Festool Syslite overview

[Jonhilgen]

Eric,  I gotta say I'm with you.  After seeing all of the interest generated on the Fog, I took a peek at one on a website and almost spit out my beer (almost).  It might be ok for some, but I cannot in any way justify that cost, let alone buy two.  I make a good living, but 175.00?  Without a systainer even?  No thanks.

Jon

 

[ericbuggeln]

Tom, i would totally argue about tools with those guys and they love to argue, but they wont shut up about politics and religion, Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

You got a dog in a Sys 4 that is going to cost you way more than a Syslite, over the span of the marriage, the Syslite will look like a bargain.

Tom

 

[ericbuggeln]

Jon, not a popular response, but i commend your sensibility.

Tom, that dog is my world, dude!  $175.00 is like my monthly tool budget, im saving for a Kapex, Eric

 

[Kev]

Just for a giggle, I'll drag the bicycle into this conversation. You can pick up a inexpensive road bike from a chain store for $100.

Pay 10x for your bike and you'll have one that goes about 10% faster with the same rider. Pay 100x for the bike ($10,000) and it'll be 12% faster.

So the simple cost ratio doesn't look good.

Add to this, most of the technology in the $10,000 bike ends up in the $1,000 bike as the years click by (but never the $100 bike).

So you can see that the professional cyclist will spend money on (or be given by a sponsor) equipment to improve the chances of winning.

However non competitive riders do buy these high priced bikes. Why? ... they're nice to ride of course! There's a lot of $100 bike riders that don't understand ... and even more people that don't ride bikes that seem to value the sound of their own ignorant opinions!

The Syslite to me falls into the $1000 bicycle class. If it improves your professional work or you enjoy it's features as a DIYer/hobbyist it's a fairly simple justification.

If the Syslte was $5000 I wouldn't buy it - I'm not fanatical about tools in the way that I am about bikes  [big grin]

 

[peter halle]

Apparently the Syslite is not for everyone.  Great!  It is an innovative cordless floodlight / work light and the only one that will also operate on Festool batteries and has an extended run time.

I work outside most days and utilize the sun. I don't need supplemental lighting there.   I have a rented workspace that has florescent lighting mounted at 18 feet above the floor.  I can operate just fine for most things in the shop, but there are those times that I need a little more light at the work surface level.  I could bring in my monster 3 head halogen tripod light, but I would blow the breaker the first time I triggered the TS55 / CT22 combination.  I could get the single halogen light out of the trailer and use it, but the road vibrations always seem to break the filaments.  I could get out the compact florescent trouble light, but I would have to have a nose ring installed to hang it from.

For thirty years I have used a flashlight at times held in my teeth to deal with lighting issues in small spaces.  I thought that the Syslite was way overpriced until I got a chance to touch / feel and then think.  Only then did I see a stronger reason why versus my previously huge why not.

I don't acquire Festools to mindlessly add to my collection and put notches on some trophy board.  I get them to serve a purpose and they are expected to make money or contribute in some way towards that purpose.  I assure you that I have many fewer Festools than many here, but my Festools are used and when used are used hard.  Half of my Systainers are upside down or sideways in my truck right now.  I don't care.

I put the Syslite into the same category as the RAS.  The RAS was shunned and largely ignored for a period of time and then suddenly a whole lot of interest was generated.  I also sat and thought it was a worthless tool until I had a need.  Was planning on using and returning, but it has become a part of the money making arsenal.

The Syslite will surprise you over a number of days.  It isn't like the Festool offerings that make noise when the switch is pressed and that might be part of the problem.  Lighting isn't sexy, but interestingly enough, lighting plays an important roll in other situations when sexy is involved.

Try it out and see for yourself.  Or don't.  Just don't blast those who have found a use.

Peter

 

[hockey_magnet]

Another way of looking at it: Find me a light with the same or better brightness, field of illumination, built in battery, better battery life, car charger, tripod mount, 3 year warranty, that uses Li batteries I already own, for $150, and I'll return my Syslite tomorrow.

