Can't understand the Festool Kool-Aid

[Dennis93]

So I've always bought quality tools like bosch, milwaukee, Hilti, delta, and no dewalt. I buy snap on, Mac, and Matco, Klein, channelocks, etc. I found that different manufacturers often have a few things that they are the best at, and I try to stick to what they make best.

What I can't for the life of me understand, is why people keep buying these festool products. I've only used the miter saw, and it was an overpriced piece of garbage IMO. My milwaukee 12 double bevel slider can run circles around it and only cost 450 not over a grand. The systainers are just a gimmick in my opinion. What have you never heard of toolboxes or totes. Really, most of the tools I buy have storage in their case, milwaukee sander has room for sanding discs, my circular saw case holds a couple different blades for it. I guess my rant really is just not knowing why people are forking out the money for it, especially systainers which are nothing more than glorified totes. Ooh, you can roll it around the job site and click every systainer your need. Don't you have two hands to carry things? You can't remember you need the bits when you grab a multi tool or drill? . Almost every job site I've been on has been prohibitive at some point to things being rolled around without big wheels. They stack just like other totes, you still need to remove all of them if you need one at the bottom. I guess maybe I'm just jealous I can't waste money like that, because it is nothing more than a waste that I see. At least the snap ons fit better sockets and have saved me quite a few times by grabbing a rounded bolt or nut, and have a lifetime warranty. Can't understand festool...rant over...

 

[Skin]

Like you said some companies have products they excel at and others not so much. With Festool I believe that to be their sanders. What really hurts them is their pricing. I've had a few of their older cordless drills in my hand and thought they were nothing special for the $500 price tag.

 

[woody 73]

I could never afford them they were out of my price range, but I did find a web-site that is geared for their tools:

http://www.talkfestool.com/vb/festool-reviews/

 

[mikefromme]

Festool owners group is where the festool junkies hang out.

The track saws are well worth the money for a carpenter.

 

[Just_George]

First of all, just to be clear...you don't like Festool, fine, you're allowed. They're not for everybody. I've used a lot of tools from a lot of manufacturers, and I also own a LOT of Festool products. They do have advantages...maybe not for you, but for many others.

For one thing, they're incredibly well built. I've seen cut-away versions of most of their tools. They use bigger and better bearings and armatures, for example. Think of it this way - virtually every power tool mfr. is looking for ways to cut cost and maximize profit, usually by making things cheaper. Festool says "we're going to build the best tool we can, and if it's more expensive so be it"

Also, they have features that few, if any, other mfrs. can boast of. Who else (and I admit, it MAY exist) has a cordless drill that can be switched to an offset chuck, or a variable position right-angle chuck, in a matter of seconds? Might not do anything for you, but it can be a life-saver if you hang a lot of cabinets. How about routers with micro-adjustments on the depth in 1/10 mm increments? Or what about track saws that will cut precisely on the same line, regardless of the angle setting of the saw?

Finally, I disagree with your assessment of the miter saw. I had a couple of Makita saws that were damned good tools...but the Festool is far and away a better saw. It's lighter, more accurate, has better dust collection, takes up less space (due to the forward rail design) Yes, it's ridiculously expensive, but good tools are rarely cheap.

Not trying to start a war here, like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinions. But...I've personally known several guys who said they'd NEVER pay that kind of money for a tool....until they tried them. It's amazing how much people like them when they give it a chance and actually USE them.

 

[cheechi]

I don't own it. I probably won't ever, or if I do, won't be much. I do understand the hype though, at least to some degree.

Let's take snap on for example. You have a screwdriver set. Any wrench can be put on the hex part of it to turn it. SO wrenches don't turn the driver faster. They don't turn SO brand bolts or screws better than others. They don't fit in the box better, and the box doesn't fit SO wrenches better than others. [No nit picking allowed you get the point i'm trying to convey]

Now let's look at Kapex, the MFT, the router, the TS-55, and their associated accessories. You can hook up any router, saw, etc to a vacuum with the right adapter. All these tools fit on the Festool without adapter. Same general location relative to your hands, so you can work around the vac hose. all of them the vac hose is roughly going to follow where the power cord is so you don't have to work around 2 things. Also, the power cords are the same for all the hand held tools. and they all detach from the tool which can be handy. The grips are roughly the same. You don't have to focus on the tool itself, so you're free to focus on the work. which is nice if you can afford festool, you're probably not working on 2x4 pine from HD.

