Is any drill worth $575?

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pviser

New User
paul
I just got my new McFeely's catalog and I love browsing the fasteners and often placing an order. I am always amazed, though, by the expensive Festool stuff. I mean, are any of you guys spending $575 on a drill?!?! I use corded drills from Harbor Freight which I bought for under $20 each. Why, please tell me, would I instead get a Festool drill for half what I paid for my 3 HP cabinet saw? Am I missing something?
 

westisthebest

New User
Chad
Festool is pretty awesome. There isn't a comparison to a harbor freight drill, but you could get 20 of those and still have more money in you wallet. I got the domino and it is awesome and the tracksaw is sweet too. I considered the drills but went with makita because of the money.
 

Tarhead

Mark
Corporate Member
Paul,
There are things that you need to understand. Discussions about Festool, Dust Collection, SawStop tablesaws, favorite NASCAR drivers, Religion, Politics and types of Pick Up Trucks only go in one direction. Some things shouldn't be discussed. :gar-La;

Since you brought it up, here's my take on Festool:
There's a perfectly good reason that drill costs as much as it does. It's made for people who depend on their tools to perform everyday and don't have time for disposable tools. It's made for people who want the best and appreciate the difference. It's made by free people in a democracy working for a company who has to pay taxes, benefits and free market rates for labor, utilities, raw goods and care about their employees. It's the price of a product NOT made in China.

BTW...you can buy Festools at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...nstraint=1072864&pref_store=1027&ref=&ic=48_0
:rotflm:
 

aamak

New User
Andy
I have the Festool TS75EQ track saw, and it lets me do things that I couldn't do easily, well, safely, or at all without it. I like that saw a lot, and don't regret the sticker price. My favorite use for it so far is ripping about 10 8'+ long x 10-12" wide 8/4 Ash boards to 5" in preparation for jointing and planing for my new workbench. The track saw gave me a nice straight edge on each board that just took a light pass on the jointer to make perfect. A drill though? I couldn't justify it. I have a 14V cordless and a big corded Dewalt. Between them, they get the job done and have for a long time.
 

BWSmith

New User
BW
"Is any drill worth $575"?..........don't know.

My last drill purchase was an older,VG conditon,Milwaukee "Hole Hawg" w/case for 25$ at a flea mkt.Its original price was probably up there.And would say its probably "worth it" to someone needing this kind of pwr/torque.BW
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
My Festool drill paid for itself the time that I used it to remove a broken bolt in the side of an engine block, in a location that a normal drill - or my Milwaukee angle drill - could not reach. The alternative was to remove the engine.... :eek:

Their tools are extremely well engineered and manufactured.

There is a joy that accompanies using a very well designed and manufactured tool, appliance, automobile, firearm, musical instrument; basically anything that is used by a craftsperson's hands.

The simplest way that I can put it is that a Yugo and a BMW both get you from point A to point B, but for most folks the trip in the Bimmer is much more enjoyable than the Yugo.
 

mckenziedrums

New User
Tim
I so dislike car comparisons when it comes to tools :) Last I checked festool tools didn't have leather interiors or park themselves!

But my buddy Tarhead is right... Folks get awful sensitive when you start in on Festool pricing! It's sold as a premium brand so they charge premium prices. Guess they use a better brand of mdf for their tables ;)

The Domino... super cool unique tool. A drill... well... There are a number of extremely durable and powerful drills out there that will last a lifetime for less than $575 but they might not come in green.

When you buy Festool you know what you're getting and you ARE paying a premium for the name on the tool as well. Yea, there are some nice features and the reliability is there but the car comparison falls down because other brands will often have the same durability and track record for less. A more apt comparison would be buying a GM vehicle. You can pay extra for it to say Cadillac on the outside and have air conditioned seats or get the same car with a Buick emblem and maybe just heated seats that will last just as long but isn't as hip or cool. :cool:

Now I must go into witness protection for saying most Festool products are overpriced.:help:
 

Mike Camp

New User
Mike
I so dislike car comparisons when it comes to tools :) Last I checked festool tools didn't have leather interiors or park themselves!

Would an Apple vs PC comparison be better? That probably wouldn't start any fights. :gar-La;

In the end I think if Festool couldn't sell their drill at that price they would have them at a lower price. Obviously, enough people find the value of the tools worth the price tag, because Festool is still in business.
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
I just got my new McFeely's catalog and I love browsing the fasteners and often placing an order. I am always amazed, though, by the expensive Festool stuff. I mean, are any of you guys spending $575 on a drill?!?!

Apparently it is worth $575 to enough people that they can stay in business. I have a hard time imagining any way a drill could be better than the $120 drill I have...or a $30 clamp being better than my $6 clamps. But just like anything, woodworkers come in a wide variety.
 

