Makita vs Festool?

[Stephen B]

I thought there was a separate 18v battery line that doesn’t fit the higher draw tools since it was a 1.5Ah battery size with the Makita Compact Tool sub section?

Makita calls their newer circa 2012 batteries "STAR Protection Computer Controls" and some of their older tools can not be used with newer high amp hour Star protected batteries. This is typically the older brushed tools that are not STAR rated. IE: I have an older Makita grinder that will accept the 3.0Ah batteries (Which are STAR rated) but will not accept the 4.0Ah packs nor the 5.0Ah battery packs.

My guess . . . . .

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Yet another -

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Was going to say this on an earlier post, but was not sure that my Makita retail sales experience within Australia would be correct in a NA Sales environment.

 

[JimD]

I've never used a Makita cordless tool but their track saw looks interesting to me.  But my corded tool is a DeWalt and the tracks are not compatible.  DeWalt had a cordless but I think they've stopped selling and supporting it.

My cordless tools are all Ryobi.  I had a DeWalt drill for awhile but got tired of their battery prices.  I can buy two 4amp hour batteries for $99 if I watch for the 2-3 times a year sale.  I have the 18 gauge nailer, shop vac, air compressor, two drills, impact driver, small circular saw, two lights, reciprocating saw, jigsaw, vibrating saw, right angle drill and yard trimmer plus bush trimmer for the yard.  The saws are definitely not precision tools but the nailer is about as good as any, the shop vac also right up there and so far I really like the cordless compressor.  I have drilled half inch holes in steel and installed locksets in solid doors with my cheap Ryobi drills. 

These comments might not belong on a Festool forum - but I definitely think you do not need to pay Festool prices for cordless tools.  I may "upgrade" to the little Bosch Flex 12V drill for specialized drilling situations plus the ability to use something smaller than my 18V Ryobis.  But I will not be buying any Festool cordless drills.  I am seriously thinking about a domino, have the Festool hand sander that hooks to a vacuum (great for drywall) and the Festool plunge base/depth adjustment attachments for my Fein vibrating tool.  I really like the way Festools work but not the prices. 

 

[Thistleman]

I am very much in the right tool for the job camp on this one. I have 4 different brand cordless tools with 6 different battery platforms between them - no big deal.  However one of the best features of a standardised platform occurs if you have a one off unusual job which will be easier to complete with a cordless tool you do not possess and then being able to buy a bare tool and using you existing batteries saves a considerable sum of money as often the batteries are a major part of purchasing a cordless tool.

 

[Job and Knock]

If to traders turn up in front of me to do the work, one with makita tools and the other with festool, I'll always pick one with festool.

Wow. I guess you have problems getting anyone in to do those dirty jobs like stripping out stud walls and replacing them (Festool recip saw? Hmmm, maybe not) or doing anything which requires the mobility of a cordless planer. I'm far more concerned with the quality of the guy's work than with the tool kit he brings.

In the USA I don't think people consider Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt to be high end brands.  They are considered quality tools used by people who use tools every day.

I chose a Makita cordless plunge/rail saw over the Festool partly because I already had ten plus Mak batteries. It's more a case of getting the right tool for the job, the one which fits with your kit, than buying purely on label, which is why I went for the P1cc when it came to buying a corded jigsaw..... There are some tools, though, where the only answer is Festool. It's just that it's not everything Festool make

 

[BrianSometimes]

However one of the best features of a standardised platform occurs if you have a one off unusual job which will be easier to complete with a cordless tool you do not possess and then being able to buy a bare tool and using you existing batteries saves a considerable sum of money as often the batteries are a major part of purchasing a cordless tool.

I've seen this comment before, and I of course agree with the sentiment, but one of the key differences for me having moved to Festool from Makita is that while Makita very much is a one battery platform, Festool isn't. If you want a CXS, a HKC 55 circular saw and an ETSC 125 sander - all current Festool cordless tools - you'll need three different non-interchangeable types of batteries and two different chargers.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

After reading all comments I had to check if I was on some kind of makitaownersgroup?...  Pure Marxism!  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]
This is what i think:
If to traders turn up in front of me to do the work, one with makita tools and the other with festool, I'll always pick one with festool. Festool for me means someone who stive to do the best work, not best deal. Just an opinion

Great thread, and I know it’s your opinion but, I couldn’t disagree more, quite honestly.
I have been in the building trade for 40 + years, in that time I have bought a lot of tools especially power tools. I was a long time Makita cordless driver fan, along with Elu for the bigger power tools, like miter saws, routers and flip over saws etc, until they changed the name, and moved production, and changed everything to canary yellow!
Then I stuck completely with Makita, and have done ever since until a while back when the penny dropped about what Festool is really all about.
Festool is like all their tools are a small part in a big jigsaw. The more of the Festool kit you have the better your jigsaw becomes, with each piece/tool making it better all the time, whilst heading for the bigger picture, or jigsaw etc.

When you have all the Festool kit, it’s like the complete artical, all the modular pieces work together to tackle just about anything.

That’s not always the case though, we have a lot of power tools, more than most is pretty accurate but, the majority of my tools are Makita. Although a Makita, and more recently Festool fan, I still buy what I consider to be the best tool for our use, no matter what the brand.

For example, we had some Makita cordless multi tools, they were one of the few Makita tools I’ve ever had issue with. They seemed to be made of cheese? Although the current model is better and I do own one, it’s not a patch on the 18v Fein Supercut.
I bought the Supercut after sampling the early Makita version, it was like night and day, not without issue though, and in spite of the hefty price tag, it went back to Fein twice.
The latest model, (in my opinion) is the best out there, apart from having to buy Starlock Max blades, as nothing else fits.

I own Festool and Makita dust extractors, I love the Festool version but, they were a lot more expensive.
I also have both Domino machines simply because Makita or anybody else, manufactures nothing like them, so it’s literally Festool or nothing where the Domino is concerned.
Our sanders, miter saws, rip saws, reciprocating saws, all of our drills, impact drivers, routers (apart from one) are all Makita, and they are superb!

Plunge saws, I bought myself a Festool TS55, nice machine but I had an itch for the Mafell after hearing great things. So I bought the Mafell, it’s a superb machine, with some nice design features, and is a joy to use, better than the Festool? For me, yes, but not by the margin I expected.

Then recently, we bought the Makita 36v AWS plunge saw along with the 36v AWS extractor. What a combo! The cordless Makita is now my go too plunge saw, not sure if it’s the novelty factor? It just feels very right to me.
Other Festool stuff we have is, the MFT/3 (two of them) and a MW/1000.

I have an array of tools and equipment from various manufacturers, and also a good reputation as a tradesman and craftsman. I would hate to think that my quality of work could be judged by whatever name badge my tools carry?

There is also a saying in the UK, “all the gear and no idea” so, somebody way well own what some consider to be the finest tools, yet do not hold the skills to use them to potential?

Even on this great forum, we have a mixture, professionals, part timers and hobbyists, and of course complete newcomers to woodwork. How about a complete newcomer turns up at your place, with a van load of Festool but, hasn’t a clue what to do with them?

I have learned to let the work do the talking, regardless if who’s tools are used. 

 

[Romanf345]

In my opinion, yes Fein makes excellent tools....I have tons of them and they are extremely well constructed and work perfectly for me.  Love that their dust extractors are much more reasonable to replaces bags, etc.

uote author=fshanno link=topic=53125.msg540365#msg540365 date=1520566766]

Interesting though, In Norway we don't consider either Makita, Metabo or Milwaukee  as a high-end brands.. Festool, Hilti, Mafell are  the brands of choice.

How about Fein?  Do they belong on your short list?
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