So that compared to say all bosch, which don't all use the same vac ports or may have to get adapters to do it. I have a bosch router, a bosch vac hose, and an adapter to go on my regular shop vac. It works for me, I don't have the money for a nicer HEPA vac. As an aside, all the HEPA vacs are roughly in the same price, performance, and quality range. So the festool one isn't really necessary to work with the festool tools, but i'm sure someone will tell you why the fein or bosch isn't good enough to touch the precious festool tools.

The MFT is one of those tools that really 'brings the room together' in that it's not a better table than anything else, and you can build a table just like it to use their clamps and all. But it makes things easier because it's like all the pieces fit together. the TS clamps to it easily, the router has some special way that it uses the MFT (one of the combinations I haven't seen in person and I'm too lazy to look up exactly what it is) the sander, the kapex fits exactly on it, if you don't get the other special kapex table which is basically another MFT with a different name.

You can get the same job done with 0% festool. But if you get used to it all going together, it could be hard to go back to normal people tools.

 

[RivennHewn]

I wouldn't buy any festering tools because they are over priced.

Both Makita and DeWalt make track saws that rival Fes.

As far as high end sanders go, if I'm going to spend the big bucks it better be a Fein.

 

[Monte]

With Festool you don´t buy a simple tool, you buy a system.

 

[tomsmith]

I think it's like most things - if you're a professional who relies on accuracy and longevity, you probably can justify buying Festool.

On the other hand, if you're a DIY-er with occasional use of the mitre saw, jigsaw etc. then paying 3x more for an equivalent Festool likely won't make much sense.

Maybe you can get the same level of accuracy from a non-Festool tool, but maybe it'll take you a bit longer, with a bit more effort?

I have a Ridgid tablesaw and a Milwaukee 12" sliding mitre saw - for me, they are perfect and I couldn't see how a Festool could be twice as good but then I've never tried one.

I think it like buying a Cadillac vs. a Mercedes S-Class. Sure, the S-Class is 2x or 3x the price but is it 2x or 3x better built, reliable etc? Likely not, but if you had the cash, you'd buy the S-Class because it has a couple of things the Cadillac doesn't have - even if those little things themselves don't justify the 2x price.

 

[Skin]

Bosch also makes excellent saws (swiss made models).

 

[neophyte]

If you have to deal with transporting, or even just storing, multiple power tools, the Systainers are incredible helpful.

Most Systainers have the same depth and width and only vary in height so stacking them for storage is far easier than with the spin molded plastic tool cases, and formed steel cases available from other tool manufacturers.

Trying to stack the spin molded plastic cases usually results in the stack of cases falling over.

Steel cases sometimes have their handles riveted to the top of the case so they're not stackable at all.

The Systainers stack easily even without using the latch system, and if you do use the latch system it's easy to transport three or four cases at once.

The blow molded inserts Festool uses in the systainers are usually well thought out, with spaces fitted for many, or all, of the accessories Festool offers for that tool.

Many plastic cases offered by other manufacturers have barely enough room for the tools power cord, let alone accessories. Steel cases usually have plenty of extra room around the tool for accessories but they don't offer as much protection in case the tool drops. Festool actually drop tests the tool cases with the tool inside to make sure if the tool case falls the tool won't be damaged. The cases should be able to take the drop as well. In my experience they are durable.

The systainers themselves typically cost $60 or more each. If you want to store your tools in systainers the savings, or at least absence of the extra Systainer cost needed when buying a different brand makes the Festool tools more appealing.

