Nice video as usual, Peter.

Scott over at Topcoat did a video testing the finish against stains as well. I suspect he meant to post it here but unless I missed it, he forgot to. My Google Alerts picked it up, so here it is.

PS - Congrats to you and your daughter on her marriage.

Durability Test on Festool Surfix Oil: 6 Stains x 4 hrs

So Peter, not to put you on the spot, Surfix or Osmo oils ?  For get the applicator.

Hi Woodguy

This needs to be tackled straight away but I would not want this thread to be dominated by everyone's experiences one way or the other.

Festool make tools - they are, for me, the very best. They do not claim to be the very best in the oil finish business and offer just the 3 finishes with the Surfix kit.

Osmo make oil finishes - they are extremely good and many would use nothing else. If Osmo made just 3 power tools they could not claim to be the tops in that sector.

What makes Surfix stand out, and this does beg your question, is that it is a System and an easy to use, self contained and clean way for carpenters and joiners to get pretty good and durable results quickly.

It might help if you looked at my Osmo video again but remember - with Surfix you do have to judge the whole package.

Peter

Its all personal preference when it comes to finishes. I dont do a lot of oil finishes. I use primarily water base spray finishes.

Would I buy the suffix kit?

I dont think so.

Hi Peter,

Apologies for asking this question without yet viewing this video ...

If it was Osmo oil in the SURFIX bottles, would it then be the best of both worlds?

Kev.

I've seen - next you're going to have a TV crew on your door step asking if you're a shareholder in Osmo and Wera 

I actually grabbed two SURFIX kits when they were released as the value of the Systainer and the sanding material made the oils and applicators nearly free relative to the launch promo price here

I'd only ever had experience of brushing oils previously (I did try rolling once ... that was a disaster) - I even remember my father's workshop with just about every noggin on the bare internal frames holding jars with used brushes in turps!

Kev

Hi Everyone

The Surfix written review has now been published in the August edition of 'The Woodworker'. Someone asked a while ago if they can subscribe to it from outside the UK - yes, you can. You can either pay the full amount and receive a paper copy in the post and have on-line access to an electronic archive as well or you can just subscribe to the on-line version which is less expensive.

Peter

Hi Green,

It is kind of you to think of me - the wedding went really well and I am just looking through the photographs.

Back to reality...

The pads do dry out and if time did not matter then one could consider cleaning them in white spirit. I do not think that it is worth the effort and one should consider just throwing them away at the end of a job. If you have just done a kitchen installation then a £3 (about $5 I assume) pad is nothing to worry about. I need to be getting at least £30 an hour (for woodwork) and so I cannot see how I could clean one of those pads in 6 minutes. As you say, time is money.

Peter

Dear Green

I would absolutely love to visit Festool in Germany. I always do a lot of market research before buying anything. When I needed to replace my old radial arm saw I spent 6 weeks looking at all of the options. I joined the FOG and read what people were saying about the various tools and then I bought my Kapex 120, my first bit of Festool kit.

I was so impressed that I did more research and with the help of the FOG I lined up some more Festool items to buy. Every Festool machine that I own is brilliant, not because I am a blind Festool devotee, but because I checked them all out first. I am sure that the designers, engineers and technology guys at Festool HQ really know their stuff.

We go to Germany on holiday at least once every year sometimes twice. The cycling and walking are marvellous and I also take in the thermal baths which give me great help with my arthritis.

So, fingers crossed, perhaps I will get an invite. If it happens I will let everyone on the FOG know all about it.

Peter

Hi Woodguy,

I have never sent anything back for repair although I have done some 'adjustments' that some might not feel comfortable doing. I have an engineering background and I am not easily put off - certainly not by security screws or warning labels!

The one thing that I thought that I would regret was putting a longer lead on my CMS unit. When I got into the heart of the switch unit I discovered that I did not have any of the female spade terminals of the right size and could not find any on the Internet. So, in the end I had to modify the last few that I had in stock. Everything is fine and quite safe.

I have not yet had the courage to tackle the trenching stop on my Kapex. My only criticism of the tool is the difficulty producing consistent trenches and I am sure that it could be improved. Maybe I should discus this with Festool in Germany when I visit!!!!!!

Peter

I heard from one of their chaps at a show that they aim to have repair items on their premises for no more than 36 hours - they should use figures like that in their advertising.

Tom, I have noted your desire to carry my bags join me if I get the invite.

I somehow doubt whether anyone in Festool HQ will be reading this thread so I better come back to reality.

Peter