Anyone heard of the “Festool Experience “

[Crazyraceguy]

I may make a trip to Hartville on its own though. I'm sure that it can be done in a much more highway driven fashion.

Barely. It's less "Amish-y" but still very rural. You won't get stuck behind as many buggies, but you can't get there without several miles of 2-lane blacktop, no matter where you start from. I feel blessed to live within 40 miles of both of them. Hartville carries more power tool inventory (particularly Festool) and is a little faster to get to, but Keim's lumber selection, quality and price draw me in more often.

Get on Hartville's e-mail list. Sometime in early November they have a power tool demo weekend. It's quite an event and the specials are very good. Sedge is usually there. When I was repping Robert Sorby, I demo-ed there every year.

Since I had never been there, and I knew it was going to be in the middle of nowhere, I used Google maps. The way there was exactly as I expected, up to the point of the turn away from Millersburg, then it's another 8-9 miles. On the way back however, it sent me a different way. traffic or accident or something, I don't know why. It was really weird though. The roads were far more "rural" to the point that I would think Google would avoid it? I drove through at least 3 miles of gravel road, some even very washboardy, then cross the county line into Knox County and brand-new pavement. It was so fresh, that it didn't have the lines painted yet. Finally hitting route 16 and 70mph highway all the way home, even at that it was 15 minutes slower.

 

[Muttley000]

Hit the event in Fort Wayne Indiana at Oak Tree Supply.  I arrived about 15 minutes after the start and had to park in a neighboring building’s parking lot as they were packed.  Received a Festool bag with a Festool hat, sticker, miniature systainer in it.  They had a couple giveaways going, along with a rep demoing different tools.  Store was well stocked as always.  They do a great online business and Indiana apparently does not collect sales tax on out of state shipments, which is nice so you don’t have to mess with the delays of tax exempt paperwork. I’ve been at bigger stores, but never treated as well as I have been by Logan and Amanda here, who are the husband and wife who run the place.  Can’t say I learned anything I couldn’t have found here or on the Festool USA website, but glad I went nonetheless!