Is the Domino worth it

[yellowtruck75]

I have read numerous review on here regarding the Domino and its benefits.  Now the hard part for me is justifing the $800 price tag that comes with it.  I am not a professional woodworker so this is somthing I will be using as part of my hobby.  I am looking to use it when building furniture for my home and also building chairs.  How many Domino owners out there are weekend wood workers and not professionals?

 

[Sean7a]

Yes.  Yes, it is.

Remember, you have a 30 day money back.  Go buy one at the beginning of your credit card billing cycle and test the waters yourself.  There aren't enough comments either way that'll give you the information or persuasion you'll need.  Try it yourself, risk free, return it to the dealer of your choice before those 30 days and if you time it with your cc billing cycle, you wont move a dime in or out of your bank account.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I, too, am not a proffesional woodworker and, for me, the Dowelmax is a great alternative to the Domino.  Check the thread: http://festoolownersgroup.com/other-tool-reviews/dowelmax-review-worth-checking-out/

 

[wubears71]

I'm a hobbyist and Yes, it's worth it.  My time is limited in the shop so the domino comes in very handy when it comes to joinery.  As much as I love to make M&T joinery on the table saw, router, by hand, etc. its a time consuming process.  The domino takes a fraction of the time and provides more than enough durability/stability and allows me to use my limited time focusing on details that actually get seen.

Outside of my 150/3, the Domino is the one Festool that is a must have IMHO.

 

[nickao]

The Domino is worth it.

You can also use a Dowelmax or Jess Zip-Loc, but if you can afford it a Domino would be great to have.

 

[Wonderwino]

I am a hobbiest who also gets "volunteered" for projects with organizations and family that probably should be done by professional contractors.  I would still be working on stuff I completed years ago if I didn't have the Domino.  I have emptied several of the bins in my Domino assortment several times.

It makes cutting parts for cabinets and doors much easier, as you do not have to calculate extra length for tenons or dadoes.  In addition to joinery, I have used the domino to create "cross dowels" in end grain joinery that are far superior to round dowels. 

I would suggest you check out Jerry Work's site and Rick Christoperson's supplemental manuals to really understand the extended capabilities of this machine.  If you can find the time and get in, go to a Festool end user training where you can get hands-on experience.  [cool]

 

[Sparktrician]

My Domino has yet to pay for itself, and likely won't anytime in the immediate future, but for certain things, it just can't be beat.  It's my go-to tool for making strong, stable joints that are not permitted to fail [scared].  Wonderwino hit it on the head about checking Jerry Work and Rick Christopherson's sites, and I would add the late John Lucas' site (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm) to the list, as well. 

[smile]

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I am a hobbyist and what makes the Domino worth it is that I can make good use of very limited shop time.  A mortise and tenon project that would take a day with routers and a tablesaw is a fifteen minute job (mostly planning) with the domino and there is literally no cleanup.

For chairs, the Domino handles angles well.  For most structural joints, you will probably want to do double tenons, but that is very easy with the Domino.  I'm making a new chair design now where all the joinery is domino based, except for corner blocks which are screwed in.

Once you have the Domino, you will find a million uses for it.

Only you, however, can know whether this is worth $800 to you.

 

[mouppe]

Hobbyist woodworker?

Yes, the domino is worth it. There is another factor to consider as well as the responses above.

Since it's your hobby, shouldn't your time be spent as enjoyably as possible? Every time you use the domino you will take great pleasure in using it.

So I recommend you take it for a test drive. It will undoubtedly be a one way trip.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I still have not found it necessary to my work.

That may change with an upcoming project.  I also think it would be the one Festool that would gather the most dust for me.  I just don't see me using every day or even once a week for that matter.

 

[BTDT]

I think you will find quite a few Domino owners are weekend woodworkers. Personally, I find that using it is a cinch and saves a ton of time. Domino joinery takes little time, and the layout is simple (just a quick pencil line.) (This is the part that amazes me the most. A few quick marks of a pencil and the layout is done. No fussy measuring or micro-adjustments are required to get an amazingly strong joint.) I have a honey-do list that just doesn't stop.

I am not sure if the Domino (or my other Festools) have provided a positive ROI yet. I do know that I am able to quickly knock out projects and enjoy my kids and the odd brew on weekend. That alone has justified the Domino and other purchases.

That said, different strokes for different folks. Only you can really decide if it is worth it. You might want to look at how many projects you will likely build, how many mortise and tenons are in those projects and how much time you want to spend on mortise and tenon joinery.

Brad

Brad

 

[davee]

I am a hobbyist as well, and now find that there are very few projects which don't include the domino.  It certainly isn't a must as I built many cabinets and pieces of furniture without.  The time saved and the enjoyment of using the tool make it worth my time.  In my case, there was some learning curve that was mostly technique.  Once you have the technique, the precision is fantastic. 

