Dipped into the festools BIG Problems

[Bill Stoffels]

Well why I have no Idea, went and purchased the TS55 and the CT33 with a 150/3 sander!!!!!!!!!!! oh then made the mistake of reading other posts on the boom for another $160.00 well got that TOOOOOOOO

Used them for the first time and !!!!!!!!!!!

Now I want to go get everything they have. The saw is impressive, just made a router table top, squared the edges, and biscuited on some 1/2 oak as a border . wow does it leave a nice cut on sheet goods

What am I going to do now !!!!! have to have the router, 1400 that is

I cannot see the point in the 1080 table help me see the light brothers???

Anyhow nicest performing hand power tools I have ever used

So what else am I missing in the festool line? my AEG saw does work as well as the festool but what else have you tried that you cannot live with out??

[Tyler Howell]

Tool Snob!
The Fes Got another one

[Russ Massery]

Told ya!

[Bill Stoffels]

Russ,
You were right, what else did you get?

[Steve Clardy]

Looks like you got the fesfever bad
So far I've managed to get only 1 item, the 150/3 sander.

[Per Swenson]

Heh,heh,

Pretty soon we are gonna need meetings.

I can hear it now.

Hi I'm Per and I'm a festaholic.

"Welcome!"

We have hat's and t-shirts at the door.

I would like to thank Bob for bringing the coffee.

will some one please read the 12 steps......

Per

[Dennis Peacock]

Weeeelllllllllll now....!!!!! Another one dives into the wonderul pool of Festool!!!! Once you go with the Black and Green? You'll find they're the best tools you've ever seen!!!!!

[Michael Ballent]

Oh there are soooo many toys to pick from How about the MFT 1080 or how about 2 of them Ya know that you can hook them up to each other
Then there all the little clamps that go with the system. Check out Jerry Works' MFT manual... I know that I want to get another one

[Steven Wilson]

Only one sander? The 150/3 is great but you also need the RO150 (or whatever the new one is), which BTW works great for buffing paint and countertops, and one of the flat sanders (DS something) to get into the corners of drawers and panels. And then of course are the drill drivers. I really like my TDD12, it's been a godsend for working on the boat. And you can't forget about the small router - just perfect for using with the 32mm kit.

[Dan Clark]

Welcome to the brotherhood. (We allow sisters too.) Unlike many other tools I can mention, my enjoyment of Festools increases every time I use them. No buyers-remorse here!

I have the MFT1080 and love it. The bizarre thing is that there's a learning curve with the MFT.

At first, I just laid a piece of 1" pink foam insulation on it to cut with my TS55. Then I started using the clamps - in the tracks, through the holes in the top, right side up, up side down.

Then I started using the cross-cut features. Boy is that easy. Slap the wood down, get it to right angle and the correct position and "rrrrrip" - a nice, smooth, right angle cut.

About 3 weeks ago, I went into Woodcraft (a Festool retailer) and said, "where are your Festool clamps?" The sales rep said "over here" and showed me. I said, "I'll take one of those and two of those, and one of this, and..." After taking them home, I started thinking... "Hmmm... Did I make a mistake?!?" Within two days, I used ever single one of them. Not because I wanted to, but because they were the right tool for the job. Go figure.

About a week ago, I needed to plane an odd-shaped block of wood. Even with three clamps on it, one edge kept slipping. I looked at my old workmate with the orange, plastic dogs. "Hmmm... Said I". Yep, one of the dogs fit nicely and stopped the movement.

Yep, I love the MFT1080.

The sanders and the TS55 get all of the attention. (My next purchase will be the new Rotex RO 150 FEQ, available sometime in August.) What I find odd is that, while I love my Festool circular saw and the jig saw, the hidden gems are (in order of hidden gemness):

1. C12 cordless drill
2. CT22 dust collector and MFT1080 (tie)

I bought each because I thought, "I have a specific need, but these MAY be useful over and above that." In each case, I found many less obvious qualities. For example...

I bought the C12 because it fits between my joists. (I'm sistering joists in my garage.) Then I found it to be far more powerful than I expected.

And the odd shape gives you many hand holds that are simply not available with standard drills. There's nothing like trying to screw in a 3" long 5/16th lag screw with your hands a foot above your head and your arms streatched out, snaking past two water pipes. In that position with a large screw in tough wood, it is almost imposible to hold with one hand. No probem - it's got two handholds! (Actually it has multiple, but I couldn't reach the battery.)

Or the chuck kit. Did you know that you can the chuck kit is quick release? Not the bit; the chuck. You can change from one chuck to another in about 3 seconds. That's nice because you can have a screw bit in one chuck and a drill bit in another, and then switch quickly. (That alone saved me at least an hour in one little sub-project.)

My apologies if I'm babbling, but these expensive tools have far exceeded my expectations. Some people question the cost/benefit ratio. I forgot the cost within a week or so after buying them. The benefits? I see and feel the benefits every time I pick them up.

Welcome to the club!

Regards,

Dan.

[Dan Clark]

Only one sander? The 150/3 is great but you also need the RO150 (or whatever the new one is), which BTW works great for buffing paint and countertops, and one of the flat sanders (DS something) to get into the corners of drawers and panels. And then of course are the drill drivers. I really like my TDD12, it's been a godsend for working on the boat. And you can't forget about the small router - just perfect for using with the 32mm kit.

At a local woodworking show, I asked the Festool rep, "I'm buying the RO150 FEQ when it hits our shores. What would you recommend as a second sander?" He immediately went back and brought out that LS130 Linear Sander. He said that it is great for odd shaped and sized areas that are difficult for an orbital sander. That may be on this year's Christmas wishlist.

Best regards,

Dan.

[Jim Becker]

I cannot see the point in the 1080 table help me see the light brothers????

I didn't see the point...until I used it. Now, it's a key workstation in my shop for crosscutting panels and other wide/long material. It makes repeatability dead-on for things like shelving and other panel work. It also makes cutting small workpieces very safe and easy.

Now me...I need "the boom"...sheesh! 'Just as I thought I had my Festool stable fully stocked they bring out something else titilating!

[Ian Barley]

...He immediately went back and brought out that LS130 Linear Sander. ...
Dan.

FWIW- I had the LS130 and it did not do the job that I thought it would and that I was told it would. Nothing wrong with it but it has a very gentle cut even with big grits. Beautifully built and cleverly designed but just did not do the job that I wanted. I sold it on to a friend who uses it occasionally but tells me he is glad he didn't pay full price for it Just a caveat.

Other than that - I love my Festools.

[Bob Childress]

Well Bill, you've done it now. There will be no going back.

All their tools are great, but dust collection is really at the heart of their system. Designed so pro's could keep their job sites clean (particularly important in Europe where housing is often cramped), the entire product line is well-thought-out. For many hobbyists, Festool might seem like overkill but if you start working with their system, you WILL get hooked.

(I gotta' have that boom arm!!)

[Greg Hairston]

It's over!!!! Put a fork in him, he's done

Greg