OMG , Methinks thou dost protest too much.
"it fits the system with the UG cart",
Yep, so does my 100 quid hobbyist saw after and adapter is made or purchased.
"it is lightweight, wide angle range,"
Again so is that cheapie I mentioned and the practical angle range is really no better than
any other saw.
"great extraction",
you got me here - it does.
"folds up small for transport,"
same again on the cheapie one
"simple LED light for the kerf, blade stops in a couple of seconds,"
same again - lots of saws do.
"left or right handed use, "
so does every other vertical handed mitersaw on the market.
And - you guys are really hanging your hat on 10% of the population ? Of which , what percent are mitersaw buyers ? And of that group - what percent are then festool mitersaw buyers ???
Few ! It is of course your business, and you should run it as you see fit. But to proclaim some broad appeal of a feature that isn't popular with the majority of users is a bit naive or arrogant. I'd be willing to place a sinigificant wager that horizontal (righty only) handled saws outsell vertical handled makes on the order of 20 to 1. It's a differentiator for sure, but a feature warranting a premimum price ?
Did you ever survey your core customers - 90 % of whom are right handed - to see what they'd have preferred ? And if lefties are so high on the priority list - why no lefty version of the tracksaws ?
"can be used with the new leg extensions or the version for the 120, takes up very little space as the head runs on these..."
same with my cheapie
"it cuts timber very accurately"
so do all my mitersaws - it's kinda pointless to have/keep tools that don't produce accurate results.
" it performs its basic role very well "
yep - see above. And I can buy 5 of them for the cost of a FT entry level saw.
This is the rub and angst that I think has percolated here. When you position yourself as the best , and your core customers come round and point out what they'd think your system should be ......well , to then say are our designers think , or we don't feel "x" is necessary ect... kinda is arrogance . Or, to say our's has all the features the others have but is better because it's more expensive and lefties can use it naturally , is well.........
Sorry Seth, just callin it like I see it.
"after all and a solution can be found in other ways."
Mgmt. should be very careful about this catching on.
I love all my Festools, but I'm here to tell you they don't lead in every catagory. And when you hold yourself up as one of the pinnacles , you had better deliver, and get used to taking criticism from core customers when you don't quite hit the mark. You might even think about consulting them - which is a very un-German business practice. Japanese firms do this with good effect for contrast. But to each his own.