$99 PRO 5 Sander Promotion + $50 Voucher - New Festool REQ Sanders (US)

[Cheese]

Years later, when various contributors to You Tube did their show-and-tell, a blue box would show up in the background among the stacks of gray in tribute to this famous episode.

Funny... [thumbs up]

 

[Paul G]

I tend to agree that this was not geared to enlarge the audience.  My guess is that the 125mm consumables may be trailing the 90mm and 150mm, and Festool is simply using the promotion as a loss leader to jump start sales of the 125mm abrasives.  At least personally for me, this had the desired effect.

Hey, I ordered a Pro 5, not a 125. When are they coming out with 5" abrasives? It would seem appropriate considering their push towards Imperial and the name of the new sander  [big grin]

  BOOM......... [jawdrop] [jawdrop] [jawdrop]  [dead horse]

Imperial sanding, who woulda thunk it. Rotex 5 is next  [big grin]

 

[HarveyWildes]

So a few calculations later, I derived the following.

A metric 125 mm sanding disk has a surface area of ~12272 mm2.
An imperial 5" sanding disk has a surface area of ~12668 mm2, roughly 3% larger.

Let's say that you are using Granat 125 mm disks @$57.00/hundred.  At a 3% premium, the 5" disks (if they were available) would run $58.71, but since this is Festool, let's round up to $59.00.  Now let's say that it takes 33 hours of sanding (time the sander is actually running) to use up 100 125 mm disks.  If you switch to 5" disks and save 3% of your time due to sanding, that's roughly an hour.  However, since the sander is probably not 100% on the work piece all of the time, let's be conservative and reduce the savings to 1/2 hour over the 100 disk box.  So you've saved 1/2 hour of your hourly rate, less taxes, for a $2.00 investment.  That's a pretty good return all in all.

Now let's assume that Festool assumes your hourly rate is $30.00 (conservative, I hope), meaning that a price of $59.00 for the 5" disks leaves an extra $13.00 in your pocket.  Why shouldn't Festool be more amply rewarded for this good deed, say by charging $67.00 for the 100 pack instead of $59.00.  You still get $5.00, Festool gets an extra $8.00, everyone wins.

Thus demonstrating that Festool should, in fact, provide 5" disks.

Yes I did have more important things to do for the last 15 minutes, but this was just too much fun.  Sigh.

Whoops - I had to modify this post to correct some math.

 

[McNally Family]

So a few calculations later, I derived the following.

A metric 125 mm sanding disk has a surface area of ~12272 mm2.
An imperial 5" sanding disk has a surface area of ~12668 mm2, roughly 3% larger.

Let's say that you are using Granat 125 mm disks @$57.00/hundred.  At a 3% premium, the 5" disks (if they were available) would run $58.71, but since this is Festool, let's round up to $59.00.  Now let's say that it takes 33 hours of sanding (time the sander is actually running) to use up 100 125 mm disks.  If you switch to 5" disks and save 3% of your time due to sanding, that's roughly an hour.  However, since the sander is probably not 100% on the work piece all of the time, let's be conservative and reduce the savings to 1/2 hour over the 100 disk box.  So you've saved 1/2 hour of your hourly rate, less taxes, for a $2.00 investment.  That's a pretty good return all in all.

Now let's assume that Festool assumes your hourly rate is $30.00 (conservative, I hope), meaning that a price of $59.00 for the 5" disks leaves an extra $15.00 in your pocket.  Why shouldn't Festool be more amply rewarded for this good deed, say by charging $67.00 for the 100 pack instead of $59.00.  You still get $7.00, Festool gets an extra $8.00, everyone wins.

Thus demonstrating that Festool should, in fact, provide 5" disks.

Yes I did have more important things to do for the last 15 minutes.  Sigh.

I was told that there would be no math.....

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I tend to agree that this was not geared to enlarge the audience.  My guess is that the 125mm consumables may be trailing the 90mm and 150mm, and Festool is simply using the promotion as a loss leader to jump start sales of the 125mm abrasives.  At least personally for me, this had the desired effect.