The Systainer system is so well liked, and used, in Europe, many other tool companies sell their tools in re-branded systainers, including Mafell, Makita, Bosch used to, Dewalt did at one point, Lamello did for one or two of their tools, a number of industrial tool and fitting suppliers also supply kits in systainers.

As far as the tool companies you've mentioned I've used tools rom all of them. Milwaukee is a prime example of a company that couldn't design a good plastic tool case to save their life. I have a Tilt-Lok circular saw from Milwaukee that came with a plastic case thats three times as big as it needs to be. The Knob on which spare blades are supposed to be placed is to big to fit a saw blade on, and despite it's large size trying to store much in the way of accessories in the case is a lesson in frustration. The dewalt cases I have tried are just as bad. The Hilti cases are great as far as space to store accessories, but trying to carry around more than two or tree at a time got to be problematic.

 

[Dennis93]

Totally disagree with you on the miter saw. Yes it's lighter weight because it has a smaller fence and less adjustments, also the blades are only for festool which means you are stuck buying their brand since they made an off size arbor. The milwaukee was rated the best out of all the 12" sliders on the market, has better dust collection with a bag than any other saw, the digital gauge is the most accurate on the market. Saying a saw weighs less and takes up less space because it offers less features and is smaller doesnt make sense in a direct comparison.

 

[Dennis93]

Plus if its of such high quality why does milwaukee give you a 5 year warranty and festool gives only a 3 yr? If you're making such high end equipment why not stand behind it more than someone or at least on someone that makes their tools in china.

Yea I went over to the festool owners group and read some threads, but it's like kind of going into a cult, hard to find anyone that doesn't agree or believe they're not the best and most correct.

 

[Dennis93]

I know you said not to nitpick, but the knipex pliers actually cut more things and are sharper making your life easier. Those snap on drivers will fit perfectly on a rounded screw and help take it out rather than just stripping it altogether.

 

[neophyte]

As far as the Festool miter saw goes, I've never used it. I will agree that not all Festool tools are perfectly designed and tools from other manufacturers may be preferable, but many Festool tools are really top of their class.

The Festool routers are probably the best routers I've used.

The plunge cut circular saw system was mostly exclusive to Festool up until recently and was one of the major reasons people bought the brand.

As manufacturers go, Festool probably offers the widest range of different types of abrasives for their sanders. The same types of abrasives may be available for other sanders, but usually only from separate suppliers.

All Festool tools I've tried are outfitted for very effective dust control. Up until recently many power tool companies who sold their tools in the USA didn't even bother offering dust fittings even if they sold them in Europe for the same tools.

The Festool tools are also designed as an integrated system, so the cases work together, and the guide rails can be used with multiple tools, etc. Mafell is the only other tool manufacturer I can think of that has been trying to manufacture an integrated tool system rather than just individual tools. It's one of the reasons Festool is so popular.

If you look up repair or replacement costs for Festool, the costs are usually far more reasonable than with some other manufacturers. The accessories are also in many cases more reasonably priced than with some USA manufacturers such as Dewalt.

 

[neophyte]

Totally disagree with you on the miter saw. Yes it's lighter weight because it has a smaller fence and less adjustments, also the blades are only for festool which means you are stuck buying their brand since they made an off size arbor. The milwaukee was rated the best out of all the 12" sliders on the market, has better dust collection with a bag than any other saw, the digital gauge is the most accurate on the market. Saying a saw weighs less and takes up less space because it offers less features and is smaller doesnt make sense in a direct comparison.

The Festool saws are made in Europe. The sawblades used in Europe are usually metric in size, are of different diameters than typical USA made saws, and the arbors are usually larger. I wouldn't be surprised if European woodworkers consider the USA saws junk due to the small arbors used.

If you check Ebay you can find non-Festool saw blades that fit the Festool saws. You usually have to order the blades from someone in Europe though, and once you add in shipping there's less point in buying a blade that is probably lower in quality than the ones Festool offers. Even the Festool circular saw blades are made so they can be re-sharpened. Most circular saw blades are simply meant to be replaced when they get dull.

 

[gte718p]

Festool is to woodworking as SnapOn is to wrenching.

