Is Festool tools worth the extra money

[Craftwood]

Ok, here we go, I finally decided to add up my 5c to that argument. First of all this is very personal perception of the matter, some one is OK driving Toyota from point A to point B, surely Toyota does it well enough but someone likes to drive Mercedes witch does essentially the same job but with more convenience, stile, etc. The same principal applies for tools. Yes, I admit, I am a tool junky, but not just a Festool junky. Nowadays I work part time for a big tool retailer here in Melbourne and been a Cabinet Maker, woodworker and trim Carpenter fool time in a past I possess an extensive experience working with power tools, that is probably why I got that job and now selling tools gives me more opportunity to compare different tools from different brands. I do have huge variety of power tools in my work shop, I have Makita trimmer, 2 Makita Compound Sliding Mitre saws, (never completely liked them), DeWalt smal Trimmer/router (love it), Dewalt biscuit joiner, full set of Dewalt 18v cordless tools and I love it, set of Bosch drills - they are my favorite site drills, Bosch 1600 router-great machine, list goes on and on but when it comes to Festool it brings you to completely different level altogether, are they that much better then similar tools from other brands? Some are much better, some don't even have contender from anywhere, like Domino for example, some are on a pare with similar tools from different brands. As an other example I like Bosch and Dewalt routers more then Festool once, except for the largest 2200 one, it is all very personal, but surely working with any Festool tool brings a aesthetic joy and comfort. Funny enough, I consider Festool as Apple Mak of power tools. As for the difference in price, well, like everything else in life, if you like it and can afford it BUY IT.
PS. Kapex vs the rest:
Construction saw: DeWalt and only, no matter 10" or 12" or cordless-my opinion
Quick fix saw small and light): Makita LS 0714 or Dewalt cordless 18v
Small Workshop saw: Kapex (if you can afford it)
And I'm sorry, I am not a fan of Bosch gliding Saws, I was on a market for a new saw, compared them all, new Bosch saws have huge blade/arm side movement, same applies for even German made Metabos, so I've picked up Kapex and yes, been a Tool store employee I did get a company discount for It. Kapex to my lickings is the most precise and space saving saw on a market.
I'm sorry if I offended or disappointed someone
List of Festool tools that I own:
TSC55, HKC55, FS rails, Domino 700, OF 1010, RO 90, ETS EC 150/5, ETS 150/3 (22 year old one), Kapex, PSBC 420 (Karvex)
CSX, T18, DRC18, CT MIDI, BS 75 with frame, various clamps

 

[Kev]

Firstly I'll chip in and make the point that Festool is a brand and not a particular tool. Festool do offer tools, accessories and consumables ... along with some promotional bumf and most of it they design themselves and manufacture themselves.

Festool the brand gives you the reputation and the safety blanket of warranty, support and service.

If you want to talk "worth the extra money" there's a few reasons to spend the extra money ...

.. don't care, just like the brand no matter what the tool

.. feel the brand is strong and couldn't be bothered researching other tools

.. rabid brand loyalty / want the full set

.. etc

From a application justification Festool offer efficiency of process as their value proposition .. so even if the tool is ten times more expensive, the thinking is it'll save you the money many times over in increased efficiency over the long term.

Outside of the practical reasons (and if you're truly being practical you'd judge tools and/or systems on a case by case basis) there are the emotional reasons such as loyalty, desire, status, pleasure. I'd probably consider pleasure my emotional driver, not just for Festool .. but other quality tools too.

I buy a lot of Festool gear because I feel it's consistently good. I'm happy to spend more to get something I believe is better, but I'll rarely spend less if I'm getting something that isn't at least as good. I'm not adverse to trying new things.

I will say that I wish I'd never sold my little silver body Makita trimmer, I remember it being far less cumbersome than the MKF700 even though it did make a mess I had to clean up afterwards [wink]

 

[RussellS]

In some cases Festool is worth the extra money.  And in others its not.  I think all Festool are high quality.  Well made.  Work great.  I don't think they make any bad tools.  Well, their barrel grip jigsaw is crap.  But other than that one.  But you have to pay for this quality.  Pay a lot extra most of the time.  And that is where Festool may not be a wise/intelligent/smart choice.  Why pay extra, 2-3-4 times as much, if you do not need or use the extras that Festool always provides?  An example:  If you are on a house construction crew and cutting 2x4 and 2x6 for studs and 2x8 and 2x10 for joists and rafters, why would you have a Kapex?  If you are the interior trim guy, then the Kapex may make sense.

