MFT 1080 vs MFT 3

[Loren Hedahl]

Took a "mini-vacation" to my favorite Festool dealer who does business in Port Townsend, WA which is also one of my favorite places to take an afternoon "mini-vacation".

Each time I go to Edensaw Woods, the Festool displays are a little different.  This time an MFT 3 was "front and center" and I had an opportunity to fiddle with it a little.  My impulse was to buy it, even though I already have a MFT 1080 because of the convenience of the new angle fixture design and the more robust aluminum extrusions for the sides.  The added height was of no advantage to me.  I would likely cut off, since I am not that tall.  My second thought was to wait and see what the FOG has to say on the subject. 

Upon reviewing this forum for a bit, I didn't see any deep discussion comparing the two.

So what is the general thought on this  --  are they both pretty much equivalent, or does the MFT 3 have a clear enough advantage that a person in his right mind might be happy to shell out a cool six hundred bucks, or so, for the upgraded table?

 

[JohnDistai]

There was a forum post a few days ago regarding this, and several members posted a link to a nice write up about the two.  Someone may provide a link to it. (I don't know how).

 

[EcoFurniture]

I have both versions. The MFT/3 is way better in terms of the angle unit. The other details didn't bug me at all.

 

[john ferri]

I've had the 1080 for a long time and it's fine for straight and angled cuts as long as you are careful about setup and the lumber you are cutting is dimensionally accurate. The only "deep" advantage of the MFT 3 is the slick accessories that will be coming down the pike. For example, the vacuum clamping fixture can be attached very securely to the side of the MFT 3 and rotates under the table when not in use. The system is very slick and, I hasten to add, beyond my budget.

600 bucks for the fancy, easy to square fence and funkier extrusions?  I'll pass on the MFT 3 and stick with the 1080. Those mini vacations can be expensive.

JF

 

[johnsonri]

I have both versions of the MFT. After using both versions for a while, I certainly like the MFT3 better. I am able to achieve precise repeatability with both versions. In my opinion, the MFT3 requires far less fine tuning than the 1080 to get to a point where you are able to get precise and repeatable cuts.

For me, if cost was at issue and I already had a 1080, then I'd stay with the 1080 for awhile. Like I said, the 1080 can be made to do just about everything that the MFT3 can do.

Rey