Festool DTS 400 EQ Orbital Finish Sander

By Kenny Koehler
March 27, 2017

Shop Tool Review

Build Quality
Ergonomics
Dust Management
Sanding Quality
Sanding Speed
Value

4.6

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a finish carpenter or a woodworker who simply desires a lighter weight, more ergonomic sanding option, I can say with confidence that you’ll be more than pleased with what Festool has to offer in the DTS 400 EQ and RTS 400 EQ.

Sanding is one of those tasks that tends to be dull and boring for some, while therapeutic for others. Having used sanders across several classes, including cordless, I was curious what Festool had to offer with these smaller finish sanders over the course of the longer day.

First Impressions

The first thing you’ll notice about the Festool DTS 400 EQ and RTS 400 EQ are that these are rather small and lightweight sanders. Like most sanders, both models feature a hook and loop closure to easily attach, secure, and remove your chosen sandpaper.

The Festool DTS 400 EQ has a Delta shape designed to work around corners and edges. It’s brother, the Festool RTS 400 EQ has a rectangular shape and is appropriate for larger flat surfaces. Aside from the shape of the business end, the two sanders are identical to each other.

Controls

Controls are fairly basic and you’ll find the power switch located on the front of the handle. It’s easy to operate with just your one hand in place on it. Moving around to the back, you’ll find a six speed dial to vary your sanding speed. While the dial has six marked settings on it, there are multiple micro settings between each one.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics are strong suit for the Festool DTS 400 EQ and Festool RTS 400 EQ. It starts with weight. At just 2.4 pounds each, the sanders are one of the lightest tools that a trim carpenter might use throughout the course of the day. Even if you’re a dedicated woodworker, you’ll appreciate the low weight.

The general shape of the sanders is very natural to my hands. First and foremost, it allows me to think about my sanding pattern and eliminate any swirls that might be left behind if I were focused on the lack of a comfortable grip instead.

The combination of weight and ergonomics means that the sanders are outstanding candidates for finish work on pieces that have already been installed. You can easily work vertically or overhead without fatiguing as quickly as you would with other sanders.

Performance

Vibration

As I worked on the materials on my list, several things stood out to me about the Festool DTS 400 EQ and Festool RTS 400 EQ. It started with the ergonomics under load. As I was working the sanders around, I was surprised how little vibration made it back to my hand. This became obvious when either sander would stick – we’ll talk about that in a moment – and all of vibration moved into the handle.

Sanding

I was thrilled with how quickly the sanders removed the top layer of material and got down to the bare wood. Switching between several grits of sandpaper, I quickly made it to a nice smooth finish ready to be stained or painted. One thing I would point out is that these are designed to be finish sanders. If you have a large work pieces with a lot of rough material to remove, you’ll find a better solution within the Festool lineup.

Dust Extraction

Festool designs their tools around big picture, system oriented thinking. That means that you’ll get the most from your Festool products when you combine their accessories with their tools and attach them to a Festool dust extractor. For that reason, I didn’t even bother trying dust collection with the bags and connected them straight to my Festool CTS SYS vacuum.

The results were outstanding. If there was any dust left during the sanding process, I couldn’t find it. Festool’s Turbo Dust Extraction design pulls debris through the sander and into the dust extractor incredibly effectively. Perhaps most impressive was that I got this level of dust collecting performance on a dust extractor that is only rated at 106 CFM, well below the 130 CFM of Festool’s larger dust extractors.

I mentioned sticking a moment ago. The CT SYS and Turbo Dust Extraction offers enough suction power for the sanders to stick as the service becomes finished. You’ll want to make sure you really control the sander’s speed and movement as your surface becomes more finely finished to avoid sticking and blemishing your work service.

The Bottom Line

The Festool DTS 400 EQ and Festool RTS 400 EQ offer true orbital sanding motion with a 5/64-inch stroke and speed up to 14,000 oscillations per minute to deliver excellent sanding performance. Combined with light weight and outstanding ergonomics – both in the physical design and under load – it results in a sander that falls into the therapeutic side of what the job has to offer.

What’s more, when you attach either sander to a Festool dust extractor, you’ll leave very little mess to clean up after the sanding is done.

We can always ask for more – faster sanding, less vibration, better dust extraction (well, I don’t know that we can ask for better dust extraction this time) – but Festool has these two sanders dialed in as tools that are comfortable and enjoyable to use. Whether you’re a finish carpenter or a woodworker who simply desires a lighter weight, more ergonomic sanding option, I can say with confidence that you’ll be more than pleased with what Festool has to offer in the DTS 400 EQ and RTS 400 EQ.

Priced at $260 each, I would recommend grabbing both sanders to effectively cover the majority of workpieces you may have in front of you for finish work.