Does the Festool Owners Group Affect Your Festool Purchases?

[Matthew Schenker]

Hi Everyone,
I am very interested in understanding how the Festool Owners Group affects members' buying decisions.
Does this Forum make you more confident about purchasing tools from Festool?
Matthew

 

[richard.selwyn]

I don't know about more confiedent - but thanks to you all I'm running around madly trying to get my hands on a Kapex. Damn you, if it wasn't for the FOG I might never have known it existed!

 

[Dan Clark]

Richard,

Given the good service that this forum has provided in making your life a little more "exciting", you WILL give us a detailed report, won't you?  (After all, you need to share the pain... uhh, joy.  Yes?)  ;D 

Regards,

Dan.

 

[James Metcalf]

Matthew

I would never bought the RAS 115 without seeing the review.We do not have a dealer in Memphis. The FOG is my source of information.My information was SMC at one time, but in my view it has changed at the Creek.Thanks one more time for the work you have put in the FOG.

 

[Corwin]

I thought that I had a good start with my Festool collection -- then I found this (actually the former) board a year later.  I learned about the Domino and Boom Arm -- they both looked more and more interesting.  Then they kinda shifted from my 'of interest' list to my official wish list.  Now they both need to go on my insurance list.  I find this board to be totally at fault here.

No, before I started gazing over the info on the FOG I only had that darn, "Getting the Most From the MFT Multifunction Table" by Jerry Work to blame for all this foolishness.  All this great information is costing me...

Oops, gotta go,
Corwin

 

[ejantny]

IMHO I think message boards in general that revolve around a product or something else have a direct influence on whether or not a person will buy something or not.

A couple of years ago I belonged to a car detailing forum and before I knew it I had all sorts of car detailing stuff (waxes, polishes) and equipment. However I had a very shiny car.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I have found the forum very useful in learning about Festool's products.  My first Festool purchase, the TS55 and CT22 was a no-brainer and was done before I started reading this forum.  However, many of the other products have benefits that are not immediately apparent.  I didn't 'get' the MFT until reading about it here.  Not sure I understand the MFS yet, so I follow posts on this closely and waiver on a buying decision.  When I first heard about the Domino, I laughed - $700 for a biscuit joiner!  But this forum and John Lucas' website showed me the benefits, so I bought one. 

My shop is full and I have no room for more tools, so any new tool really has to add value and ideally replace an existing tool.  For instance, the Domino was essentially a no-cost item after I sold my FMT.  Getting to see how others are using the tools is very important for me and I probably would have stopped my Festool binge after the saw, sander, and vac without the info provided here.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

The answer to Matthew's question is "definitely yes" for me.  Through this forum I have learned far more about the capabiliities of various Festool (and other) products I would not otherwise have known.  The participation of Festool USA personnel and their knowlegeable ISAs has only added to my knowledge and my "wish list."  Without that additional knowledge I would have remained stuck in the conventional methods of woodworking using conventional tools.  I am truly grateful to members of FOG for alerting me to Domino; you saved me from buying a benchtop mortising machine and a biscuit joiner.  Depending on the models chosen, these two "conventional" machines would have cost about the same as a Domino machine, taken more shop space, and needed more accessories to a narrower range of projects.

Dave R.

 

[mjg]

  I find this forum to be very helpful to me.  I can search for, or ask for, information that I don't find on the festool web site (e.g. how to use tools in different ways).  I can read about what people like and dislike about specific tools.  Those are key ways that the forum helps me with buying decisions but I'd say that the forum helps greatly in other ways as well.
Thanks.

 

[Fred West]

Matthew, much to the chagrin of my Fiance, YES the FOG has very much helped?  ;D me purchase more Festool tools and or drool over the unavailable such as the Kapex. Fred

 

[jonny round boy]

I obviously missed this thread 1st time around, as I wasn't a member then. But, thanks to Fred, I've now found it.

I had a TS55, OF1400, Kapex, and CT mini defore I discovered this forum. I was quite happy with those.

I haven't bought any new Festools since I joined (except one or two systainers), but only 'cos I can't afford at the moment. Thanks to this site, my wish list now consists of:

MFT (at least one, preferably one of each size);
MFS700 routing template, plus additional 1000mm rails;
Rotex RO150

NONE of which I would have even considered without the help (?) of you lot!!! ??? ;D

 

[Hotwheels]

I can say this forum directly resulted in the following purchases:
1) 1010 Router
2) Boom Arm for Ct22
3) MFS 700 and 100mm rails
4) Router plate for 1400
5) Hole drilling jig
6) ETS 150
7) An assortment of Sortainers
8) Quick clamps
9) LA 650 (still don't have a use for it)
10) Cover Plate for TS55

The experience of others with these tools gave me the information that suggested these would be useful tools for me.

 

[jonny round boy]

I can say this forum directly resulted in the following purchases:
1) 1010 Router
2) Boom Arm for Ct22
3) MFS 700 and 100mm rails
4) Router plate for 1400
5) Hole drilling jig
6) ETS 150
7) An assortment of Sortainers
8) Quick clamps
9) LA 650 (still don't have a use for it)
10) Cover Plate for TS55

The experience of others with these tools gave me the information that suggested these would be useful tools for me.

