I bought into the “Festool System” at one point, but got a bit less enamored with the brand.
The Festool tools were sold as a “system”, but over time, I came to realize that the “systenatic” design, was only partial, and not really consistent over time.
The MFT tables for instance, got redesigned, to different dimensions, with different heights, and aluminum extrusion profiles.
The new table design would probably be considered better, but if you had already purchased multiple tables, then your choice was to sell your old tables yo buy the “new” modular Festool MFT system, or stick with your old tables, and hope you can find extra used tables to expand the Old MFT system if you need to, and also hope any new MFT accessories Festool makes for the new MFT tables will git, or can be easily adapted to the old MFT tables.
The older MFT tables ran about $300-$400 at the time, and the current MFT tables are around $600-$800, so simply upgrading just two tables is not cheap.
In addition, certain accessories made for the older tables were not made for the newer system.
Other sections of the “Festool System” were also not really modular and expandable easily as well.
The Systainer cases years ago were around $30-$40 a piece for the Classic systainers.
This was around the cost of a nice USA made steel tool case, or maybe just a bit higher.
Since then, the Systainer cost gas doubled, and the fancier systainers, that would be more practical in use, such as the Combi Systainers, are close to $200 each.
For some of the Festool tools, you might need yo upgrade simply for convenience, since the Systainer case the tool comes with is too small to house optional Festool accessories you might want to purchase to get maximum use out of the tool.
Spending 3x the amount for the Festool version of a tool, then an extra $150+ on a different Systainer, is just irritating.
Also, while Festool did make the new Systainer cases somewhat compatible with the older classic series, the cases aren’t really fully compatible, giving the same benefits as owning all older cases or newer cases.
Festool saws usually use Metric blade sizes, making blades harder to to purchase in the USA, although Festool is popular enough that that is not as much of an issue nowadays, but it can be if your goal is just to go buy a blade at the local home center.
Festool for some annoying reason, can’t design their tools to work with a single battery type, resulting in specialty batteries for certain specific tool models, that only work with a few tools, even if the cordless tools are the sane voltage.
Supposedly this gas to do with ergonomics.
At least it’s better than the older Festool system were you not only needed proprietary batteries for each cordless tool, but also proprietary chargers for those batteries as well. (tools from the same catalog year, and introduced around the same time).
For the price some of the Festool accessories cost, their are aftermarket manufacturers that produce way better made, and more accurate versions. (Microfence for example)
Festool generally manufactures their tools for cabinetmaking, so certain tools, such as their jigsaws, nay not be as good as alternatives, such as a top of the line Bosch, for tasks such as cutting metals and other materials
This is especially annoying since Bosch jigsaws cost less.
The Featool buyers seem to a certain extent to have the “Apple” brand loyalty, which can mean any criticism of Festool, no matter how legitimate, gets disparaged.
Any older model tool that is two or three years older than a current model seems to be considered “obsolete”, despite other power tool companies selling tools that are basically 20-30 year old designs, which at most are slightly updated, or updatable, and considered perfectly usable or standard. (Ie. An older drill model, but now with a keyless chuck)
Certain tools, such as the Carvex jigsaw, and Kapex gad major issues when first released.
The Kapex saws routinely died an early death due to motors dmoking, and the Carvex basically needed to be reissued in a version 2, because due to blades melting.
It’s not that other power tool companies haven’t had major issues, but when you charge 3-4x the price, the issues are a bit concerning.
The older Festool tolls used to be designed with maximum versatility in mind, so users could get the most use out of a limited selection of tools, using optional accessories.
Festool still manufactures some of those “versatile” tools, but they seem to be focusing on tools with limited specialty uses nowadays instead.
I don’t want to completely sh!t on Festool.
The tools they manufacture are routinely more versatile than similar tools from other manufacturers, and usually better made, though with exceptions for brands like Mafell, but some of the advantages that routinely got touted were sort of not a thing.
