When comparing Bosch OS50VC vs Festool 571916 ETS 150/5, the Slant community recommends Festool 571916 ETS 150/5 for most people. In the question“What are the best high-end palm sanders?” Festool 571916 ETS 150/5 is ranked 1st while Bosch OS50VC is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose Festool 571916 ETS 150/5 is:
It can be used effectively during all stages of a sanding project, due to having a good compromise between sanding power and surface finish. With it, you can relatively efficiently remove a large volume of material, and then reach an acceptable surface finish. For example, within 10 -15 minutes, this tool can sand an old 36" x 48" hardwood dining table to a surface finish level that's good enough to apply the first level of varnish.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great for surface finishing
This flat sheet sander is an excellent tool when you need to get a perfect surface finish on a flat workpiece. Due to the fast, low amplitude motion, this tool can remove even the tiniest bits of material, without damaging the surface, thus leaving a near-perfect result. When it comes to surface finish quality, this sanding technology is by far more superior than random orbit sanding.
Pro Perfect for corners
This palm sander can work on three perpendicular surfaces simultaneously, making it an ideal tool for sanding right angle corners.
Pro Large work area
While the majority of sheet sanders can work only with ¼ sheet sandpaper, this tool is twice as big and accepts ½ sheet sandpaper. Due to the low material removal speed, the increased working area is a huge advantage as it enables you to work faster.
Pro Feels sturdy and solid
As the body of this palm sander is made from sturdy, high-quality rubber, metal, and plastic, the tool does not feel cheap.
Pro Works with cheap sandpaper
The clamping mechanism of this palm sander is compatible with the regular sanding paper that you can buy at your local DIY store. You can use the provided punch-plate to make any sheet sanding paper suitable for this tool. This will significantly reduce your expenses as the regular sanding sheets are cheaper than the pre-punched sanding sheets.
Pro Vibrations are reduced
This palm sander has a dedicated suspension system, which isolates the handle from the parts that are prone to vibrating (just like a car's suspension damps the vibrations caused by road bumps).
Pro Comes with a dust bag
This palm sander comes with a portable dust container. Having an integrated paper filter, it will keep the level of dust in the air to a minimum. Contrarily to the simple paper bags offered by competitors, Bosch's container is made from high-quality plastic.
Pro Versatile
It can be used effectively during all stages of a sanding project, due to having a good compromise between sanding power and surface finish. With it, you can relatively efficiently remove a large volume of material, and then reach an acceptable surface finish. For example, within 10 -15 minutes, this tool can sand an old 36" x 48" hardwood dining table to a surface finish level that's good enough to apply the first level of varnish.
Pro Multiple dust extraction options
This tool offers you two ways of extracting the dust from the workpiece.
First, you can use a vacuum unit, compatible with the tool's 27mm dust extraction port. While the vacuum units from Festool are very pricey (starting at $510), more affordable third-party vacuum units can be used.
Another option is to use a dust collection bag, which is provided with the tool. However, keep in mind that the manufacturer recommends using the bag only occasionally. For example, while working in tight spaces.
Pro Wide speed range lets you set any speed you need
You can adjust the speed of this palm sander according to the needs of your project. It ranges between 4000 and 10000 OPM (Orbits Per Minute). Slower speeds are great for sanding with rough sandpaper, while faster ones can result in better surface finishes when used with more delicate sanding pads.
Pro Decent build quality
The tool does not feel cheap or loose, as the body of this palm sander is made from high-quality rubber, metal, and plastic.
Pro The vibrations are barely noticeable
Festool palm sanders are well known for their state-of-art vibration damping systems. The manufacturer uses pre-calculated counterweights on the motor shaft to make this tool perfectly balanced for its 6" sanding disks. Build quality also factors into vibration damping, as this sander is made from large, cast plastic parts, which are less prone to vibrations. As a result, the tool vibrates so unnoticeably that you only need one hand to operate it.
Pro Keeps your hands dry and cool
The motor cooling system also blows air towards the hand grip. As a result, your palms will be dry and cool.
Pro Great handling
Due to an excellent geometry of the handle and lightweight design, this palm sander is perfect when it comes to working single-handedly. Additionally, as the handle is covered in rubber, the risk of accidental hand slipping is significantly reduced.
Cons
Con Suffers from dust and moisture
The body of this tool is made from multiple small elements. Thus the moisture and dust protection is significantly reduced. You will need to occasionally clean this palm sander to ensure its long and productive lifespan.
Con Not designed for heavy-duty applications
This palm sander is not powerful enough to be suitable for rapid and aggressive material removal applications. Random orbit sanders and full-rotational sanders perform much better in such applications.
Con Worse surface finish than a sheet sander can offer
No matter how good and expensive a random orbit sander is, in terms of surface finish it will always lose to a lower quality sheet sander. If exceptional surface finish is something you are looking for, consider investing in a sheet sander instead.
Con Bad for corners
This palm sander is not suitable for sanding corners and edges due to its round sanding pad.