Festool - Yearly price increase?

[Warped Woodwerks]

This just might be another rant.... but...

Dead horse, maybe, but it seems as though Festool increases their prices on a yearly basis.

What gives? I have been receiving a lot of emails. regarding Festool increasing their prices, again.
I understand, to some degree, but instead of making 10%+ (I am just throwing a number out there) profit every year, why not keep the prices where they are at..(at least for a few years) and make 8% profit, etc.?

I've never used their tools, but would like their Domino 500. In a few days, it will go up another $50. Maybe next year it will do the same... and the following year, etc.

I get the not outsourcing to China/Taiwan, etc., cost of material increase, labor increase.. oh, and maybe "covid".. but c'mon.
Pretty soon the 500 will be the same price as their currently priced $1,525 DF 700.

 

[JSJ]

I agree! And when the costs of the commodities decline, they pass on the cost savings to the consumers.....not! I do love Festool and use them frequently, but like you, getting tired of the price increases. And the jokes I get via email about cost savings...."save money, buy now, beat the cost increase!" I think Santa may have brought me my last Festool.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

Yeah.. wouldn't that be nice...

Cost of goods go down.. then have a 5% - 10% sale.. I wish!

Agreed.. Scare tactics... BUY NOW... BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

 

[Echd]

I really don't understand how someone else hasn't made a domino joiner. Surely they haven't patented every variation of joinery cutters other than dowels and biscuits. If Dewalt, Triton, Wen, or anyone else was able to bring a simple one to market they would make money hand over fist.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

I am sure the Chinese market has plenty of knock offs... or maybe not. Who knows.

Regardless, I am sure Festool would quickly sue anything similar that comes to market.

Typical crybaby, imo.

 

[chris_goris]

Last time I checked consumer prices were no where near going down, so why should festools prices not increase as well?

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

You remember those Intel CPU prices? What happened when AMD came to town and finally showed up? Their new\current CPUs finally progressed and are giving Intel a run for their money.

Intel HAD to lower their prices, just so they wouldn't lose their pants to AMD.

I think something like this needs to happen with Festool, for example. A new sheriff needs to come to town, to give Festool a challenge, so prices can be competitive, yet, "reasonable" for the average "Joe." Not make their product/s inferior, but... just no price gouging.

 

[chris_goris]

You remember those Intel CPU prices? What happened when AMD came to town and finally showed up? Their new\current CPUs finally progressed and are giving Intel a run for their money.

Intel HAD to lower their prices, just so they wouldn't lose their pants to AMD.

I think something like this needs to happen with Festool, for example. A new sheriff needs to come to town, to give Festool a challenge, so prices can be competitive, yet, "reasonable" for the average "Joe." Not make their product/s inferior, but... just no price gouging.

Big difference between paying for technology (microchips) and mechanical hardware (festool et al). Festool products are highly engineered machines. I can see this and feel it when I use the tools. As a mechanical engineer I can tell you, you get what you pay for my friend. No one else makes tools like these, no one.

 

[tri4sale]

You remember those Intel CPU prices? What happened when AMD came to town and finally showed up? Their new\current CPUs finally progressed and are giving Intel a run for their money.

Intel HAD to lower their prices, just so they wouldn't lose their pants to AMD.

I think something like this needs to happen with Festool, for example. A new sheriff needs to come to town, to give Festool a challenge, so prices can be competitive, yet, "reasonable" for the average "Joe." Not make their product/s inferior, but... just no price gouging.

Ummm, pretty sure there is plenty of competition for most of Festool's product line. Plenty of cheap crap out there if you want to shop on price, and the comparable products are comparably priced. And Festool isn't looking for the "average Joe" consumer, they want the higher end buyer. Kinda of like saying Mercedes should be selling a sub-$15,000 luxury SUV so the Average Joe can buy a new one. Plus pretty much guarantee there costs go up each year, and they are business to make a profit, so if their cost goes up, their price goes up, just like every other business in world that wants to stay in business.

