FESTOOL at the Baltimore Remodeling and Deck Expo

[Ken Nagrod]

I went to the Remodeling and Deck Expo in Baltimore, Maryland last Thursday, mainly to visit the Festool booth.  They are a great bunch of guys, even Brian!   [tongue] [big grin]  I got to see some of the new goodies like the C12 and C15 Li Ion drills, the CT26 and CT36 vacs with the metal power tool holder accessory, the RO90 with the circular and triangular pads and the Kapex with its soon to be released in 2011 "Saw Helper killer" extension wings and rolling stand.  Rick was showing me the features and inner workings on the CT vacs - can't wait to buy one!  Brian was showing me everything with the Kapex.  Still hard for me to decide which vac to get.  They were very close in size and weight.  Those drills definitely need a side handle to use that size auger bit pictured.  Luckily, I still have my wrist!  I brought the FS-BAG-PA with me because they had wanted to see it.  Now each of the Festool guys want one so they can easily bring their accessories to the shows!  I had a really good time and I'll be seein' Saulius again at the A.W. Meyer show that's coming up.  Anybody in the area go check out the Festool demo the end of this month!  Lots of great tools!  There's also a really nice secret addition coming to North America for later in 2011, so it must have gotten U.L. approval.  I've been waiting for about 3 years for it and it's companion.  No guessing! [wink] [drooling]

Many pictures from the show so they'll be 2 posts.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

More Pics

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Forgot to add this, but Rick told me they're planning on making the CT26 and CT36 bottom canisters available separately for those that want to change sizes.  That's the difference between the two vacs.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Forgot to add this, but Rick told me they're planning on making the CT26 and CT36 bottom canisters available separately for those that want to change sizes.  That's the difference between the two vacs.

Ken, I've been asking Festool to do that for years now, glad they've finally listened.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Brice, you couldn't do that with the old CTs. That's why it didn't happen before.  [smile]

 

[Chris Hughes]

So when are the stand and extensions going to be released?

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Supposedly early to mid 2011.

 

[rookie08]

I had a chance to get to the show as well but only for a few hours on the last day.

There were some great new products, 3 of which I'll be using in a property renovation I'm finishing up, which was great. That doesn't include the new C15 I'll have to wait till next year to purchase when it is available. That thing is sweet!

The real highlight at the Festool booth for me though turned out to be something very simple. Brian was able to help me with a Festool fix, that as usual, confirmed again for me why Festool's aren't expensive, they are just a tremendous high end value.  I had picked up a second Saw and Vac setup off Craigslist a few months ago.  This is the set I keep in the garage to cut sheet goods so I don't have to take my original set from the basement shop upstairs and back down each time.  The nozzle on the hose that connects it to the saw/router dust collection port had "broken"off.  I was thinking I had to either glue it somehow, or replace the entire hose.  Brian was able to show me how the hose was originally engineered to be able to be taken apart by simply pushing in 2 pressure tabs on the connector. An internal ring then pops out, the ring gets rewound onto the hose counterclockwise, and the assembly simply gets reattached to the hose using the tabs.  Wallah!  Just like brand new!!  Any other vacuum or dust collection system, I suspect I would have been ordering a new hose, or trying to glue the old one somehow.  It's Festool's attention to engineering details like that, that I find very hard to find in most products today, but gives me such a sense of satisfaction that my money is well invested. 

Festool purchases - $$$$;

knowing your money is well spent with no regrets- priceless! [big grin]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

That saw stand without the crown stops is worthless to a mobile carpenter.

55% of my cutting with my kapex is crown.

I hope the damn cms got that little sticker it needed.

 

[honeydoman]

They are working for a way to include the crown stops and the great German engineers will solve the problem

 

[Corwin]

They are working for a way to include the crown stops and the great German engineers will solve the problem

Wouldn't that simply entail adding the V connection to the outboard end of the Crown Stop Extension?

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

They are working for a way to include the crown stops and the great German engineers will solve the problem

Wouldn't that simple entail adding the V connection to the outboard end of the Crown Stop Extension?

Seems simple but, if there are German engineers working on it, I am sure a trip to the wind tunnel and some other silly things will be done before they decide what to do. [big grin]

 

[Yuri]

SysNotes just arrived in my mail box. It talks about a new drill/driver that will come out in 2011. Nothing about Kapex Extension Wings. I'm thinking that even if they are to intro them in N.A. it will be a while and as I look at them there (European photos) there are things I don't like). I don't like the stand with wheels. Looks flimsy to me. I don't like one leg stand for each wing, it does not look the it will hold so well side to side.
I really think I have two options. One is to buy current N.A. extensions and the other one keep waiting and hoping that Saw Helper will even return to business. I would prefer the later though.

Does anyone have an idea of what's going on with sawhelper and if we're ever going to see them again?

Thank you folks

 

[Ken Nagrod]

The whole setup was very sturdy, stable and well built.

 

[chrisrosenb]

They are working for a way to include the crown stops and the great German engineers will solve the problem

Wouldn't that simply entail adding the V connection to the outboard end of the Crown Stop Extension?

 

Or add a T slot to the extension tables.

 

[Rob-GB]

Either way it could mess up the scale, maybe that's the bit that is taking so long. [scratch chin]
Rob.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Shane, could you or one of the other Festool employees put this to rest by giving an official answer about the crown stops and the yet to be released in N.A. Kapex extension wings KA-UG-L?

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Either way it could mess up the scale, maybe that's the bit that is taking so long. [scratch chin]
Rob.

The scales are worthless on those or the current ones that are available.

make one cut, use as template and set a flag stop.

More reliable then counting on a scale on a support.  The scale on the one's I have should be taken off and thrown in a box far, far away.

 

[Yuri]

[/quote]

The scales are worthless on those or the current ones that are available.

make one cut, use as template and set a flag stop.

More reliable then counting on a scale on a support.  The scale on the one's I have should be taken off and thrown in a box far, far away.
[/quote]

I agree. So far i Think the best set up is Kapex MFT Kapex and Sawhelper which is no longer available.

 

[Sparktrician]

I agree. So far i Think the best set up is Kapex MFT Kapex and Sawhelper which is no longer available.

 

Where did you get the idea that the Sawhelper is no longer available?  Their web site seems to be alive and well - http://www.sawhelper.com/.  [huh]