I received a Festool demonstration...

[scsmith42]

yesterday, and all I can say is WOW!!! I'm about ready to start selling all of my other power saws, sanders, etc and buy a complete Festool setup.

What an incredible system! It's powerful, quiet, accurate, clean and quick.

Bladeburner - I'm envious over your recent acquisition!

If you haven't already gotten a demo, I highly encourage you to get one - it will leave you drooling!

Scott

 

[ChrisMathes]

EXACTLY why I don't want to get a demo! I can't afford the tools I have now and they are cheap compared to those. Very nice tools!

Chris

 

[Travis Porter]

Festool is some awesome stuff, but it is at a mind boggling price. I have had demos of the Domino and TS75 and would LOVE to have a complete set up not to mention I would HAVE TO HAVE one of their vacuum set ups.

Unfortunately, I stay in sticker shock over their prices...... I will breakdown before it is over with, but this is one area of woodguy disease I have been able to avoid.

 

[Douglas Robinson]

I have the Festool Vacuum, ROS Circular saw and Jig saw. I also bought the multifunction table off of CL. I love the stuff!! I do not know how I would work without it. I have used every tool repaetedly on the headboard i ma making right now out if the Black WQalnut I bought from Jeff.

In view of Travis's purchase of theat Felder I am surprised he has sticker shock over anything. :rolf:

Doug

 

[Nativespec]

I have the Domino, the big circular saw and table and the planer.
I am not sure why I bought the planer so I bought the stand and fence and now it is a small jointer for finishing.

The Domino may seem expensive but it saves quite a bit of time and that is priceless. Some may prefer the old tradition of tenon joinery with tablesaw and mortiser, but I can do a joint accruately with the domino in seconds.

The multi function table and plunge saw, although not quite as handy as a miter saw, can make an accurate long compound miter cut that cannot be done well or safely on a table saw. It is also great for cutting sheet goods with two rails together-I can get an 8' cut that is exact (they sell a clamp for the rail-a must have!). I still like to use masking tape on my cuts even though the table and saw acts as a splinter guard, the masking tape still helps with the micro thin veneers.

I use a Fein vac instead-no bags to buy for those tiny little green vacs.
Festool sells a cloth bag for a cool $170.

I have to say that the Domino is the best thing since sliced bread, but I would make a couple of changes to it.

Thanks,

David

 

[Turtlewood]

David hit it on the spot.

I wouldn't mind spending money on the high end Festool products. But it's the high priced proprietary consumables that stop me.

The same is true for the Fein Multimaster. Though I bought one, it amazes me what they charge for consumables.

-Kevin

 

[JackLeg]

Just like Gillette! It ain't the razor, it's those blades that get you!!!

 

[Travis Porter]

In view of Travis's purchase of theat Felder I am surprised he has sticker shock over anything. :rolf:

Doug

Hey, I resent that, er resemble it is more like it.:lol::rolf:

 

[Rescue U]

SCSMITH42,
I love my Festools aswell, however if I had to do it all over again, I don't think that I would be selling all of my other tools and buying Festool. They are built well, and the system is nice, but I find it time consuming. I have the mft, ro125, ts55, ct22, of1400 router, trion jigsaw, angle guide, additional rails, and the domino with all the bells and whistles. They work great and are built like tanks, however It takes longer to get multiple repeatable cuts on the mft, than on my tablesaw, and it is a pain in the butt, to have to mark and measure each piece before using the saw with the guide rails and no mft. Several guys have made jigs for the mft, however I find my tablesaw better in most cases, however it is great for breaking down full sheets of ply for easier handling. The jigsaw is smooth as silk, with ok dust collection, however the dust shroud limits your cut visability. I acctually like my buddy's bosch more. The domino is great, however I have shop made jigs that performed just aswell for me before I got it, with only a bit more setup and time. Im not sure if the extra expense was worth it. I would not part with my router, my ro125, or my ct22 though! They work great together and independently. I say again, that I love the tools, however if I can give you any advise, it would be to evaluate the need and not just bite on the want, as I did.
Good Luck,
Dom
p.s. I will post pics of my tools over the weekend.

 

[Travis Porter]

Yes, you must post pics. No pics, non-existent, imaginary.:lol:

Seriously, you are the first person I have ever heard say that. If you are willing to share your perspective, I would like to hear more about how you think (and what anyone else thinks) on how each that you may have compare each individual line of tool to other common brands of tools and how they rate.

IIRC, Fine Woodworking did an article a while back rating the Bosch or Klingspor RO sander better than the Festool. I would like to hear perspectives there as well.

