Another "help with Purchase decision" question

[UncleJoe]

I have been a serious hobby woodworker for a long time. Now time and money allow me to step up to a better grade of tools. I do not earn money with woodworking it is more like therapy for me. I am very happy with  my Bosch router so I will be keeping that and I have a table saw that is "adequate" for ripping rails and stiles. I also have a decent Craftsman shop vac with a Rockler cyclone that is amazing. I recently built 5 cabinets and no dust made it to the shop vac it all stayed in the cyclone so no clogged filters.  I also have adequate finish sanders for now.

Here are my thoughts for this purchase and I would really appreciate any advice. I am a firm believer of learning from other peoples purchase experience.
MTF combo with ts55 eq includes systainer-4
Festool 496939 32mm Hole Drilling Guide Rail, 55"
Rail Connectors
Festool Screw Clamps (4)
Clamping Elements
Quick Clamps (2)
Festool 494340 LR 32 Guide Plate (To use with my Bosch Router and the 32 mm hole system.)

 

[Tim Sproul]

I think you left out the most critical piece of information - what will you be building next?

If you do your own finishing, consider a sander or two.

The other 'go-to' tool for me is the Domino.  Great for cabinet/furniture joinery.

I think sawing straight lines (which is what the TS is for) is covered fairly well by your tablesaw.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

You might want to make sure the LR32 will work with your Bosch router...if not, consider the OF1010 as it was made for this procedure.  Also, I believe you can upgrade the guide rail with the TS55 for $1.00 and that way you would have two rails with holes as opposed to one with and one without.  I would highly recommend you try one of Festool's vacuums -- they are night and day to a shop vac and give you the variable suction capability that makes sanding better.  For the MFT, I really like the cross-braces too -- they add a lot of stability and worth it IMHO.  I would also look at Festool's sanders and take advantage of the current promo for any of the round-head sanders.  There are a lot of choices and a new sander could compliment what you already own.

Once you start down the slippery slope you might find that you want to replace some of your other tools with Festool versions. 

Scot

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Scot, after the price increase at the beginning of this year, the rail price difference between LR32 and non is more than $1, unfortunately.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Scot, after the price increase at the beginning of this year, the rail price difference between LR32 and non is more than $1, unfortunately.

Thanks, Ken -- good catch -- at list price the difference between rails is $12...still, well worth it IMHO to get the rails with holes if the LR32 is in ones future plans.  Can anyone confirm the actual difference in price if ordered with a TS55?

Scot

 

[UncleJoe]

Thanks to all who replied already. ScotF I am looking to purchase the LR32 Guide Plate which Festool claims will work with most plunge routers. I really like the Bosch I have and since it is a darn good router I have trouble justifying paying for a new router. I will see if I can find anyone who has used the Bosch 1617EVSKP on this guide plate.

I will eventually "evolve" to the Festool vac system but for the immediate future I will make the Shop Vac work. I plan on using the track saw for braking down sheet goods. My current table saw is just barely adequate and the fence is an issue. Once set it does OK but it has to be set and tested not set and run.

The Domino looks very intersting to me but that thing is expensive. I do some doweling, biscuits and Pocket holes and my cabinets look pretty good. Again As I evolve I may move in that direction.

I can see myself getting Festool sanders soon also.

Again thanks for all the advice. I will lookinto the possibility of exchanging the 55 inch rail with the LR32 version. I would be fine paying the difference. I considered purchasing a 3000 series guide rail but I am not a production shop and I work at a rather slow pace so taking the time to connect two guide rails does not seem like an issue. If I find out later that I am wrong I will pull the trigger on a 3000 rail.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Thanks to all who replied already. ScotF I am looking to purchase the LR32 Guide Plate which Festool claims will work with most plunge routers. I really like the Bosch I have and since it is a darn good router I have trouble justifying paying for a new router. I will see if I can find anyone who has used the Bosch 1617EVSKP on this guide plate.

It very well may work with the router you have, I would just want to check and make sure -- it would be a bummer to invest in the kit and then not be able to use it or have to spend more money on a router that you were not planning on spending.  One thing with the Festool routers is the awesome dust collection -- it is a joy to be able to route and not be sprayed with chips and debris common with routers without DC.  This is not a knock on any other brand out there, but the Festool routers generally excel in this area.  When you are ready to get a vac, see if you can combine it with one of the other tools you plan on getting to save a little money in a package deal.  Just like the MFT and TS55/75 -- you can save a little money with this combo.  The vacs are really a big part of the system and I think that you will want to upgrade at some point.  They are much, much quieter than a shop vac, the variable suction is great and they are all antistatic so when equipped with an antistatic hose you do not get zapped when sanding that can happen in drier environments. 

Have fun in the process...there is a wealth of info available here from a lot of great folks.

Scot

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Oh, and I forget  [welcome]!!

