For the tasks you listed I would think the Ro 150 and as ETS EC 150 would be your best options and seriously consider the RO 90.

Am I too naive thinking that 2 senders would be enough and will end up buying 3-4 at the end?!
Iggy

Welcome to the FOG!   

I think you're right that you might eventually end up with 3 or 4 sanders, but I certainly wouldn't START with 3 or 4.  Festool has a 30 day like-it-or-return-it guarantee if you buy it brand new, so that should give you enough time to make an informed decision on your first one or two sander choices.

Will you be using dust collection at all?  Don't underestimate the value in having airflow to keep the motor and the sanding discs cooled off and running reliably.

For the tasks you listed I would think the Ro 150 and as ETS EC 150 would be your best options and seriously consider the RO 90.

How much overlap is there between the eccentric mode of the RO 150 and the ETS EC 150?  I can't remember if the RO 150's eccentric mode is a 5mm or 3mm stroke...  An RO 150 and RO 90 would be a pretty good combination, especially the RO90 for rails and the Delta pad.  Once the "finish" work starts on furniture, an ETS or ETS EC might be warranted.

The porch maintenance virtually demands that a Rotex is in your arsenal. I'm assuming however, that the rough/bad/trashed areas that you'd need a Rotex for are relatively small and not huge expanses of wood. If that's the case, then a Rotex 125 would be my choice. Couple this along with an ETS EC 125 that also accepts a 150 mm pad and you now have both 5" and 6" capabilities.

The other missing item is sanding in corners. I'd suggest a RTS or DTS sander because either one is $200 cheaper than a Rotex 90 and you'll probably want to add a dust collector. 

However, thinking about it a little bit more, if the rough/bad/trashed areas are really small, you may be able to get away with just a Rotex 90 and an ETS EC 125 or 150 sander. Rotex 90 for small trashed areas, the ETS EC for general sanding and then the Rotex 90 again for corner sanding with the delta pad.

I’d start with the ETS EC 125 + extra 150mm pad.

- It’s likely a sander that fits well into any future lineup.
- It’s the only sander that takes 125&150mm pad sizes.
- It may do all the rough work you need it to with some 40/60 grit paper.
- it might help you decide if you’d prefer to add an RO125 or RO150
- it’s a delight to use.

I’d go for that first and then decide what you’re still missing most. Whether that be a delta sander for the corners or an RO sander for the heavy duty work.

If you want an RO sander I would get the 6" version in the Bosch "GET75-6n).  Its 95% of the Rotex for almost half the price. An ETS ec 125 (150 pad fits) and take the money you saved on getting the Bosch and get a third sander like the DTS or RTS for corners.

Thank you all for kind replies and for taking your precious time to educate me about senders..
I love power tools and at this stage of my life (almost 50) I tend not to care about the cost and want to be in position to enjoy what I am doing and enjoy the tools I work with. This is my priority.. Money is secondary.. After all I have read so far I am leaning toward getting RO 125 and ETS EC 125 since it will accept 6” pads ( I just learned this reading your comments) and then in future get RO90.. I do have CT26 and Fein cordless multimaster that I use with attachments for sending around corners etc..
So again thank you for your time ❤️

After all I have read so far I am leaning toward getting RO 125 and ETS EC 125 since it will accept 6” pads

Knowing both the RO125 and the RO150 intimately, I think it would be a mistake to get the 125 over the 150, the 150 is soooooo much more sander than the 125. The 150 is not only more stable and easier to handle, but also has a bigger surface and has much more power which will make you work much faster.

I only borrow my cousins' 125 when my 150 is too big for the task, and I hate every second of using it instead of my 150.

I have the RO150 and while it does a great job especially in rougher applications I think it’s almost too much of a sander to finely finish. I also really like the convenience of having one size set of Granat paper that fits both models.

I don’t have direct experience w/125’s but would be concerned about power as well using a 6” pad doing initial rough surfaces on a large piece.

You touched on money being secondary at this point so I would suggest the ro150 & a 150 w a 3mm vs 5mm stroke.

I agree with Alex’s last post.

I own the RO125 and will keep it forever as the 125mm is my favourite and most used paper size. But it is a handful to use, takes some time to master.  While I’ve gotten used to it, I don’t love using it, other than enjoying the speed at which it sands.

The RO150 is faster at removal with its bigger pad and larger 5mm orbit, but it is also way way smoother and easier to use.

But you have the 30 day trial period in the USA so no harm in giving it a go if you feel the 125 size of more your taste.

I love that RO 150 is easier to use then 125 but I guess that’s only for flat horizontal surfaces. My main concern about RO 150 is the weight if I have to send something vertical for 2-3 hours 😞.. Would I be better of getting RTS EC 150 5mm instead of ETS EC 125 for some rough vertical sending?
The way I see this developing is I might end up with 4 senders in the near future.. You got a give the Festool marketing department a thumbs up for their work 😅

I don't think you'll be sanding vertically for 2-3 hours with either of the large Rotex sanders...they just weigh too much. 