 

[Paul G]

First off, welcome to the forum. Quite the intro post.

I still don't see the value in their $27 tape measure, but the domino, carvex, ro90, ts75, and various accessories have performed for me. Some duds though would be things like that odd carvex angle base or the guide rail connectors. YMMV.

 

[grbmds]

Some Festools are, some maybe not. The Domino is worth every penny. Nothing really like it on the market as far as I'm concerned. The TS55 - also worth it and, while an MFT can certainly be made in the home workshop, I still think it was worth it to get the MFT with the TS55. I have never gotten such precise and square crosscuts with any other tool (don't own a Kapex). The capability to use the OF1400 router with the guiderail makes that router worth it to me (although there are certainly other high quality routers available). The CT's are worth it just in the dust collection efficiency and that they work well with the Festool saws, sanders, routers, and Dominos. Then, the sanders. They're worth to the average user depends on what you do. I have an ETS125 and ETS150/5. Together they do an incredible job finish sanding flat surfaces and some rounded. Coupled with the CT vac, I feel they can't be beat. Other sanders I've invested, maybe not so worth it. I don't own any Rotex sanders as I don't really feel the need to flatten with a sander. If I were to do some carving, though, I might consider a 125 for that alone. I also own the VacSys and feel that was worth it for me. I know you can put together a vacuum system for less that works, but it was worth it to me to buy a quiet and high quality vacuum system and get it running immediately out of the box without searching for parts that work together. I have used the VacSys more for sanding and routing in the 8 months I owned it than I have used some tools in years.

So, I think it just depends on the tools. I love my Dewalt drill/driver and impact driver and wouldn't even consider a Festool drill. The Dewalts are powerful, the 20V Max long-lasting, and they are relatively inexpensive.

 

[Holmz]

...
I still don't see the value in their $27 tape measure....

In Festool's defence, like many of their tools they do not actually make it... They only prove the Festool logo.

I agree a fastcap is cheaper and better, but the rebranded tape measure does excel for marking circles and radial arcs.

 

[estley]

"worth the extra money"?, i guess it's a personal choice and what's important to you. In other forums, festool users are referred to as fesfools, because "my dewalt/milwaukee/makita tool does exactly the same as the festool for 1/3 the price", sure, why not?... however, it's a funny coincidence how a lot of the same people complaining about festools pricing are the exact same ones that in another thread are complaining about how tool manufacturers are cutting costs by producing in china, some even go as far as saying "i don't mind paying more for a well made tool". And then, we get to the "put your money where your mouth is" part.

As with any premium brand, there will be as much following as there is aversion. some of it justified, other is just hating for the sakes of being different. Take the iPhone vs android debate, "my galaxy does everything your iphone does, it even did it years before and for less money", same can be said for cars, beverages, shoes, you name it.....

I'm not a pro, nor do i make a living off my tools, far far from it. To me the appeal of festool is that it helps me make the best of my limited shop time, i'd rather spend that time building things than having to learn how to work around the limitations of my tools.... call it a lack of skill on my part if you want, it works for me.

 

[linnlp12]

For me yes. I am not a pro and had standard woodworking equipment before. I gave woodworking up because the size of my table saw and all the dust in my basement even with collectors.  Festool has allowed me to work successfully again in my house with much reduced dust.  Also the MFT track saw combination takes up less space and can be folded up.  Note I am biased, i have purchased most of Festool products before I retired and just picked up the vacuum clamps and duo system.

 

[lwoirhaye]

It's funny about the jig saw.  I have an older one, pre-Trion, and I really like it.  It has no dust collection to speak of but it cuts well and runs smooth.

In any case, I've owned different Festool things over the years and sold a few and got other things to replace them.  The Systainer system is great but I got into Bosch L-Boxxes too so there went any uniformity of storage.  I can live with that and I still use tool bags and a portable air compressor for nailers too instead of cordless nailers.

