I’ve have or have had the 5” and 6” 5mm orbit Mirka Deros a , 5” 5mm ceros, a couple ets 125’s , an ets/ec 125 , Rotex 90 and 150 and used a 125, a Bosch devs dual mode and a bunch of other Porter cables and Makitas. I have also used a slew of other sanders including pneumatic da sanders and sheet sanders . I think the ets/ec 125 is the most comfortable and the Mirka Deros right behind them with their only downsides being the fact you have to hold the paddle down and getting parts or repairs in the US is difficult. Rotex series of sanders are great for heavy removal and not bad for fine sanding, but very tiresome for extended sanding sessions. Answer from Solowcarpenter on reddit.com
Seriousgrit
seriousgrit.com › blogs › sandpaper-post › which-festool-sander-to-buy-all-models-compared
Which Festool Sander to Buy? We Compare All Models From $249 to $1395 – SERIOUS GRIT
May 5, 2023 - A smaller stroke is better for fine sanding while a larger stroke is better for heavy stock removal. Many Festool models have the stroke in the model name such as the ETS 150/3 (3mm stroke) vs the ETS 150/5 (5mm stroke) but not all of them do.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/woodworking › which festool sander?
r/woodworking on Reddit: Which festool sander?
October 21, 2022 -
I'm far from a pro, but I'm looking to upgrade quite a bit. I'd love to hear what models y'all have and how you feel about them.
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I’ve have or have had the 5” and 6” 5mm orbit Mirka Deros a , 5” 5mm ceros, a couple ets 125’s , an ets/ec 125 , Rotex 90 and 150 and used a 125, a Bosch devs dual mode and a bunch of other Porter cables and Makitas. I have also used a slew of other sanders including pneumatic da sanders and sheet sanders . I think the ets/ec 125 is the most comfortable and the Mirka Deros right behind them with their only downsides being the fact you have to hold the paddle down and getting parts or repairs in the US is difficult. Rotex series of sanders are great for heavy removal and not bad for fine sanding, but very tiresome for extended sanding sessions.
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The rotek sanders are mind bogglingly good. Festool has changed the game with those.
Videos
The Wood Whisperer
thewoodwhisperer.com › home › videos › mirka deros vs festool ets ec | which sander should you buy?
Mirka Deros VS Festool ETS EC | Which Sander Should You Buy? - The Wood Whisperer
June 19, 2022 - Today I’m going to try to help you make a decision between the Festool ETS EC150 and the Mirka Deros. The Mirka costs over $125 more and the Festool is already a top of the line sander. So is the Mirka worth it?
Tyler Brown Woodworking
tylerbrownwoodworking.com › articles › best-festool-sander
The Best Festool Sander (Full Comparison) — Tyler Brown Woodworking
May 5, 2023 - ... The Festool ETS EC models are ... looking for a more production level tool. The EC sanders have a more powerful motor, longer stroke length and dedicated system for dust extractors....
Sawmill Creek
sawmillcreek.org › forums › woodworking topics › general woodworking and power tools
Which Festool Sander | Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community
June 27, 2020 - For raw wood sanding definitely Rotex, however I would suggest to go with the 6” model or ro150. Much easier to handle and much more efficient due to extra coverage. With most Festool sanders you will need active DC, lighter models like Dts400 and batter powered units can use a bag.
Tools for Working Wood
toolsforworkingwood.com › store › blog › 864
Which Festool Sander Should I Get? - Updated
Back in 2011 I wrote a long blog entry called It still gets a lot of clicks, but I still get the question all the time. Festool has added a few sanders to the
Festool
festoolusa.com › festool united states › tools › sanders › random orbital sanders
Random orbital sander
Festool random orbit sanders combine precision, ergonomic design, and advanced features like variable speed and dust extraction for flawless results.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Choosing the Right Festool Sander with @bentswoodworking - YouTube
Need help determining which Festool sander is best for your specific needs? Want to get a better understanding of the different options available in the Fest...
Published May 29, 2024
LumberJocks
lumberjocks.com › home › forums › tools & jigs › power tools, hardware and accessories
Best all around Festool sander. If you could only purchase 1. | LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
With the Rotex, I can hog a lot of material off something one moment, then, if I've spent the appropriate mini fortune on the heads and polish pads, I can polish a friends black Mercedes the next. Again, it sucks as a detail sander, if it were your only one, but that's why I have a Fein Multitool (which, I think, trumps Festools detailer, because of the other tricks it can do) and about twelve other sanders.