John,

I notice from your list that you have the MFS700 & the 1000 rails I'm looking to get - how have you got on with them? Was it worth the money? What do you use it for, and how often? If (god forbid) you lost all your tools & had to buy them all again, would it be on your list to buy, or would you use the cash towards another tool?

Sorry about all the questions! ;D

 

[Eli]

I decided to buy Festools on the basis of them existing, gone for pretty much the full range. Maybe the FOG has helped narrow choice in a case or two. I like hands-on for final decision, meaning I've tried what I bought first. I have found many, many helpful tips on tweaking and fixing them here.

And I enjoy the company.

 

[Hotwheels]

Hello from one Jonny to another!

I bought the MFS 700 and the 1000mm rails based on comments here and after reading and rereading and rereading Jerry Work's ideas for using the MFS, especially with the saw and MFT. Unfortunately, one of the short rails was out of square when it arrived, I think damaged in shipping. I have been waiting a few weeks for a replacement part so I have not yet had a chance to work with it as much as I had hoped by now. I will keep you posted when the new part arrives.

I can say this forum directly resulted in the following purchases:
1) 1010 Router
2) Boom Arm for Ct22
3) MFS 700 and 100mm rails
4) Router plate for 1400
5) Hole drilling jig
6) ETS 150
7) An assortment of Sortainers
8) Quick clamps
9) LA 650 (still don't have a use for it)
10) Cover Plate for TS55

The experience of others with these tools gave me the information that suggested these would be useful tools for me.

John,

I notice from your list that you have the MFS700 & the 1000 rails I'm looking to get - how have you got on with them? Was it worth the money? What do you use it for, and how often? If (god forbid) you lost all your tools & had to buy them all again, would it be on your list to buy, or would you use the cash towards another tool?

Sorry about all the questions! ;D

 

[jonny round boy]

Cheers John!

 

[Corwin]

Does the Festool Owner Group Affect Your Festool Purchases?  Are you kidding?  I don't see how it couldn't be responsible for many of the things that became a must have around my shop.  Recently an interested party posed a question something like, "I don't get Festool."  Well, I would have to think that many that, "don't get Festool," do exactly that -- they don't get Festools.  Instead, this person did the best thing by asking.  No, the FOG is certain to affect Festool purchases.  

 

[Dan Clermont]

Does the Festool Owner Group Affect Your Festool Purchases?  Are you kidding?  I don't see how it couldn't be responsible for many of the things that became a must have around my shop.  Recently an interested party posed a question something like, "I don't get Festool."  Well, I would have to think that many that, "don't get Festool," do exactly that -- they don't get Festools.  Instead, this person did the best thing by asking.  No, the FOG is certain to affect Festool purchases. 

I come from the hand tool side of woodworking. Allot of my friends are power tool users and it is rather interesting to see how few of them know or understand Festool and the dust collection it provides along with the whole idea of moving the tool around the work rather then the work around the tool. Those that have seen my Festool's have been thoroughly impressed to the point where the head carpenter at work asked my manager to let me build the 10 foot long boardroom table cause I would do a better job and was better equipped.

Once the table was completed everybody was happy although to me it looks dated as it was made out of oak. Others also started bringing projects to work for me to help out on cause the TS-55 is such a good plunge saw.

Dan Clermont

 

[Dan Clark]

I think a major benefit of FOG is that it makes you aware of Festool tools and how to use them from multiple viewpoints.   While the Festool brochures and videos are useful, many times the "Ah ha!" moment (the moment of enlightenment) comes from viewing something from multiple perspectives.

The MFS is one example.  Jerry Work's MFS document is great, but it didn't bring the "Ah ha!" moment.   That occurred at some point in a small post (I can't even remember whose).  Then, I reread Jerry's doc and other MFT posts and docs in a new light.   They made sense to me as related to MY needs.   

So it's not just the great content, it's the triangulation of multiple viewpoints.   

Regards,

Dan.

 

[kfitzsimons]

I don't own one single Festool item - yet.  But I've been scouting the forum for some time looking at ways to integrate the Festool line into my woodworking.  I'm a hobbyist. I work in a double garage that is used daily (except in summer project season) for cars.  My main initial interest in Festool is the outstanding dust collection systems of the tools.  I hate cleaning up the garage after a project.  After joining the FOG and posting a question or two, I'm much more informed about Festool than if I'd just talked to the dealers.  With the how-to articles, I can "picture" how I could use different Festool equipment. Now I just have to find a way to sell a couple of Elu routers to purchase the Festool 1400.  And I'll purchase the TS55 + MFT 1080 (new model when available).  I'd like to eliminate my table saw if possible.  The forum has been a great help in helping me think that one out.
A friend of mine was building a small wooden boat.  He needed a couple of angle irons for it's construction.  To have them made by a metal shop would have cost him under $30 but he said "why should I pay someone else to make it when I can buy a welder for $800 and make it myself"!  I love his logic.