First time purchase!

[3liftwonder]

Hi everyone
As a chippy of 25 years I'm about to make my first Festool purchase, my question is with a couple of thousand to spend is it worth going direct to my local rep or should I go to the cheapest online supplier and try to do a deal?
Thanks in advance!

 

[TheTrooper]

I'd recommend going local and build a relationship with them, however in my case my local retailer is not the greatest since they are a paint Store and only carry sanders and vacuums.

 

[TheTrooper]

[welcome] to the craziness of Festool

 

[3liftwonder]

It's going be a long and possibly expensive road!

 

[JBag09]

I agree with going to a local dealer also. I bought about half of my tools from them and the other half I have purchased online because of no tax and free shipping. Not sure how it works in the UK exactly.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

If your purchase will include a track saw, many of us have talked our dealer into supplying a "holey" guiderail, compatible with the LR32 cabinet layout system, instead of the plain rail.  If your local dealer balks, I would try somewhere else.

Also ask about "package deals".  You might get a discount for bundling a saw or a sander with a vacuum.

 

[WelshWood]

If you're looking to spend a few thousand I would definately go down the route of asking for package deals; be it with a local dealer or online supplier.

Being in the UK myself the nearest dealer to me is over 100 miles away, so I bought all of my stuff online, which can be had at very good prices in my opinion.

TS55 is a must for the building site in my opinion, whether your ripping sheet MDF or Ply, or want to use it for plasterboarding, it's worth it's weight in gold.

Secondly, I would definately get a dust extractor, go for the best one you can afford. You can't put a price on your own health.

What area of work do you mainly do?

~WW

 

[3liftwonder]

Thanks for the reply Welshwood
I do pretty much all carpentry other than joinery and new build site work, although that may be something for the future.
Currently on my list is the TS55 with two tracks and clamps, a C18 plus, a bare BRH 18, OF1400 router, the single handed planer, a couple of extra sustainer boxes and the trolley for lugging it about! I'm also trying to decide if the worktop jig is worth the extra over a trend, I probably do 4 kitchens a year but love the concept of clamping under the worktop. Was going to adapt a wickes wet and dry Hoover as I've read elsewhere, they are currently £40! What's your opinion on that idea?
Cheers

 

[Doug S]

I have the old ts55 and love it, the 3m guide rail is handy for ripping sheets if you can afford/store/transport it.

I prefer the T grip to C grip drills but that is personal preference, the BHC seems to get good reviews.

Love the OF1400 router.

The EHL65 planer is nice, sometimes find the cut a bit narrow but ok 95% of the time.

The Festool extractors are worth looking at, they do work well as part of the system.

I got the sys roll but don't use it anymore, doesn't work for what I do.

Can't help with workshop jig, I got a cheap one that does the odd time I need it.

I would like to say I shop local but all my local suppliers are useless so I mostly buy online, some real bargains around these days.

Doug

 

[Birdhunter]

What is a "chippy"?

 

[Wuffles]

Where in the UK are you? One of us might know a local dealer that is reasonable and save you that faceless mail order experience.

 

[Doug S]

In the UK a chippy is another name for a carpenter.

Doug

 

[Locks14]

What is a "chippy"?

UK tradesmen nicknames:

Chippy = carpenter
Spark = electrician
Spread = plasterer
Flood = plumber
Bricky = bricklayer
Sniff = gas fitter/engineer

 

[Staniam]

And I though we in the US had some funny slang/nicknames. Those seem pretty clever though haha.

And as far as a few thousand to spend, definitely grab the TS55 and a CT. Those two already come at a bundled discount no matter which CT you choose. The PDC might be a good choice as an do-it-all drill. I would definitely recommend the CXS too, especially since the updated version came out. You may think its too small to do a lot of stuff but the majority of us here can testify to how versatile a drill it really is. I have to OF1010 and love it and people seem to have nothing but good things to say about the OF1400. Are you in need of a sander? May want to consider one of those as well.

 

[crampedshop]

Just a vote for the local dealer. i work for a retailer (who shall not be named) in the US, and I don't know if this could happen in the UK. In the US, Festools are the same price regardless where purchased. The store that I work for, has a Kapex in the training classroom. One night a guy came in that had his Kapex die. He needed to return it to Festool for service, but was in the middle of a big job. The assistant manager recognized him as someone that had purchased a few Festools from the store. Without checking the class schedule, he loaned the classroom Kapex to the guy to complete the job.

Try that with an on line store.

 

[3liftwonder]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, much appreciated.
Wuffles I'm in Northants which is east mids. My local dealer (MTS Northampton) is way off price online but I'm going to pop in and do a face to face today. I'll post up the result!

 

[Wuffles]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, much appreciated.
Wuffles I'm in Northants which is east mids. My local dealer (MTS Northampton) is way off price online but I'm going to pop in and do a face to face today. I'll post up the result!

Best of luck with that, I've PMd you with some info anyway.

 

[Holmz]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, much appreciated.
Wuffles I'm in Northants which is east mids. My local dealer (MTS Northampton) is way off price online but I'm going to pop in and do a face to face today. I'll post up the result!

The two Festool stand outs are the domino and the MFT.
If you are building you own benchtop, then the MFT becomes less of a deal.

I have not used the TS-55, but I believe it is one of the better ones. The thing that lets down the TS-55 is the track. It is fine if you have a long enought track, but once you decide to join then you see why the Bosch track is way better. If you have a Bosch then the TS-55 won't fit on there... But some saws that fit the Bosch track for the Festool track.

I have their CT-26 vac.
If you do NOT need HEPA then your idea of the 40 GBP one seems like a good start.
Probably with a "dust deputy" to grab the big stuff, and there may be a way to use that sort of device with vacuums with filters, but Festool voids the warranty if you use one.
There are also many good vacuums.
If dust is the major driver then, the vacuum makes sense (and any vacuum is an upgrade).

Then one can descend into drills and sanders.
There are also many great sanders by other manufacturers. Some cost enemy more than Festool.

The really great news is that there are more very good choices these days then even just a couple of years ago, so if you do not require all the tools to match, then you have some very interesting gear to choose from.

 

[Birdhunter]

In the USA, the word "chippy" sometimes is used to refer to a lady of the night, usually one not of the highest level of beauty.

 

[Holmz]

In the USA, the word "chippy" sometimes is used to refer to a lady of the night, usually one not of the highest level of beauty.

Sounds knotty?

I believe that those chippys might be on a different wood forum?