Festool is (partially) moving to imperial in North America

[TylerC]

Beginning in a few weeks, select Festool tools and accessories will begin featuring imperial scales instead of metric. The imperial versus metric debate here on the FOG has lots of opinions on both sides, but we hope that offering tools in imperial will allow more craftsmen to integrate Festool into their current processes and work habits. This applies to the US and Canada only and will go into effect on July 5, 2016.

We have more details about it at on the Festool USA blog.

Here are the tools that are moving to imperial:

Item # New Item # Description
574553 574690 Planer HL 850 E Imp.
574339 574691 Router OF 1010 EQ Imp.
574342 574692 Router OF 1400 EQ Imp.
574354 574689 Router OF 2200 Imp.
561556 574683 Circular Saw TS 55 REQ Imp.
561438 574684 Circular Saw TS 75 EQ Imp.
561730 574685 Circular Saw TSC 55 REB Li
561718 574686 Circular Saw TSC 55REB Li XL
495717 201182 Parallel Side Fence
495718 201183 Parallel Guide Extension

 

[Kev]

Going back to steam power as well?

 

[tiralie]

[member=57769]TylerC[/member], will those tools or any new tools also be available in metric?
Tim

 

[Throwback7r]

[member=57769]TylerC[/member], will those tools or any new tools also be available in metric?
Tim

With this guy!

 

[Stephen B]

Going back to steam power as well?

[size=13pt]
It's OK [member=13058]Kev[/member] , just like Fathers Day is a different month from ours, apparently Fools Day is not on April 1 in NA.  [smile]

I could understand if Festool NA offered both options. Any reading of the FOG should have led to the conclusion that for the NA market both measuring systems have their 'fan' base  and that it would be clever marketing to offer both options.

 

[TylerC]

[member=57769]TylerC[/member], will those tools or any new tools also be available in metric?
Tim

No. These tools will move to imperial only.

 

[Paul G]

While I'm glad to be able to get some imperial tools, eliminating their metric counterparts is a big mistake. I'm all for folks having a choice which system they want to use.

 

[jumpinthefire]

  I almost bought a TS55 last week.

  I much rather have the imperial version. I wonder how long it will take for the average festool retailer to sell all current saws and start selling the new versions.

 

[Bohdan]

Will the 110V tools sold in England be imperial or metric?

 

[TylerC]

Will the 110V tools sold in England be imperial or metric?

This does not affect anything outside of the US and Canada. As far as I know, every other country is remaining 100% metric.

 

[Bohdan]

So people in NA that want to stay metric will be able to get their tools from England.

 

[TylerC]

  I almost bought a TS55 last week.

  I much rather have the imperial version. I wonder how long it will take for the average festool retailer to sell all current saws and start selling the new versions.

Good question. I'd recommend that you talk to your preferred dealer. If they see that people want the imperial tools, they'll be more apt to stock up quickly.

 

[andrew.wickes]

Good to know. Also curious when it will start hitting the market. I'm gonna be picking up an OF1400 over the 4th of July weekend but if it's hitting everywhere on the 6th, might wait. Looks like I need to call Woodcraft!

 

[TylerC]

So people in NA that want to stay metric will be able to get their tools from England.

People are free to buy wherever they want ... with the knowledge that warranties and such won't necessarily apply.

I anticipate that the current stock of metric tools will still be floating around for a while here in NA, so nothing will disappear overnight.

 

[bobfog]

While I'm glad to be able to get some imperial tools, eliminating their metric counterparts is a big mistake. I'm all for folks having a choice which system they want to use.

Exactly! Especially as they are already made in metric as it stands. This is possibly one of the most stupid and most ignorant thing I have seen Festool do for a while! Feel sorry for those in NA who are denied the choice. Not an imperial vs metric debate, but criticism of Festool forcing a change when it would be so easy to offer imperial as an alternative, not an imposed decision and keep the current metric line-up!

 

[rmwarren]

[member=57769]TylerC[/member], will those tools or any new tools also be available in metric?
Tim

No. These tools will move to imperial only.

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!  [scared]

Why not dual markings, cannot be that hard to implement? I for one work in metric, my addled brain cannot process adding 3/32's to 5/64's but I can manage 2+2.

As a side note, it surprises me that a very progressive company would take a backwards step on such a basic level. Surely your marketing folks have not concluded that there is 0.00245% increase in sales potential by catering to the US Imperial prejudice?

RMW 

 

[deepcreek]

This does not affect anything outside of the US and Canada. As far as I know, every other country is remaining 100% metric.

Doesn't Canada use the Metric system?

 

[TylerC]

Surely your marketing folks have not concluded that there is 0.00245% increase in sales potential by catering to the US Imperial prejudice?

Considering that imperial dominates North America, this move should make Festool more accessible to a much wider group of craftsmen.

 

[rmwarren]

While I'm glad to be able to get some imperial tools, eliminating their metric counterparts is a big mistake. I'm all for folks having a choice which system they want to use.

Exactly! Especially as they are already made in metric as it stands. This is possibly one of the most stupid and most ignorant thing I have seen Festool do for a while! Feel sorry for those in NA who are denied the choice. Not an imperial vs metric debate, but criticism of Festool forcing a change when it would be so easy to offer imperial as an alternative, not an imposed decision and keep the current metric line-up!

Agree - and it further muddles the market since it is only a partial change with other tools remaining metric. I think this is a major mistake.

My  [2cents] - take it for what it's worth.

RMW

 

[jumpinthefire]

This does not affect anything outside of the US and Canada. As far as I know, every other country is remaining 100% metric.

Doesn't Canada use the Metric system?

yes we use it for speed,distances, Gas Pumps, Temperature

But we still say a pound of sugar, or a 40 ounces bottle of hard liquor

And all construction stuff is still imperial : ex : 2 by 4 studs 4' by 8' plywood, 54'' by 12' drywall sheets etc..