Conturo - Resale Value?

[DarrenM]

I'm working on a few cabinet making projects in my own home (laundry room, kitchen, closet organizers). I've done about 20 cabinets so far and I've done all the edge banding manually. I'm using a high quality textured melamine and the manufacturer makes 1mm matching edge banding for it. But the edgebanding is intended for use with a professional edge banding machine so I can't iron it on. I've been using the Fastcap Speedtape to attach it which works surprisingly well, but it takes a long time to do and it's tedious to get it right.

Considering how many cabinets I have left to do, I was thinking about buying a Conturo and then selling it afterwards. I've done this with other specialty tools before and gotten most of my money back. Do you think there is a good market for a lightly used Conturo?

 

[Hawkeye0001]

Depends on the size of the project. You'll save about 95% of your time compared to doing it manually (assuming you get the set variant + edge router) but also calculate the price per foot, it might not work out in your favor at all. It's an awesome machine and nice to have, but by the sound of it I wouldn't in your case; unless you've either
* got plenty more cabinet jobs to come or
* you can get your hands on a second hand Conturo

You can easily sell those again at zero loss or even turn a profit. BUT: that takes time as they're pretty rare. And you better be willing to drive a long way to pick it up at a moments notice if push comes to shove; there's no way I'd wire $3000 for an unseen machine to a stranger and have it shipped via UPS.

If you decide to buy a new set you'll be able re-sell at about 80% of retail price. Frankly that translates to a lot of work hours and edge banding clamps before you ever break even (consumables aren't cheap, either)

Depending on where you live there are similar mobile edge banding systems available that you might wanna take a look at, e.g. from Virutex, Holzmann, Bernardo, etc. Not nearly as fancy but get the job done as well, especially if it's just straight and level.

 

[DarrenM]

Thank you very much for the detailed reply - very helpful. I could probably live with an 80% return on my investment so it could make sense to go this way. I've searched Craigslist, Kijiji and FB Marketplace but no hits on used Conturos in my area. I'll also check a few local Festool dealers to see if they have access to recon stock as well. I don't see any Conturos on the Festool USA recon site at the moment.

I am also looking at the Comatic BR600 which I could buy for slightly less than half the cost of the Conturo. It looks like it would do the job but I'm sure the resale value would not be 80%. It obviously doesn't have the name recognition and support network like Festool.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Do you guys have Unika edge-banding tape over there?

 

[Garet Jax]

Why not do something like this with router bits?
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2002/06/01/six-ways-to-edge-plywood

 

[DarrenM]

Do you guys have Unika edge-banding tape over there?

Haven't seen that here in Canada, but it looks very similar to the Fastcap Speedtape which is what I've been using so far. It actually works pretty well but it takes a lot longer than using a machine. For a large cabinet project with a lot of panels, doors and drawer fronts, it adds a lot of time hence my consideration of finding a machine. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[DarrenM]

Why not do something like this with router bits?
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2002/06/01/six-ways-to-edge-plywood

If I was building my cabinets out of plywood, that would be a good way to go (although time consuming). I'm using a 19mm textured melamine product with matching 1mm PVC edgebanding. Just looking for a way to speed things up and achieve consistent results. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Garet Jax]

Sorry about that - could have sworn I read plywood.

 

[Brian Livingstone]

Hi Darren,

I am in Nova Scotia.  Where are you ?  I have had no problem selling used Festool tools for 75 % of list price.

What panels are you using ?  I really like the Conturo.  Works flawlessly.

Best regards.

Brian

 

[onocoffee]

Thank you very much for the detailed reply - very helpful. I could probably live with an 80% return on my investment so it could make sense to go this way. I've searched Craigslist, Kijiji and FB Marketplace but no hits on used Conturos in my area. I'll also check a few local Festool dealers to see if they have access to recon stock as well. I don't see any Conturos on the Festool USA recon site at the moment.

I am also looking at the Comatic BR600 which I could buy for slightly less than half the cost of the Conturo. It looks like it would do the job but I'm sure the resale value would not be 80%. It obviously doesn't have the name recognition and support network like Festool.

Another thing to consider is the potential for a buyer. I've been trolling FB Marketplace for a couple months now looking for noteworthy deals and I see quite a lot of the Festool items available for what feels like a long time - unless it's some kind of crazy deal, like the guy in philly selling a beatup Kapex 120 for $300.

I think it's important to adjust your expectations and be prepared for the Conturo to sit in the listings for awhile.

 

[woodferret]

I picked up a used 3-yr Conturo kit with table top (sans legs) for about 3800 CAD.  I think it retailed for about 7000 here (tax incl).  Personally, I could go for a bit more, but it's getting awfully close to that limit point of just shelling out the extra for a warranty.  It's a bit more complicated machine with wear/tear issues that I wouldn't feel comfortable buying even at 75% of retail post warranty. 

If you sell within the warranty period and have your paperwork ready for transfer, then I can see someone snap it up for that asking 80%.

Alternatively, you should look into spray.  Fastcap is good for field work where you don't have the space for masking/spraying, but Lion-Grip (you can get at Richelieu) should work better and apply faster.

 

[DarrenM]

Hi Darren,

I am in Nova Scotia.  Where are you ?  I have had no problem selling used Festool tools for 75 % of list price.

What panels are you using ?  I really like the Conturo.  Works flawlessly.

Best regards.