Yeah, after such a long period you'll probably have halved the thickness of the wood… That being said, the Rotex 150 may not be the best sander to use for a finished look, but just a minute of hand sanding will resolve that, is my experience, in case you wanna stain or oil. For paint (covering!) it doesn’t matter.

IMO the best set to start with is a RO 150 and a DTS 400. Add a ETC EC and you are all set. (I bought the EC 125 with two 150 pads b/c I don’t need the hassle of another size of sandpaper disks to stock up. Which makes sense, right?).

I don't think you'll be sanding vertically for 2-3 hours with either of the large Rotex sanders...they just weigh too much. 

Routine for me.

Funny thing, due to its power, the Rotex will do this the fastest. Sure, an ETS EC 150 is lighter, but you'll be needing two hours extra to do the same job. What is more important, your time, or your muscles? You can get more muscles, but you'll never get more time.

And I never get the comments about the finish quality of the Rotex, sure, it is easier to do with the smaller sanders, but the Rotex can get you there also with the proper technique. You've got two modes to choose from, a whole bunch of RPM's to vary, and 10 different types of paper, ranging from 24 to 1500 grit. Options aplenty.

I was going to add something along the lines of "for decks, porches, and patios, a multi-pass, mirror-smooth finish probably isn't the desired end result for sanding."  Not to discount the value of a consistent, even result, but I've never really thought of outdoor architecture requiring significant gloss/smoothing unless it's restoration of historic Victorian detail work, in which case you're still probably stripping before sanding and then painting over the resulting work.

That's all IMHO, and as an amateur/homeowner who hasn't done this sort of thing for a living.

I don't get it, what does your comment have to do with anything I said above? 

And besides that, why would mirror smooth not be desired? Wobbly's preferred?

Quote from: squall_line on May 02, 2021, 03:58 PM

I was going to add something along the lines of "for decks, porches, and patios, a multi-pass, mirror-smooth finish probably isn't the desired end result for sanding."  Not to discount the value of a consistent, even result, but I've never really thought of outdoor architecture requiring significant gloss/smoothing unless it's restoration of historic Victorian detail work, in which case you're still probably stripping before sanding and then painting over the resulting work.

That's all IMHO, and as an amateur/homeowner who hasn't done this sort of thing for a living.

I don't get it, what does your comment have to do with anything I said above? 

And besides that, why would mirror smooth not be desired? Wobbly's preferred?

It wasn't intended in contrast to your statement, but in addition to it.

In my mind, a mirror-smooth deck / walking surface is undesirable, especially when wet.  That doesn't mean that a person would want swirl marks everywhere, but if you're going to be covering it up with stain or paint, you're probably not sanding a deck or patio progressively to 400 or 800 grit.

To me, a rank amateur who knows very little about things, there's something about outdoor architectural pieces like decks and patios that says "rough sand it once, finish sand it once, seal or finish it, and move on", compared to a bookshelf or interior hardwood piece of heirloom furniture that might take progressive passes with higher and higher grits, multiple coats of finish, etc.

That said, I also seriously disliked the paint job that I paid to have done on my house a few years ago.  There was a rough scrape, putty fill, prime coat, and final coat (should have been at least two coats of paint on top of the primer).  I wasn't as upset about the lack of second coat as the quality of the base when it was all said and done.  Lap siding should look smooth, not like it had 6 different people scrape off the old paint and miss half of it along the way.

Half the time I post I'm just thinking out loud, honestly.

The Rotex 150mm has 5mm stroke.

The ETS (EC and brushed) 150 is available in 3 and 5 mm
The ETS EC 125 is 3 mm
The ETS (brushed) 125 is 2mm.

Getting the EC upgrade on the 125 makes it like 65% more expensive...  at least overhere.

The choice in sandpaper is bigger for the 150.

The 125 is nice for some things, but the 150 really covers a lot more surface. It's 20% wider... but that means 44% more surface covered.

From what you’ll do, in relation to your OP I think you’re on to a great start!
There’s almost always jobs in line for the RO 150 and 90. I’ve an old Bosch 150 turbo which amazes me how it handles tough removal and then on to fine sanding. They are two handed machines, and this also gives you great control and feel. The 90 fills in where the 150 is way to big, and it handles corners too. I recently bought the ETSC 125 for lighter and one handed work (although, I more than often use both hands, or constantly shifting hands) I’ve yet to try the 125, but it will be a secondary choice compared to the two rotary sanders. Much later I’ll look into a ETS EC 125 for its great ergonomics and the more finish approach of sanding mostly flat surfaces. Now that the temperature rises here, my RO 90 will see loads of use restoring windows and details. I’ve also used it for handheld shaping of smaller wood pieces, the small size makes it a widely universal tool. I’ll always keep it.