How does this product release system make any sense?

[camhabib]

Bought a brand new DF500 and before even taking it out of the box, saw a new model pop up on Festool.com. Great I thought, releases in September, I can wait until then on the projects I has been planning to put it to use on. Head to the store to return, folks have no idea there’s a new model released, even pulled out the autumn release schedule to look through it with me in case he missed it. Pull up the US Festool site and no mention of it, as if it’s just in my head. Google it however and there’s half a dozen videos from the US Festool YouTube account featuring it. How does this make any sense for a company who controls their product so tightly they’ll pull their entire line from a store if they don’t update pricing quickly enough for them?

 

[peter halle]

Another great reason to check this forum regularly Well, dealers have been doing preorders, so somehow they were informed. Perhaps the dealer missed something notifying them so that they could order inventory to sell.
Peter

 

[camhabib]

Another great reason to check this forum regularly Well, dealers have been doing preorders, so somehow they were informed. Perhaps the dealer missed something notifying them so that they could order inventory to sell.
Peter

Could you point me in the direction of one? I haven’t been able to find any taking preorders in the USA.

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

The new dominos were not part of the US fall release. I think it’s safe to assume it’ll get here fairly soon, but until then, no preorders from US dealers. And also until then, I think many dealers legitimately have no information about the products from Festool.

As to your bigger question, I think Festool’s approach to tool release needs to be updated. They seem to still be living in the time when movies would be released in the US six months before the rest of the world. It’s no longer feasible to release a tool in Europe, then pretend it doesn’t exist to your customers and dealers in other places. People know too much about the rest of the world now.

Voltage differences, market preferences, and varying regulations will likely always cause some tools to be available only in Europe (or elsewhere, I guess), but for tools that will obviously be available everywhere, I think they need to change their approach. Even if that means announcing a September delivery date for Europe and at the same time saying “coming soon” to other markets. Pretending people can’t use the internet isn’t working.

If nothing else, it’ll save them (or Festool USA) the headache of responding to inquiries.

 

[peter halle]

Could you point me in the direction of one? I haven’t been able to find any taking preorders in the USA.

I screwed up about the Domino. But checking here about new releases coming is still a good idea. Lots of discussions / speculations in advance.

Peter

 

[onocoffee]

Bought a brand new DF500 and before even taking it out of the box, saw a new model pop up on Festool.com. Great I thought, releases in September, I can wait until then on the projects I has been planning to put it to use on. Head to the store to return, folks have no idea there’s a new model released, even pulled out the autumn release schedule to look through it with me in case he missed it. Pull up the US Festool site and no mention of it, as if it’s just in my head. Google it however and there’s half a dozen videos from the US Festool YouTube account featuring it. How does this make any sense for a company who controls their product so tightly they’ll pull their entire line from a store if they don’t update pricing quickly enough for them?

It's definitely a bit irritating.
That being said, I think you were seeing these Domino (and planer) vids from Festool's main account. Festool USA has been mum on these releases - and there's no cordless Domino (or planer) vids on their YouTube account. I even asked Brent Shively about the cordless releases and he gave the usual response of not knowing when they will be released here. I mean, until last week, the MB40 didn't exist to Festool USA!

It's typically a six month (or never) window between European releases and US releases - though it would be nice to see that be tighter or simultaneous, especially since I've heard that the US market has now exceeded Europe for Festool.

I'd guess that the cordless planer (and Domino) will be released here Spring 2026 (or never). We just have to wait. Still hoping for a 100th Anniversary release that will actually be exciting...

 

[Packard]

Sometimes the factory is not fully in charge. For instance:

I read all the John Sandford books as soon as they are available. I walked into the local BJ’s Club warehouse store and saw the latest title on display. But the store was crazy-busy so I left. I went to the local Barnes & Noble store and asked for the latest Sandford book, but was told, “We have them in the back in sealed boxes, but we are not supposed to sell them until next week”.

So the BJ’s store ignored the release date, and probably the publisher knew but looked the other way.

