Soliciting comments re Festool Systainers

[Frank Pellow]

Christian, your comment that:

In Europe more and more companies offer their tools in Systainers - at least additionally, for example, Mafell, Protool, Lamello, Metabo, Makita, Scheer, ... I think that customers can benefit from this development.

leads to a question. Do any of these companies provide better quality inserts than the ones provided by Festool?

[Kurt Loup]

Frank,

I have the jigsaw and the small sander. Since I am not a commercial user, the inserts have held up for me during occasional use. I agree that the inserts are the weak link as far as the systainers go and are my only complaint. Going on memory, the clear plastic covered section in the jigsaw case is too small to store my blades and the section to store sandpaper in the sander case won't hold the paper securely. As a result, I just throw my blades and sandpaper in the case. I really like the compatible sizes though. I'd like to have other like sized cases for my non Festool tools like my PC belt sander and my Rigid/Metabo 6" sander. If anyone is planning to trash their systainers, send them my way. I'll take them off your hands.

Kurt

[John Renzetti]

Right now I have 4 Festool products. All of them stay in their respective containers. Can't say I have an issue with the inserts. I guess if I really tried I could say that the cord doesn't re wrap and sit well, but that is the same with other cases of different brands I have. As far as the shape of the dust port being oval on some models, not a big deal. The dust port on my Lamello is also oval and I made up a flexible adapter that works well.
In short, no real complaints about the inserts or the systainers themselves. They stack nicely out of the way.
As an aside, in Europe on construction sites you see a lot of Festool and Metabo brand tools. I wonder if Festool has received any feedback on the inserts from the guys who use this stuff on a daily basis.
take care
John

[Christian Aufreiter]

Frank wrote:

Your comment leads to a question. Do any of these companies provide better quality inserts than the ones provided by Festool?

I'm not sure but I don't think that other inserts provide better quality. I can only remember the Mafell inserts and those were comparable to Festool. I guess that Tanos makes all inserts equally.

Regards,

Christian

[Chris Padilla]

Who is Tanos, Christian? Do they handle the inserts for most European tool manufacturers? Perhaps they give good prices and so everyone uses them!?

[Bob Marino]

Who is Tanos, Christian? Do they handle the inserts for most European tool manufacturers? Perhaps they give good prices and so everyone uses them!?

Chris,

Tanos is a "sister company" to Festool, the parent company being Tooltechnics Systems. Sort of like GM to Buick and Cadillac. Tanos is responsible for manufacturing the systainers for Festool, as well as other tool manufactures in Europe.

Bob

[Christian Aufreiter]

Hi Chris,

Bob already answered your question. Tooltechnicsystems http://www.tooltechnicsystems.com/ is the name of an organization which consists of three companies:
- Festool http://www.festool.com/
- Protool (A company which produces power tools primarily for construction and carpentry) http://www.protool.de/
- Tanos (the company which makes Systainers) http://www.tanos.de/

As far as I know, the "Systainer®" is a patented invention and Tanos is the only company which is allowed to produce it.

Regards,

Christian

[Frank Pellow]

In a seperate exchange of mail, Jim DeLaney informed me that:

I don't have any comments to make, because I threw the systainer away. I never keep any of the plastic boxes that the tools come in. They take up too much storage space, and unless individually labeled, are a pain to sort through. If I'd kept them, I'd probably have about six or eight gray Porter-Cable boxes, and about that many more black WeWalt cases, in addition to the Festool...

I told him that I, among others, would have paid him for the systainer.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank wrote:

I'm not sure but I don't think that other inserts provide better quality. I can only remember the Mafell inserts and those were comparable to Festool. I guess that Tanos makes all inserts equally.

Regards,

Christian

I guess getting Festool to do anything about the flimsey inserts is going to be a much bigger effort than I thought. Oh well: "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

[Lloyd Robins]

As I have stated before, I really, really like my Festools (there are not enough of them in the shop up to now.) I do use the sustainers for protection of the tool, but I do agree that the liners do not seem to be up to the quality of the sustainer

[Frank Pellow]

In a note to me, Bob said "My own opinion on the inserts is that I wish they were made of a more rubbery type material and/or as Christian A mentioned (good idea) filled with foam. However, none of mine have ripped and they do what they are intended to do - hold the tools securely and precisely, but room for improvemnt certainly exists here" and he gave me permission to quote him.

Thanks Bob.

[Frank Pellow]

I am going to ask to have this thread closed. Until Tuesday, any additional commnets should be made in the thread entitled "Draft of note to be sent to Festool re Systainers".