Festool
festool.com › blog › know-how › sanding-vs,-d-,-sanding
What matters when it comes to sanding?
Note: Sanding with a linear motion along the grain does not damage wood fibres (important if the surface is to be oiled, waxed or coated with a thin layer of varnish afterwards, for example). The linear sanding motion does not go out to the sides; linear sanders are therefore ideal for sanding frame sections adjacent to panes of glass.
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tools & accessories
Festool Sander Comparison? | Festool Owners Group
March 22, 2018 - and in case you missed it - if you do keep the sander Festool Nirvana is breaking out assortment packs of paper.
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tools & accessories
Please help me choose a new sander | Festool Owners Group
April 16, 2024 - I would definitely like to get into premium sanders as it’s the one tool I see most beneficial to upgrade at the moment. I would really like something that I can use as an all in one from 80-220 grit and achieve a perfect finish and not take all day to get there. From my research I’ve narrowed it down to the following: Bosch GEX34 Festool ETS EC 125/3 but adding the 150 pad Festool ETC EC 150/5 The Bosch only has a 2mm orbit but was reviewed with more than double the removal rate of the ets ec.
Tyler Brown Woodworking
tylerbrownwoodworking.com › reviews › festoolets125reqplussander
Review - Festool ETS 125 REQ Random Orbital Sander
May 5, 2023 - The Festool ETS 125 looks a little different than most random orbital sanders but when using the sander, you noticed they focused on balance and ergonomics. The sander is a lot taller than others but what is nice is the sander is very well balanced ...
Solowoodworker
solowoodworker.com › tools › festool.html
SoloWoodworker - Festool sanders
Comparison of the Festool ETS 150/3 6 inch Random Orbital Sander (ROS) with the Makita BO5021 5 inch ROS, including changes to the Festool sander to allow it to use mote types of abrasives - the way to improve that fine sander.
PaintTalk
painttalk.com › home › forums › professional painters forums › surface preparation and application
Sanders/Vacuums, what’s the best option. Festool? Mirka? Ekasand? | Professional Painting Contractors Forum
However when it comes to festool (for most things they sell) and Mirka and Ekasand for sanders, it seems like things are typical 300% higher. I just don’t understand how there’s such a huge price difference, and don’t understand how they can be THAT much better than other comparable products. I use regular vacuums with hepa filters and regular orbital sanders.
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tools & accessories
ETS 150/5 vs ETS EC 150/5 | Festool Owners Group
December 3, 2024 - ... So, prefacing my next opinion with my last statement. "Sometimes I wonder what happened to the people who asked me for directions." The ETS EC is my preferred sander, it's smaller, lighter, has better balance and is an all-around improvement on the ETS series.
Tool Report
tool.report › best_of › sanders › festool
Best Festool Sanders 2025 - Tool Report
September 11, 2019 - That price is surprisingly cost-effective factoring in the craftsmanship of the Random Orbital Sander. The ETS 125 by Festool is also top rated. The ETS 125 Random Orbital Sander has been reviewed on Amazon 68 times. Genuine users have left reviews with an average score of 3.9 out of 5 stars.
Jeff Estes Builds
jeffestesbuilds.com › blogs › blog › top-3-most-purchased-festool-sanders-a-pros-guide-to-premium-sanding
Top 3 Most Purchased Festool Sanders: A Pro's Guide to Premium Sanding – Jeff Estes Builds
April 5, 2025 - The ETS 125 is one of the most affordable entries into the Festool ecosystem and a favorite among finish carpenters and furniture makers for its lightweight body and ultra-smooth results.
Festool Owners Group
festoolownersgroup.com › festool discussions › festool tools & accessories
Two sander comparison 150 Ets vs 150 Ets Ec | Festool Owners Group
February 3, 2023 - Click to expand... Currently owning or at some time using most of the sanders that Festool makes (sadly no belt sanders) I can say that the EC formfactor is fantastic. I came from a world of pneumatic sanders, with the small "palm" style feeling the most comfortable, like an extension of your hand.