I'm not an "early adopter" though I've jumped into first-generation tools a few times.    I've never done enough specialized drilling to see where I would need Festool cordless drills so I use other ones and get by just fine.

 

[Just F Me]

Worth the extra money....which pretty much means value.

When something is a good value, people forget that value is a combined definition, however, it's definition is different for everyone.

One thing for me personally was that I hated all the dust that came with woodworking.  It's not a dust free environment, but it's so much better.  Also, I love the accuracy that Festool products are able to provide for me.  It's pretty easy to use and do well.

Certain things like the domino...I don't have one yet, but many will call it "a game changer".  When something is a game changer, it almost doesn't matter how expensive the tool is, people will buy it.  If you ask people who own their Dominos and are making money with it, you could double the price to $2000 and I'm pretty sure they would still buy it.  People who don't have one may be more hesitant to buy it, but after they used it, i'm sure they'll see the value.  I'm gonna buy a domino because it's just gonna save me time. 

Too many times, people put such a low value on their time, yet it is the one thing in life that you NEVER get back.

 

[McNally Family]

"Yes", is the short answer.

I for one, enjoy the system approach.  I also like the quality of their consumables, such as drill bits made from higher quality steel, superior sandpaper, and other well thought out accessories.

Having said that, I'm not so blinded by the "Green Catalog", that I can't switch up and purchase a particular tool from another brand, if they have what i consider to be a superior product.  I can say however that I start my search with Festool, then I explore alternatives based on research, before making a final decision.  Buying Festool is not a requirement for me, but rather part of a mindset that prefers high quality products, which Festool has.

The 30-day "no questions asked" return policy, coupled with the 3-year warranty helps tip the scales towards Festool as well!

 

[PreferrablyWood]

Living in Scandinavia, the cost of the materials is high, workspace is limited and can be expensive, wages for tradesmen are high. So the tools in comparison are not overly priced. I like that I can buy directly from Germany where theres is keen competition amongst dealers, so prices are reasonable. After about 5 years of getting into this again, I pretty well have all that I need to do most things and it was not too much of a drain economically..

The Festool line up of tools seems robust run smooth soft startup, seem generally well thought out with safety features and engronomics so integrated into the design that they do not get in the way by making the tools seem clunky or hard to use. I appreciate the low vibration in use. The dust control is great on the sanders and routers, so thats a great benefit.

If woodworking and construction sometimes seems like hard uncomfortable heavy work its the dust and unsafe working environment that makes it so. With festool doing there part to lessen some of these drawbacks I'm happy to pay more for their tools.

 

[mrboult]

I have 4 festool drills and I love them and love the centrotec system, but I almost never recommend festool drills, because they cost a lot when good drills can be had 3x less. But I use them all the time for my work and enjoy their exquisite performance. (I recommend Makita to most)

The following comments relate to current UK pricing. I purchased Festool far less readily 5+yrs ago when dealers discounting the RRP was non-existent. . . .

I'm happy to purchase any tool that suits my needs and price. But very often these days, after doing my research, I decide that the festool option is not much more expensive.
For example I recently decided I needed a good multitool for a job I have coming up . . . . Most of my research suggested Fein to be the superior tools in this arena (surprise). And after some price checking it came to this. . .

(all prices include a systainer and this matters because I'm glued to this storage system)

£240 - Fein Mulitmaster 350

£310 - Fein Supercut
£405 - Fein Supercut (+ Festool Plunge system & Depth stops)

£320 - Festool Vectoro
£440 - Festool Vecturo (+ Plunge system & Depth stops)

I know in this example the Festool is actually a Fein design for the most part, but this price comparison is often the case. If you look at the budget offerings by other manufacturers, then the Festool prices are massive sure. But if you look at their premium offerings (tools that might actually be as refined in use as a typical festool) then the cost is often far more similar. . . Add a systainer, PlugIt cord, 3yr warranty, Money back Trial Period  etc etc  . . .

 

[Kev]

I have 4 festool drills and I love them and love the centrotec system, but I almost never recommend festool drills, because they cost a lot when good drills can be had 3x less. But I use them all the time for my work and enjoy their exquisite performance. (I recommend Makita to most)

The following comments relate to current UK pricing. I purchased Festool far less readily 5+yrs ago when dealers discounting the RRP was non-existent. . . .

