Festool ETS 125 REQ.
Short answer: 125mm discs with a 9-hole pattern.
Not 8-hole. Festool built the ETS 125 around what they call the 9-hole principle, and their own literature credits it with less dust build-up, less heat, less clogging and up to 30% longer abrasive life.
This is the single most common mistake made on this sander. The 8-hole 5" disc is everywhere, it is cheaper, and it is the wrong pattern.
Disc diameter
Check your pad
Hook & loop
Your pad, confirmed
| Spec | Festool ETS 125 REQ |
|---|---|
| Disc diameter | 125mm (5") |
| Hole pattern | 9-hole |
| Attachment | Hook & loop, StickFix |
| Order from Orca | 5" (125mm) 9-Hole |
Mirka's 125mm sanders also run the 9-hole layout, so if you own both an ETS 125 and a Mirka 125, one box of 9-hole discs covers you.
What to order
Purple Ceramic Sanding Discs, 5" (125mm) 9-Hole
Ceramic grain on a film backing, rated wet or dry. Cuts faster and lasts longer than aluminum oxide on hardwood and cured finish. P40 through P2000.
From $12.99 for 10, $22.99 for 25.
Shop now →
Purple Ceramic Project Pack, 5" (125mm) 9-Hole
Every grit in one box. Workhorse is 18 discs, P40 to P150, three of each. Fine Finish is 20 discs, P180 to P400, five of each.
$19.49 and $20.99.
Shop now →
Ceramic Mesh Sanding Discs, 5" (125mm)
Open mesh, no hole pattern to match, extracts across the entire face. If you run a Festool alongside a DeWalt or Makita, this is the one disc that fits both. P80 through P800.
From $11.49 for 10, $21.49 for 25.
Shop now →
Straight answer on the range: our Green Aluminum Oxide line is made in 8-hole and 49-hole only, so there is no budget aluminum oxide option for a 9-hole pad. For this sander it is purple ceramic or mesh.
What actually happens if you fit an 8-hole disc
The nine holes in a Festool pad are not decoration. They are positioned to keep airflow moving under the disc across the whole cutting face. Put an 8-hole disc on and most of those openings sit over solid paper.
Airflow drops, so the dust stops leaving. Heat builds, because the airflow was also cooling the cut. Resin softens and packs into the grain. On a sander this precise you will usually notice it as the surface going shiny before the disc has done a fraction of its work.
You paid for the extraction. Use the pattern that lets it run.
Grit ladder for an ETS 125
2mm stroke, fine finishing
The ETS 125 has a 2mm stroke, which makes it a fine and superfine finishing sander rather than a stock removal machine. Match the grits to that.
P120 or P150
A sensible starting point. Do the heavy leveling with a bigger sander or a different tool.
P150 to P180
Where this sander earns its money.
P180
Where most furniture should stop.
P220
Pre-stain and pre-oil on tight-grained wood.
P320 and up
Between finish coats only. Never on bare wood.
If you are reaching for P40 or P60 on an ETS 125, the sander is fighting the job. That is a 6" or a Rotex task.
A few things worth knowing
Does the ETS EC 125 use the same pattern as the ETS 125?
Both are 125mm StickFix sanders in the same family. Count the holes on your own pad before you order, because Festool offers pads in several hardnesses and configurations across the 125mm range, and the pad on the machine is what decides it.
Can I put 9-hole discs on a DeWalt or Makita?
No. Those are 8-hole. The layouts are different and the holes will not line up. Mesh is the disc that crosses both.
Are 9-hole and 8-hole really that different? It is one hole.
It is not one extra hole in the same layout, it is a different layout. The positions move. That is what breaks the airflow.
I own a Festool and a DeWalt. Do I have to stock two kinds of disc?
Not if you run mesh. Mesh has no fixed hole pattern, so the same 125mm disc works on both pads.
Why is there no green aluminum oxide in 9-hole?
Our aluminum oxide line is currently made in 8-hole and 49-hole only. For a 9-hole pad, purple ceramic or mesh.
Grab the right disc for your Festool.
Sanding Guide · Grit by Project Stage · All 9-Hole Discs · All 5" Discs · Ceramic Mesh Discs · Universal Fit 5" Discs · Not sure, ask us