Festool ETS 150 Random Orbital

Dan Clermont · 03-01-07, 12:01

Anybody ever tried the Festool ETS 150/3 for buffing and polishing?

Festool - Product Details

My big concern is the 6000 to 10000 orbits per minute but some say it works just fine although not as well as the Festool RO-150 at almost twice the price

Dan Clermont

BigAl3 · 03-01-07, 12:10

http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-p...hlight=festool

Accumulator · 03-01-07, 09:18

Gee, it's hard to not get all excited about it after rereading that thread that bigal3 posted, huh

ZoranC · 03-01-07, 03:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Gee, it's hard to not get all excited about it after rereading that thread that bigal3 posted, huh

Yes, until I remember you are stuck with their backing plates. I am still undecided is that a disadvantage or not.

iceberg · 03-01-07, 03:15

Don't have any experience with random orbitals that go up that high, although I've used one that can do 6,000 opm (the lowest of your range) with no problems. Posts that I remember reading seem to suggest that there's no real downside to the higher speeds beyond some products flashing too fast (usually Klasse AIO - which I've experienced firsthand).

My only other thought is that the ETS150/3 is only 2.6 amps, so it might bog down earlier than some of the right-angle sanders if you put a lot of pressure on it? The Rotex models give you the option of having the direct drive mode in addition to having more power, but it depends on how much correction you plan on doing, I guess.

Festos aren't cheap as a RO used exclusively for buffing/polishing. I assume you have one because of woodworking and are thinking of using it for automotive work as well?

gusbubba · 03-01-07, 03:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZoranC

Yes, until I remember you are stuck with their backing plates. I am still undecided is that a disadvantage or not.

I use one daily and there's no disadvantage with the backing plate.
Cost-wise , they're the same as any others: $15-$18.

Would it be nice if the unit was standardized to work with any BP?...Yes , but it's certainly
not a deal breaker where I'm concerned.
It's a very well made, user-friendly machine that just flat out performs, which,for me, makes up for any minor issues concerning accessories.

By the way, being "stuck" with their BP's isn't neccessarily a bad thing...they're high quality and fit perfectly with your average sized pad (5-1/2 inches and up).

Totoland Mach · 03-01-07, 04:14

The biggest use I find for the Festool Rotex is paint correction on plastic body parts: bumpers, lower rocker panels, headlights, mirror housings, etc. The unit is very versatile for those parts and I don't have to worry about burning the paint/plastic. I've done my share of burning with a DeWalt Rotary LOL.

Here's an example of Festool use. This BMW 745 Li (black metallic) had a very nasty scrape and gouge in the rear bumper. In fact, the dealer was considering a full repaint of the bumper. I used the Festool and a yellow pad + compound in rotary mode and random orbit mode and decreased the aggressiveness until all I had left were the gouges that I started filling in with touch up paint.

Before:

After shot taken in the shop with flash:

After shot taken outdoors with flash:

Distance shot taken outdoors

For my use, the Festool is a very valuable work tool. I use it somewhere on every BMW that I recondition.

Totoland Mach

klnyc · 03-01-07, 05:35

Wow very nice review. Maybe this will replace my PC in the future

ZoranC · 03-01-07, 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by gusbubba

I use one daily and there's no disadvantage with the backing plate.
Cost-wise , they're the same as any others: $15-$18.

Would it be nice if the unit was standardized to work with any BP?...Yes , but it's certainly
not a deal breaker where I'm concerned.

Cost of a backing plate for it is not concern for me, after all it shouldn't be once somebody spends that kind of a money on a tool.

What concerns me is will it be redundant with PC and rotary when I know I will have to keep PC (for 4" or smaller pads and for interior/carpet cleaning)?

I see that Toto put it to good use on plastic panels. Would one, knowing he has to keep PC for reasons mentioned above, be able to do same quality of work with PC if one has time (I am not in business of doing lots of cars like Toto is)?

gusbubba · 03-02-07, 06:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZoranC

Cost of a backing plate for it is not concern for me, after all it shouldn't be once somebody spends that kind of a money on a tool.

What concerns me is will it be redundant with PC and rotary when I know I will have to keep PC (for 4" or smaller pads and for interior/carpet cleaning)?

I see that Toto put it to good use on plastic panels. Would one, knowing he has to keep PC for reasons mentioned above, be able to do same quality of work with PC if one has time (I am not in business of doing lots of cars like Toto is)?

Good points.
Given time you can achieve satisfactory results with just a PC.
For the enthusiast ,there's no need to spend the going price for the Festo.
For daily use ,however, the Rotex is much more comfortable , aggressive and faster.
The only things I use my PC for now ,as you mentioned, are 4" spot buffing
and carpets.
Sometimes , a rotary is too much and a PC not enough......so, for me anyway, there's a definite place for the Festo.