Chris

 

[PeterK]

Really I did try searching first but can't find it. Can someone point me to the posts by Shane when he tested run times for the SysLite please?

 

[peter halle]

Really I did try searching first but can't find it. Can someone point me to the posts by Shane when he tested run times for the SysLite please?

Peter,

I think that you are looking for this thread:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/ask-festool/is-there-a-product-page-for-the-sys-lite/msg204643/#msg204643

Peter

 

[PeterK]

That was exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks Peter.

 

[Steve R]

Tom, i always thought the point of online forums was to argue. Forums are full of opinionated people, im one of the biggest. Eric

Eric,

Internet forums by their very nature of being on the internet are open to all, and that means children and adults. One way to look at this is how would you want others to explain things to and what sort of language would you want them to use when talking to your 5 year old child, your minister, your 14 year old daughter, your wife or your grandparents?  Therefore forums must be a safe place where all can come and not have to encounter, vulgar language, suffer bullying, harassment or be embarrassed in front of others that might be their; co-workers, parents, children, friends, customers, vendors, minister, etc. That does not mean that there can’t be lively discussion. It just mean things must be communicated in a civil manner.

Forums are a place to learn, discuss, debate, have lively interaction and a place to find joy and comfort while at the same time learning about others, learning about oneself and expanding one’s mind to topics and ideas that are new.

Learn = to acquire knowledge of a subject or skill through education or experience.

Discuss = to talk about a subject with others.

Debate = to talk about something at length and in detail, especially as part of a formal exchange of opinion, think about something and to ponder something carefully.

The point of forums is not and never has been to argue.

Argument = a disagreement in which different views are expressed, often angrily.

Angrily = in a way that conveys extreme annoyance or displeasure, not open to learning and growing.

You seem to have fallen prey to some news services, sites and groups that don't want to change their mind/view (as right or wrong as it might be) but only want others to think and agree with them totally without thinking or being able to challenge the statements.

Eric, I hope you understand the intentions of my comments.

This site is one of best run and managed website forums I have ever seen. I think of it as a model of how others should be run.

The price of any quality product is viewed in as many different ways as there are people viewing it.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[hockey_magnet]

Tom, i always thought the point of online forums was to argue. Forums are full of opinionated people, im one of the biggest. Eric

Eric,

Internet forums by their very nature of being on the internet are open to all, and that means children and adults. One way to look at this is how would you want others to explain things to and what sort of language would you want them to use when talking to your 5 year old child, your minister, your 14 year old daughter, your wife or your grandparents?  Therefore forums must be a safe place where all can come and not have to encounter, vulgar language, suffer bullying, harassment or be embarrassed in front of others that might be their; co-workers, parents, children, friends, customers, vendors, minister, etc. That does not mean that there can’t be lively discussion. It just mean things must be communicated in a civil manner.

Forums are a place to learn, discuss, debate, have lively interaction and a place to find joy and comfort while at the same time learning about others, learning about oneself and expanding one’s mind to topics and ideas that are new.

Cheers,
Steve

Well said Steve! Nothing is more annoying to me than people saying something like: I'm opinionated, that's me and too bad if you don't like it. Not just on the internet either. I hear stuff like that all the time at work and other places as if "that's me" somehow justifies their behaviour. This is indeed a great forum and compared to most, it is a real joy.