 

[GPowers]

Hobbyist here, when I first looked at the Domino I saw the price and said NO WAY.

Will I have one now and love it. Never had the skill or patience for traditional M&T joinery. With the Domino I not afraid to take on projects that I would not have touch with out the Domino. The Domino has greatly enhanced my woodworking experience.

 

[Rob-GB]

Well you got a few Hobbiest's saying try it out,  ;D as a pro I would recommend the Domino to any woodworking enthusiast due to the ease and speed of use: it's versatility is a huge bonus! (Especially one who knows the quality of Festool tools, even though, as a pro, the initial cost of the Domino plus kit was a tough pill to swallow, but I feel so much better for it ;D)
Time savings for weekend projects (particularly when making furniture and chairs, given it's most common applications) can be huge, freeing up time for projects not on the "Honey-Do" list [big grin].
For me it is more versatile than my old Elu biscuit jointer and faster than any dowelling jig I have used and the joints are stronger.
I really should buy shares in the company! But I fear I may have to sell some tools to do so [eek]  ;D

Rob.

 

[Kevin D.]

I initially dismissed the Domino as an overpriced joinery tool.  Then I learned the errors of my ways.  [scared]

My Domino has become my favourite hand held power tool.  

Just adds a whole new dimension to woodworking.  

It is a tool like no other imo.  

Comparing it to a dowelling machine or jig, or a biscuiter, it leaves them in the dust in so many respects.  

As a hobbiest, the Domino has raised the fun part of working in my shop significantly.  

You start thinking in terms of what can my Domino do for me on this situation.  

It's just so versatile, and becomes a problem solving weapon as you start to understand its functionality.  

You start to feel like the projects and applications you make with it is like bearing its children.  

If we were having more kids, I'd be fighting with the wife to call the child "Domino".   [blink]

I got mine a year ago, and since then, the voices have stopped!   [eek]  A Festivus miracle no less.  [blink]

Nuff said!  [smile]

Someone please send me help, or more green koolaid please!  [embarassed]

So go get yourself a Domino, and find peace with the universe! [big grin]

 

[Jesse Cloud]

.... My goals it to pump out projects and do the kind of work I really enjoy. I like design, assembly, finishing while I really am not thrilled with drilling and routing mortises all day. While I will and do some traditional joinery (M&T...), there are plenty of times when it is just a chore.

Deke has a good point here.  I learned the craft in the old school and I enjoy mortise and tenon, well at least the first few, but after a dozen or so they start to be a genuine chore.  The adrenaline is still flowing after a dozen dominoes, though.

 

[MarkF]

Justify it's cost?
Never as a hobby user.  You have to calculate the satisfaction and joy value of it and multiply that times the amount you will use it.  I've had mine for 4 years.  I'm ahead by about $6,000.00 satisfaction dollars and still smile every time I use it. 

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Lovely machine.  My first Festool.  Still my favorite.
Got family?  Kids?  Day job?  Enjoy the satisfaction of a project's completion?

What's that time worth to you?  Factoring in "value" of the above as a trade off of time, the Domino paid for itself to me after just a few projects.  Although, in retrospect that initial infatuation has led to a very costly affair with the blue & green.    [embarassed] 

Sell off your biscuit joiner, mortiser, those boring ol' chisels, doweler, router joinery bits, or whatever you currently use, and put the money towards Dominirvana.

MarkF, you've got it spot on 100%!

 

[fidelfs]

Justify it's cost?
Never as a hobby user.  You have to calculate the satisfaction and joy value of it and multiply that times the amount you will use it.   I've had mine for 4 years.  I'm ahead by about $6,000.00 satisfaction dollars and still smile every time I use it. 

+1.  Remember we hobbiest love to have tools, we want tools, we like tools, i dream tools. If you have the budget go for it.

The best part is that will make your life easier.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Justify it's cost?
Never as a hobby user.  You have to calculate the satisfaction and joy value of it and multiply that times the amount you will use it.   I've had mine for 4 years.  I'm ahead by about $6,000.00 satisfaction dollars and still smile every time I use it.  

I can usually justify the cost of my tools, even as a hobby user.  I agree that satisfaction and joy can be part of the justification, but most of my tools have justified themselves in $ savings because of the household enhancements, household maintenance, and gifts I have been able to make.

That having been said, if I had used a Domino rather than a Dowelmax on the many projects in which I have used my Dowelmax, I probably could have justified a Domino, just on the straight $ savings.  But, the Dowelmax is  a very high quality and versitile jig with great documentation and it brings me satisfaction and joy to use it.  So, by using it rather than a Domino, I have saved even more money.  

I appear to be a voice crying in the wilderness here, but I guess that is what I should expect on a forum with so many Domino users.  That's OK with me, the Domino is worth the praise that you are giving it, but I will stick with my Dowelmax.