livelygv said:
Most of the comments regarding the superiority of the cut and "accuracy" of the Kapex over brands seems a bit overdone. Put a a good quality blade on any saw and set it up properly and the quality of cut and accuracy issue becomes a moot point. The main aspect of any saw, having put aside the "accuracy and quality of cut issues" boils down to (IMHO) price, ergonomics, dust collection, and electrical power efficiency. A saw that feels comfortable to use, allowing the user to keep the line of cut clearly visible is going to be a winner for a particular user over another saw. Easy to use hold downs adds to the comfort level and those used on the Kapex are, at this time, a distinctive advantage. Dust collection is where the Festool tool line has the clear advantage over other manufacturers although Milwaukee's new 12 inch saw has closed that gap. Festool pricing follows a long time tradition of German marketers in that there is one price across a country for a particular item keeping retailers from dropping prices to compete. It also doesn't hurt that we in North American have this belief that German engineering approaches some mystical nirvana level and is therefore worth the price premium. It is too bad that this belief is costly... just my two cents worth
That Milwaukee saw weighs twice what the Kapex does, it's a complete tank...And I cant' believe in all your analysis here you failed to note two things 1) the importance of the bevel on a miter saw. To be completely honest, this is where the Kapex outshines the competition. I go back and forth on whether the bevel or the Dust collection are it's best features. In the end the bevel is probably more important. But it's more than that..It's a collective package of features on this saw that all work together to make one whole. Whereas almost every other saw I have used is a compromise in all the critical areas. 2) The service levels you get from Festool, compared to ANY other manufacturer. Enough said on that
Is the Kapex perfect? No..But it's far superior to anything else available on the market today. But yes the law of diminishing returns applies, especially to the Kapex.
Festool isn't for everyone. But for some odd reason, those of us who have made the investment don't seem to regret it. And although I havent' sold any of my tools, from what I can see on the used market they hold 85% or more of their value. Try that with a Dewalt or Milwaukee. What you refer as "marketing" (and while that may be partially true) I call it protecting their buyers investment. And I thank Festool for that and superior service and products.