Brian

Hi Brian,

I'm in Edmonton. Good to know you've been able to sell used Festool products for good prices. I figured they would hold their value very well. I have a few other Festool tools and I use them everyday so they're good value for me. But I'm struggling with the Conturo because it is SO expensive. If I was doing frameless cabinets professionally, I wouldn't hesitate because it would pay for itself quickly. If I could get 75-80% back after using it for several projects, it might be worth it because of the quality of the final product and time saved.

I'm using Uniboard TFL panels from Upper Canada Forest Products. Very nice textured melamine with color and texture matched edgebanding. How have you sold your Festool tools (Kijiji, FB Marketplace)?

 

[DarrenM]

Thank you very much for the detailed reply - very helpful. I could probably live with an 80% return on my investment so it could make sense to go this way. I've searched Craigslist, Kijiji and FB Marketplace but no hits on used Conturos in my area. I'll also check a few local Festool dealers to see if they have access to recon stock as well. I don't see any Conturos on the Festool USA recon site at the moment.

I am also looking at the Comatic BR600 which I could buy for slightly less than half the cost of the Conturo. It looks like it would do the job but I'm sure the resale value would not be 80%. It obviously doesn't have the name recognition and support network like Festool.

Another thing to consider is the potential for a buyer. I've been trolling FB Marketplace for a couple months now looking for noteworthy deals and I see quite a lot of the Festool items available for what feels like a long time - unless it's some kind of crazy deal, like the guy in philly selling a beatup Kapex 120 for $300.

I think it's important to adjust your expectations and be prepared for the Conturo to sit in the listings for awhile.

It is a niche item for sure. Might be different for a Kapex or one of the RO sanders, but the Conturo is definitely only appealing to a small percentage of woodworkers.

 

[DarrenM]

I picked up a used 3-yr Conturo kit with table top (sans legs) for about 3800 CAD.  I think it retailed for about 7000 here (tax incl).  Personally, I could go for a bit more, but it's getting awfully close to that limit point of just shelling out the extra for a warranty.  It's a bit more complicated machine with wear/tear issues that I wouldn't feel comfortable buying even at 75% of retail post warranty. 

If you sell within the warranty period and have your paperwork ready for transfer, then I can see someone snap it up for that asking 80%.

Alternatively, you should look into spray.  Fastcap is good for field work where you don't have the space for masking/spraying, but Lion-Grip (you can get at Richelieu) should work better and apply faster.

Good point about selling within the warranty period. Lee Valley wants $5,195 for the Conturo kit, plus another $900 or so for the MKT700 trimmer with both bases so I'd be into it for a little over $6,000. I only need it for 3-4 cabinet projects so I would be well within the warranty period. It seems possible to get $4,500-5,000 back so it amounts to a $1,000-1,500 "rental" for 3-4 cabinet projects. Pretty steep cost with a few potential gotchas so maybe it doesn't make sense unless I started doing more projects. Although there's a guy in my area renting out his Domino for $200/day so maybe there's money to be made there ;-)

Don't get me started about Richelieu. They have all sorts of great stuff, but they won't sell to garage-based cabinet makers like me. Wholesale only.

 

[woodferret]

Don't get me started about Richelieu. They have all sorts of great stuff, but they won't sell to garage-based cabinet makers like me. Wholesale only.

Their account managers can be a-holes about it, but you can walk into any of the stores and just grab the can and buy at the cashier.  There's also the Permagrip PG107 you can pick up from McFaddens (can't remember if there's a branch in Edmonton).  Either way, remember to grab a citrus cleaner.

 

[DarrenM]

Don't get me started about Richelieu. They have all sorts of great stuff, but they won't sell to garage-based cabinet makers like me. Wholesale only.

Their account managers can be a-holes about it, but you can walk into any of the stores and just grab the can and buy at the cashier.  There's also the Permagrip PG107 you can pick up from McFaddens (can't remember if there's a branch in Edmonton).  Either way, remember to grab a citrus cleaner.

Ok, good to know. I went in to their Edmonton location once and tried to buy some Blum undermount slides and yes they were a-holes about it so I haven't been back. No McFaddens here - too bad. Will they sell online to ordinary Joes and Janes or are they wholesale only?

 

[woodferret]

McFaddens will create an account if you have a GST registration number.  No 'portfolio' check like R.  The can of Permagrip though is considered hazardous material and will incur an extra shipping charge, but normally they'll ship anywhere via Purolator.

 

[woodferret]

Also check National Hardware Sales.  They'll sell the 3M 90.  Not the 77 that home stores carry.  Apparently Amazon carries it now for just a tad more (probably the same giving S&H).

 

[Garet Jax]

Hi Darren,

I am in Nova Scotia.  Where are you ?  I have had no problem selling used Festool tools for 75 % of list price.

What panels are you using ?  I really like the Conturo.  Works flawlessly.

Best regards.

Brian

I am not sure who's buying them, but 75% for a used item doesn't make much sense to me especially when festoolrecon sells them for 80% with a warranty.  I am having this discussion right now over some used, out of warranty items whose owners want 75% for them.

I just won't pay that.  I'd rather buy new items for full price or reconditioned items for 80%.

 

[Lincoln]

I'm a member of an Australian 'Festool buy and sell' facebook group, which is a great place to check current 2nd hand prices and is my first stop if selling something. I'm sure there would be a Canadian one, as well??