Does the Festool Owners Group Affect Your Festool Purchases?

[peter halle]

Perhaps there are others like me that missed these stealthtainers:

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Maybe that is the secret with the significant others.  Paint your work area the same color as the systainers, and they will blend in!

Peter

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Ha, Peter, that is a brilliant method you've sleuthed. 

DavidCBaker-- you've gotta get some labels going on.  I know you have your little text labels on your Sysport brigade, but without some front graphics we all can't properly salivate. 

 

[greg mann]

Perhaps there are others like me that missed these stealthtainers:

[attachimg=#]

Maybe that is the secret with the significant others.  Paint your work area the same color as the systainers, and they will blend in!

Peter

Maybe David Photoshpped them in. We shoud demand a new shot with some of them opened.  ;D

 

[NuggyBuggy]

So, it's been a while since this poll was created.  Anyone else interested in weighing in on whether the forum is doing a good job of helping you make educated, well-informed purchasing decisions?

If I had already made the decision to buy Festool, and just wasn't sure which tool in a class was right, the forum would affect my decision greatly.  For instance, I wanted to buy a sander to help me remove a bunch of paint, knew I wanted good dust collection, wasn't sure which sander would fit the bill best, posted a question here, and ended up with an RAS115.

However, if I was considering other brands, I don't think the group would affect my decision much.  This is because it seems like - and I do not want to offend - a lot of users here seem to be blindly in love with the name on the tool instead of how well a particular tool does its job. Some opinions here comparing Festool to other brands are objective, but some are clearly not.

Festool makes some great tools and I really enjoy using the ones I have, but come on ! I was talking to my Festool dealer the other day and even he said sometimes he thought some of the posts here looked almost cult-ish.

 

[greg mann]

Festool makes some great tools and I really enjoy using the ones I have, but come on ! I was talking to my Festool dealer the other day and even he said sometimes he thought some of the posts here looked almost cult-ish.

Cultish? Nah..BTW, has anyone got any new info on the release date for the new Boxer Shorts to match my T-shirt?

Point taken, Nuggy, but I was pondering the other day how ironic it will be that the Fogtainers I ordered will probably wind up housing non-Festool tools.  [embarassed]

 

[RONWEN]

This could be a very interesting "contest" -- who on this forum owns the most Festools???  My understanding is that David hasn't been in the game very long at all so I would put my money on him at some point in the not too distant future...  [unsure]

 

[Frank Pellow]

The most Festool tools that I have ever seen in in a non-dealer site was in Greg Mann's basement.  So, I am betting that he would win.

 

[Wim]

Sounds like a peeing contest for kids.  [poke]
I guess most people just buy what they need or think they need. And sometimes the purchase is not what it should be. It is under-performing, the seller did not show some negative deal breakers or you were just expecting too much of the poor tool.
But thanks to this forum with its well informed members, you will be better prepared when you are exchanging the green stuff for the green tools.

 

[peter halle]

F.Y.I. There is a member here who owns all of the Festool items sold in North America.  It is certainly not me.  I will not mention names.

It was mentioned in a post many moons ago and there were some misunderstandings, so please do not go and dig out that post or the following posts in that thread and bring it here.

Thanks for honoring this little request.

Peter

 

[GPowers]

In my eyes there are three types of Festool purchasers: The Collector, hobbyist and the Money Maker.

The collector buys the tools whether the tool is need or not.  This person will buy the tools to complete the collection or because it is a cool tool and maybe some day I will use it.

The Money maker buys the tools that are need to get the job done and make some money.

The Hobbyist buys what he can get past the finance committee (your spouse). [smile]

 

[RONWEN]

Sounds like a peeing contest for kids.  [poke]

You are absolutely right, I didn't intend to encourage any such display of tool duel.  The real question is what is accomplished with the tools you have & David seems off to a really good start in that area.

 

[tbellemare]

I happen to also know that there are people that post on this Forum that, not only have pretty much every Festool AINA, but more than one of many.

I applaud their commitment to quality and having the wherewithal to pursue a path to success in their business or avocation without allowing the less informed to persuade them. Too often, people succumb to those around them, who will make statements of value without thoroughly examining the value proposition. There is always someone who will ask, "how much it costs", as opposed to asking, "how much it's worth".

I try to break everything into 3 similarly important aspects. I think it helps to keep things simple and balanced. To me, with tools in general, there are 3 things that will cause me to consider a tool purchase, or consider discussing it with a potential buyer:

• cost - over the life of the tool
• utility of the tool - effort of use is included in this assessment
• quality of the results and the tool itself, which also leads into the first point

Those things have always been my criteria for buying tools and as I grow older, I realize why my Dad and Uncles bought good tools - They pay off.

Tom

 

[flair woodworks]

None of the above.

I use FOG to research the pros and cons of the different models so that I can make an informed decision.  For example, after spending last night here, I am now confident in my decision to order a pin-style Domino.

 

[sancho57]

I use FOg as a resource. Let me know when and new tools are coing out. Before i buy a tool I will come here and reearch it to see if it does what I need it for or if anyone has had problems with it setting it up using it etc.

 

[NoBreyner]

It only helps me how I may use them once I get them, but they do not influence which ones I get.  I've already decided that my fourth Festool will be the TS55, Fifth will be the 1400 series router, and Sixth will be the MFT/3.  Most other purchases after that will be accessories to make my full use of those and the three tools I have now ie Ro90, CT Mini, and CXS.  Following the three big purchases will be the 1/2" jacobs fastfix chuck that will work on the CXS to expand it's capacity.  I may also want to get a hard pad for the Ro90 and maybe the shop cleanup systainer kit for the Mini.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Before I was given the URL for The FOG, I already owned virtually all of the Festools sold in the USA.

The FOG gave me a community, informs me about the way others use Festools and approach woodworking.

 

[jacko9]

Yes being able to talk about the features and possible shortcomings of a tool helps me decide if I want to pull the trigger on a new purchase.  Since joining the FOG, I have added a ETS 150-3, RO90, Domino 700, Sys Port, and will soon add a CSX drill.  I also have a Domino500 and a 300 Jigsaw.

Jack

 

[leer]

This forum provided the reviews and links to videos that made me realize I could delay the purchase of a bigger table saw with the purchase of a track saw.

About a month ago I started remodeling my basement shop.  Add more lighting, tile around the utility sink, fill all the holes in the sheetrock walls, re-texture, paint, etc.  Then I decided to start building cabinets.  I had the lumber store rip my plywood since I have never broken down full sheets on my contractor-style table saw, and doubted I could do so satisfactorily.  They used a SawStop saw, which did a great job.  I had been drooling over the thought of upgrading to one for quite some time.  But I was not really sure I had room.  Since I really wanted to break down full sheets myself, I started thinking about possibly using my circular saw, but this just didn't seem like the way to proceed. 

I somehow stumbled upon track saws, and knew of Festool from my many trips to Woodcraft and Rockler.  After seeing the Festool track saws being used for incredibly neat and accurate ripping and cross cutting, I knew I found my solution for cabinet making.

I am just awaiting the arrival of more TS 55 REQ saws at my local Woodcraft.  And I am already making a prioritized list of all the other Festool stuff I want.