Chris

 

[Theshipstore]

I feel that this thread has gone as far as it should on this topic, Syslite as a hot spot makes no sense to me as it being sold as a tool by Festool like all of there tools you pick and choose what you want and need.
To purchase a Festool Tool for me is nothing more than just that , buying the best in my mind and always remembering it a tool for which I use to make a small living with
[2cents]

Sal

 

[RONWEN]

I feel that this thread has gone as far as it should on this topic, Syslite as a hot spot makes no sense to me as it being sold as a tool by Festool like all of there tools you pick and choose what you want and need.
To purchase a Festool Tool for me is nothing more than just that , buying the best in my mind and always remembering it a tool for which I use to make a small living with
[2cents]
Sal

Exactly true Sal, anything further is just rehashing words.  It would be great to see an objective evaluation/comparison by Dave Reinhold or Paul Marcel.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I feel that this thread has gone as far as it should on this topic, Syslite as a hot spot makes no sense to me as it being sold as a tool by Festool like all of there tools you pick and choose what you want and need.
To purchase a Festool Tool for me is nothing more than just that , buying the best in my mind and always remembering it a tool for which I use to make a small living with
[2cents]
Sal

Exactly true Sal, anything further is just rehashing words.  It would be great to see an objective evaluation/comparison by Dave Reinhold or Paul Marcel.

Compared to what? The Syslite seems to be about two categories beyond the next closest product.
If there was anything similar someone would have mentioned it by now. This thing is unique.

 

[Kev]

I feel that this thread has gone as far as it should on this topic, Syslite as a hot spot makes no sense to me as it being sold as a tool by Festool like all of there tools you pick and choose what you want and need.
To purchase a Festool Tool for me is nothing more than just that , buying the best in my mind and always remembering it a tool for which I use to make a small living with
[2cents]
Sal

Exactly true Sal, anything further is just rehashing words.  It would be great to see an objective evaluation/comparison by Dave Reinhold or Paul Marcel.

Compared to what? The Syslite seems to be about two categories beyond the next closest product.
If there was anything similar someone would have mentioned it by now. This thing is unique.

That's why I mentioned the Wolf ATEX Worklite (the WL-70) in another thread somewhere I think ... makes the Syslite look like a bargain!

 

[RONWEN]

I feel that this thread has gone as far as it should on this topic, Syslite as a hot spot makes no sense to me as it being sold as a tool by Festool like all of there tools you pick and choose what you want and need.
To purchase a Festool Tool for me is nothing more than just that , buying the best in my mind and always remembering it a tool for which I use to make a small living with
[2cents]
Sal

Exactly true Sal, anything further is just rehashing words.  It would be great to see an objective evaluation/comparison by Dave Reinhold or Paul Marcel.

Compared to what? The Syslite seems to be about two categories beyond the next closest product.
If there was anything similar someone would have mentioned it by now. This thing is unique.

I believe you are correct however I (for one) haven't searched all the available products to know that to be true.  I bought mine because of the Festool warranty & support behind it.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I don't recall where this was asked, so I'm just going to post it here.

For those wanting to know, the color temperature of the SysLite LEDs is 4500k.

 

[skipclemmons]

I asked the color temp question.  4500k is good and I think it will work for video.  My favorite is 4000, but 4500 works.  I got mine for Father's Day and I can see a use for one in every car at my house, and one or two in the shop.

One thing that bugs me about the light is the heat.  I used it last night to light a room while I replaced a ceiling fan.   I hung it in the window fully charged, turned it on high.   Good news: It lit the whole room.  Bad news:  It shut down after 45 minutes.  When I plugged it into the charger, I got the red dot for overheating.  It is fine now and ready to go again.   But what happened to my hour and a half on high?   I have plenty of lights, and we finished the installation with my other led lights, no problem.  On my other lights, heat sinking is a design issue, which makes most of them metal, and some of the high powered lights have hi tech heat synching with copper or aluminum.  I found myself wondering if the heat sinking on this plastic product is up to the rest of its excellence.

 

[Laminator]

      I used mine today and it ran on high for about 2 hours before stepping down.  The first time I tried to charge it after running it for a while, the red light blinked.  So I clicked it on and it lit right up. When its hot,  It may not charge, but it will work when plugged in.
      I have used it on a few jobs and really like the convenience of it, so much so that a second one is soon coming to be a companion.  Festool should offer different "package" deals as I believe this product is a real winner.