Festool Value

[Michael Mahan]

I use a Ridgid vac on mine with a couple of add on's (one to cause the vac to turn on when the tool turns on, and one to control the speed of the vac). I already had the vac so the cost to adapt it was in the add on's.

Mike

+1
I use a ShopVac w/ Dust Deb & a Boush hose on my TS55REQ Track saw & Domino

[Bill McNiel]

I have been working with wood for 50+ years. I am somewhat frugal and skeptical by nature. I thought Festool was an over hyped, high priced semi-scam. Then my half sheet sander died after 30 years (RIP great tool). A 1/2 sheet is essential to me in my projects so I began the search for a replacement only to find limited options. While at Woodcraft I test drove the RS 2 E and was really impressed by its performance and the dust collection. I took the very expensive plunge (also bought the CT 26) and have never regretted the choice. I now also have the DTS 400 EQ and ETS 125 EQ. These sanders give top shelf performance and are without doubt the easiest on my aged hands. I have read alot of great reviews of the 150s but they are really too big for me and the 125 is the "perfect" on handed finish sander.

A couple of months ago I got several comissions involving sheet goods. My wife has grown tired of tailing me with full sheets on the TS and it has become difficult for me to manhandle 4x8"s by myself so I bought the 55 track saw. This tool has probably had the greatest impact in my shop since my first UniSaw (40 years ago). It has certainly paid for itself in not just breaking down sheet goods but producing finish sized pieces with splinter/chip-out free edges. This week I used it to joint six 7' long 5/4 boards for a desk top. The inital cuts were glue-up ready and the top was completed in half the normal time. I used it last week to trim 1/16" to zip off a face frame. It has become my go to technique for creating that essential dead true first edge on rough material which I use a lot.

I have not yet seen the value of Festool drills and routers over what I allready own and use, same with the Kapex (I have 2 chop saws and a sliding miter). A tool has to make me money or make my life significantly better for me to rationalize its place in my shop. A MFT or some shop made hybrid will find a home here someday as I can visualize further utilization of the tracksaw for cutoff and anothe multi purpose work surface is always welcome.

Just my toughts and Festool experience.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Steven, welcome to Sawmill Creek.

I own a Festool vacuum, model CT26, it's a great vacuum.

Purchase decision was Fein/Festool/Nilfisk, with me choosing the Festool for ergonomics and accessory/tool storage.

I am looking at sanders now and will purchase one of the Festool models................Try it out for 30 days, if you really aren't satisfied, return it..........Rod.

[guy young]

My two cents, Festool is what AGE tools were 45 years ago. I still have all my AGE tools working, without any repairs needed. If you can afford a Festool get it. I hate spending the extra money for the Festool, but after I have it I love it, then I know why I spent the money on a Festool.

[Brian Holcombe]

I own a festool 150/3 sander, the biggest vacuum with a hepa filter, the track saw and the router. I think they're fantastic tools. I prefer hand tools to power tools but when it comes to power tools I think festool makes some fantastic pieces.

I've used other ROS and think they are terrible for the most part, festool has not let me down. They are especially fantastic in the area of dust collection.

[Jeff Duncan]

I think Mike put it very well, it's not about Festools value generally speaking, it about what it's value will be to you. I use my tools every day to make a living so spending $200 for a ROS isn't a large expense. If it's better than the competition and is making me money, then it has value to me.

Conversely I needed a hydraulic press several years ago to do a bearing job. I knew I wouldn't need it every day, maybe once a year or so. For me it made no sense to go out and spend a couple grand so I bought a 20" Harbor Freight press for $169. Im sure there are plenty of mechanics that would scoff at such a cheaply made unit. However for the amount I need it to do it gets the job done just fine.

So the value of a Festool is what you place on it. If your going to use it everyday you'll likely be glad you bought it in the long run. If it's going to come out once every couple of months….maybe not so much?

good luck,
JeffD

[Steven Hosler]

Thank you all for your input.... You gave me a lot to think about, and some I hadn't thought about. I don't go into customer locations now, but as I get close to retirement, I could see that being an issue in the future, so that may be something that I want to plan for. (Already lining up woodworking jobs for after retirement). The track saw and Domino are definitely something that Festool has that over all of the competition, so the idea of a sharing a single dust collection system with those and the sanders makes sense. Based purely on the number of these that I see in professional/serious hobbyist shops, they have to good quality. I think I will take the plunge and try a sander/dust collector combo.... now I just need to figure out which one.... I guess that will be another thread. Again, thank you everyone.

[David Sharp]

I have said repeatedly on this forum - do a search of Festool ETS150/3 - that it is a far better orbital finishing sander than any of the lesser usual suspects - Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Porter Cable etc. I have used and/or owned all of these and always the best of the line I could afford. There is simply NO COMPARISON - IMHO.

Having said that I have also used and owned and been very impressed with the Dynabrade pneumatic orbital sanders and I think that if I tried the Mirka Ceros - search those here too - I would leave the Festool on the shelf.

My experience is as a cabinet maker and furniture builder for nearly 35 years (still at it every day) and have owned shops with just me at the bench and with 6 others at the benches and the design staff to keep them all busy. Have used lots of equipment to produce very nice work. Sanders were/are essential so I do not recommend casually.

Still others will say differently . That's what makes coming here to the Creek fun. By the way - Welcome Steven - hope you enjoy your time here.

I thought long and hard about spending $400.00 on an electric sander but after using it for 3 months the Mirka Ceros is a joy to use. Its comparable to a Hutchins or Dynabride air sander.