NCTurner

New User
Gary
I just got mine so not much in the way of use yet, but I can tell you it is a sweet sweet tool. :gar-Bi
 

gdoebs

New User
Geoff
It was worth it for me! I have 5 other Festool tools, and the quality and accessories are what make the brand/tool. The battery life is amazing compared to the other 4 Rigid drills I have. One of the things to remember about Festool is that most of the tools come with accessories. I have 3-4 drills that could be replaced by one Festool:

14.4v 3/8" chuck - general all around drill
12v 1/2" chuck - for bigger holes, good second drill
right angle impact - extra power/control for tight places
standard impact - extra power
12v mini rigid - good for hardware etc.

Festool: long battery life, plenty of power for larger holes, right angle attachment, two speeds that really help for driving deck screws (take over for the impact drills), electric clutch is great for smaller tasks like hardware. And the quick change chuck is great for switching bits, no need for two drills.

The price of the 5 drills above is easily higher than the Festool. Any new tool I buy, I seriously think about Festool. Ah, yes, it's time for a new sander...
 

pviser

New User
paul
Guys, I appreciate the feedback about Festool. I feel as though I splurge too often on things like a set of carbide-tipped Forstner bits for my drill press. The $575 Festool drill, though, just pushed me over the edge. It just doesn't tempt me. Y'all have a great week and be careful with your woodworking!
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
These sorts of questions really all come down to personal tastes, expectations, and, to an extent, personal wealth as well.

I happily spent about that much on my 17" Drill Press, so I guess that means that a drill can certainly be worth $575, even in my book -- though my drill press is by far my most expensive 'drill'. My Bosch rotary hammer drill (SDS+) would be my second most valuable drill at around $240, but it does a job that no other drill can (at least not practically).

The quality, reliability, and reputation of Festool tools are truly second to none IMHO (and for the sake of full disclosure, I own no Festool items). The integration of many of their tools, especially with regard to dust collection, is genuinely unrivaled to such an extent that I would consider them almost mandatory if I were in the business of high-end remodeling with clients concerned about construction dust and cleanup. If your business depends on such tools it is much easier to justify them regardless of cost (and you can also write off much of their cost in good years as well).

I would not personally spend $575 on a portable drill, but then I don't earn a living with my tools either. As a hobbyist and DIYer, I chose to go the route of inexpensive (and if need be, expendable) cordless tools (mostly Ryobi 18V and 12V) with a focus on investing in quality corded tools for when I need the extra power and/or ruggedness of such.

There are many who would consider the $150-160 that I spent (years ago) on my, then new to the market, Bosch 1590EVSK Jigsaw -- especially in a world where you can pickup a Black & Decker Jigsaw at Walmart for the likes of $30. But if you have ever used such cheap jigsaws (and I certainly have over the years -- in fact I own a mid-priced Craftsman Jigsaw), and you pickup the Bosch Jigsaw and start cutting, it won't take you but 30 seconds to become a believer in the value of a quality tool. It is so rediculously smooth, accurate, and easy to control that it makes me smile every time I get the excuse to break it out and put it to work. That was my first real introduction to quality power tools and made me a firm believer in their value. I opted for cheap and expendable cordless power tools (namely Ryobi), but I invest in quality for nearly all my corded power tools (e.g. DeWalt, Porter Cable, Bosch, Fein, Makita, and so forth).

Just my $0.02.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I got to play with one at Scott's shop and I can tell you that it is the smoothest, best balanced and most torque of any portable power tool I have ever held.

If I made my living with a hand drill i would own two of them just like my Macs, but for a part time hobby I can not justify the price.
 

zapdafish

New User
Steve
The drills use brushless technology and they can take alot of punishment. Someone videoed some tests where it was dunked in water then mixed up like a shake and bake with saw dust and it still ran. And then the eccentric chuck is just freakin cool. I almost impulse bought one just because of that chuck but thankfully I didn't :gar-La;
 

CaptnA

Andy
Corporate Member
is any drill worth $575? must be, they sell a lot of them! (not to me but I'm cheap!!)
A yugo will probably get you where you are going. Not many of them on the road anymore.
But, I don't drive a yugo, nor a lamborghini diablo.
Tool worth and value depend on the user.
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
The drills use brushless technology and they can take alot of punishment. Someone videoed some tests where it was dunked in water then mixed up like a shake and bake with saw dust and it still ran. And then the eccentric chuck is just freakin cool. I almost impulse bought one just because of that chuck but thankfully I didn't :gar-La;

For the Old 'Arn crowd looking for bragging rights, that brushless motor is, in point of fact, a 3-phase motor.

Then again, so are all those brushless DC motors in your laptops, desktop PCs, power supplies, etc. Nowadays the average homeowner is, ironically, surrounded by 3-phase motors in their home electronics.

Just thought some might have some fun with that trivia...:wink_smil
 

simdave

New User
Dave
As has been stated several times in this thread, Festool tools are designed for the individual that makes a living from them. When I was dissatisfied with the cut from my Kapex CSM saw. Festool sent me a new shipping container, paid the freight both ways and replaced the fence and had it back in my shop in three days from the time I shipped it. This type of customer service is worth something. I have 13 different festools and they are a joy to use. Having stated the only case for spending so much for a tool I admit that I am retired and have a serious tool addiction. Anyone know if AA supports woodworkers.
 
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