I think this is a very astute analysis.  Make that 125 mm line move more, or else kill it.  Great comment!

 

[antss]

Harvard MBAs prob. dreamed up this boondoggle. 

The Wharton guys will fix though. 8)

If a navy SYS is seen in the backgroud of youtuber's future unboxing video it could also be a FOG edition too.  Bonus points if you have both in there.  Maybe we should have a "Where's Waldo" type contest to see who can spot those boxes.

GORI is prob. not a winning campaign- Sounds awful, like McRib. 

I'm pretty certain that if your labor rate is $30/hr you ain't going to be buyin no stinkin Festools anyway.  So maybe a revisit is in order on the math problem.

See Cheese - the non believers are still out there !

 

[HarveyWildes]

...
I'm pretty certain that if your labor rate is $30/hr you ain't going to be buyin no stinkin Festools anyway.  So maybe a revisit is in order on the math problem.

I was just trying to be conservative

 

[antss]

I'm not sure $60/hr affords much blue and green either.  But, I understand your pitch.

However there is no way festool is going to manuf. or stock an imperial sized paper.  None.  The SKUs alone would be bothersome enough for them.

 

[Paul G]

GORI is prob. not a winning campaign- Sounds awful, like McRib. 

Everyone's dissin the McRib LOL

 

[Paul G]

So a few calculations later, I derived the following.

A metric 125 mm sanding disk has a surface area of ~12272 mm2.
An imperial 5" sanding disk has a surface area of ~12668 mm2, roughly 3% larger.

Let's say that you are using Granat 125 mm disks @$57.00/hundred.  At a 3% premium, the 5" disks (if they were available) would run $58.71, but since this is Festool, let's round up to $59.00.  Now let's say that it takes 33 hours of sanding (time the sander is actually running) to use up 100 125 mm disks.  If you switch to 5" disks and save 3% of your time due to sanding, that's roughly an hour.  However, since the sander is probably not 100% on the work piece all of the time, let's be conservative and reduce the savings to 1/2 hour over the 100 disk box.  So you've saved 1/2 hour of your hourly rate, less taxes, for a $2.00 investment.  That's a pretty good return all in all.

Now let's assume that Festool assumes your hourly rate is $30.00 (conservative, I hope), meaning that a price of $59.00 for the 5" disks leaves an extra $13.00 in your pocket.  Why shouldn't Festool be more amply rewarded for this good deed, say by charging $67.00 for the 100 pack instead of $59.00.  You still get $5.00, Festool gets an extra $8.00, everyone wins.

Thus demonstrating that Festool should, in fact, provide 5" disks.

Yes I did have more important things to do for the last 15 minutes, but this was just too much fun.  Sigh.

Whoops - I had to modify this post to correct some math.

I shoulda read this before hitting the wine bottle  [eek] [big grin]

 

[Cheese]

However there is no way festool is going to manuf. or stock an imperial sized paper.  None.  The SKUs alone would be bothersome enough for them.

Point well taken, Festool corporate said that they would not be able to stock both imperial & metric tools because of the burden on the system, and they were referring to only 6-8 tools that were on the imperial/metric cusp. Think about 18 different Granat and 8 different Rubin papers...that would cause a major meltdown on their part. They'd never recover, they'd be in an endless do-loop.

When all else fails...please refer to post 81.

 

[antss]

The imperial / metric tool stocking argument seems a bit disingenuous to me.  Festool already make and stock metric all over the world and here too.  Keep a few of the metric in stock for those that want that in NA.  If stock is out , offer the customer the tool when the next container comes in for the same price. 

"Great customer service " seems more a slogan than a reality if you are charging me an additional fee to serve me   

 

[Cheese]

The imperial / metric tool stocking argument seems a bit disingenuous to me.

"Great customer service " seems more a slogan than a reality if you are charging me an additional fee to serve me.

