DF500 or 700??

[Thompmd]

I'm new to Festool and this site and this has probably been discussed before. I'm a hobby guy building a Walnut dining room table . The table is 2" x 48" x 96". The legs,base & skirt will also be Walnut and will have a couple turnbuckles for decoration. I don't foresee building anything else this large in the future. I'm definitely going to build a couple vanities for the bathrooms but there won't large projects.

If I can get by with the 500 that would be great but don't want the table compromised if that's a concern.

I plan to get one ordered next week and wanted your thoughts good and bad on the differences.

 

[Dogberryjr]

The DF500 is most certainly up to the demands of this project.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Definitely the DF500.

 

[Birdhunter]

I built a king size headboard about the same size as your table. I used a 500 and it worked fine.

A trick I used to get a truly flat surface on which to reference the headboard and bedframe was a cheap door from Home Depot. The door was the cheapest one they had, hollow core with flat front and back.  Those doors are dead flat. I used tenons to establish top to top evenness, clamped the boards to the door, and glued up in pairs of boards.

 

[VirTERM]

The 500 will be enough, dual 10mm tenons per joint and you will be happy. I built similar size table from Black Limba for my daughter. After 15 months and heave abuse by three kids, the table is like new.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm a hobbyist too. In 2008 I bought a 500 and sold my biscuit jointer but found I didn't use it much and the tool really wasn't easy to grip and plunge so sold about a year later it and repurchased a biscuit jointer.

Then in 2015 I was going to build a crib for my new granddaughter and the design had many joints and slats so figured a Domino would be perfect. I found a great deal for a slightly used 700XL here on the FOG and it came with the Seneca goodies to allow the smaller 500 bits.

Don't know if it was the experience using it so much on the crib but I grab the XL for almost all my projects now. Don't know if it's the double handles but found the XL much easier to use - maybe the ergonomics.

But, that being said, 500 is more right sized for 98% of my work. With the XL there are some extra steps involved for some operations when using 3/4" stock due to the 15mm base to center of cutter dimension.

Neither is a bad choice - good luck!

 

[Jim_in_PA]

The 500 will work fine. While the availability of larger tenons with the 700 is nice for larger projects, the tenons at the larger end for the 500 are perfectly adequate in most circumstances for furniture projects with the correct number employed for a given task.

 

[Thompmd]

Thanks Everyone and for the tip on the door. Couple more quick questions.... do you suggest the Q set for $80 more and I assume you also got the 1,060pc Tenon assortment with cutters.

What about dust control(size) , I have a CT36.

I know these are really basic questions but it's new to me and I'm trying to minimize equipment and have convenience, using the Rolex,TS75,Carvex and Kapex etc

 

[Birdhunter]

I bought the full Domino set (don’t remember the Q being the identifier) and the cutter & tenon set. Suggest buying an extra 4mm and 5mm cutter. Those two tend to be the ones to lose a tip.

Halfinchshy and New Brit Workshop both have excellent videos. Watching those, reading the Supplemental Manual, and practicing on scrap are wise to do before cutting into your project wood.

The TSO Big Foot and the Seneca Domiplate are both add-one well worth the money.

It’s wise to not glue up all the table boards at the same time. It gets too frantic. Glue them up in pairs. Then glue up the pairs, etc. Doing a dry run on the glue up is also wise. I use tenons I have shaved the edges off of for dry runs. They are easy to pull apart. I mark them so I don’t use them for the real glue up.

Good luck.

 

[ChuckS]

The cross stop and trim stop are totally unnecessary unless you do lots of projects invloving repetitive cuts on narrow stock (rails. e.g.), and some people even struggle to use the cross stop as it's not as simple as it looks to use (searches will find you discussions on misalignment of holes). They simply use placement lines to do jointing.

Yet, I'd recommend the Q set as the price difference is not significant, and you can build up your skill to make good use of the two accessories. The trim stop is particularly useful in some situations. Without owning them, you won't be able to explore and learn how to tame them and put them to good use at all. And yes, the systainer assortment with cutters is the way to go.

The DF does not require any special or unusual dust extraction: I use a shop vac in conjunction with a Dust Deputy.

If you do enough, you'll find the joiner a game-changer as many of us do. Dominoes are almost the only joinery method I now use, unless it is a traditional (hand-tool) project. (A local woodworking class (high school) I visited recently requires its students to complete a joinery exercise specifically using the DF. I think the program recognizes the effectiveness of the joiner in cabinetmaking.)

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

When buying anything Festool, I would always go for the kit option, unless I really didn’t need the extras, as in my experience, it always works out substantially cheaper.
I’ve always found the dust extraction very good too.

 

[butzla]

It's a no brainer.  Get the 500.  I'd like to have the 700 not because I need it but just because I want it.  I've made some pretty large and load bearing things with the 500 including the porch swing shown below.  I made this 11 years ago using sipo dominos and its just as tight as the day I made it.  You're gonna love it.  As someone else said it's completely dust free too.

 

[JonathanJung]

Agree with everyone else, get the 500 set with the set of dominos. Any time I didn't get a set I always wish I had.

 

[Birdhunter]

If the OP is like a lot of the people on this forum, he will end up with both the 500 and 700. A special project will arise for which a 700 is the “perfect” tool.

I have a shop full of perfect tools.

 

[Ray.DuBose]

Went through the same dilemma as you, ended up with the 700 but it's different for everyone.  I'm a home hobbyist so weight and hauling it around didn't bother me.  I will only every buy one so I wanted to be able to do everything with it.  I use both sheet goods and a lot of 8/4 to 12/4 lumber for stuff.  Also a factor was the breakdown connectors, I prefer the ones for the 700 rather than the ones for the 500 they are similar but not the same.  Also the ergonomics of the 700 I liked better.  I've seen people make some solid joints with the 500 such as the above swinging chair so it's really comes down to what you want to use it for.

Went through the same issue trying to figure out a TS55 vs TS75 and ended up going with the 75 as well.  so far not regretting either the 700 or the 75.

good luck
Ray

 

[jarbroen]

I'm new to Festool and this site and this has probably been discussed before. I'm a hobby guy building a Walnut dining room table . The table is 2" x 48" x 96". The legs,base & skirt will also be Walnut and will have a couple turnbuckles for decoration. I don't foresee building anything else this large in the future. I'm definitely going to build a couple vanities for the bathrooms but there won't large projects.

If I can get by with the 500 that would be great but don't want the table compromised if that's a concern.

I plan to get one ordered next week and wanted your thoughts good and bad on the differences.

Plenty of good advice already, but I'll comment on your specific project.
I recently built a walnut dining table with similar dimensions - 36"x72" top - the legs and aprons were milled out of 8/4 and the top 6/4.
I used double 10mm dominos to join the legs to aprons.  I used 8mm dominos for the top alignment. This is all done with my DF500.
The only thing I could have done differently with the 700 is deeper mortice/longer domino.
The table turned out super solid and I have confidence in it lasting.
If I was going to build anything bigger than that table or one that had more weight/racking forces I'd look at the bigger dominos or traditional M&T.

I also built 2 loft beds using dominos and the 500 connectors in 18mm baltic birch.  The 500 is ideally suited for working with sheet goods.  From what I've seen, the 700 would work, but you'd need special plates/spacers to get the correct offsets for the fence/cutter height.

 

[Thompmd]

Thanks for the comments/specs on your DR table project. Would you happen to have any pics you can share?