Festool is getting expensive!

[Reokeane]

All the talk of premium brand/niche product/professional tools etc., miss the BASIC, ECONOMIC points: (i) the production is in Germany, (ii) the R&D and production costs are in Euro, (iii) the USD has strengthened against the Euro by 40% in the last five years and yet they continue to increase prices in the US. If anything they should be discounting it.

By comparison: Leica camera, also a German brand, also a "premium", "niche" product whose R&D and production costs are also German based and denominated in Euro have, since early 2015 been offering US customers a 12% DISCOUNT against the recommended retail price on their cameras because of the strengthening dollar against the Euro
http://leicarumors.com/2016/01/04/12-discount-on-almost-all-leica-product-caries-over-to-2016.aspx/

 

[Jozsef Kozma]

I would not call festool a designer tool
A premium professional tool yes
I prefer the same about lots of other things (close , cars , sportequepment)
But that's me
I do not bye festool for its color ,name ,or style
Every tool I puchase is a process
Do I need it ?How much do I need it ?What brand is considered a good quality ?
Will that tool make my job easier? Will that tool make more profit than an other brand? Will that tool improve the quality of my work?
There are other premium tools beside festool that I use ,also tools that are not considered premium are daily used
I also know , I can not supply some of the guys who work for me with high end tools because they abuse tools .The life expectancy of an impact driver is 9 months with them

 

[AIPDX]

All the talk of premium brand/niche product/professional tools etc., miss the BASIC, ECONOMIC points: (i) the production is in Germany, (ii) the R&D and production costs are in Euro, (iii) the USD has strengthened against the Euro by 40% in the last five years and yet they continue to increase prices in the US. If anything they should be discounting it.

By comparison: Leica camera, also a German brand, also a "premium", "niche" product whose R&D and production costs are also German based and denominated in Euro have, since early 2015 been offering US customers a 12% DISCOUNT against the recommended retail price on their cameras because of the strengthening dollar against the Euro

Very true. A company may take advantage of the exchange rate to deeper penetrate their target market and make their prices look more competitive, or use the benefits of favorable exchange to get higher profits. Apparently, Festool does not see their market as elastic. What that means, they do not think that if they reduce the price of a tool from 600 to 500 dollars, they would generate much more sales long-term, or would significantly increase their customer base. After all, the alternatives which consumers use for price comparison are priced at about 25% to 50% of Festool. If you think that Bosch is a better value at $180 than Festool at $600, you would not buy Festool if the discount it to $500. It is still a different range altogether. Dropping prices in half would generate a significant increase in sales, dropping proportionally to EFX - probably not.

The notion of "being fair to customers" or "share profits with them" does not apply. It is business, and loyal customers alas are not "members of the family". They are customers who bring money, that's all. Prices have nothing to do with costs. Manufacturing in Germany is not much more expensive than quality manufacturing in Asia (I know from my work experience). Prices are determined by what Festool's competition is doing. And who exactly is their competition in this sector??? Certainly not Harbor Freight. Probably not Bosch. Is it Mafell? Mirca?  When Mafell drops pricing on their saws by half, Festool will feel the heat.

Did we all schedule a vacation in Europe after exchange rate has become more favorable? Not really, it was not enough to impact the decision that much. Will we all spend extra 10k on Festool if they reduce the price with the stronger dollar? I doubt it.  [cool]

 

[griffs]

 
I purchased the 1010 router and guide yesterday for £319

 

[DzordanoBruno]

In Czech Republic are prices for Dewalt + Makita and Bosch + Festool cca the same. So I dont think : ,,Festool is soo expensive". It is expensive, but for me more valuable.

Bosch tracksaw 55 gce with guide is 12.000 CZK=> 480USD

Festool ts55 rebq with guide is 14.000CZK: 25=560USD

Dewalt 520kr + guide 10.000CZK=400USD

Makita 6000 + guide 10.400CZK=41 USD

 

[Stephen B]

Down here it is not only the excessive and retail pricing fixing compared to other Festool markets such as the UK, it's the lack of true cash promotions, like no 10% discount for sander and DE package as in the US [ocaisionally there nay be a 5% quarterly promotion with a voucher, but usually no ongoing cash discount], and our Festool All Inclusive means repairs are collected from the dealer, not the customer.

