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Festool ETSC 2 150 Cordless Sander Review

By Michael Hopp on Tool Reviews

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Festool 577728 ETSC 2 150 Cordless Random Orbit Sander (4.0 I-Plus)

Festool has introduced a new 18V cordless sander to the lineup this year, and the best part is this: it now runs on the standard Festool 18V battery platform. In the past, Festool’s cordless sanders used the ERGO battery system, which could only be used on those specific models. The new ETSC 2 150 is powered by a single BP 18 Li 4.0 HPC-ASI pack—the same batteries that run the rest of Festool’s cordless tools. That’s already a win.

First Impressions:

The ETSC 2 150 arrives in a Systainer with two 4.0 Ah batteries, a charger, dust bag, protector, and backing pad. One of the first things I noticed was the extra room in the Systainer for sandpaper. We were able to stash six discs of each grit from 60 to 320—making this a true grab-and-go setup, which anyone running between jobs can appreciate.

Another standout feature right away is the built-in inspection light. It’s dimmable, letting you adjust between full brightness and a softer glow. For dialing in final surfaces, this is a really smart touch from Festool.

What’s in the Box:

• ETSC 2 150 4.0 I-Plus Sander
• (2) BP 18 Li 4.0 HPC-ASI Battery Packs
• TCL 6 Rapid Charger
• PR ETSC 2 150 Protector
• SB-LongLife ETSC 2 Dust Bag
• Fusion-TEC ST-STF D150/MJ2-M8-W-HT Backing Pad
• SYS3 M 187 Systainer

Specifications:

Configurations:

Excludes taxes and may include US import fees.

On the Job Site:

The ETSC 2 150 is compact, well-balanced, and easy to run for long stretches. The crew immediately noticed how comfortable it was and how much power it delivered for a cordless model. We even swapped in a 5.0 Ah battery while sanding a lamp post, and the sander still felt balanced with no awkward weight shift.

We run our sites at 98% dust containment and always pair our sanders with a Festool extractor. For this review, we used both the MIDI (Gen 1) and the new Cordless SYS Vac. As expected, dust collection was excellent, even with the extractors set to their lowest suction for sanding.

Most of this test was drywall work, where the built-in inspection light really proved its value. In a bathroom with no natural light—and the vanity light removed—the ETSC let us sand patches with total clarity. It eliminated a whole step of checking with a separate light. Very slick.

Pros:

• Extremely comfortable and well-balanced
• Built-in inspection light is a game changer for drywall and finish work
• Better-than-expected dust collection (not just for cordless—better than some earlier corded Festools)
• Metal dust port with solid hose connection
• Works on standard Festool 18V platform
• App support for adjusting light settings via phone

Cons:

Unfortunately we were not able to complain about this sander. One thing we noticed that when using the sander on a higher speed with the dust bug collection was iffy.  We will update our Review if we find something down the road.  One item to consider is do to the current times there are now US Import Fees.  If you have questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to: customerservice@festoolusa.com

Overall Impression:

Sanding is a task thats not usually excitable but with Festool’s  new ETSC 2 150 this task is now excitable in my opinion.  The smooth operation of this motor just glided over our work surfaces leaving them perfectly dialed in.  If we were removing stock or finishing final sand for paint/stain this sander was worked like a dream.  If you’re already on the Festool platform well you should be adding this to your collection asap.  If you’re not , Then now is a great time to invest into Festool cordless sander so you will not have to say , why didn’t I purchase this sooner.  Festool is Built Better to Better Build.