Festool is (partially) moving to imperial in North America

[Drich]

Well time to throw my 2 cents worth in. This is the dumbest thing yet from Festool. It's all about someone's job justification. The need to come up with so new and great idea that will sell more tools. I bought in to this system a little over a year ago because of watching Eric's video on you tube. I have spent major cash on this system including the woodpecker metric tools to convert over and now you say no more. tell you what  Festool you are not the only show in town. I want metric and if I can't get it with out jumping through your hoops my cash is leaving.  I was wanting to give mafell a try this might be a reason to jump ship. Sorry if I hurt someone's feelings but man open your eyes.

 

[tiralie]

I guess no one will answer questions about this any more.

Just send a message to Festool via the website.
They will get back to you there.
The answers may not be the ones you want to hear but such is life.
Tim

 

[Flatsawn]

The ultimate fix ........ no scale at all, and no detents. It's a zen thing  [not worthy]  [smile]

Seth

OH.... like Olivia Newton John so artfully sang "feel your way" [big grin]

If this measurement adjustment is in fact implemented after all of these concerns posted, what chance do you guess a fix is already under way on the Kapex issue?

Mark

 

[GhostFist]

While I agree that festool should offer both scales. I'm certain they will see an increase in sales by offering imperial.

 

[Samo]

While I agree that festool should offer both scales. I'm certain they will see an increase in sales by offering imperial.

This is the bottom line.

 

[McNally Family]

While I agree that festool should offer both scales. I'm certain they will see an increase in sales by offering imperial.

An increase due to people rushing to get Metric versions while they are still available.....

Actually, I agree with your theory, which is easily validated by seeing how well the imperial version of the ZOBO bit sets sold, which are difficult to find now, as compared to the readily available metric set.

The fact dealers were offered additional discounts for placing larger orders for the existing metric product, in order to clear the warehouse inventory prior to the Imperial transition, certainly increased sales at the wholesale level.

I would have rather seen them offer existing customers who started their Festool collection in metric, a coupon to purchase metric tools they still needed, rather than providing additional discounts to dealers willing to increase their orders, but not passing on the savings to the customers themselves.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I'm Canadian living in Scandinavia, when I grew up the Metric system was being implemented. I Talk to my bro about projects and use metric dimensions, and he wants me to covert it to Imperial, so I guess it's still pretty prevalent also in Canada. I like Imperial too in a way it seems easier to visualise dimensions in a system based on human dimensions . The numbers group together in bunches 3/16, 3/8, 3/4. The Main sport Football, uses yards, the 50 yard dash,,

Being in Scandinavia I have the metric system, but it's fun to work with my old Imperial tape..

I'm sure this is not a bad business idea. Limiting to one or the other reduces the inventory needed, and confusion when ordering. The US market uses imperial and is 10 times greater than the Canadian, so I guess that decides it too..

 

[Kev]

I'm Canadian living in Scandinavia, when I grew up the Metric system was being implemented. I Talk to my bro about projects and use metric dimensions, and he wants me to covert it to Imperial, so I guess it's still pretty prevalent also in Canada. I like Imperial too in a way it seems easier to visualise dimensions in a system based on human dimensions . The numbers group together in bunches 3/16, 3/8, 3/4. The Main sport Football, uses yards, the 50 yard dash,,

Being in Scandinavia I have the metric system, but it's fun to work with my old Imperial tape..

I'm sure this is not a bad business idea. Limiting to one or the other reduces the inventory needed, and confusion when ordering. The US market uses imperial and is 10 times greater than the Canadian, so I guess that decides it too..

Thank you for ordering a Festool track saw sir. Would you like that with imperial or metric scales?

Really confusing ... I'd have to engage a solicitor to help me work out such an amazingly complex issue [blink] [big grin]

Festool NA have made a massive blunder and need to fix it before they become a laughing stock. Competitors will get a lot of milage out of this! ... it's probably already being written into their anti Festool marketing material.

Festool in the UK deal with the same tools in 240V and 110V and these are REAL differences, not just a label. The UK seem to cope and it's a much smaller market than the US and it deals with many, many, many more tools in the range. But wait, there's more ... the service department has to deal with these variations too [eek] [eek] [eek]

I can't wait to see the wave of complaints from people new to Festool, complaining that the detents and adjustments on the saws and routers don't work properly [sad] ... and that all of the accessories and the other tools are "incompatible" [embarassed]

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I'm Canadian living in Scandinavia, when I grew up the Metric system was being implemented. I Talk to my bro about projects and use metric dimensions, and he wants me to covert it to Imperial, so I guess it's still pretty prevalent also in Canada. I like Imperial too in a way it seems easier to visualise dimensions in a system based on human dimensions . The numbers group together in bunches 3/16, 3/8, 3/4. The Main sport Football, uses yards, the 50 yard dash,,

Being in Scandinavia I have the metric system, but it's fun to work with my old Imperial tape..

I'm sure this is not a bad business idea. Limiting to one or the other reduces the inventory needed, and confusion when ordering. The US market uses imperial and is 10 times greater than the Canadian, so I guess that decides it too..

Thank you for ordering a Festool track saw sir. Would you like that with imperial or metric scales?

Really confusing ... I'd have to engage a solicitor to help me work out such an amazingly complex issue [blink] [big grin]

Festool NA have made a massive blunder and need to fix it before they become a laughing stock. Competitors will get a lot of milage out of this! ... it's probably already being written into their anti Festool marketing material.

