Festool Router Bits.

[KUMA]

Sure this has been thrashed to death but I can’t see it anywhere. A lot of debate surrounds the choice or router bit, whether it’s 1/4”, 8mm or 1/2”. The OF1400 currently comes with bothe the 1/4 and 1/2” collets. Issue I am having is I can’t see a single official festool bit to use in either collet. Everything I can see, on all the standard UK reseller sites, the Festool site and the Festool 2017 catalogue comes with an 8mm shank and in some instances a 12mm shank.

I am probably showing up the fact I am a massive novice  [eek] here and the shank probably has nothing to do with the size collet so please enlighten me. Much appreciated.

 

[ear3]

Bits are collet specific owing to the standardization of the shank to either 1/4"/8mm or 1/2"/12mm.  You can move down in size by using a collet insert -- so you can put a 1/4" bit in a 1/2" collet by using a 1/4" sleeve (or an 8mm bit using an 8mm collet insert), but you can't move up in size, since there is no way to stick a larger shank into a collet with a smaller diameter.

Some bits can be had in multiple shank sizes, like the straight/dado bits for example, or some of the simpler edge profiling bits.  Some bits are exclusively 1/2" however -- like any straight bit in excess of 3/4", or larger profiling bits.

If you are in Europe, I would assume that the 1400 comes with a 12mm collet rather than a 1/2" one.

 

[Slider613]

My OF 1400 came with an 8mm Collet in addition to the 1/4 and 1/2. I only have 1/4 and 1/2 inch shank bits, I think the 8mm is more popular in Europe.

 

[KUMA]

Righto, thanks for your replies. So it’s as I suspected then. I have 1/4 and 1/2” collets that came with the machine yet there are no Festool bits to fit directly into it in Europe. I could just buy an 8mm collet but that’s almost 10% of the machine cost. Amazing!

 

[Holmz]

Pretty dire pricing for a collet...
I got a set(s) of 8-mm bits off of eBay and also through Dictum.de
It is a nice size.

 

[ear3]

An 8mm adapter inside the 1/2" collet will run you less than $10.

Righto, thanks for your replies. So it’s as I suspected then. I have 1/4 and 1/2” collets that came with the machine yet there are no Festool bits to fit directly into it in Europe. I could just buy an 8mm collet but that’s almost 10% of the machine cost. Amazing!

 

[KUMA]

Sure I can get a sleeve to put inside the collet but it’s a fix only. For such a well thought out system it’s a big surprise that you get a 1/4 and 1/2” collet but festool don’t sell a single shank in europe to fit these collets....a major oversight on Festool’s behalf to be honest. I confirmed this on the phone with them today. So effectively Festool either wat you to buy another collet OR by non-festool shanks which just doesn’t make business sense. Why not just supply the until with an 8mm collet and be done with it.  Well I’ve ordered a few 1/2” bits today from axminster on Peter @ New Brit Workshop’s advice.

 

[Holmz]

Does it void the warrenty to use non Festool bits in a Festool router?

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Moderator note .... please see this topic for this type of Warranty question.  Warranty Topic

 

[antss]

no, using a whiteside router bit doesn't affect whether your plug it cord fails, or the depth stop is aligned properly.

Using it though could be an avenue for FT to deny fixing your router though.  Always smart to have a FT bit in your collection and to be able to not recall the specifics of what was going on when your router failed.  :