Everyone has an opinion, and there are a million ways to get the job done. I think their stuff is well build but really expensive. I don't do enough wood working to justify it. Now drink your koolaid and move along.

 

[cheechi]

As manufacturers go, Festool probably offers the widest range of different types of abrasives for their sanders. The same types of abrasives may be available for other sanders, but usually only from separate suppliers.

Are you comparing Festool to Mirka or Norton, or are you saying you can get better abrasives from Festool than from say Bosch or Makita? I'd agree with you on the second part.

I wasn't saying the Kapex is a better miter than any other, but I think guys who buy it are better able to incorporate its features (and lack of features) into their work because it's part of the system. Kind of a 'less is more' approach. I think their goal is for you to move some tasks off the miter and use the track saw for it instead. Maybe the lack of features on the miter was a way to sell more TS-55's, like it was pointed out that was kind of their flagship handheld tool for a while. Personally the Bosch glide saw is the one I would buy if I had Festool kind of money.

Between those two, your money is better spent on the TS-55 than the Kapex to me at least. There are better miters, or at least as good for less, but I think the current TS-55 Req is better than the Makita or Dewalt, based on videos and reviews, but admittedly no hands on with the other two.

 

[neophyte]

Are you comparing Festool to Mirka or Norton, or are you saying you can get better abrasives from Festool than from say Bosch or Makita? I'd agree with you on the second part.

I was comparing Festool to companies like Bosch and Makita. Abrasives are the business of Norton and Mirka, and 3M for that matter. If you need a specially sized abrasive for a particular tool, buying the abrasives from the manufacturer of the tool is usually easier. Not all manufacturers offer a wide variety of abrasive types. Festool offers 8 different types of abrasives for different sanding different materials or different finishes.

 

[Revere Cycles]

I remember first using a Festool system in 2008, I was working with a cabinetmaker in lower Manhattan. At first, I didn't know what to make of the brand, I grew up around Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, and Bosch tools, the whole Festool system was foreign to me. After we got to work, and I familiarized myself with the system, I began to appreciate it more.

The guy I was working for (John Ewbank, founder of the Ewbank climbing grading system) ran his shop out of a tiny basement and really didn't have a whole lot of space. The ability to switch and reconfigure a lot of the tools appealed to me. For him, the investment was definitely worth it, he got a lot of functionality out of the least amount of tools.

 

[mtnwalton]

I've done lots of research on Festool and for my use, the track saw and vacuum look like a good, precise product.

But on the other hand I've got a Festool hand planer that I bought with a scallop shaped knife and was only used for a few days. At the time I needed it I didn't have a lot of other choices. It developed a bearing noise. I'm not really impressed with the Systainer boxes either. Something about the plastic that seems brittle to me.

 

[Monte]

The higher price of Festool tools also have to do with the service like the 30 day money back guarantee, the coo, and that they are not a mass producer of tools like the "big 5".

 

[Just_George]

Ah, where to start...

The Kapex wouldn't have been included in the comparison test you noted, since it's a 10" saw, not 12" (and personally, I never have understood the need for a 12" miter saw) Secondly, being the best at dust collection "with the bag" doesn't really count either - the Kapex isn't designed for use with a bag. Less adjustments? No idea what that means...it's got one of the largest/most accurate bevel scales on the market. And there are several aftermarket blades available for the Kapex - I'm currently using a Tenyru blade that is excellent. You're going to have to do better'n that to justify your "fewer features" contention.

Totally disagree with you on the miter saw. Yes it's lighter weight because it has a smaller fence and less adjustments, also the blades are only for festool which means you are stuck buying their brand since they made an off size arbor. The milwaukee was rated the best out of all the 12" sliders on the market, has better dust collection with a bag than any other saw, the digital gauge is the most accurate on the market. Saying a saw weighs less and takes up less space because it offers less features and is smaller doesnt make sense in a direct comparison.

 

[Dennis93]

The miter gauge on the milwaukee is digital and far superior. It's usually compared since they say its capable of doing everything a 12 miter can so. Ooh, a 30 day money back guarantee, what store doesn't let you return in 30 or 90 days if you aren't satisfied.

