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”?
Almost like discussing something with a real person. Now I understand why the parents of the 16 year old filed a lawsuit. 
