Can you relate? If you’re nodding in agreement, I’ll bet you wish for more from your random orbit sander than you’re getting. But, is there really anything new under the sun when it comes to this shop mainstay?

Festool’s answer, with the launch of three new ETS EC sanders this month, is definitely “yes.” A slew of state-of-the-art features, reports Rick Bush, Festool’s marketing project manager, have the potential to set the ETS EC series in a whole different league from what we’ve come to expect in power sanding.

Central to the engineering of this trio of sanders is Festool’s EC-TEC® Brushless Motor. Most random orbit sanders have traditional electric motors with commutators that make contact with carbon brushes. The brushes wear out over time, and they create friction when the motor spins, which reduces efficiency and builds up heat. Brushless motors use electronics to control the motor, and they have no carbon brushes, so they operate more efficiently. The design also makes the motor more compact.

Bush says Festool has been expanding brushless motor technology into its cordless tool line since the early 2000s, when it launched the C12 cordless drill. Now, its entire 18-volt tool lineup includes brushless motors. Several years ago, Festool crossed over into corded tools with brushless motors when it launched the Carvex Jigsaw. Now, these ETS EC sanders extend the options further still.

“Prolonged runtimes is the reason a brushless motor makes sense for a sander,” Bush says. “They provide a sander that is longer-lasting, lower in profile and more powerful.”

The new ETS EC sanders come in three variable-speed versions: 125/3 EQ, with a 5-in. pad and 3mm (1/8-in.) stroke; 150/3 EQ, with 6-in. pad and 3mm stroke; and 150/5 EQ, with a 5mm stroke.

Even if a sander’s radical motor is built to outlast its more budget-priced competition, the advantage won’t matter if the tool is uncomfortable to use. Festool is confident the new ETS EC machines will be pleasing to the arm by first affording better control. The brushless motor allows the body of the tool to be squatter than comparable corded sanders. They stand 120 mm tall. Bush says those who are used to air sanders will appreciate the similarity here. “These sanders have a shorter lever arm, which puts the user more in touch with the surface for greater control and feedback. That leads to better sanding results.”

Festool’s vibration dampening feature should feel like a big improvement here, as well. Typically, a random orbit sander has a mechanical balancing system that depends primarily on the pad. Vibration increases as the pad wears or if it becomes misaligned. But, on the new ETS EC sanders, vibration dampening is mainly controlled electronically, not by the pad. “This provides an active method to control vibration by constantly monitoring and making adjustments as the sander runs to ensure a smooth performance with less fatigue,” Bush explains.

There are other new user-friendly features, too. For one, the sanders employ a carbide pad-braking system. What does that mean? Well, Bush says once the sander is switched off, the time required for the machine to come to full stop “is nearly instantaneous … It’s the fastest acting design we’ve ever offered.”

That translates to no more waiting for the machine to spin down so you can switch grits or park the tool on the bench. And, a better pad brake should also help to reduce marring if the machine isn’t lifted off of a workpiece when it’s powered down.

Dust extraction improvements will help keep your workspace and lungs cleaner, as well, with a new ETS EC sander. The sanders incorporate Festool’s “Jetstream” dust extraction provision. It amounts to better air circulation through the pad to avoid a vacuum effect that traps dust instead of drawing it up and away. “As extraction is applied to the pad,” Bush adds, “the air that is drawn not only pulls dust through the holes but also air from a supply channel through the center. This creates a circular effect that moves air and dust more effectively.”

The new sanders will even alert you abruptly if the dust extractor hose becomes disconnected. With the extraction connection feature turned on (the user can decide to activate or deactivate it), the sander will shut down, beep and vibrate if the hose slips off. That way, you won’t inadvertently create a cloud of dust and not know it’s happening. The feature is aimed for commercial environments where dust extraction may be a constant requirement.

