K-119 in San Francisco

Crox G

Crox G

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2012
Messages
93
I want to give Phil Sun and K-119 Tools an "Attaboy!"  ;D  I'm visiting San Francisco for a few days and had a morning free.  I had read about K-119 in the FOG dealer posts and sent him an email. Phil welcomed me by PM, sent me directions, and even offered to meet me at the train station (San Bruno, near the airport).  I took the train this morning and found the store with no trouble. It was an easy walk to the store from the station.  What a place! Small, but chock-full of top end tools for all trades. Not a square inch left uncovered, but all very neat and well-displayed. He has a Festool shrine and a warehouse full of stock to back it up. Phil let me play with anything I wanted and patiently answered my questions. 

I was particularly interested in Guide Stops for my 1400 router. He had just run out of them, and was expecting a shipment soon. I bought a few small things and let him give me a ride to the train.  Later that day he sent me a text message, with picture, saying that the guide stops had arrived and asked whether I was still interested. I asked if he could ship it, and he offered to deliver it to my hotel today! I gave him my credit card info, and he said he'd see me about 9:00 after a meeting in the city. Sure enough, he sent me a text when he was 15 minutes away, and I met him at the curb. He even surprised me with a Festool tee shirt!  I'm hooked now!

i don't want to be disloyal to my home store (Virginia Beach Woodcraft, with Mike, a great Festool guru), but I can't say enough good about Phil and his West Coast operation. If you're ever in San Francisco, I recommend a visit to K-119.

I forgot to ask how the store got its name. Hmm.

Crox
 
Words too kind Crox!  We just really like guests from out of town :)

As for our name, "K" is the first initial of the owner's family name, which he has traced back 119 generations! 

Was an absolute treat meeting you today, and do please stop by again next time you're in town! 
 
I wish you guys had a store in San Francisco, would make life a lot easier... and expensive :P
 
Wow, didn't know about K-119.  I'll have to swing over one of these days.  Now I can drool on the tools themselves instead of my keyboard.  [tongue]
 
@b_m_hart: I suppose it wouldn't help if I mentioned we're setting up an online store right?  ::)

@live4ever: may I suggest a keyboard cover?  I even chose a green one for you ;)

But yes please guys!  Please come on by anytime! 
 
@b_m_hart.  San Fransisco? Just get on the BART yellow or red line train to San Bruno ($4?) and give Phil a call.  They have excellent limousine service!

Crox
 
Crox G said:
@b_m_hart.  San Fransisco? Just get on the BART yellow or red line train to San Bruno ($4?) and give Phil a call.  They have excellent limousine service!

Crox
Click to expand...

They aren't that hard to get to, and I have purchased there before.  I was just giving them a hard time cuz they're by the airport, by the SSF / San Bruno border.
 
I am considering buying the LS130 so I stopped in at K119 to demo one.  They told me that they sorry that did not have one to demo even though they had one on display.  ??? I was disappointed as they are only a mile or two from my house and I have already bought a RTS 400 from them to go with my RO90 and RAS115.  Not what I expected from a Festool dealer.  I will now have to drive to the next closest dealer, about 15 miles, to demo and purchase my sander.

Craig
 
Heya Craig,

I do apologize for the hassle, and frankly, am quite disappointed in ourselves that we were unable to demo the LS130 for you earlier today.  We try to have demo tools for most of our popular / common tools for clients to try before they buy, and previously have considered the LS130 as something more specialized, thus have not stocked a demo unit. 

"Display" units are taken from stock, as new, to merely sit pretty in our showroom.  The firm distinguishing point is a concern for fairness towards the next buyer, should a demo not turn into a purchase, that a new tool is now used.  Sure hope you can understand.

Again very much apologies, and I do hope that while I may have lost an immediate sale, that I do not lose you as a client in our future.

Sincerely,

Philip Sun
K-119 of California Inc.
 
Philip

Thank you for replying to my post.  I understand that if you demo a display unit and I don't buy it it is now used.  But if I buy the ls130 without a demo and don't like it at all, you still end up with a used unit after I return it within 30 days. (unless you don't honor the return policy) 

I think that having a demo tool prevents having a lot of used sanders coming back to the store, especially a specialty sander that is as unique as the ls130 and it is what makes buying locally different than buying online.  Better to find out I don't like the sander before making that purchase.  I may just purchase online.

Just my take on it,

Thanks Craig
 
Hey Craig - Ya know, I was thinking the exact same thing while I was typing my reply earlier this morning - (naturally obvious now in hindsight), but it is indeed all the more compelling to have the unique / specialized tools for demo, rather than just the more common ones.  I'll have a chat with our Purchaser to see about bringing a LS130 demo in.

For that matter, fairly recently (coincidentally) I actually just did a shop inventory of all our Festool demo tools.  Here's the list:

MFT/3 Multifunction Table
TS 55 EQ
TS 75 EQ
KS 120 Kapex
TI 15 Impact
RTS 400
DTS 400
RO 90
RO 125
RO 150
ETS 125
ETS 150/3
OF 1010
OF 1400
OF 2200
MFK 700
CMS-GE Router Table
DF 500 Domino
DF 700 Domino XL
HL 850
EHL 65
CT Mini
CT Midi
CT 22
CT 26

Feel free to stop by to try out any of these.  Give me a heads up beforehand though for the router table.  Needs a little additional setup since our showroom is so small.

