Seems like they've pulled it from the US market anyway.I still think Triton continues to blow it with their cheap duo-doweler. Wouldn’t cost much to address the issues and that would provide a better cheaper alternative to the Domino.
Seems like they've pulled it from the US market anyway.I still think Triton continues to blow it with their cheap duo-doweler. Wouldn’t cost much to address the issues and that would provide a better cheaper alternative to the Domino.
The problem with pocket screws is, well, SCREWS. They're great for "static" joints with no forces on them (cabinet face frames). Maybe cabinet carcases. Otherwise.... FUHGETABOUTIT.If the goal is just "stick 2 pieces of wood together" sure there are a hundred cheaper ways to do it.
The flaw of pocket screws is exactly that "pockets". Pretty much all of those other alternatives are better, in that regard.
Pocket screws do have a place, but they have limitations too. I have had a K-5 for a long time. That's the bench mounted model, with the locking lever in the front. (You have to reach around for the K-4)
It comes in a kit, with the hand-held Vice-grip type block too. Then there is the little "single hole" unit too. It is great for hose ones you didn't know you needed. However, the pockets are a problem.
They have their place, but they can't do it all.
@4nthony that's hilarious, true but still amusing.
My first purchase seems to have pre-dated Dominoes (or at least my knowledge of their existence): A pricy DeWalt tenon cutting jig for the table saw and a mortising machine (also DeWalt). Low ceiling height limits the length of pieces to cut tenons on. Slow and tedious unless I am making many identical cuts.I asked ChatGPT to give me a summary of inexpensive Domino-Killers and to rank costs. I think most people that are averse to buying a Domino end up spending almost as much on alternatives, then end up buying the Domino anway.
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Great question — this is exactly the trap that a lot of us fall into: “I’ll try the cheaper options first before I commit to a Domino” … and then you look back and realize you’ve already spent Domino money on half-measures.
Let’s run the math. I’ll use rough new-retail USD prices (as of 2025).
The Benchmark
- Festool Domino DF 500 set: ≈ $1,200 (with systainer, assortment of cutters & tenons).
- (The Domino XL DF 700 is closer to $1,600–1,800, but we’ll benchmark the DF 500 since that’s the more “general use” machine.)
The Experiment Path (Low-End → Upward)
- Milescraft JointMate (budget dowel jig)
- Price: ≈ $20
- Total so far: $20
- Rockler Beadlock Pro
- Price: ≈ $60–80
- Total so far: ~$100
- Jessem Dowelling Jig
- Price: ≈ $250
- Total so far: ~$350
- Dowelmax Jig
- Price: ≈ $400–500
- Total so far: ~$800
- Triton DuoDoweler (TDJ600)
- Price: ≈ $300–350
- Total so far: ~$1,100
At this point, you’ve already spent Domino money and still don’t have a Domino.
- (Optional escalation) Lamello Zeta P2
- Price: ≈ $1,600–1,800
- Now you’re deep in premium joinery land, well past Domino territory.
Cost vs Tool Count
- By the time you’ve worked through 5 tools (JointMate → Beadlock → Jessem → Dowelmax → Triton), you’ll have spent about $1,100–1,200.
- That’s essentially the price of a brand-new Festool Domino DF 500.
And if you get tempted by the Lamello… you’ll blow past even the Domino XL budget.
Takeaway
- Experimenting “bottom-up”: You’d likely acquire 5 tools and spend about the same as a Domino.
- What you actually get: A drawer full of half-redundant jigs that each do 70% of the job, slower.
- What you don’t get: The speed, efficiency, and resale value of a Domino.
Do you want me to make a step-by-step “Domino Journey” timeline — like how a woodworker would rationalize each purchase before finally giving in to the Domino? (It’s a pretty funny/tragic arc).
Yes.
Perfect— here’s the “Domino Journey” timeline, the path many woodworkers take before admitting defeat and buying the Festool:
The Domino Journey (A Tragicomedy in 6 Acts)
Act I — The Optimist ($20)
- Purchase: Milescraft JointMate
- Rationale: “I don’t need to spend $1,200. This little jig will do everything the Domino does!”
- Reality: Holes wander, alignment’s tricky, joints creak when stressed.
- Outcome: $20 poorer, but still convinced the right cheap tool exists.
Act II — The Tinkerer ($80)
- Purchase: Rockler Beadlock Pro
- Rationale: “This is literally a floating-tenon system! Same principle as Domino. Nailed it.”
- Reality: Clunky jig, awkward drilling, chunky “beadlock” tenons look like Lincoln Logs.
- Outcome: A drawer full of oddly ribbed blocks and the faint sense you’re being mocked.
Act III — The Serious Hobbyist ($250)
- Purchase: Jessem Dowelling Jig
- Rationale: “I’ll just invest in quality. Dowels are strong — stronger than Dominos even! Who needs a fancy plunge cutter?”