Well to you, it maybe a bit disingenuous ...but to the rest of the world it simply seems........ridiculous.  [big grin]
So, how is this German manufacturer of notable tools able to design and develop cutting edge tools and accessories with multiple voltages and frequencies from around the world, and they do it on a continuing basis, every day, in multiple languages, and with the blessing of multiple regulatory agencies yet they are somehow unable to manage the inventory of 6-8 tools in the US that have...either imperial or metric markings.
Lame...very lame..Believe what you will, but this explanation rings hollow.

 

[antss]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - I think you misunderstand me, or more likely I wasn't clear.

I feel Festool should have Metric tools available here for NO ADDITIONAL cost.  I can can understand having to perhaps wait if an item is out of stock because management wasn't able to correctly forecast demand.  But charging me xtra for something that already exists just rubs me the wrong way.  Especially when you have your bagmen telling me one of the  selling points is great customer service.

Unless the whole range is going imperial it a half baked idea.  Meaning your saws will have to go to inch diameters.  Same with sanding pads.  The MFT and CMS need to be adjusted to lengths in whole inches.  Same with the guide rails. And how about all those template guide for the routers. Selling a lot of 17 and 24mm O.D. template guides are you ???  Better start offering a 7/16" and 5/7  O.D. version so they can be used with Leigh jigs.  And I suppose you're going to offer an LR 1&1/4 with a 1/4" bit for all those 'Merican cabinet spacing we're gonna build with those inch scaled TS55's LR 1.25's and you darn well better start making some 1/4", 7/16", 1/2" , ect.. cutters and dominos for those machines as well.

Maybe it's not even half baked. It's still more like runny batter.

 

[Svar]

I'm not sure $60/hr affords much blue and green either.

Come on, don't be a snob.  [poke]
How many tradesmen make $125K a year?

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - I think you misunderstand me, or more likely I wasn't clear.

Naw...I'm in your court...I think you probably missed the whole imperial vs metric tools for the USA discussion a few months ago...

I still have a migraine from it.

I won't get into it in depth here, but suffice to say... it was the most macabre rationalization for selling track saws and routers with imperial scales that can only be adjusted in metric increments. From Festool's position, that's the number 1 method they can use to increase market share in the USA and thus, USA craftsmen will purchase a Festool saw that costs 5 times the average price of a traditional side winder... because it has an imperial scale.. [eek] [eek] [eek]

Well from a global perspective...Festool...you blinked at the wrong time.

 

[jimbo51]

selling track saws and routers with imperial scales that can only be adjusted in metric increments

Do you think that this might bother some people? You can be looking at the imperial scale, but you can only adjust to an exact imperial measurement using the fine adjust mechanism.

 

[antss]

Bother people Jimbo?  It's stupid. And clearly looks like a marketing ploy based on cheese's recap of the discussion.

Sorry I missed the discussion - maybe I'll go back and read it.  Or not , thAnks for the warning [member=44099]Cheese[/member] .

[member=15585]Svar[/member] - not being snobbish. If you're not charging $60+ /hr. for your services or labor burden - then how in the world are you justifying spending festool $$$ on a tool ? Your capital expenditures are way out of line based on your revenue. Other tools will do the same job more economically.  And don't give me all the efficiency , dust collection , longevity bs.  If true , you'd have lots xtra time to go get more business and increase gross revenue .  Craftsmen tend not to be well versed in business administration. That's not a slight, just an observation.

Look at all the mechanics indebted to Matco and SnapOn.  I'm not talking about the lifers, I'm talking newbies that'll be outa the trade in 5-6 years and don't need a tool box or ratchet that will last 25 years but spent that money when it could have been better spent on their family or education.  Now I still value free choice , so buy what you want and can afford. But , a poor financial decision is still poor no matter how good it makes you feel or boosts you image to friends and colleagues.

 

[peter halle]

Shane made an excellent suggestion earlier in either this sander thread or another - which was about taking discusses about the metric to the appropriate thread.  This could even be expanded to a more broad request to keep this topic on topic and talking about the Pro 5.

Please.

Peter

 

[Christopher Fitch]

Apologies is this was already asked/answered:
- If you successfully placed an order for the Pro 5 sander before sales were suspended, are you guaranteed of receiving your order?

Thanks!