So Forget - [size=10pt]SERVICE all-inclusive offers you complete protection for your machines, and now includes a quick and easy repair process. Simply complete the repair information online via your myFestool account, and your machines will be collected and returned to you for free after repair. During the repair process, you are always kept up to date via email or SMS about the current repair status. 
as in the UK and Germany, or the 48hr turn around in the US.
We have -  If your tool has been registered for Service All-Inclusive, your freight from the dealer to the service centre is FREE of charge for the first 3 years of ownership. 

This  is a big deal in this broad land. My nearest Premium Dealer is 100 mins away; that is driving or freighting at my expense. Although  I live in a rural area, it is by no means remote! A small nearby town has repair centres for Metabo and Makita.

But like us all, I am hooked by the quality within a majority of the Festool product. Dam it!  [big grin] [big grin]

 

[Nigel]

You guys whingeing have had it too good. Back about 4 or 5 years Festool was getting really expensive in Europe and then they got hit with the price fixing thing and the prices came down a lot. Don't believe me? I paid £415 for A RO 90 in 2012 and now it is £406 from the same place. Most other stuff is around or a bit more than it was 4 or 5 years ago.

 

[stvrowe]

I agree that Festool is getting much more expensive than their competition and Festool pricing appears to be a strategy of whatever the market will bear.  To support this opinion, when the OF1400 was introduced in North America in2005, the introductory price was $335 and that included the edge guide.  Next month the price of that same router will be $560 without the edge guide.  To get the edge guide, add $80 for a total package price of $640.  That is a whopping 91% increase over the original price with no obvious product changes or improvements.  I find it unbelievable that every possible combination of inflation, production costs rises, and exchange rates account for this increase.

As good as the OF1400 is and even with my expensive tastes in tools, these increases are getting harder to swallow even for me.  I honestly don't know if I would purchase the OF1400 router today at that price and fortunately, I do not have to make that decision.  Ultimately, supply and demand will rule the pricing of Festool products and only time will tell what the result will be.

 

[Holmz]

You guys whingeing have had it too good. Back about 4 or 5 years Festool was getting really expensive in Europe and then they got hit with the price fixing thing and the prices came down a lot.
...

That would imply that the prices are not driven solely by productions costs.

 

[bkharman]

We should rename this thread "Groundhog Day". Every year it is the same topics.

I am a hobbiest and don't earn a living with these tools but will buy them if the value "feels" right. I have grown a lot by using these and other branded tools recommended by members of this site and people I have met while crafting my skill. If it feels too expensive for you, don't buy it. I know every person takes comfort in voicing their opinion (I personally call it venting) so I welcome that, but man does it make me step away from this forum more often than not these days.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Julian Tracy]

I think what's funny is that every March all these posts about, "buy now and save!", when really it's buy now before we arbitrarily decide to charge yet more for the same thing.

So instead of being a bit miffed for the yet again price increase, folks here are viewing it as a buy more tools now joyful celebration.

I will say that in a way it benefits us all as the value of our used tools increases too, but that is measured by the annual scratch and dent sale which in turn, devalues our used tools pricing as well.

There are now many of the items I would wholeheartedly say are no longer worth the asking price in true value/cost terms; other items, yes. 

Of course 85% of my Festool stack of tools were purchased used and most further planned purchases would be done that way too if at all.

Julian

 

[sancho57]

Not to mention R&D cost. They can add up as well.

 

[Nigel]

You guys whingeing have had it too good. Back about 4 or 5 years Festool was getting really expensive in Europe and then they got hit with the price fixing thing and the prices came down a lot.
...

That would imply that the prices are not driven solely by productions costs.

  Well the price fixing back then meant the dealers were not allowed to discount - now they can so any reductions now must  come from the dealers end not from Festool. I reckon European buyers have subsidized Festool's entry into America with cheaper tools but I guess the prices over there are starting to catch up. Welcome to the real Festoolworld guys!

 

[SS Teach]

No question they cost. But that being said I've been able to sand, saw, and rout without living in a dust bowl. To me that is important. My work environment has been much more pleasant. An acquaintance thinks Festool is too expensive. He is willing to live in a wood working dust bowl. The tools work better than the ones I gave to a neighbor's son who is getting into woodworking. He's happy to get the tools, and I'm happy they have a new life. 