A 12 miter is very handy when doing decks or any sort of framing construction work. Cn cut 6x6 and a 2x14 or 16 depending on what brand saw you have. They also let you cut crown and base that is taller.

Of course dust collection without a bag matters. I bet that the milwaukee has superior dust collection with a vacuum compared to the festool. The festools **** without a vacuum, and they still don't capture enough dust to sand an entire kitchen worth of cabinets inside without having to wipe down the walls and tables in the room after you're done.

Why in hell would I drag out a vacuum when I only need a couple cuts to make a shelf or cut some rough framing real quick. I'd look like an idiot with a vacuum attached to my miter saw in my driveway or front yard.

Can you buy those blades for the festools anywhere other than rockier, woodcraft, or online. You certainly can't pick them up at lowes or Home Depot when you need one for a job and can't wait for it to ship. You also have a much broader array of manufacturers and types of blades to pick from. If we were in Europe it'd be a different story but right now, we are in America.

Well no matter, this thread was to find out why people like you have drank the Kool aid. It'd be the same result to argue with a democrat, just can't fight with common sense and logic anymore

 

[mmouse]

You have only tried the miter saw and determined that festool is junk? You can't fight with common sense and logic? You'll look like an idiot with your vacuum attached to your miter saw in the front yard? You have obviously made up your mind in a one-sided manner that Festool is not worth your money. So move along and continue to use the tools you believe in.

Go to woodcraft and demo them. Use their 30 day trial. Watch demos on the internet. Go to festool owners group forum.

These are amazing tools that work together in a system, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I got hooked with the TS55. At first I thought it was crazy to spend that much on a circular saw. I gave it a chance and never looked back. At the time, I was always trying to run sheets of plywood through my table saw by myself, and hated the dust and mess it makes. Trying the Festool track saw was a no brainer. Once you get over the sticker shock and how good they work, you will start buying more.

 

[cheechi]

The hardest one to buy is the first one. I still haven't jumped that hurdle myself, and probably won't.

As for why you would want a superior vacuum on any cut, well I personally don't like breathing sawdust, glue, stain/paint/varnish/whatever else may be on the wood i'm cutting. That's just me but a bag on a miter or any tool isn't really good enough. If you were going to take the time to set up the miter in the first place why wouldn't you get the vac out? Also, in the case of Festool you plug the tool into the vac so it turns on when you make the cut and keeps sucking for a few seconds after you're done.

I bet that those few cuts you do in the front yard you probably don't take the time to put on safety glasses or cans either. Festool isn't for that kind of woodworker.

 

[strutaeng]

I drive a boring corolla, it works for me....I can't see why people are over-hyped about BMWs and Mercedez-Benz!

I do have a domino joiner from Festool and love it...talk about German innovation! I sold my DeWalt biscuit joiner

 

[JoeMA]

Plus if its of such high quality why does milwaukee give you a 5 year warranty and festool gives only a 3 yr? If you're making such high end equipment why not stand behind it more than someone or at least on someone that makes their tools in china.

I wouldn't use the warranty as a proxy of quality.

First, not all warranties are equal. Manufacturers have different regulations and honor warranties differently.

Second, a better warranty does not always equate to a higher quality product. Is a Ridgid cordless drill, with a lifetime warranty, the best cordless drill? A Harbor Freight wrench has a better warranty than most German tool brands. Would you prefer a Pittsburgh wrench over a Hazet? Hyundai/Kia has the best warranty--do they make the best or most reliable cars?

 

[ckadams00]

With Festool you don´t buy a simple tool, you buy a system.

Someone should have said that to me
when I considered getting married.

 

[ebamba]

These are amazing tools that work together in a system, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I got hooked with the TS55. At first I thought it was crazy to spend that much on a circular saw. I gave it a chance and never looked back. At the time, I was always trying to run sheets of plywood through my table saw by myself, and hated the dust and mess it makes. Trying the Festool track saw was a no brainer. Once you get over the sticker shock and how good they work, you will start buying more.

