I am done

[AlexThePalex]

For the price that Festool charges for their gear, they could easily justify a 5 year warranty and to gain themselves some marketing advantage over the competition, they should bump it up to 8 years. If as a company you want to pound your chest and pronounce how great your tools are compared to the competition, then back it up. A long term warranty is the first step.

When I just got into Festool in 2008 they would advertise everywhere that their tools were so expensive, compared to others, because they were built to last you 25 years. A few years later I noticed that slogan was quietly retired.

So they used to do a lot of boasting indeed. I wonder if they came to realise that though 25 years can be done it is hard to reach that with every tool in every circumstance, or if they changed their design goals towards longevity.

 

[Kev]

I just spend $10K on the best Miele washer and dryer combo I could get. This is replacing a Kleenmaid setup that is ~10 years old and still works really well, it's just not a good fit or as energy and water efficient.

I fully expect the Miele gear to last 20 years ... it's not that I expect there'll be no maintenance or repairs, but I don't expect to be replacing it!

I don't think it's a stretch to expect a high quality power tool to last 10+ years.

 

[Holmz]

... That's what so great about the US. You have a lot of choices.

Maybe that was true back before... When America was great.

The whole of the "What should Festool make thread" is full of NAINA, and other manufacturers tools that are available in 230v worldwide.

We could start with cars... Other than maybe Telsa, Corvettes, and maybe some Dodges, most poepleeither have a Toyota, Subaru or Honda, or yearn for a European car.

 

[Steven Owen]

A 10-year warranty? C'mon. Let's get serious. While I would guess that there have been portable, on-site power tools used heavily on a daily basis by contractors, cabinetmakers, remodeler, carpenters, etc., that have lasted 10 years and are still accurate viable tools, I would also guess that those tools are the exception. It's possible if the operation is a one-man business and that person maintains the tools well, but that's a lot of use for any tool. If the price bothers you, don't buy them. The power tool market is like any other. You can find tools over the whole range of prices, the whole range of quality, and finding a tool that has just the right mix of price and quality for your use, is very difficult. I have chosen in the past 10 years to buy higher quality tools. Festool tools fall into that category. The dust collectors, sanders, Dominos, and even the saws and MFT's are high quality tools and worth it to me because I can work easily and accurately with them. Might not be worth it to others, especially those who use them in their home woodworking shop. That's what so great about the US. You have a lot of choices.

[member=19734]grbmds[/member] I don't think "choice" is a unique US thing .. in fact I would say that there are far more 240V options out there than 110V and that little service called "international shipping" means the only limit is the socket on your wall and whether you'd be prepared to add voltage transformers to your kit.

I'm also honestly perplexed on the thinking regarding "home woodworkers" ... very few people buy the cheapest possible thing to do a particular job - particularly when personal pleasure is involved ... Shimano would never sell a Stella if that was the case! [wink] Don't throw everyone that buys tools for personal use into the same bucket, the spectrum is too broad to do that!

The home wood worker spends good money.  We have to be more practical about how we spend our money.  The Bosch Miter was that does 90% of what the Kapex does makes more sense for the home shop.  Not spending $2000 on Miter Saw means you have the $2000 to spend on the DF 700 Domino that will have a greater impact on what projects you can work on.

 

[PeterK]

Being an old duffer I can make these comments. 
I feel sorry in some ways for the younger men getting started in life with tools. I think back to some of my original purchases when I was either lucky or made good decisions! Yea I bought some junk and learned but occasionally bought some outstanding tools. I think back to my original router - a Dewalt DW610 I believe. It is now 30 years old and still runs like a top. I still have my original Milwaukee hole saw - 30 years old, looks like crap, makes lots of gear noise since day one, incredible torque, runs perfect. My original Milwaukee Sawzall - built like a tank, about 25 years old, has been used in horrific dusty dirty areas and still works like new. I have several other old power tools like these. When I go to the store and fondle the new Chinese Milwaukee tools I just can’t bring myself to purchase them. I am sure there are some improvements but the physical quality is nothing like it used to be. Gone are the days of lifetime tools.

I now own several Festool products but not the Kapex. I am impressed with the design and engineering and they met my needs and seemed worthy of their price to me. This is a tough manufacturing world and competition is tough. Virtually all the tool makers have track saws now although their prices are very similar to Festool’s. Festool had some great sanders but Bosch and others make equivalent sanders now. I wish Festool could come out with other intelligent tools like they used to.

 

[jeh]

I just spend $10K on the best Miele washer and dryer combo I could get. This is replacing a Kleenmaid setup that is ~10 years old and still works really well, it's just not a good fit or as energy and water efficient.

I fully expect the Miele gear to last 20 years ... it's not that I expect there'll be no maintenance or repairs, but I don't expect to be replacing it!

I don't think it's a stretch to expect a high quality power tool to last 10+ years.

Agree on the power tools. Many of my stationary and portable tools are well north of 10 years old.

Spending to save is generally a terrible idea unless you just want to spend money to replace working items and justify it with whatever the savings are. I have never heard this reason with a washer and dryer, but have with cars, HVAC systems and windows.

 

[Steven Owen]

I just spend $10K on the best Miele washer and dryer combo I could get. This is replacing a Kleenmaid setup that is ~10 years old and still works really well, it's just not a good fit or as energy and water efficient.

I fully expect the Miele gear to last 20 years ... it's not that I expect there'll be no maintenance or repairs, but I don't expect to be replacing it!

I don't think it's a stretch to expect a high quality power tool to last 10+ years.

Agree on the power tools. Many of my stationary and portable tools are well north of 10 years old.

Spending to save is generally a terrible idea unless you just want to spend money to replace working items and justify it with whatever the savings are. I have never heard this reason with a washer and dryer, but have with cars, HVAC systems and windows.

A lot of these decsions are ego based rather than practical. It’s about bragging to your buddy or a colleague about this $2000 miter saw, $1400 jig or how you bought the best of the best.

I look at the quality of the projects people are making.  I don’t care how shinny your Tools are or how much money you spent buying Saw X and Tool Y.

Some people more enamoured with the logo on their tool than they are with the quality of the table they built.  Some of the most impressive furnite design were built 70 -300 years ago without the benefit of fancy logos and brand names.

 

[grbmds]

[dead horse]

[doh]

Looked for the bang head against wall emoji, couldn't find it.

Tom

Agree completely. Is that cow? Never heard of beating a dead cow, but it works also.

 

[peter halle]

It appears that after about three weeks of posts that have gotten further away from the original posters topic that there isn't much hope of it going back that way.

So, perhaps that means that it is a good time to lock this thread.

I am sure that Festool will glean (or has gleaned) for any valuable information and insights by this time.

Peter Halle - Moderator