I assume that that Festool also ships in advance of the release date. Some of the dealers, I assume, ignore the official release date and put the product for sale as soon as it arrives.

I do wonder about the wholesale billing date: Does Festool invoice as of the release date, or do the invoice per the date they ship? If they are restricting the sell date to the official release date, then they should invoice from that release date. My guess is that the accounting software was not originally equipped to handle delayed release dates. So I have no idea how they deal with invoicing.

 

[peter halle]

This is all just the norm. Who knows if in this instance products were delayed with the whole tariff implementation and not knowing what the rates would be at the time of entrance in the US? Festool is very closed mouth about their releases usually. The ones who seem to leak the most are the Regional Sales Managers that visit dealers. They seem to be the ones who develop it some cases relationships with some end users and then ...

I long ago stopped being miffed about this and adopted the "I'll see it when I see it" position.

Peter

 

[rmhinden]

I suspect may also about current inventory. They may be trying to sell the current ones at the same price before the new versions are available. But only Festool USA knows for sure

Bob

 

[ChuckS]

Bought a brand new DF500 and before even taking it out of the box, saw a new model pop up on Festool.com. Great I thought, releases in September, I can wait until then on the projects I has been planning to put it to use on. Head to the store to return, folks have no idea there’s a new model released, even pulled out the autumn release schedule to look through it with me in case he missed it. Pull up the US Festool site and no mention of it, as if it’s just in my head. Google it however and there’s half a dozen videos from the US Festool YouTube account featuring it. How does this make any sense for a company who controls their product so tightly they’ll pull their entire line from a store if they don’t update pricing quickly enough for them?

It doesn't. The development of the new DF500 fence and base as well as the cordless version must have been known inside Festool for a year and/or more.

The release of the100th Anniversary package of the DF500 sounded like a reasonable deal at that time, but now, knowing that they had all along been working on the newer version and features?

The new handle in the cordless version looks promising, but until I have had a chance to try it out, I can't say how better it is. Why did Festool not adopt the new handle in its new corded DF500? Could it be a marketing consideration, such that it could release even a "newer" corded DF500 with the new handle down the road? We'll have to wait and see.

Wait! Could they be working on a new corded DF600, and we'll only get the new handle with a corded DF600???

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I think @peter halle is likely to be right. A couple of years ago, I saw the limited addition pliers set at an event several weeks before it was announced as available for pre-order.

 

[camhabib]

I ran the question by a few AI algorithms and asked them to extrapolate based on previous releases when the new Domino would be available in the United States and it said mid-2026. I very much hope it’s wrong. Appreciate all the feedback folks, sounds like my frustrations are shared, but with little if any in the way of options.

 

[fritter63]

As to your bigger question, I think Festool’s approach to tool release needs to be updated. They seem to still be living in the time when movies would be released in the US six months before the rest of the world. It’s no longer feasible to release a tool in Europe, then pretend it doesn’t exist to your customers and dealers in other places. People know too much about the rest of the world now.

I know that in the past, UL approval was a big factor in deciding US releases of tools. Search the forums here (if you still can?) for discussions around the CMS system and in particular the TS55 drop in module.

TLDR; IIRC, rumors of Festool being unwilling to pay UL extortion fees to get something approved as "Safe",

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

I may not have worded that section well, but I did not mean to imply that they shouldn’t have tools available in some markets but not others. Voltage options, regulatory challenges, and demand for specific tools will vary around the world.

I just meant that they look silly when their North American or Australian subsidiary plays dumb about a tool that’s clearly coming soon-ish.

I also have no problem with the way they have generally rolled out releases to markets outside Europe over time (can’t do everything at once). But their customers around the world are obviously aware of what’s happening in Europe, and I think Festool would sometimes like to pretend that’s not the case.

I do understand why they don’t go into details on something like the CMS - can’t very well say “well, the US government thinks this tool is unsafe, but have fun with it, Europe!”

Maybe that’s the reason for their approach, but I think they’re capable of planning well enough to be a little more open about what’s coming.

