. Their tools really are second to none, come with a 30 day return period and hold their value like crazy. Try one and find out!
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Not a festool ETS owner— I own a mirka deros. Premium sanders are a dramatic upgrade. Big time savings, a quality improvement, and as you said, a big dust extraction improvement. Bosch makes a sander that’s kinda equivalent to a festool rotex for about half the price, if you’re interested in a better value.