[Don Huffer]

This is my first post on this forum... I have long been a "lurker", learning much from all of you sharing your knowledge and ideas. I have been a woodworker for 30 years, building my collection of tools since I left the Army and "settled down". I have always found that "you get what you pay for". Whenever I buy lower cost tools from Harbor Freight or other low end sources, I end up paying for it in the end, either in frustration, rework, or replacements.

My question to you all is about Festool products. I am about to buy a new random orbit sander (you can never have too many). I do not own any Festool products, but I always see people from this site (and so many others) that own lots of them. My problem is that they are 3 to 4 times the costs of any other good quality tool manufacture (DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Fein). I have no problems buying quality, but I guess I just don't see THAT much difference. Are they that good?

Without going into a long boring explanation. Fe$tool cost is due to more than just buying a quality tool. They are a quality tool. Taxes would be one reason they are high. Cost of labor in their country. Fe$tool locks their prices and if sold for less it will be void the warrantee.

Don

[Michael Dunn]

Festool Domino 500 , TS-55REQ Track Saw , I have both Very Good Tools ! I'm glad I have them in my shop the rest of the line up is over priced IMO the drills are just insanely over priced

I have to agree with the statement about the drills. I have the CXS. Other than that... How great could they be?

That being said... My name is Mike and I am an addict...

Not shown is an MFT, Kapex, 2 CT-22's and a CT-48. I use on average about 50-60% of all my festool everyday in the shop.

The Domino and Kapex are indispensable as is the TS-75 and well everything else. Those three get major use on every project I make. FWIW, WW is my source of income.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

I will rise to defend the sys light. It is cool and BRIGHT. If I'm working on plumbing inside a cabinet, I'm not risking burns from the light. As my aging eyesight needs lots of illumination, I find it most useful illuminating hand tool projects such as such as chiseling out a mortise or a gain. I've yet to find a substitute for this product as robust and as useful.

If the festool fits your needs, pricing may not seem so high. If it doesn't, then certainly, another lesser cost tool will do.

[Jim German]

Fe$tool locks their prices and if sold for less it will be void the warrantee.

That's not true, if a dealer sells them below list price they risk losing their authorized dealer status, it has no effect on the warrantee of the item sold though.

Things that are 10% better tend to cost 2x as much.. or more. Of course if you're using the tool to make money it can easily be worth 2x more to get a tool thats 10% better. For me, any tool that makes sanding not suck as much makes me enjoy woodworking that much more.

[Matt Meiser]

I love the Syslite too. If one was to price good quality high output LED flashlights the Syslite isn't really way out there and I still haven't seen another LED worklight (but I haven't gone specifically looking since I got my Syslite) in a similar shape to a Syslite which is its real advantage. Working under a sink, unloading the truck in the dark, working on something outside after dark, or working in our TINY 1/2 bath which instantly heats up from body heat much less a 75W - 100W work light. The 1/4-20 mounting screw came in handy working on our kitchen remodel and I picked up a suction cup mount so we could just stick it on a window.

CXS, sanders (most), saw system including the MFT, OF1400 router, Domino Kapex, and vacs I'm all sold. The RO90 I bought and resold as I didn't feel it was suitable as a finish sander for small items which was the purpose I intended. Same with the OFK700 which I wanted for edge trimming until I found out it was limited to 5/8 banding. Had plans to mod the base but decided if I could get out of it what I had in it (bought lightly used) I could continue to use a regular router for nothing.

I'm really sold on Systainers as small tool storage and have bought several used ones and reloaded them with other tools like nailers, my Kreg jig, a box of drilling/driving accessories, etc. I have something similar to Mike's unit on one wall and on one hand the storage density is lower than dumping multiple items in a drawer, but on the other hand I know everything I need for whatever tool is in that box which I know I can grab and take to the workbench or over to my parents and have what I need which is efficient. My wife got me the SysRoll cart for Christmas which I really haven't gotten to use due to a lull in projects and the weather, but I've read a glowing long-term torture test by a homeowner so I can't imagine I'm not going to like it. I put a couple Woodcraft gift cards toward one of the Sys Toolboxes which works slightly better than dumping everything in a bucket, but will shine when I use it with other Systainers and the cart. My shop is 100' behind the house so pretty much every house project is "on site" work for me.

As far as which vac...unless you have a specific need for a small vac, I would suggest skipping the midi and go to one of the numbered vacs, reason being that the workcenter and boom arm accessories require the larger vacs. I picked up a second hand boom arm from someone here and find that to be a very nice feature. For sure that's something one could make a very respectable shop-made alternative as a friend of mine did. I've purchased a couple of used CT22's that were like new for less than 1/2 new price.

[mreza Salav]

Mike gave good advice. I have some of their products (sander, saw, domino, etc) and I think they are good/well made. Some of them are unique (like domino) but others not so much. There is a lot of hype about some of their products and IMO some of them are simply waaaay overpriced for what they are (compared to others). Do your research and find out what you need and how they are going to serve you. Be very careful with FOG as there is a bit of cult mentality among some of the users.
Some of their sanders are excellent but others are not (I returned their ETS125 as I found it not any better than my old portercable one at 1/3 the price). Their track saws are very good at cutting down sheet goods but don't expect them to replace a good quality table saw (nowhere near that). I use my own vac (with HEPA filter) with their products and finding a fitting that fits wasn't that hard at all.