 

[peter halle]

Festool is not a large company in comparison to the other name brand makers. They have long had the tradition of releasing to the countries that have similarity in electrical supply. I believe that is based on manufacturing processes, i.e. you set up your assembly line(s) to produce the tools for the largest number of countries and then come back for the outlier - North America. Also transportation to Europe and Asia is easier than across the ocean. That makes more sense with corded tools that also need different certifications, but once you start with cordless tools things like different assembly lines for NA vs non-NA tools start to come out of the equation except for chargers. All the above is a guess of course due to Festool tight lips on marketing strategies.

Peter

 

[camhabib]

A lot of the discussion here involves talk of regulations, approvals, certifications, etc. As someone who works in a much (much) more regulated environment, I understand all too well the red tape involved in bringing a new product to market.

But what about the DF500 with the updated fence. You’re telling me Festool wasn’t able to generate a dozen EVT / DVT units to send to UL for approval for example? Having managed releases of products an order of magnitude more complex from a company an order of magnitude smaller, I struggle to find any other reason besides poor business decisions why the releases are done like this, pretending like the entire US market are idiots and unable to view the international site, which happens to be the main landing page for the company, plastered with the new products.

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

A lot of the discussion here involves talk of regulations, approvals, certifications, etc. As someone who works in a much (much) more regulated environment, I understand all too well the red tape involved in bringing a new product to market.

But what about the DF500 with the updated fence. You’re telling me Festool wasn’t able to generate a dozen EVT / DVT units to send to UL for approval for example? Having managed releases of products an order of magnitude more complex from a company an order of magnitude smaller, I struggle to find any other reason besides poor business decisions why the releases are done like this, pretending like the entire US market are idiots and unable to view the international site, which happens to be the main landing page for the company, plastered with the new products.

I probably land a little bit less critically than this, but this is my general view.

I’m not super bothered by staggered release schedules or NAINA products, but the fact that Festool USA pretends to not know about products that are visible on Festool.com is a pretty odd look.

They won’t satisfy the people who want it NOW unless they coordinate worldwide release on the same day, but I don’t think that’s at all necessary. They’re a European company, and releasing in Europe first is just fine by me. I do think they’d make people feel a lot better if they said “Coming Soon” in other markets instead of pretending the tool didn’t exist (especially on one like the Domino that they know for sure will be here).

 

[onocoffee]

These last few comments got me thinking "maybe just buy the cordless tools in the UK" and noticed a "Coming In September" on the DF500. Why? Don't they have the DF500? Then I noticed the "R" - and there it is: a DF500 with the DFC fence.

Oh, someone tell me that this change is "unimportant" so I won't be tempted to get the R whenever it arrives in NA in 2029...

 

[ChuckS]

Based on the video I've seen, the only improvement in the new corded DF500 is the adoption of the same kind of locating pin found in the DF700. Yeah, a better design than the paddles but nothing significant in terms of functionality that isn't already in the current corded DF500, which also doesn't have the fence drift problem experienced in the early fences (pin version machine).

I'd definitely wait for the new corded DF500 if I was in the market for a domino machine, but I wouldn't be foolish enough to buy the new version to replace the DF500 that has been with me for over a decade. Those new pins don't justify replacing my machine that has worked flawlessly for me in countless projects.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

A lot of the discussion here involves talk of regulations, approvals, certifications, etc. As someone who works in a much (much) more regulated environment, I understand all too well the red tape involved in bringing a new product to market.

But what about the DF500 with the updated fence. You’re telling me Festool wasn’t able to generate a dozen EVT / DVT units to send to UL for approval for example? Having managed releases of products an order of magnitude more complex from a company an order of magnitude smaller, I struggle to find any other reason besides poor business decisions why the releases are done like this, pretending like the entire US market are idiots and unable to view the international site, which happens to be the main landing page for the company, plastered with the new products.

It's not just new products. They have been doing this for years. There are things that everyone knows full well exist in Europe, that are not allowed to ship here. The make over 100 router bits and we get maybe 10-15? and most of those are MFK700 related. That has absolutely 0 to do with anything electrical.