Is Festool's patent expired on the TS saws?

[Bob Marino]

Hey Bob,

Any chance we can get Festool to come up with some type of add-on to the existing TS saws that will match the anti-tip on that Makita saw? I think most of us agree that our saws as excellent just the way they are. However, I think most would also love to have some type of anti-tip feature as well. The guys with the 75 would like it the most I'm sure, but us 55ers would find it very useful as well.

Lou,

Good point. Festool is always seeking feedback from customers on ways in which to improve the tools. I know Festool views this forum as one such source for feedback. My answer is that I hope so!

Bob

 

[greg mann]

Hey Bob,

Any chance we can get Festool to come up with some type of add-on to the existing TS saws that will match the anti-tip on that Makita saw? I think most of us agree that our saws as excellent just the way they are. However, I think most would also love to have some type of anti-tip feature as well. The guys with the 75 would like it the most I'm sure, but us 55ers would find it very useful as well.

Lou,

I have been thinking about this a bit and I wonder if some kind of runner in the outboard slot would do the trick. It would necessitate sliding the saw on from the end of the rail and that would be a bit cumbersome but it might work. This is a busy time for me but I might try to sneak downstairs (perhaps at halftime between U of M and OSU) to see if something might work there.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Anti-Tip for TS saws.  Here are several ideas that could be used.  One way to do this would be little follower attached to the base of the saw.  The follower would slide freely in the outermost (open on the top side) rib of the guide rails, keeping the saw from tipping.  But this would not work whenever guide rail connectors are used in that rib.  Another possibility would utiliize a follower that extended laterally outwardly from the base of the saw and over the outermost rib of the guide rail and wrapped around it, thereby hooking onto the rounded portion that is the transition where the vertical outside wall of the outer rib meets the bottom surface of the guide rail.  Other solutions could include changing the cross-sectional profile of the guide rails - especially the ribs - to enable them to cooperate with the adjustable followers on the base of the saw to prevent tipping.  This could be accomplished by sloping the outer vertical wall of the guide rib (like half of a male dovetail) and reshaping the little thumbwhell followers to engage the sloped wall to prevent tipping.  The inner wall of the rib would remain vertical so the saw could still be lifted off the rib, but it would have to be twisted by lifting the blade side up first to disengage the rib of the rail.

Dave R.

 

[Eli]

They could paint three little green dots on the base of the saw so you know where to put the corresponding fingers of your left hand.

 

[Greg Pavlov]

Does the new Makita saw/rail have a service organization to match that of Festool?  And does their saw have the precison bearings/zero axial play and runout that are in Festool's TS saws?  Although I am very satisfied with my Makita battery powered drill, and today almost bought a Makita impact driver, I see no reason to switch from Festool's saw/rail system.
Dave R.

I may be wrong, but I doubt that Makita's primary target is existing Festool owners, who often already have a collection of guides and other tools using the Festool "system," making a switch expensive.  But new prospects are up for grabs, and given that Makita's products can be sold at discount, many may well be attracted by lower prices and - I suspect - a brand name that is better known than Festool's, in spite of Festool's recent expansion (at least in the US).  It may ultimately push Festool to lower prices a bit, which wouldn't hurt.

 

[Lou Miller]

I may be wrong, but I doubt that Makita's primary target is existing Festool owners, who often already have a collection of guides and other tools using the Festool "system," making a switch expensive.  But new prospects are up for grabs, and given that Makita's products can be sold at discount, many may well be attracted by lower prices and - I suspect - a brand name that is better known than Festool's, in spite of Festool's recent expansion (at least in the US).  It may ultimately push Festool to lower prices a bit, which wouldn't hurt.

I agree very much with this. I've been reading comments on woodworking forums for a long time now about  the Festool saw. The one thing you read most from non-Festool owners is that they can't afford Festool. Festool makes a great product, but they have priced themselves out of the running for many people. I'm willing to bet there is a huge market waiting for Makita and/or other lower priced versions of the saw. IMO, other than Festool, many people view Bosch and Makita as the upper end of quality power tools.

I don't agree that this competition will have any affect on Festool's pricing though. Unless Festool starts manufacturing their products in China (which I DON'T want to see), the pricing will most likely stay where it is.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I hope that Festool sticks with their "formula" with perhaps, some slight adjustments  Before Festool, I used to think that Bosch, Milwaukee and PC were top shelf, and still own and use by these makers and Makita and Hitachi.  Before I learned more of what is in Festool's formula (and tools), I thought they appeared to be overpriced.  And the very day I bought my TS 55 and 1400 router, I later saw a demonstration of a certain other guide rail system and at that moment thought I had made an expensive mistake.  But 2 years later, I couldn't be more pleased.  But the more familiarity I obtained with German brand products, the more impressed I became.  Notice that I did not say German manufactured.  It is possible for a German company to design and maintain control over the manufacturing process even though parts and assembly occur in a foreign country to result in excellent overall product quality.  Examples include aircraft components being made today in China; no compromise is acceptable in their quality no matter where they are made.  BMW's South Carolina USA plant is the only location at which they produce certain vehicles for the entire world, and that plant has won best quality awards at times (currently one of BMW's German plants holds the top rating).

Dave R.