Welcome!
I too was in this postion this winter, and learned a lot by reading on F.O.G. (thanks ro all the dedicated folks who take the time to share!). I took the Essentials class before deciding to invest heavily in Festool (prior to the class I had bought the ts55, and the mft).
I have to say that I am happy with 90% of my tools, and the drool effect my Dad demonstrates regularly in itself is worth it, but here's my 2 cents:
I absolutley swear by my Domino 500. It's changed the way I conceive projects, and has been a huge time-saver. It is unique, it's accurate, and it's a joy to use.
One thing I wish I had done is held off on the Kapex (with extensions and stand) and just stuck with my Dewalt compound miter saw/portable stand. I find that the 3.5 times increase in price hard to swallow. Maybe it's just luck of the draw, but my DeWalt was calibrated perfectly out of the box, and the Kapex, well I find it's still not dead on. And yes, I've worked through suggestions as offered in the supplemental manual, adjusted my lasers, done the square test, talked with folks from whom I bought it. Everytime I use it, I have buyer's remorse. That's my 2 cents!
Enjoy your new tools!