- Reality: Gorgeous jig, but setup is slow, drilling endless holes is tedious, and you start dreaming of a green machine.
- Outcome: Your work is precise… but you envy every Domino demo on YouTube.
Act IV — The Engineer ($450)
- Purchase: Dowelmax
- Rationale: “Okay, THIS is the ultimate jig. People say it’s stronger than a Domino. I’ve beaten the system!”
- Reality: Yes, joints are rock-solid. But it takes forever to clamp, drill, unclamp, repeat. You look at your project pile and sigh.
- Outcome: You’ve achieved strength, not speed. The Domino shadow grows darker.
Act V — The Compromiser ($350)
- Purchase: Triton DuoDoweler
- Rationale: “Fine. I’ll buy a machine. This will be basically a Domino.”
- Reality: It’s fast… but fiddly, less precise, plastic-heavy. You keep thinking, “This feels like the Harbor Freight version of what I really want.”
- Outcome: By now, you’ve spent Domino money on tools you barely use.
Act VI — The Surrender ($1,200)
- Purchase: Festool Domino DF 500
- Rationale: “…Fine. Just shut up and take my money.”
- Reality: You make 6 perfect joints in 60 seconds. You laugh, you cry, you wonder why you didn’t do this 3 years ago.
- Outcome: A new era of woodworking speed and smugness begins. You look at your drawer of jigs like old relationships you’ve outgrown.
Totals Before Domino
- Tools acquired: ~5
- Money spent: ≈ $1,100
- Time wasted: Countless hours fiddling with jigs
- Emotional cost: Resentment + regret
Would you like me to also break down what happens if, instead of the cheap-to-expensive route, someone jumps straight to the Lamello Zeta P2 path — the “bougie alternative timeline”?
But do they really?one has to do a lot of pocket hole joinery to make that thing worth it
The price of something and its usage absolutely have no direct (or linear?) relationship. Just ask my wife. Her most jewelery set is hardly worn compared to what she is wearing 24/7.They haven't finished setting up the display, but the price points seem reasonable. They are offering a battery and charger for $129 (can't remember the amp hour). Got to hold the drill and impact driver, they're okay - probably more on par (by tactile feel) with Kobalt or Craftsman than DeWalt or Festool.
And I would agree that Kreg's focus is on the DIYer. But that said, at this stage, I wonder how many people, other than the true newbie buying their tools for the first go round, will adopt the Kreg cordless. (though I think Kreg Kordless was a missed opportunity)?
But do they really?How many of us here have spent a bit of money on a tool that we as yet have not used or used at a frequency that would not be commensurate with how much we paid!
It begs the question of whether their legal counsels will use AI to help them in their case!That Chat GPT is kind of cool.Almost like discussing something with a real person. Now I understand why the parents of the 16 year old filed a lawsuit.
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It begs the question of whether their legal counsels will use AI to help them in their case!
Ya that's the one I was talking about...that's the reason I thought your ChatGPT example was so interesting as it just rolls out language & expressions as any human would. Unfortunately, Adam got caught in the web and paid the ultimate price.I added areaction to the above post but then looked up information about ChatGPT lawsuits. If @Cheese is referencing the same one I discovered, it's definitely not something I should be laughing about. Heartbreaking, actually.
What they were thinking was what ChatGPT was able to think of at the time. But ChatGPT continued to learn and think in directions that the inventors could not envision. That is the “thin ice” that A.I. represents. They cannot see or envision where or how the ice will be thin, but when it is, disaster can occur. At some point the designers will figure out some sort of guard rails, but the A.I. will also continue to learn and continue to include the new guard rails in its “thinking”.Ya that's the one I was talking about...that's the reason I thought your ChatGPT example was so interesting as it just rolls out language & expressions as any human would. Unfortunately, Adam got caught in the web and paid the ultimate price.
Sheesh, you'd imagine the inventors would have placed some guard rails around ChatGPT...what were they thinking?![]()
I cannot imagine why Kreg would attempt to enter an already saturated market with the same things everyone else already has for less money. No one is going to pick that drill up and think "wow, so much nicer than what Harbor Freight sells".They haven't finished setting up the display, but the price points seem reasonable. They are offering a battery and charger for $129 (can't remember the amp hour). Got to hold the drill and impact driver, they're okay - probably more on par (by tactile feel) with Kobalt or Craftsman than DeWalt or Festool.
Kreg did it to themselves in the past. My first Kreg jig was a nicely machined casting. They then replaced it with a blue plastic version. A cheaper version of their own product. And not a parallel line, but an actual replacement.I cannot imagine why Kreg would attempt to enter an already saturated market with the same things everyone else already has for less money. No one is going to pick that drill up and think "wow, so much nicer than what Harbor Freight sells".
This is just impossible for me to fathom since through our current lifetimes we’ve had more than numerous examples of why AI is a dangerous thing.. But ChatGPT continued to learn and think in directions that the inventors could not envision. l