 

[ScotF]

It is what it is. Every year there are the same sentiments. The reality is that you can vote with your wallet and either buy them or not. I looked at the increases and there are lots of tools without any price increases this year -- all the drills, the MFK and OF2200 routers, the MFT tables, the cordless track saw, several of the sanders and the list goes on. Many of the accessories are going up, but a couple of bucks is not going to break the bank on sandpaper or drill bits. Some tools are going up and are much more than when I bought mine. But clearly there is demand for them that Festool feels it warrants the increased price. Over the life of a tool the extra cost is likely not going to be that huge of a factor. I bought lots of pieces of large stationary equipment 10+ years ago. Prices today are over double what I paid and on equipment that is several thousand dollars to begin with, today's pricing is much, much higher for the same thing. As consumer we all want a deal and want to pay as little as possible for whatever it is that we buy. But the reality is that prices are going to go up over time as long as the demand is there to push the prices up.

If you have a need for a tool or were planning to buy something anyway then it makes sense to save some money now, even if it is just a few dollars. IMHO it does not make sense to buy something just to save money if you do not have an immediate need as something else could come along that is better (brushless version, for example) or there could be a promotion that reduces the price to below what you would have spent today.

 

[Holmz]

No question they cost. But that being said I've been able to sand, saw, and rout without living in a dust bowl. To me that is important. My work environment has been much more pleasant. An acquaintance thinks Festool is too expensive. He is willing to live in a wood working dust bowl. The tools work better than the ones I gave to a neighbor's son who is getting into woodworking. He's happy to get the tools, and I'm happy they have a new life.

I know Festool claim to have pioneered dust collection with their Nilfisk vacuums, but these days every manufacture has dust collection tools and vacuums... Bosch, deWalt, Fein, Hitachi, Mafell, Makita, Starmix...

 

[peter halle]

No question they cost. But that being said I've been able to sand, saw, and rout without living in a dust bowl. To me that is important. My work environment has been much more pleasant. An acquaintance thinks Festool is too expensive. He is willing to live in a wood working dust bowl. The tools work better than the ones I gave to a neighbor's son who is getting into woodworking. He's happy to get the tools, and I'm happy they have a new life.

I know Festool claim to have pioneered dust collection with their Nilfisk vacuums, but these days every manufacture has dust collection tools and vacuums... Bosch, deWalt, Fein, Hitachi, Mafell, Makita, Starmix...

If someone is happy with their decision and their purchases what does it matter to you?  Rhetorical question of course.

Peter

 

[TheSergeant]

Festool just priced themselves out of the market for me too.  I have a ATF55, CT22, Domino 500, RO125, ETS150, PSB300, OF1010 and a few others that are eluding me right now. 

Overall I've been happy with everything but was EXTREMELY disappointed with my Carvex 420 and MFT3 that I recently purchased and then sold.  $560 for a jigsaw w/ accessory kit?  $700 for a MDF/aluminum extrusion table where the fence has to be squared every time you adjust the height?  Are you serious?

Initially I was all about Festool because of the dust collection and innovative products.  Now it seems like the competition has caught up, AND and substantially lower prices.  I paid $560 for the Carvex that functionally was terrible.  The Bosch offering is less than HALF the price and is better is basically every way.  Makita is producing an absolutely killer track saw at like 60% of the cost of the Festool.  Even the Rotex sanders are getting some strong competition.

At this point I don't think I'll be buying another Festool.  The prices have just gotten ridiculous and they really are gouging people on the small stuff.

 

[Holmz]

No question they cost. But that being said I've been able to sand, saw, and rout without living in a dust bowl. To me that is important. My work environment has been much more pleasant. An acquaintance thinks Festool is too expensive. He is willing to live in a wood working dust bowl. The tools work better than the ones I gave to a neighbor's son who is getting into woodworking. He's happy to get the tools, and I'm happy they have a new life.

I know Festool claim to have pioneered dust collection with their Nilfisk vacuums, but these days every manufacture has dust collection tools and vacuums... Bosch, deWalt, Fein, Hitachi, Mafell, Makita, Starmix...

If someone is happy with their decision and their purchases what does it matter to you?  Rhetorical question of course.

Peter

The statement appeared to indicate that "only" Festool does dust control.
As most any tool does that these days... (LTR).

Of course if it makes him/her happy to get Festool, then perhaps that is all that matters... And that also includes the other stuff (Perception, dust, warranty, 30-day trial, etc.)

 

[mayer.mlmet]

Its hard to understand: $ vs Euro is really strong, so you'd expect, given that Festool is made in Germany (Eurozone), the US should be getting a price break ...