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but since you somewhat compared it to a TS, can the track saw replace a table/cabinet saw? Or does the table saw still excell as the main tool in a woodworker's shop? Thanks.

OP, sorry for my hijack.

 

[geologist]

Festool makes some very high quality tools. Would I buy a garage full of Festool? No, but some of their machines / systems really are leaps and bounds better than anything else out there. Of course, opinion is subjective, but having used the track saw and router, I'd have to say that I'll be buying one of each when I can afford to take the plunge. These truly are professional grade -- not mass market contractor ****.

 

[Dennis93]

Nice pun there geologist, you'll be buying their plunge(track) saw when you can afford to take the plunge.

 

[Dennis93]

Oh the Festool dust extractors, are we really talking almost 100% dust proof, like you can do in inside a living room and not worry about dust or still you should be reserving it for outdoor use?

 

[Dennis93]

I understand what youre saying about warranty not being quality, but I've seen far more older Milwaukee/Dewalt/Makita tools than Festool laying around. It also comes into the snap on dilemma. I know a lot of people that DONT abuse their snap on and reserve it for harbor freight POS stuff, and then complain about it. I treat my tools for what they are, and not afraid to use it, but I still do take care of them at the same time.

And no, no glasses, I wear glasses all the time. Just cans nowadays, sometimes I;ll put my shoulders up to my ears and shrug them closed for a quick couple of cuts.

 

[neophyte]

Oh the Festool dust extractors, are we really talking almost 100% dust proof, like you can do in inside a living room and not worry about dust or still you should be reserving it for outdoor use?

The Festool "dust collector" is basically a very good vacuum. The system doesn't have 100% dust collection, but the dust collection is good enough that only a quick minimal amount of vacuuming would be needed to clean up. A good comparison might be a carpenter going outside to use is tools, shaking the dust off, and coming inside to do the install. A certain amount of dust will get tracked inside, but not enough to require major clean up.

 

[neophyte]

I understand what youre saying about warranty not being quality, but I've seen far more older Milwaukee/Dewalt/Makita tools than Festool laying around. It also comes into the snap on dilemma. I know a lot of people that DONT abuse their snap on and reserve it for harbor freight POS stuff, and then complain about it. I treat my tools for what they are, and not afraid to use it, but I still do take care of them at the same time.

And no, no glasses, I wear glasses all the time. Just cans nowadays, sometimes I;ll put my shoulders up to my ears and shrug them closed for a quick couple of cuts.

Up until recently, Festool was a niche product in the USA. The tools were, and still are, two or three times as expensive as most professional woodworking tools from other brands, such as Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Bosch, etc. Most people who spent the extra money likely considered the tools as "lifetime" purchases, or at least figured they would be using them for a decade or more. This meant there were far fewer of the tools in use in the USA, and far fewer that wound up being resold.

Magazine tool tests tended to compare the tools to other brands as individual tools rather than as a system, as well as pointing out certain capacity specs which were different due to differences in the USA and European tool markets. In that type of comparison the tools didn't come out sounding so good. I changed my opinion when I went to a woodworking show and actually saw some manufacturers rep actually demonstrating the tools.

Festool used to use steel bases on their circular saws which I always took as a cheaper manufacturing on an overpriced saw. The quality of the steel bases though was much better, and more precisely manufactured, than the saws I saw from some other companies that also used steel for their bases. The same thing is true with the formed steel router guides. The routers from festool easily plunge and retract with a single hand, a number of other plunge routers don't plunge as smoothly, or require pressure on both handles.

 

[mmouse]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but since you somewhat compared it to a TS, can the track saw replace a table/cabinet saw? Or does the table saw still excell as the main tool in a woodworker's shop? Thanks.

OP, sorry for my hijack.