Festool has even updated the hose you could attach to one of these new random-orbits, or other Festool tools. The latest hoses (sold separately) are enshrouded inside an anti-static sleeve, along with a Plug It Cord for powering the tool. Available in 3.5- or 10-meter lengths, the sleeved hose should prevent binding or catching on workpiece or workbench edges. It also reduces two “tails” coming from the tool into one, to prevent tangles.

Those accustomed to air-driven sanders will appreciate the On/Off switch design, too. Pneumatic sanders have “dummy” switches that require the switch to be constantly gripped in order to keep the sander running. It limits the hand-grip options. The ETS EC machines have a rubberized electronic switch, like other corded sanders, but it’s flush-mounted. So, you can grip the sander any way you prefer. The switch is also designed to remain turned off until activated again if power is suddenly lost and then restored.

We should also expect more mileage from abrasives on these machines. That’s due to Festool’s modified hook-and-loop design on the sander pads that “aggressively” engages the discs, Bush says. “Reducing movement between the abrasive and pad reduces heat gain from friction and prolongs pad and abrasive life.”

In a nutshell, Bush is confident the new ETS EC sanders will appeal to those looking for the performance of a heavy-duty production air sander, in terms of superior durability, longevity and improved handling. And, while the price of these machines will exceed other corded random-orbit sanders ($385 or $485), they won’t require a costly air system to operate or maintain. Just plug in and go to work.

For serious small shop hobbyists looking for a premium R.O. with pro-quality features, ETS EC will offer a level of performance and features no other corded sander can match.

“These sanders may be everything (woodworkers) have been looking for in a sander and haven’t yet found,” Bush says.

Learn more about Festool’s trio of brushless random orbit sanders by clicking here.

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You can mount this fence to a drill press table equipped with T-tracks or through slots spaced 16-1/4-in. to 19-3/4-in. apart. Instructions for a building a drill press table are included, and the fence comes with the required bolt and star knob hardware to install it. Rockler’s Drill Press Fence (item 53648) sells for $69.99 online or at Rockler stores nationwide.

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The saw comes with one jigsaw blade, but it does not include a 20V MAX* battery or charger (sold separately). Retailing for $49.99, you can find the BDCJS20B Cordless Lithium Jigsaw online at Amazon.com or at Lowe’s® and Menards® stores.

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Tim Inman: This is a project doomed to failure, in my view. Why spend so much time joining and fitting fine wood to just put it outdoors where it will destroy itself? There’s my bias. I’d rather encourage you to make a table for your daughter which can be expected to live indoors where it can become a family heirloom.

Chris Marshall: Michael, I’ll offer you a bit more hope.

Wood movement can have surprising results – and often the effects are not what you want — but on 1×1 lattice pieces, I think your side table project is going to work out fine, even when it’s exposed to the elements. The fact of the matter is, the narrower the cross grain area is, the smaller the amount of wood movement will be.

According to a handy wood movement app I have on my phone called “The Woodshop Widget” ($4 for either Apple or Android devices at woodshopwidget.com), the amount of expansion or contraction on a piece of flat-grain African mahogany 1-in. wide is just 1/64-in. (with relative humidity starting at 20 percent at 30 degrees—winter–and shifting to 80 percent humidity at 95 degrees—summer). And if your mahogany is quarter sawn instead, the amount of wood movement is even smaller. So, those half-lap joints will surely tighten and loosen some seasonally, but the results won’t be explosive. You may not even notice much change … little gaps that open during dry spells and close when the humidity skyrockets.

Mahogany, by the way, is a great choice for an outdoor project like this! Good on you for wanting to use it for a project your daughter needs, wherever the table is intended to live.

A table that sits outside is not going to last as long as one that never leaves the living room. There’s no question about that. Sun and water are harsh adversaries for outdoor projects. But, it will still last a very long time. Seal the wood with a penetrating stain that has a UV inhibitor in it to help slow down the degradation by sunlight. And have your daughter store the table out of the elements when winter comes.

I say go for it, and have fun building it.

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-Carl Polichetti
Horsham, PA

See the Slideshow Below:

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