I'm happy to purchase any tool that suits my needs and price. But very often these days, after doing my research, I decide that the festool option is not much more expensive.
For example I recently decided I needed a good multitool for a job I have coming up . . . . Most of my research suggested Fein to be the superior tools in this arena (surprise). And after some price checking it came to this. . .

(all prices include a systainer and this matters because I'm glued to this storage system)

£240 - Fein Mulitmaster 350

£310 - Fein Supercut
£405 - Fein Supercut (+ Festool Plunge system & Depth stops)

£320 - Festool Vectoro
£440 - Festool Vecturo (+ Plunge system & Depth stops)

I know in this example the Festool is actually a Fein design for the most part, but this price comparison is often the case. If you look at the budget offerings by other manufacturers, then the Festool prices are massive sure. But if you look at their premium offerings (tools that might actually be as refined in use as a typical festool) then the cost is often far more similar. . . Add a systainer, PlugIt cord, 3yr warranty, Money back Trial Period  etc etc  . . .

Funny you should mention Makita in this context .. If someone asks me what brand of tool to buy I'll often say something like Makita. Typically they'll then ask "oh, is that what you have?" ... then it gets interesting. You have to explain that a brand like XXXX (insert brand that makes most things tool like) would see their needs and they probably wouldn't appreciate the premium brands of tools I tend to buy. Then you go round the houses for a bit and you get to the price of a specific example ... [eek] [eek] [eek]

Conversely, if someone asks about a specific kind of tool you can have a completely different conversation [wink]

 

[peter halle]

If this were to be a question then I would answer - based on my usage situations over the past 10 years - yes.

Peter

 

[Maximus]

Alternatively, Festool could be considered budget in comparison to Mafell at times.

 

[bertv]

It's kind of funny that the Festool stuff that is really overpriced tend to be rebranded tools, eg the (BMI) tape measure, the (Bessey) clamps and the (Stabila) levels…

 

[Dan Clark]

In many situations, Festool tools are definitely worth it.  In others, not so much.  IMO, of course.

My needs have changed over the last 9 years.  My TS55 and Kapex have served me well, and are worth every penny.  My five Festool sanders are excellent.  That said, my go-to sander is a Ceros 650.  I have a Festool OF1400 router for bigger handheld use, but use a Triton router in my router table and a Dewalt compact router as a small trim router.    And then there is my new Sawstop PCS table saw.

I also have a few Harbor Freight and other lower quality tools for lower priority use.  I.e. Where I only expect to use it a few times and it's not worth it to spend the extra bucks for better quality.

Are all of these "worth it" to me?  Yes.  They fit my specific needs at a quality and price point balance that is acceptable to me. 

IMO, there can be no precise, fixed definition of "worth it".  It's all relative to each person's needs and pocketbook.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[RussellS]

It's funny about the jig saw.  I have an older one, pre-Trion, and I really like it.  It has no dust collection to speak of but it cuts well and runs smooth.

I hate the non adjustability of the speed on the barrel grip jigsaw.  You set the speed by clicking the dial to a predetermined speed and it runs at that speed constantly.  But with my Bosch top handle jigsaw, it has a trigger that varies the speed depending on how hard I pull the trigger.  At various times on all cuts I want to speed up or slow down the blade, starting, turns, corners, I want a different speed.  Can't do that with the barrel grip jigsaw.

 

[Holmz]

It's funny about the jig saw.  I have an older one, pre-Trion, and I really like it.  It has no dust collection to speak of but it cuts well and runs smooth.

I hate the non adjustability of the speed on the barrel grip jigsaw.  You set the speed by clicking the dial to a predetermined speed and it runs at that speed constantly.  But with my Bosch top handle jigsaw, it has a trigger that varies the speed depending on how hard I pull the trigger.  At various times on all cuts I want to speed up or slow down the blade, starting, turns, corners, I want a different speed.  Can't do that with the barrel grip jigsaw.

What allows one to determine whether they need to speed up or slow down?
What happens when you run at one speed (which for on wood is usually WFO) ?