 

[Martin Roper]

Festool's patent on the Domino expires in 2024. I'm sure there will be several knock-offs available the next day. I'll bet there are several in development and testing right now.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

Can't they request to extend that patent, so we can have another consecutive 4 years of price increases?

 

[Martin Roper]

Can't they request to extend that patent, so we can have another consecutive 4 years of price increases?

Not unless the patent holder creates a significant improvement to the original, but that doesn't prevent others from using the original design.

Festool will be fine. They sell miter saws, routers, sanders, drill drivers, and all manner of other tools at premium prices yet those still sell.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

It will be interesting. I would like to see some competition from another manufacturer, regarding the Domino.

I'd buy 1, but right now I can't justify $1,100+ for it. I'd much rather put that $$ towards a jointer/planer/band saw/drill press (anything else, really).

 

[Martin Roper]

I think when Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch and other brands come out with their take on loose tenon machines, they'll still likely be in the $600 range. The Domino is a pretty sophisticated machine and not everything about its price is because it says "Festool" on it.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

I have a Makita track saw, and even though it might not be "the best" track saw out there.. it is still a very nice & accurate tool.
If Makita, DeWalt, etc.. come out with their own take, on the Domino, I'll be very interested. Even if it is 65%+ of the Festool, I am OK with that. It might not last as long as the Festool, or be as robust/industrial, but then again... I am not an industrial/commercial shop.

 

[charlessenf]

"Festool's patent on the Domino expires in 2024"
"Not unless the patent holder creates a significant improvement to the original"

I thought that the Feds had extended patent rights. I know Diabetics are suffering from price gouging (well, all of us (insured) are as every policy must consider the holder could become diabetic, etc.) and hear horror stories of folks dying because they didn't take the insulin. And that patent was put in the public domain from the get go - Capitalism offers little in the way of human kindness.

 

[JNCarr]

Big difference between paying for technology (microchips) and mechanical hardware (festool et al). Festool products are highly engineered machines. I can see this and feel it when I use the tools. As a mechanical engineer I can tell you, you get what you pay for my friend. No one else makes tools like these, no one.

Having worked in the semiconductor industry for 30 years, I agree, Chris - There's BIG difference between microchips and mechanical hardware. Not to be argumentative, but the engineering for mechanical hardware can be likened to the Flintstone mobile vs an Indy car for microchips. There is more engineering in a single microchip than all of Festool's tools combined, not including the immense engineering that goes into the tools that make the chips. That toolset and the building to put them in currently costs about $4-10 BILLION. Again - not trying to ruffle feathers, just level-set the comments.

 

[chris_goris]

Having worked in the semiconductor industry for 30 years, I agree, Chris - There's BIG difference between microchips and mechanical hardware. Not to be argumentative, but the engineering for mechanical hardware can be likened to the Flintstone mobile vs an Indy car for microchips. There is more engineering in a single microchip than all of Festool's tools combined, not including the immense engineering that goes into the tools that make the chips. That toolset and the building to put them in currently costs about $4-10 BILLION. Again - not trying to ruffle feathers, just level-set the comments.

I dont disagree Joe, but the difference is the volumes. micro chips are manufactured by the billions. Festool, in the thousands.

 

[FredP]

Personally I wouldn't buy Festool if they were half price or even if they were the same price as everyone else's. JMHO.

 

[Martin Roper]

"Festool's patent on the Domino expires in 2024"
"Not unless the patent holder creates a significant improvement to the original"

I thought that the Feds had extended patent rights. I know Diabetics are suffering from price gouging (well, all of us (insured) are as every policy must consider the holder could become diabetic, etc.) and hear horror stories of folks dying because they didn't take the insulin. And that patent was put in the public domain from the get go - Capitalism offers little in the way of human kindness.

Pharmaceuticals are the one exception to the patent laws.