Festool Prices

[Steveo48]

Hi all, been quite a while.

I was wondering with the global recession and the Euro's troubles if Festool prices have reflected any of that.  I just looked and the prices seem to be just where they were two years ago, very high.

We bought a travel trailer last year and a boat this year and got a huge discount on both, yet I see no discounts on Festools.

Now, it's has been just a few years since I last bought a Festool, have they come down?

 

[ajones]

There is the sping promotion  I think its 10% on some items in the US here in the UK there are some bundled deals but still expensive [sad]

 

[AlexThePalex]

I was wondering with the global recession and the Euro's troubles if Festool prices have reflected any of that. 

Yes, Festool prices have reflected the economic troubles. Just like everything else, Festool has become more expensive too.  [wink]

 

[Bob Marino]

 Nope, for the most part, Festool prices have not "dropped", but there are some tools  - TDK and C12 drills that are available at discounts and there is currently a 10% promo on TS Saws, blades and some accessories. However, Festool's 2010 prices have not increased over 2009's prices.

Bob

 

[Neill]

Hi all, been quite a while.

I was wondering with the global recession and the Euro's troubles if Festool prices have reflected any of that.  I just looked and the prices seem to be just where they were two years ago, very high.

We bought a travel trailer last year and a boat this year and got a huge discount on both, yet I see no discounts on Festools.

Now, it's has been just a few years since I last bought a Festool, have they come down?

Steve,

I recall many years ago (probably in the seventies) when the dollar was fluctuating like crazy, that many imported goods varied in price depending on exactly when it came into this country.  You could walk into a Mercedes dealership and see the exact same vehicle priced 10-15% different than the exact one sitting next to it.

You don't see this anymore.  I guess there is enough padding built into the price that if the value of a dollar increases they still make a profit.  If it decreases, they make a bigger profit.  When was the last time you heard of Mercedes, BMW or Audi closing a dealership?

I wouldn't be surprised if Festool has adopted this same pricing strategy.

Neill

 

[tbellemare]

If you look at tools in general over the last couple of years, I don't think you'll see decreases in pricing. In fact, in this extended period of what the federal government has claimed was little to no inflation, the price of tools in the aggregate has increased significantly. I guess they don't consider people who use tools to make their living to be consumers. (Inflation calculations based on the CPI - "Consumer" Price Index.)

Some of the products that require a lot of steel have had 50% increases in a year. A lot of what I sell has seen fairly sharp increases over the last couple of years but not Festool or Stabila.

Tom

 

[ajones]

I think increased tool prices reflects the amount of technology Incorporated into even ordinary items, if you take cordless battery's they used to contain battery cells and nothing else now they are full of circuitry to control power output...another example. brushless motors....  the list is endless

 

[Neill]

I think increased tool prices reflects the amount of technology Incorporated into even ordinary items, if you take cordless battery's they used to contain battery cells and nothing else now they are full of circuitry to control power output...another example. brushless motors....  the list is endless

I agree.  Also take into account increased safety and environmental regulations for the manufacture, use and disposal that have been imposed at nearly all levels of government.

Neill

 

[tbellemare]

I agree with those points also. The tool inflation that came to my mind was price increases for exactly the same tools.

When the price of oil spiked, virtually all industrial commodities spiked also. Wholesale tool prices spiked along with the material involved. A tire changing tool is a classic example...

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This tool hasn't changed since I was a kid. It went up over 50% in less than a year during 2 price increases. It is one of the more shocking examples but there are many similar cases.

All I was trying to point out is that the "Consumer" Price Index is not a proper gauge of the whole economy.

Tom

 

[mouppe]

I don't care what the CPI says about living in a non-inflationary world, life is more expensive than it used to be, and often I pay more for inferior quality goods. At least with Festool I am paying for quality, and buying quality tends to be deflationary as it lasts for years and does not need replacing.

The CPI is massively skewed by the way in which it treats performance increases such as with computers (i.e. a year-old computer costs much less than when new which leads to be a large deflationary impact- but who realistically buys them?).

I would happily return every item that I  have ever bought at Home Depot for 20% of the purchase price and spend it one or two Festools.

Richard.