I lived in a rental house for a year without 240v to use my table saw. Then bought a new house and it took me 2 years before I wired the garage for 240v. So 3 years without a table saw. I thought I missed it. The TS is nice to setup repeated cuts, dadoes, or rabbets. Once I started using the TS again, I realized it was still a PITA to roll it into the driveway, setup, and the mess. I curse every time I use the TS. Keep in mind, I don't have a dust collector, and to save space, the tablesaw is always pushed up to the wall out of the way.

It is much easier to get out the TS55 and set it up. No mess, unless your are trimming an edge with the blade exposed. Check out the festool owners group forum. There are lots of tips and tricks to the "system" that could replace the table saw. I'm not there yet. I still need a longer rail, and the router. After that, I may get rid of my table saw (Grizzley 3hp cabinet saw).

I rarely use my routers (not festool) because of the mess and dust. The Festool router is next on my list. I also have a small bandsaw that I will likely replace with the jig saw. If I get rid of my table saw and band saw, I will gain a LOT of space in my garage! If I keep the table saw, I will be adding a cyclone dust collector which will consume more space, cost a LOT of money and have hoses everywhere. It just MAKES SENSE for me to "plunge" deeper into the Festool Kool-aid.

I have the TS55 saw, CT22 dust extractor, Rotex 150 sander, and a cordless drill. I have been using these for 9 years and absolutely will never give them up.

 

[Dave455]

There are many threads on this site complaining, quite rightly, about tool manufacturers who outsource their production, cheapen their product, and generally trade off their reputation for a short term profit!

Well Festool do the opposite! They make power tools to unique patterns, make them in their own country where they can control the quality, and most importantly design them for a longer service life than anything else around!

They are not for everybody! If you use a power drill twice a year a Festool is probably not for you! Even if you are a tradesman, you may be better off with a cheaper tool that you can throw away when it gets covered in crud! If you just don't think it's worth the money to you, it probably isn't!

But if you use a tool a lot, or simply appreciate the thought that has gone into it's design, you'll probably love Festool!

I don't know what Festool sell for in the U.S, but knowing that price increases with the distance a product has to travel I know they won't be cheap. Neither do I know how well they perform on 110 Volts.

I do know however, that here in the U.K, Festool are turning up more and more. Folks who use one tool all day find that Festool stuff lasts longer and is easier to service than any competitor. Small joinery shops are using Festool saws and routers where previously they would have had to use industrial machines. Most importantly, the two Festool tools I have (CXS screwdriver and jigsaw) are better made, better to use, better thought out and more durable than anything else I have seen!

Sure, not every tool is perfect for everybody, and I've got tools by Bosch and suchlike that have lasted really well, but if I need a new tool I suspect it's the Festool I'll want, even if I can't afford it!!

 

[cheechi]

I also have a small bandsaw that I will likely replace with the jig saw.

I'm with you on everything but this. Not saying it won't work or it can't be done, but I don't know on this one.

I've never been overly fond of either a jigsaw or a bandsaw, but I don't think I'd use one for the other's task unless I had no choice. Even that jigsaw, fancy as it may be. Then again, I don't do work that relies heavily on either one of them. I'm not accusing you of too much kool aid with this, but there is an argument to be made for it. Just saying this in a friendly manner not intending to start a ruckus.

 

[mmouse]

I'm with you on everything but this. Not saying it won't work or it can't be done, but I don't know on this one.

I've never been overly fond of either a jigsaw or a bandsaw, but I don't think I'd use one for the other's task unless I had no choice. Even that jigsaw, fancy as it may be. Then again, I don't do work that relies heavily on either one of them. I'm not accusing you of too much kool aid with this, but there is an argument to be made for it. Just saying this in a friendly manner not intending to start a ruckus.

I have a 9" band saw on a media cart. It takes up about 5 sq ft of space. It can't cut any thing longer than 9". Most stuff I cut with it is less than 1" thick. The jig saw will out perform the POS band saw that I have now. If I need anything bigger or need to resaw, then I drive 10 minutes to use my dad's 17" band saw. With that said, I used to have a 14" delta band saw, and I can do without it just fine if I had a really good jig saw. When I get the jig saw, I plan on mounting it upside down to use it like a bandsaw.