Festool Recon site question

[ReneS]

I like to check out the Recon site on a regular basis to see whether there is something that catches my eye.

I have noticed that some tools are up for a very short time (like the MFK 700 router) and others are up for a much longer time (like the ETS 150 sander that is currently up).

I can't help wondering about that. It seems to me that a tool that is up for a long time has a lot of returns and/or not much demand. Likewise, a tool that is up for a very short time has few returns and/or a lot of demand.

Does that sound reasonable, or am I missing something equally plausible?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I think you have it backwards. Things like the ETS sanders are far more saturated in the market. So, when they go up for sale, they don't move, because everyone has one.
The ones that are up and gone quickly are the more expensive tools, where the discount makes them more appealing.
(DF 700 always goes fast)
MFK700 has gained some popularity lately, though it has been around a long time. Local dealers don't stock them, for some reason?

 

[johnmpf]

What you are saying could be true. But I think it is more complicated. I got a CT Midi I from them last year. It was clearly brand new, as were all the accessories. It came in a sealed packaging. It had hair line cracks in the hose garage. It looks like it was broken during assembly at the factory. My guess, and this is only a guess, is that they packed it up and sent it to the US to be sold on Recon. In addition I have purchased a KSC 60, TSC 55, and a sander. All appeared to be brand new. The sander had minor scuff marks on it, the kind you would get the first time you use it. I don't know if it was a demo unit or overstock. I think Festool may use Recon to sell overstock items as well. All I know is that I got virtually new tools for 20% off retail.

 

[ReneS]

CRG - That is interesting. And it makes me wonder about the people who go to the Recon site. If that is a limited group with a fair bit of knowledge about Festool tools, then it makes sense that they would already have the point-of-entry tools, like the sanders.

Me, I never heard of the Recon site until I was coming here for a several months. So even with a couple of Festool tools under my belt, I had no idea Recon existed. Makes me think that a person who is on the fence about getting a Festool sander probably doesn't know about Recon. If they did, they might take the plunge a little more readily, which might pump up the demand a bit.


John - That is good to know. It never occurred to me that they might be selling blemished new tools or over stocks.

I am a bit bummed that the MFK 700 went so quickly last time, although my bank account is probably happy. I saw it and checked back an hour later and it was gone.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Although Festool in Oz does offer up a "used/damaged" page every so often, we don't really have the same sort of discounts or variety of tools you guys have. Mostly Fein stuff with the odd CT or Protool sprinkled in, but with so little mark down it's usually not worth considering.

 

[onocoffee]

If you read through the site, or just read as people make commentary on the various topics, some things about Recon tools seem to emerge. Some of them are brand new and are just discontinued SKUs (Festool, when making either a revision to the tool itself, a change in the accessories included with the tool, or just a change in the Systainer the tool and accessories are housed, will change the SKU), others are tools that have been reconditioned by FTUSA, some are probably customer returns (ostensibly from the 30 Day No Questions Asked, Money Back Guarantee) which may have some level of use and may or may not have been cleaned up by FTUSA, and a few seem to be actual tools that were repaired by FTUSA.

Whichever case you may receive from Recon, the one year warranty still applies - and in the cases where something was wrong with the tool, just about everyone has reported that FTUSA has taken cared of those issues. All this meaning that it's a relatively safe way to buy Festool at a discount - though there are many times when you have to troll frequently and be ready to pounce when the tool you want comes up (looking for you, RTS400).

And as CRG noted, probably a lot of the people seeking Recon are "in the know" and have an assortment already. In addition, I think it's also a situation that, sometimes, some of the tools being offered are singles while others being offered may have several at the ready. In those cases, it's probably a matter of FTUSA selling through the excess of that particular SKU/Tool.

 

[4nthony]

I am a bit bummed that the MFK 700 went so quickly last time, although my bank account is probably happy. I saw it and checked back an hour later and it was gone.

I have record of the MFK 700 being on Recon 26 times so far this year.

My guess is we'll see some variant of it again before the end of the year.

 

[onocoffee]

@4nthony What do you have for the KS120 this year?

 

[4nthony]

@4nthony What do you have for the KS120 this year?

Here ya go. I think there might've been a couple in September/October, but had some recent downtime with the bot so they might've been missed.

 

[ReneS]

I have record of the MFK 700 being on Recon 26 times so far this year.

My guess is we'll see some variant of it again before the end of the year.

Wow, that is impressive. But I am surprised I missed the October appearances.

Thanks for pulling that together.

 

[Hipplewm]

Not everything has a quantity of 1 either - I bought a DTS-400 and called my friend, he ordered one as well - it was still up for a few more hours.
When we got our sanders, his was used, mine was used and very dirty as well - not that it matters, but maybe they had a bunch come back from a convention or rotating stock on demo trucks etc - they both work perfect - but definitely sometimes more than 1 are available.

 

[RonMiller]

My experience with Recon has been excellent over the years. I've probably bought more than a half dozen items. Most have been brand new with no noticeable flaws at all. When I registered them, the 1 year warranty wasn't 1, it was 3. Not sure why but who's to complain!

 

[onocoffee]

My experience with Recon has been excellent over the years. I've probably bought more than a half dozen items. Most have been brand new with no noticeable flaws at all. When I registered them, the 1 year warranty wasn't 1, it was 3. Not sure why but who's to complain!

In the "fine print" on the Recon site it says that registering, as we would do with tools purchased from a dealer, is not necessary. But yours sounds like a win!