Festool is for poor people!

[Toolpig]

Ok -- hear me out.

I've spent about $2000 on Festool stuff.  Got the TS55, CT22, and 4 different sanders plus related sundries. 

I'm an admitted "tool pig" (hence my alias on this forum), but that's not why I buy Festool.

I live in Massachusetts, where the cost of housing causes a lot of young guys like myself to be "house poor."  I had no choice but to purchase a house only slightly better than the "handyman's special" you often see advertised in the paper.

My house is a MAJOR fixer-upper.  My wife has no aptitude for home renovation projects, plus a few health problems that prevent her from doing a lot of hard labor.  Therefore, it falls on me to be the carpenter, painter, landscaper, plumber, floor refinisher, and general "handyman."

So why is Festool for poor people (like myself)?  To say my house needs a lot of work is an understatement!  Festool machines require large outlays of cash, but I end up spending a lot less money on these tools than if I had to pay contractors to work on my house (money I don't currently have). 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE working on my house and building furniture -- but I do these things mostly out of necessity.  Festool helps me get things done faster, better, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper than if I had to hire out.  Plus, I get professional-looking results with a minimal amount of skill (the TS55 alone makes carpenters out of guys like me!)  ;D

Just my $.02 (which I've set aside for a new Trion jigsaw -- I've got a ways to go).

TP

 

[Loren Hedahl]

A Festool equipped shop also can be much smaller physically than one equipped with traditional 'heavy iron' equipment. 

Not only does this reduce the cost of the real estate and shop building, but also continuing costs such as heating, lighting, dust control and taxes.

My original reason for starting a Festool collection was for breaking down sheet goods.  Now I am seeing the wisdom in gaining more shop space by reducing my shop inventory of 'heavy iron' clutter.  The more I become acquainted with the functionality and versatility of the Festool system, the more my 'heavy iron' becomes clutter.

Loren

 

[Programmergeek]

I am also in the same boat although some times I fell like I want to jump out and drown myself with some of these "little" projects I take on.  Festools just make the job go much faster, with less cleanup.  I started with a bunch of good tools portor cable, dewalt etc and now have gone to almost all festool.  The time just the saw saved me paid for it by now, also it is alot safer.  Chopped my finger about 2 years ago, now I am more careful, the added safety is worth the price difference alone to me. 

 

[Gary_uk]

I guess Festool is for the poor people. Every time I buy a new tool, I get a little poorer.

Gary

 

[tvgordon]

Wow, by reading about how many Festools you guys own, I thought I was the only one having trouble affording them.  I'm doing good to save enough to buy a Festool a year.  But now that I have used them, I don't even look at the other brands (well, maybe a little).

Tom.

 

[richard.selwyn]

I'm a really poor Festool owner.  I've got so many of those systainers, I just had to build two seven drawer sysports (to add to the 2 festool 5 drawer ones I already have)  But I'm not posting to boast (or lament) about all my Festools.  I know they ARE much more expensive (especially here compared to the US) than the competition, but they save a huge amount of time/effort/money in the long run and whilst I've thrown away/given away countless rotary/orbital/belt sanders, circular saws etc because they no longer work/compare to Festool, I have never (touch wood) had to replace anything other than consumables in nearly 10 years with Festool. 
So I agree with Toolpig.

 

[Ned]

While I agree with the logic, I doubt Festool Marketing will pick up this slogan... 

 

[Dixon Peer]

A Festool equipped shop also can be much smaller physically than one equipped with traditional 'heavy iron' equipment. 

Not only does this reduce the cost of the real estate and shop building, but also continuing costs such as heating, lighting, dust control and taxes.

My original reason for starting a Festool collection was for breaking down sheet goods.  Now I am seeing the wisdom in gaining more shop space by reducing my shop inventory of 'heavy iron' clutter.  The more I become acquainted with the functionality and versatility of the Festool system, the more my 'heavy iron' becomes clutter.

Loren

Well now, there's no way that the Festool System can replace my 'heavy iron', though it's a very nice addition to my shop.  I can go more quickly from my 5 hp Delta 14/16" table saw to my 12" Sueri Alfredo jointer for perfect glue-upable edges than I can with my Festool stuff.  I still don't see a replacement for my 10 hp Sueri Alfredo shaper, and the 3 hp Griggio bandsaw.  The drill press excels at certain tasks too, like cutting mortises, and the 3 hp DeWalt 12" radial arm saw is just the ticket for cutting long stock to length.

There's a cost in time to setting up to do jobs with Festool equipment that one doesn't pay when working with stationary 'heavy iron'. 

All this said, there's no comparison on the market today for the quality of Festool tools, and I am very impressed with their functionality and durability.

 

[Dave Rudy]

but they save a huge amount of time/effort/money in the long run and whilst I've thrown away/given away countless rotary/orbital/belt sanders, circular saws etc because they no longer work/compare to Festool, I have never (touch wood) had to replace anything other than consumables in nearly 10 years with Festool. 

Festool address this in the new catalogue with what some will dismiss as kind of corny, sentimental marketing.  But the fact is that the cost is not just in the price of the tool, but in how many times you buy it (or one).  If I had saved the money I spent on various guide systems for the circ saw or router for example, I would have had enough to make up the difference for a TS 55.  And the list goes on.  I have bought so many tools two and three (and even four) times before Festool, that a one-for-one comparison is not accurate.  May not be able to sell the rich guys on that thinking, but for us poor folk it sure seems that a dollar spent two or three times adds up to two or three dollars.

Dave