The one difference of try-before-you-buy versus try-after-you-buy is just that - the receipt.  With a purchase receipt, and a bit of paperwork and returning the "dissatisfied" used tool to Festool on our end, Festool would replace our inventory with a new unit.  Naturally without the receipt, well, we end up with a soiled new unit that nobody (including next prospective client) would like.  

On that note, and hopefully if you haven't already purchased online, I would like to invite you back for the LS130.  Give it a shot.  I mean afterall, it IS a Festool  ;)  

If something is less than awesome, of course we honor the 30-day return policy.  It's easy as that.  The 30-day Guarantee is Festool's Program, and all dealers are required to abide by.  Here's a funny story of a clueless dealer, who probably/hopefully isn't any longer.  

All in all I do want to apologize again for the inconvenience I have caused.  That said, there's really only one advantage us brick-and-mortar shops have against online dealers - we are physically here.  As our client, you don't have to deal with shipping.  Don't like a new purchase?  Drop it off, we'll handle the rest.  Got a warranty request?  Repair?  Same deal - drop it off, we'll handle it.  Parts support.  On the spot troubleshooting and Q&A.  We're here for you.

A bit corny - but K-119's been around since 1978 not after the fast buck.  We're here because of long lasting relationships with clients that we run for.  

Hopefully see you back at the shop sometime yea?

Philip Sun
K-119 of California Inc.
650.588.0160
 
Philip

I bought a 4 inch Makita angle grinder (still have it and it still works) from Joe more than 30 years ago when he was in his first little store.  I have bought many tools over the years from k119 and will continue to shop there.

I am glad to hear you will try and get a ls130 demo.  I have not purchased online yet as I was thinking of going down to Woodcraft in San Carlos and demo one there.  I will check in to see when and if you get in your demo before I buy or go to Woodcraft.  I was 90% sure I was not going to return the RO90 or RTS400 after using the demos.  The RTS400 turned out to be the biggest surprise after 30 days.  With the right paper it is quit an aggressive sander for painted trim and small drywall repairs.  I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

Thanks Again
Craig

 
I didn't know you guys had that much Festool in your store to demo, I thought those were just displays.

I was in your shop a few months ago and bought the ETS125. The staff was super nice and had a great selection of sanders. I started looking at my old fall back Porter Cable, but they steered me toward Festool. I had seen them before, but wasn't sure I was going to like them this much! If I had known I could have used them in store, I might have tried out a few.

I will be back to test drive the router and table set up I saw at the end of the display  [smile].

* * Any suggestions as to which vac I should get? I currently have the smallest Fein to go with my Multimaster or table saw, but running 2-3 tools at a time it seems to not be able to keep up. I was thinking the Midi, but maybe that is too small.
 
There are certain things that are great when it comes to unions, but messing up this many peoples commute days/weeks just gets irritating! Good luck with BART in the area! The ferry is very nice!  :P

Yea,  do you have an online store? If so, can I order online and pick up in store later that day?
 
bigasstealgmc said:
I didn't know you guys had that much Festool in your store to demo, I thought those were just displays.

I was in your shop a few months ago and bought the ETS125. The staff was super nice and had a great selection of sanders. I started looking at my old fall back Porter Cable, but they steered me toward Festool. I had seen them before, but wasn't sure I was going to like them this much! If I had known I could have used them in store, I might have tried out a few.

I will be back to test drive the router and table set up I saw at the end of the display  [smile].

* * Any suggestions as to which vac I should get? I currently have the smallest Fein to go with my Multimaster or table saw, but running 2-3 tools at a time it seems to not be able to keep up. I was thinking the Midi, but maybe that is too small.
Click to expand...

Hey thanks for the support!  Yes!  Please let us know when you would like to come back to try out the Festool Routers  :) 

For Vacuum setup, Fein makes wonderful dust extractors (we're also an authorized Fein dealer!).  Assuming you have one of the current Fein Turbo Vacs, the Turbo I (Mini) moves 116cfm, as compared to ANY of the Festool CT Dust Extractors, at 137cfm.  What was pretty neat in 2012 was Festool decided to revamp their entire vac lineup - now all HEPA Certified, all using the same motor - which really makes shopping for a vac a ton easier; just picking what size you would like.  A CT48 would work awesome as a shop vac, a CT Mini would be brilliant for high mobility and getting into narrow spaces, and Goldilocks, the CT 26 for an excellent allrounder. 

Festool also offers a variety of hose accessories and connectors, specifically a Y-piece with blanking plug which would suit your application well.

Let me know when you would like to come by to check them out!
 
Paul G said:
fritter63 said:
Ditto that, SF is awesome on public transportation.

I'm there now and come up here once a month on business , don't even need a car.
Click to expand...

This comment made me chuckle, hope you're not in SF now... http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Commuters-jockey-in-BART-strike-s-2nd-day-4642262.php

Phillip, do you have a regular website or are you only on facebook?
Click to expand...

Heya Paul -

A bit of a secret, but we're secretly working on a secret Festool online store that will take over the world.  Shh.  It's a secret!

There is the rather circa 1978 http://k119.com which I've yet the time to breathe life back into...

Thus primarily at this current moment... only http://facebook.com/k119tools is remotely active, and only used as a media gallery to showcase what the store is up to  :P
 
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