Festool
Festool ETS EC 150/5 EQ
$649
Best Random Orbital Sanders · head-to-head
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Milwaukee M18 2648-20 is cheaper at $149. Every spec and price links to its source.
Festool
$649
Milwaukee
$149Cheaper
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Milwaukee M18 2648-20 is the cheaper at $149.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | | |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $649 | $149 |
| Brand | Festool | Milwaukee |
| Released | — | — |
| Power source | corded | cordless |
| Pad diameter (in) | 6 | 5 |
| Orbit diameter (mm) | 5 | — |
| Oscillations per minute max | 10000 | 12000 |
| Variable speed | Yes | Yes |
| Amperage | — | — |
| Voltage | — | 18 |
| Dust collection type | vacuum-port | canister |
| Weight (lb) | 2.6 | — |
| Vibration ms2 | — | — |
| Noise level (dB) | — | — |
Sources — Festool ETS EC 150/5 EQ: festoolusa.com (verified 2026-07-11). Milwaukee M18 2648-20: milwaukeetool.com (verified 2026-07-11).
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 11). Matching specs are omitted.
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
One whitelisted hands-on review — Pro Tool Reviews' month-long shop test — covers this exact model (the reviewer explicitly puts the ETS EC 150/5 through real furniture work). It scores the tool 9.8/10, praising electronic vibration control, smoothness rivaling pneumatic Dynabrade sanders, powerful Multi-Jetstream dust extraction and the instant pad brake, faulting only the absence of a variable-speed paddle and noticeable added weight on vertical surfaces. No lab measurements were reported. (1 sourced review.)
Praised: Electronic vibration control makes a world of difference; as smooth as pneumatic Dynabrade sanders over a full day with no hand numbness; Powerful Multi-Jetstream dust extraction — suction strong enough to stick the sander to a vertical surface; Instant pad brake stops the pad the moment you power off, so you can set it down without leaving swirl scratches.
Flagged: No variable-speed paddle like a pneumatic sander — speed adjusts only via a dial; Added weight versus a pneumatic sander is noticeable on vertical surfaces.
No sourced tester review yet.