Many, many times on FOG and other woodworking web sites I have said that I originally purchased my first TS55 and companion CT22 because I was convinced they could make really good and accurate glue-ready cuts as well as any of the expensive table saws I had ever owned. The thing is back then, January 2006, I had no space for even a small table saw.
At that time I had 3 weeks left on my annual vacation, with several projects I needed to make for myself. The price of the Festools seemed fair and fortunately not a burden.
After that vacation, people who saw the projects begged me to build them custom cases and cabinets. By then I had added an OF1010 router and the complete LR32 kit to effectively make adjustable shelf holes without my former line boring multi-spindle machine. To speed up sanding, I had bought a RO 150. I started building those commissioned jobs before and after work. My Festools saved me so much time I was making far more profit than I expected on every job. By March 2006 things slowed enough at my job I became a hero by volunteering for a leave-of-absence to save the career of an executive with much less seniority.
Immediately I let my satisfied clients know I could take on more jobs. I also started making deals with friends who had spare space in their shops. I bought several extra guide rails, so I did not always need to bring them with me. Those shops were large enough I could use 2700mm and 3000mm rails. My Systainers easily fit in my Grand Am. Renting shop space also gave me access to decent table saws, joiners and thickness planers.
When business returned to normal at my actual job, I returned to work for several months, doing my woodworking as before early and late every day, in those rented shops.
As needed I added more Festools until I owned almost all the sanders. When the Kapex reached the USA I bought one of the first in Los Angeles. Same for the Domino.
After I retired I resumed building custom projects full time, with a few part-time cabinet makers as employees, still renting space in shops. It was the profits from using all those Festools that convinced me to buy my own factory-sized building. It took forever to find the right building on the right lot in an industrial zone with enough 480v 3 phase power. Then there were delays bringing that building up to current codes such as ADA. My new large machines started arriving in August 2010. My own auto bander has been on back-order, so we have been using a rental unit. Our own is due mid June.
All of this efficient space and all those machines were paid for by my Festools!