Festool in the UK deal with the same tools in 240V and 110V and these are REAL differences, not just a label. The UK seem to cope and it's a much smaller market than the US and it deals with many, many, many more tools in the range. But wait, there's more ... the service department has to deal with these variations too [eek] [eek] [eek]

I can't wait to see the wave of complaints from people new to Festool, complaining that the detents and adjustments on the saws and routers don't work properly [sad] ... and that all of the accessories and the other tools are "incompatible" [embarassed]

You would be surprised how dumb the world is getting..
I thought the UK 24i0V and 110V system seems really just plain weird but again it's how things are has some logic to it so yes it exists..I note it and get on with my life..
The complaints about the detents? They are mostly fore angles, not for length in millimeters though it's on the Dominos, so yes for that machine it is a problem.The track saw has the indicator for with and without track saw use, this will surely be adjusted for..

Now they have decided on this switch to imperial in North America, I for one thought to offer an olive branch in what seems to have developed into a storm of complaints and company bashing, which always puts me in a bit of an agro state of mind..So I can come with a counter view almost a gut response..Expect it!

 

[Holmz]

...
I note it and get on with my life..
The complaints about the detents? They are mostly fore angles, not for length in millimeters though it's on the Dominos..
...

Ia vote for a switch from degrees to radians. Pi/4 [smile]

 

[PreferrablyWood]

...
I note it and get on with my life..
The complaints about the detents? They are mostly fore angles, not for length in millimeters though it's on the Dominos..
...

Ia vote for a switch from degrees to radians. Pi/4 [smile]

Get out the slide rules

 

[Michael Kellough]

The complaints about the detents? They are mostly fore angles, not for length in millimeters though it's on the Dominos, so yes for that machine it is a problem.The track saw has the indicator for with and without track saw use, this will surely be adjusted for..

Now they have decided on this switch to imperial in North America, I for one thought to offer an olive branch in what seems to have developed into a storm of complaints and company bashing, which always puts me in a bit of an agro state of mind..So I can come with a counter view almost a gut response..Expect it!

As a reasonable fellow that is what you would expect but it is not what Festool is doing. They are simply replacing millimeters scales with 1/16" scales. The track saws have depth adjustment racks of 1 mm spaced teeth. Those same teeth will remain but will be misrepresented by 1/16" markings.

That is the worst example. Next is the router. The metric threaded fine depth adjustment screw will remain, but the overall depth scale will be changed from millimeters to 1/16" marks.

This bastardization of well engineered tools in order to cater to narrow minded carpenters is not what we expect from Festool. But, I guess they did their homework...

"No one in this world, so far as I know-and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me-has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people."  HL Mencken

 

[FishyD]

Exactly! The issue is not the move to imperial (which I am neutral on, even though it does seem a bit backwards), it's the disjointed implementation. Only SOME of the tools will switch and the ones that do will be scale tapes only, nothing mechanical will change. The detents/racks on the track saws and the fine adjustments on the routers will still be in mm. An $800 saw where the pre-sets don't correlate to the scale beneath it...One of the things that really sold me on the saw and router were the fine adjustments (and the correlation of these to actual measurements)

Couldn't agree more Michael, in bringing themselves down to the lowest common denominator Festool has really taken a step backwards into a configuration nightmare. It doesn't make any sense that a company that prides themselves on being a "systems" approach to woodworking tools would bless off on half of the system using a different measurement system while simultaneously breaking the other half with scales that don't match their corresponding mechanical adjustments.

This kind of thing seems completely out of line for a German company in my opinion. I can't help but think some U.S. marketing guy got his way on this one to increase next FY's sales numbers. Who cares about the fact that you have alienated some of your most dedicated customers that switched measurement systems entirely just to better use your tools and created chaos is a fairly harmonious tool system, if sales are up...that is all that matters.

 

[Paul G]

Most of the angst over this move would be mitigated with dual scales or continuing to also offer the metric counterparts.

 

[Holmz]

Well I just checked the cars's speedo and it has two scales. SI (metric) and Imperial.
They had stickers to convert the metric TS55 to Imperial, and I suspect that stickers can comvert them back to Metric.

 

[McNally Family]

Most of the angst over this move would be mitigated with dual scales or continuing to also offer the metric counterparts.

I certainly agree with both your points.  Regarding the "metric counterparts", they are still available for now at least, and I'm certain that they will continue to be for a little while anyway (from those dealers that accepted the additional discount to increase their order quantity for the remaining metric versions). 

Not wanting to risk missing the Metric Parallel Guide set, whose scale is utilized to measure length, I have already purchased that.  I am now getting ready to purchase a track saw and router, once I make a final decision on which model will serve me best.

So, in the short term, the solution to this problem is to get them while you can.  Of course, the financial aspect of accelerating Festool purchases, would never come at a good time.  I certainly have made adjustments to purchase what I need, while it is available. 

One way to mitigate the immediate expense is to postpone purchasing any accessories you would have otherwise purchased at the same time.

 

[Stoli]

Ia vote for a switch from degrees to radians. Pi/4 [smile]

Now you've really done it -- we should be arguing how tau is better than pi

 

[Euclid]

Ia vote for a switch from degrees to radians. Pi/4 [smile]

What about calibrating in Shaku and Sun for those of us with a passion for Japanese joinery?

 

[Kev]

They'd be better off removing the scales and sticking a ruler in with the tools !

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I have to admit, I've mostly used my version of a story tick, bodyparts, a pencil a stick..scribing in banging it a kick, swearing things in to place...Now I've got new  glasses I'm afraid to check anything I've built..