Scot

 

[greenMonster]

Is there a blanket price increase across the board? Is it a percentage, and when is this proposed price hike supposed to occur?

Scot, after the price increase at the beginning of this year, the rail price difference between LR32 and non is more than $1, unfortunately.

 

[Jsphmyr]

If you want to ease into Festool, you might consider the parallel guides vs. the MFT. It is less than half the price, and if youre not doing production you won't use your mft as much as you'd think. The guides only crosscut 25 1/2" but whatever. I'd also get a long track for straight-lining lumber, before ripping. You could also save that extra mft$ for a line bore machine.

 

[jtwood]

I, too have been a serious hobby woodworker for a long time, and as I am now retired, I have a lot more time to build the furniture that I enjoy.  When I retired, I started upgrading the tools that I had had for  a while, and have added many Festool products.  They are addictive, because of the quality.

The MFT and assorted clamps that you are looking at is terrific.  It is very versatile because it is so easy to clamp, and wider than the typical woodworker's bench, although it is shorter.  It can also serve as an assembly table if you don't have one in your shop already.  Combined with the TS55 (I have the 75 - the first Festool I bought) you get a package deal and can use it for cutting down sheet goods if you use additional support, assuming you are talking about 4 x 8'  sheets.
I have the parallel guides and use them only for cutting down sheet goods when I am doing several same-sized pieces.  Otherwise, I use the rail system that came with the MFT for cutting furniture components.

The sanders have really changed my attitude toward sanding and finishing because of the dust collection.  I would suggest looking at a vac with the auto-on feature when the sander is started, though, because of the noise of the typical shop vac.  I gave away my large Craftsman shop vac when I got a new vac, and love it because of the auto-on feature and the much lower noise level.  I do also have a Delta dust collector I use for my table saw, jointer, planer, etc., so my garage is virtually dust-free.

I understand the Domino is a lot of money, but definitely worth considering it at some point.  I am using it to do the joinery on two nightstands I am doing now, and it is so much more precise and solid than biscuits (I have use a Porter-Cable biscuit machine for several years) and I now use dowels only for joints on pieces that are too small for a domino to work.
No experience with the LR32, as I am building furniture rather than lots of cabinets, so a simple guide for that and a hand drill is adequate for me, given that there isn't a tight time frame for my projects.

Speaking of drills, I now have a CXS and a T15+3, and they have replace all of the other battery operated drills I have collected over the years, because of the power and very long time between recharges.  The CXS is great for working inside furniture and cabinets because of the size and the light, and, except for very heavy duty jobs like drilling into concrete (for which I use a corded DeWalt) the T15 will handle any furniture-related job I have come up with so far.  If you are considering a new drill, I would certainly put Festool at the top of the list.
The Festool products have made my woodworking more enjoyable, easier and more fun.

Good luck and have fun.  

 

[Jsphmyr]

Oh wait,.. You don't need a line bore... I do

 

[semenza]

Hi UncleJoe,

Welcome to the FOG !  [smile]

I think your list will compliment what you already have well, and I think you have made good initial choices. Especially since you have thought ahead about possible upgrades down the road.

You will find the MFT surprisingly usefull as a general purpose work table. The TS55 , assuming you have not had a chance to try one,  will blow you away with cut quality and accuracy. It would not surprise me if you find yourself choosing it over the table saw fairly often.

I can't comment on the hole drilling system, I have never used it.  A call to Festool might help to check compatability with your router.  800-554-8741

Seth

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Is there a blanket price increase across the board? Is it a percentage, and when is this proposed price hike supposed to occur?

Scot, after the price increase at the beginning of this year, the rail price difference between LR32 and non is more than $1, unfortunately.

Ken was referring to the price change that took place earlier this year (2011).

Scot

 

[DocGrover]

Hello, UncleJoe!
Welcome to the world of Festool-Addicts!
I was in your position about a year ago, when I started exchanging my basic Bosch-tools for Festools. You'll love them, just as I do.
I totally agree that the MFT/3 is just great - get one, if you can, and it works incredibly well with the TS55. Really nice combo. And as far as multifunctionality of the thing goes - I have to do my woodworking inside our rarely-used living room (my girl-friend tolerates it after seeing the incredible dust-collection of my CTmini....), and a couple of weeks ago, my gf had her birthday-brunch there. Just placed and piece of cloth over the MFT and we had the best brunch-buffet ever 
As some other people pointed out before, you should really look into the Domino. That neat machine, although being quite costly, is the most incredible tool I've ever had the pleasure to work with. I never used any bisquit-joiners before, but handling the Domino correctly only took me about 15 min of watching the odd video or two and reading the manual - the one posted in here by Rick Christopherson, that is....I used the Domino first on my current project of building a systainer-port on which I can also place my MFT with the legs folded, and the joints are incredibly easy to make in very little time....really nice tool. You'll not regret the purchase.

Best wishes from the land of Festool,

Moritz