With my sanding procrastination I end up spending long periods of time at the sander and often suffer from what I’ve come to call “fuzz arm”, where my hands and arms feel the vibration long after I’ve finished for the day. When this happens I often suffer from an aching elbow the next day.

When using the Festool ETS 125 REQ-Plus I noticed right away how much less vibration was coming from the sander than the other random orbit sanders I’ve used in the past. I still experienced some arm and hand fatigue but significantly less than in the past.

The hook and loop pad makes for an extremely solid connection with the sanding discs. I’ve been using this sander with a Festool CLEANTEC CT 15 dust extractor and love the automatic tool activated power-on feature. It activates the dust extractor automatically whenever the power tool to which it’s attached is turned on. Coupled with Festool’s Jetstream sanding pad design virtually no dust escapes when sanding and  the abrasive discs last a lot longer.

The variable speed dial is easily accessible but also out of the way so I wasn’t bumping it every time I shifted my grip or switched hands while working on a piece. 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. While not the least-expensive sander on the market it’s worth the investment – not only for the quality but also for the features most cheaper sanders don’t include. Your arms and hands will thank you with this sander. Plus, it leaves a great surface for finishing!