 

[Nativespec]

Here is my oppinion:

There is no other tool that does what the Domino does so there is no tool to compare it to.

The Bosch jigsaw and the Festool jigsaw look like they were made at the same factory-I would recommend the Bosch based on price.

The dual mode Festool sander seemed "whimpy" to me when I tried it, I bought the Bosch dual mode and I am quite happy with it and it collects dust fairly well.

I have not tried the Festool router, but the dust collection looks interesting-don't know how well it works. I have PC, Bosch, Freud and Dewalt routers-they all taste about the same.

I have a PC circular saw and the big Festool circular saw. I use the PC outside (I am currently building a deck) and I use the Festool for building furniture. The TS75 is a little big for all day deck building and I don't need to wear it out or hit a nail with those proprietary blades. What is really nice about the Festool saws are dust collection, splinter guards (both on the saw and by way of the MFC table and rails), plunge cutting and the way it sets for bevel cuts. What really makes the saw (to me) is the table.

As for table saws, I use a Delta contractor saw and keep a rip blade on it. Sometimes I think that it might be nice to have more horsepower, but high end table saws and expensive extras are not important to me.

If anyone is in the Raleigh area and would like to see these tools work just let me know.

Thanks,

David

 

[Tarhead]

Check out www.festoolownersgroup.com . It is a great resource for anything to do with Festool. You get additional viewpoints from other areas of the world and Festool employees and dealers contribute. This group used to be on Yahoo Groups.

I'm pretty much in line with David (Nativespec). I also have the 6" dual mode Bosch sander (It's a Hoss) and the Bosch barrelgrip jigsaw. My DW621 router has never disappointed me. Their drills are tempting but my Makita drill and impact driver do what I need for now. I also went went the Fein w/Clearstream HEPA filter instead of the Festool dust collection. Here's part of my Festool stable sitting under my MFT1080.


I also have 2 long sections of guide rail for cutting down sheet goods and straight line ripping rough lumber. An LS130 linear sander is on the way. Their half sheet sander or the Bosch (if I can ever find one to try out) is on my wish list for Christmas. It's a green, slippery slope!

Mark

 

[Nativespec]

Mark:

I have a Triton cordless with the plunge and a Dewalt cordless (both 18v). The price of their drills is where I draw the line.

David

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I just recently got two Dynabrade compressed air powered ROS so don't have a lot of history with them yet. But they make both my PC ROS look like toys. They are well made, fast with high orbit speed, smooth, and nice palm-sized. They come without, with self-generated (using exhaust air and an internal venturi), or with central vac, dust collection. Cost- up there, pretty close to a Festool, . . . . except if you find a good, no, a great deal on Ebay for two, new in box, units (stealth gloat :-D:-D:-D:-D). I know a lot of autobody and production furniture shops use these so they must be good.

So the question is, who has used both Dynabrade or similar air powered palm air sanders and the Festool sanders, and could you compare the two.

There is one Festool on my "to buy" list. I have already prepared LOML and told her what the likely selling price will be :roll:. I am waiting for the Festool Kapex sliding compound miter saw to hit the US market.

 

[scsmith42]

Guys, thanks for the feedback. I've been drooling over the catalog and putting together a wish list...

 

[cpowell]

There is one Festool on my "to buy" list. I have already prepared LOML and told her what the likely selling price will be :roll:. I am waiting for the Festool Kapex sliding compound miter saw to hit the US market.

The Festool CapEx would be a better name. Of course, Capital Expenditures require approval from the CFO...therein my downfall. :lol: :lol:

I have seen a few of the demos and was favorably impressed. The price would exclude most weekend hobbyists I would think...unless they have a lot of disposable income.


Chuck

 

[Rescue U]

Hey Guys,

Here is the pic of my Festools. I wanted to post it over the weekend, however I was too busy. I will be posting some project pics soon aswell.

Later,
Dom

 

[DavidF]

When y'all move up to those expensive tools I'll be happy with your castaways, still much better than anything I ever had.

I was using the Craftsman skill saw I bought in high school until last year. I think it cost me $35 in 1973. I still have it just in case. ;-) I cut many thousands of sheets of plywood with that saw.

I still use my old B&D 220v drill that was the first tool that Carol and I bought together when we got married 23 years ago (Ah) and it's still going strong!

 

[FIVEBYFIVE]

Fesdrool......why watch what you cant afford. Now if they offer free trials or test drives...thats another story

 

[MikeL]

Dom, that is quite a collection you have there. I am green with envy. :lol::lol::lol: Especially after seeing the demonstrations at the show.