Sanding UPGRADE - Festool, Mirka OR 3M Extract 

I think that your title is entirely misleading. Glad you're happy with your purchase, but it was not what I wanted to see for what the title promised.

Fair enough.

Thanks for taking the time to share this info. From what you said, the Mirka does seem to offer quite a bit more than the 3M. Perhaps that justifies the price difference. I think in the future, I'll stick to talking about tools I've actually used. Lesson learned.

@@MattMadeIt123 I wasn't trying to be a dick, I guess it just comes across even unintentionally lol. I was just sander nerding. The Mirka is currently the overall best sander I've been fortunate enough to have. It keeps up with Festool in dust extraction, but is just more comfortable, and a bit lighter than the ETS EC 150/5. And significantly lighter than the older ETS EQ 150/5. Longevity is the wildcard with the Mirka imo. Lots of people have had issues with reliability. I was concerned when buying it because of that. I read the manual and they recommend keeping the max RPM in the 7000's if using a protection pad for net paper. I've got mine set at 7800 max even though it is capable of 10k. Not sure if that will give better reliability or not, but I imagine there's many that run the sander balls out, and it is the control modular that seems to go out on them. I'm almost a 1yr in on the 3yr warranty. I do know about what to expect from a comparable Festool sander in terms of reliability and longevity, and that's what I hope for given it's more expensive than the 150 EC. Anyways sorry for the off topic ramble. I am interested in the Mirka styled sanders and will pick one up to compare when the right deal comes around, and thanks for the vid.

@@Fictitious_Character No problem at all. I really do appreciate you adding to the conversation. Im here to share and learn.

Sounds like you put together a great system while saving some money. Well done!

Well I've had it for about a month and I'm very happy I bought it. I got a CT Midi I about a week ago to run with it. So far, it's a great combo. I just hope this Festool thing doesn't become a sickness.🤣

@@MattMadeIt123 It will. Become a sickness that is. I bought an ETS125 REQ a few weeks ago after using my buddy's. I used it twice and have been looking at the Xtract and ETS EC150/5 to expedite sanding duties.

​@@MattMadeIt123 It's already become a sickness for me. It all started with getting the Domino 500 a week ago. Haven't used it yet but for some reason get excited just looking at the systainer it's in. Lol

Nice. I know you'll enjoy it. I sure am.

Yes. I got some of those a few weeks after getting the sander.

It's interesting why different people like different tools. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

Someone once said, "Don't skimp on the last tool to touch your project." (Probably a Festool salesman) Makes sense, I guess. But yeah, they ain't cheap.

Amazon. Here's a link. Sanding Disk Storage - amzn.to/3UPxHDS Thanks for watching.

Have you found the 5mm travel to be too aggressive for some sanding? Just wondering because I primarily use a makita cordless sander that has a 3mm travel and it works well but I wish it was faster. So I’m trying to see if I should get the 3mm or 5mm festool sander.

@@Painfulwhale360 Not at all. The 5mm will achieve the same finish as the 3mm, just quicker. That does mean you need to be careful about how aggressive you're sanding though. I'm very happy with my 150/5 and if buying today I'd make the same choice.

@@NWGR Thanks for the reply. I think I’m going to get the 150/5 then. It should help speed up my workflow from what it seems so I’m excited for that. It’s the little things :)

@@Painfulwhale360 That's one of the main reasons I went for the 5mm too. The faster I can get to the end result, the better. 👍

Great point. I do have a pad saver on it. It's not Festool brand but one I found on Amazon.

The ETS EC models like I got come in 125mm(5") and 150mm(6"). But Festool has other sanders as small as 90mm(3.5"). They have a fairly extensive lineup of surface prep options.

@@MattMadeIt123 I saw another maker swap out the backer on the orbital from a 6" to 5" on a mirka, not another tool but a different pad.

@shughes599 So I looked into this, and a 150 pad will fit on the 125 but not the other way around. So if you want both sizes and want to save some money, buy the 125 and a 150 pad. You should be good to go. Wish I'd thought of this.

I did get a Festool hose for the sander. You are correct about the weight. The Festool hose is much lighter and better suited for sanding. I still use the Dust Right hose with my track saw.

I wish I could have also. But that would have been throwing in another sander I haven't used. If Surfprep wants to send me a sample, I would be happy to compare it to Festool.

This guy! Thanks for watching.

Thanks 👍 It really is a nice tool.

There are several options for sandpaper that work with the Festool sander. I'm mostly using 3M Xtract Cubitron 2 mesh discs. Check out my video review at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WrPpdKwMYzY.html I also recently picked up some Serious Grit sanding Discs. They have a 49 hole design that work perfect with the Festool. There are links to both products in the description. Hope this helps.

I've had the sander for a year and have used both the 3M and Mirka several times since filming this. I must say the pros and cons I inferred in this video were spot on. For me, at least. I'm very happy I went with Festool as I prefer it over the others for the reasons I stated. Thanks for watching.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. I'm not mad about the sandpaper though. That Cubitron II Xtract is great stuff.

@@MattMadeIt123 Well, the patents did expire and 3M makes great products. The consumer wins. Agreed, their new net sand paper is good stuff, I often contemplate tossing all my old sand papers and go purple all the way.

@@MattMadeIt123 I find the Cubitron to not last very long but works well for about 5 minutes. I recently tried the Granat and it works just as well and last much, MUCH longer compared to the Cubitron Xtract

So true. I also like, Buy once, Cry once. Quality costs more upfront, but usually pays off in the end. I just don't always have the funds to follow this rule.

The thing is, you don't always need what you paid for. That is where youtube comes in when you find a good review like this one.

Quicker, smoother, less noise, less vibration, better dust extraction, etc. All the things I mentioned in the video made it more pleasant to use. Thanks for watching.

I felt the festool sander today and I have to say it felt very comfortable. But I haven’t felt the Mirka.

@@Painfulwhale360 Попробуйте Mirka!)) Вы будете удивлены разницей. 1. Она легче!. 2. Она удобнее,так как ниже. 3. Имеет датчик вибрации. 4. Имеет СМЕННЫЕ подошвы - 125 мм и 150 мм. Это неоспоримые преимущества. Есть один недостаток - от перепадов напряжения вылетает блок управления. Нужно использовать сетевой фильтр электроэнергии,тогда всё будет ок!)) Thanks for the answer 😊.

@@Painfulwhale360The festool is the same as the flex. Very similar.

I have used a 6" Mirka DEROS a few times since getting this and I do not regret my decision. I hate the paddle switch on the Mirka. I mean, I really hate it. That alone is a deal breaker for me. Other than that switch, it's a fine tool.