Festool's first U.S. production line

[AlexThePalex]

Gregor & Alex , your view is often voiced by many who have no clue what it's like to run a manufacturing business, or young uns who have grown up in the Information Age where everything is point, click and deliver tomorrow.  I'm not picking on you.

No, it's not that it can't be done, it's that they can't be bothered because the margin's too low. And thanks for the "no clue" comment. You're always here to bring a shining light to everybody's day.

 

[Gregor]

Gregor & Alex , your view is often voiced by many who have no clue what it's like to run a manufacturing business, or young uns who have grown up in the Information Age where everything is point, click and deliver tomorrow.  I'm not picking on you.

Alex beat me to an answer with

No, it's not that it can't be done, it's that they can't be bothered because the margin's too low. And thanks for the "no clue" comment. You're always here to bring a shining light to everybody's day.

but some remarks anyway:

I'm fine with someone (or some company) telling me that they simply won't do something, even without giving a reason or when explicitely stating that they're just not interested as it would be an additional effort (however small) - even lazyness as a reason is acceptable, as it's an honest answer.

Simply don't want to do it for whatever reason? Fine.
It'll be more difficult to do custom stuff compared to off-the-shelf? Certainly.
The bespoke product might take longer to be delivered and possibly be more expensive? Reasonable.
Significant added complexity in carrying an additional dimension parameter in an order? Su... wait, what? In 2017?

I'm also fresh out of kind things to say to people which pull ad hominem, especially without having a clue about me as a person... Thanks [member=5277]Alex[/member] for wording it politely.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I'm with Alex and Gregor, drop shipping is very common in the States already.

antss, I'm sure you know this so but for others that may not the holes are punched not drilled. I think...

Svar, I like the positive way Mafell the splinter guard attaches to the rail but it requires you to buy a new strip when it wears. With the simple stick-on method Festool uses I can simply move the strip out a little and re-trim. At least I can with the old black neoprene strips (don't yet own a rail with the "clear" strip). On one of my rails the strip has been moved out 10mm from the original position and still works fine.

 

[Cheese]

antss, I'm sure you know this so but for others that may not the holes are punched not drilled.

Punched because they are slightly oblong, not round.

 

[Bob Marino]

MY OPINION - I realize that there are a lot of wishes and wants in this thread - even by me - but keeping it real Festool is going to go status quo by their statements for the time being or longer.  To change extrusion designs would probably mean worldwide changes and that isn't something that will happen in combination with setting up a production line in another country.

Peter

Agree and as a dealer, I am wondering how this would be accomplished in any type of timely manner and what about stocking and pricing for every custom size rail? Right now, there are a good number of sizes available and the ability (not a perfect solution convenience wise) to connect rails together. All these are in stock and ready to ship from the dealers. Ordering a custom size would take time for Festool to make and then ship to the dealers. And I'm sure it would be a costly request.

Having said that, I'm happy to see this first step taken by Festool to start manufacturing items here.

 

[jeh]

Since it is going to be made in USA (no more import tariff, high shipping cost) ,I just wondering if the price will go down?

Keep dreaming. We are already getting killed with the Euro costing $1.15 USD. When you Euro went into a free fall a few years ago ($1.60+ to close to a dollar) Festool still kept increasing prices, which makes buying stuff in Europe and having it shipped here cheaper than buying it here. With an order a few $100 the savings can be substantial even after shipping is accounted for.

 

[antss]

Thanks for the 3M info Cheese.  Does this mean they are or are going to OEM festool's entire abrasive line ? Do they already make the adhesives for the rails strips too ?

Alex and Gregor, I never said Festool can't do it. I said their type of operation doesn't lend itself to one offs.  Bob M, a large and well respected dealer has told us why it's not PRACTICAL too.

As seasoned operation managers you guys already know this. So why the animosity ?  Of course FT doesn't want to do this. It's not their core business any more than Ford's is making custom automobiles.  Both companies could do it.

 

[Michael Kellough]

80/20 extrudes and anodizes in house. You can order anything cut to the mm and pay by the inch (ex. for a piece 26mm you pay for 2 inches). Being custom cut the delivery time ranges from 1 to 2 weeks in my experience.

You can also order the stuff from any of 80/20's dealers but it is still cut by and ships from 80/20.

For a custom length guide rail they could just use a fill-in-the-blank product label and use the next larger size box to ship.

Of course we can already buy a guide rail and cut it down...

 

[semenza]

Lets dial down the negativity and animosity in this thread, please.  Making me wish I hadn't made the --  'it would be cool , but half joking custom length rail post'.

Seth

 

[waho6o9]

Maybe cut 2 rails at 45 degrees and weld them together. Then cut or mill the places where the saw glides

and hopefully one can square up sheet goods with 2 set ups.......

Just thinking.

View attachment 1

 

[dennyvielhab]

As an aside...When I purchased my track saw and rail guard, I inquired about getting a holey rail, as I was thinking forward.  I was told that was fine, and there was no additional charge. I did have to phone in the order, as that option was not specifically listed on their website.

I have often wondered about the cost of a hole punching machine vs. the cost (income) of recycling the leftover punches, and possibility of savings because of reduction in substantially identical inventory.  It seems to make sense to me, but my background is medical, not marketing or manufacturing.

 

[rljatl]

I am so glad Festool spent the time, money, and resources on this US guide rail production line.  FOGers and potential Festool customers have been asking for this for years!  Things like this US guide rail production line and the changeover to imperial will greatly enhance Festool's reputation for innovation, listening to what customers want and standing behind their products.  I expect many new Festool customers because of this.  Hope the FOG software and servers can handle the expected increase in load.

Why waste valuable resources and money on inconsequential and frivolous things like a new impact driver, LED lights on routers or fixing the Kapex?

 

[PeterK]

Guess I don't really understand the benefits to the customer of "made in USA"? Sure it is good PR to do some manufacturing here - no question about that. As I am unaware of any rail shortages having happened, as the price will not change, as no new rail designs or improvements, is there any benefit to the consumer I am missing? Not trying to be negative but just don't understand the "hoopla" of this announcement.

 

[antss]

RB - many will miss the sarcasm in that post.  [unsure]

 

[rljatl]

RB - many will miss the sarcasm in that post.  [unsure]

[wink]

 

[rmwarren]

I doubt this is going to be a trend. Making guide rails here makes sense for a lot of reasons:

• Manufacturing is not complex as it entails outsourced extrusions, a single automated line and probably one person with limited training
• Shipping the rails was probably costly due to their unwieldy nature
• Likely this is an effort to expand worldwide production capacity without taking up room in another manufacturing plant
• Raw materials inventory is limited to extrusions, stickers and 2 flavors of strips
• May be some advantage to exporting to Canada and Mexico from the US versus EU
• Eliminates exchange rate fluctuations

Given that this is probably the only item in the lineup that does not involve complex assembly my hunch is this is a limited endeavor and I'd be surprised to see more production come to the US.

Then again, I may be all wet.

RMW

 

[TylerC]

... I'd be surprised to see more production come to the US.

There will be additional production lines. You're probably right that it will continue to be simpler products — at least in the short/mid-term — it there will be others.

 

[Cheese]

I heard something about the TS 55 being a potential candidate.  [cool]

 

[PeterK]

RB - many will miss the sarcasm in that post.  [unsure]

Yea I read that and thought - huh?
We REALLY need a "like" button for posts like his.

 

[Rollin22Petes]

RB - many will miss the sarcasm in that post.  [unsure]

  If you have had multiply Kapex motors burn out like me and others you definitely won't miss it!!!!