MFT3: Festool Seeking Member Questions

[Matthew Schenker]

Everyone,
As many of you know, Festool will soon be introducing a new version of the Multi-Function Table (MFT).  It is called the "MFT3."

As Festool prepares to release the MFT3, they are interested in gathering questions from members of this forum.  Festool will use your responses to be proactive in addressing customers' interests and concerns.

So please jump in and tell Festool what you want to know about the MFT3!

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[VictorL]

Everything.
Size, compatibility, features, accessories, standard/expanded configuration, prices, availability.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Everyone,
As many of you know, Festool will soon be introducing a new version of the Multi-Function Table (MFT).  It is called the "MFT3."

As Festool prepares to release the MFT3, they are interested in gathering questions from members of this forum.  Festool will use your responses to be proactive in addressing customers' interests and concerns.

So please jump in and tell Festool what you want to know about the MFT3!

Thanks,
Matthew

  Sure, but they have to give us some idea of what the new MFT3 will be like.

 

[jonny round boy]

Other than what VictorL said (everything!), it's almost impossible for us to answer that without knowing something about the product beforehand.

It's like me asking a client if they have any questions regarding the design of their new kitchen, before I've shown them the design!!!

Could you ask them for some up-front information so we have something to base our questions on?

 

[Dan Clark]

One of the things that drives me nuts about product introductions of new products that replace old products is that the vendors give a laundry list of the "great features" of the new product.  Many times they will use new terms to explain the exact same feature that existed on the old version.  In the end, the customer is left scratching their head wondering, "What the heck is new and enhanced on the new product?!?  Why should I buy it?"

What I want to know is:

1) What do the new and old MFTs have in common?  I.e., what has NOT changed?

2) Which OLD accessories will work on the new MFT?

3) Which OLD accessories will NOT work on the new MFT?  (This is typically a tough one that marketing people don't like to answer.)

4) What are the new features on the new MFT when compared to the old one?

5) What are the enhanced features on the new MFT when compared to the old one?

6) Are there any new or enhanced accessories available?  What are they?  Why are they better? 

7) Since many (most?) of us already have at least one MFT, how can the new and old MFT be integrated to work together?  Are there any limitations in doing this?  What are they?

8 ) I want to see multiple, detailed pictures of the old and new MFT side-by-side.  I want to compare them visually BEFORE I buy the new one.  And a local dealer probably will NOT have them to compare.  To them it's inventory.  They'll sell or otherwise dispose of their old MFT floor model ASAP.

If the new MFT has some new and better features, I might buy one.  But I would be royally PO'd if I bought one and found that it didn't give me any advantages and/or it didn't integrate well with my old MFT.  In other words, it's OK to have limitatations, but be darned sure you tell me up front what they are.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Dan's list of questions is great, but I agree with JRB that we could be a lot more helpful if Festool gave us something to go on.  I'm particularly interested in the compatibility issue.  Many if not most of us already have an MFT and if we were to buy a second or third MFT, we would want to combine them to be some sort of jumbo system.

I'm hoping for an improved way of squaring and leveling the rail guide and I would really like it if that improvement could be retrofitted onto  the old MFT.

 

[Dan Clark]

I should have mentioned that I agree with JRB and Brice, but they already made the point well and I wanted to add something different.  That said, my questions are pretty generic.  If I had some preliminary info, I'd fine-tune them much better.  It's a chicken and egg thing.

Dan.

 

[mysterium]

Dan,

Very well said!!!  

Since I have two MFT's; a 1080 & a large table with 79" (2000 mm rails) & 45" (1165 mm rails) PLUS all of the current accessories for the MFT's as they exist today, I want to know "how the new will compliment the old".  

The functionality of my current setup will remain, but are we looking at complete "oil & water" between the "new & the old...."   ie. Connectivity; (height of new vs old, width of new vs old),  Functionality; (20 mm holes at 96 mm spacing...  meaning are current accessories/jigs still usable with new system)  The height, width along with how new/old rail profiles matchup will determine if the old MFT's can be connected/adapted to the new.  The hole size/spacing or lack there of..., will determine wether the current accessories/jigs will be able to be used on the new system.  

Again regardless of what happens, the functionality of the current generation of MFT's will remain.

So like everyone else I am waiting to "see"... and a picture will go a long way on clearing this up.  With something tangible like a picture or drawing it will allow us to both ask intelligent questions and give positive feedback.  

I'm all for better products to allow me to work faster with more efficiency to turn out higher quality of work for my customers....    These are the very reasons why I purchased over a period of years nearly every power tool & accessory offered by Festool in the USA.  

jim

 

[Ned]

Agree with Dan's list.

3) Which OLD accessories will NOT work on the new MFT?  (This is typically a tough one that marketing people don't like to answer.)

But German tool marketing people are probably different from [any nationality] software marketing people.

If Festool were run like a software company, they'd have shipped several containers of empty MFT3 boxes to the US in time to count them as "shipped in 2007". 

MFT3.1 would be the first one that actually existed. 

Ned

 

[Daviddubya]

I must believe, at this stage, that Festool already has the design of the new MFT completed, and that the product is going into manufacturing soon.  Knowing that the old MFT was history, surely a company as saavy as Festool has been working on the replacement for sometime.  Right???

Dan's list is hard to add to - good job, Dan.

If Festool wants a critique of the new MFT, then let us have a look at it.  That look would most likely not be a public look, on this or any other public forum.  Pick a few knowledgeable Festool users, and let them do the critique - much like the beta users of the Domino.

That said, I think backward compatibility with the "old" MFT and accessories is pretty key.  I already have two MFT's and doubt I'd be buying any more, unless it was for another location.  But lots of folks have one and will want to add on in the future.  I find a double MFT the center of my home shop.

Easier portability is another feature I think is important for those that move the MFT to job sites.  The MFT is heavy and takes up a decent amount of space when folded.  Removing and replacing the fence system to avoid damaging it in transit is not all that easy.  Improvements in this area would be welcomed by lots of users.

 

[eweber]

For me the compatibility with the old MFT is the most important thing.

I already have 2 of them and will not upgrade just because there is a new model.

I can see myself however be enclined to extend my system in the future and add a third one. I will not do it unless the new MFT is compatible.

Emmanuel

 

[Overtime]

For me the compatibility issue would be with my wallet.    How many more coin$ to get the "3" of the new MFT3 ?
I'm doing just fine with my current MFT so there must be some significant changes.  ???

 

[lawhoo]

In addition to the factors mentioned by others--especially an improved ability to square the fence and rail--I would like to see at least the option of retractable casters to make the MFT more mobile in the shop.

 

[Fred West]

I agree with everything said above and as I currently have 3 MFTs I want to know will I be able to clamp from the side with any kind of pressure without bending the side rail. This one issue alone could make the difference for me. Fred

 

[Forrest Anderson]

As Festool prepares to release the MFT3, they are interested in gathering questions from members of this forum.  Festool will use your responses to be proactive in addressing customers' interests and concerns.

So please jump in and tell Festool what you want to know about the MFT3!

It rather sounds as though Festool are preparing a set of Frequently Asked Questions for the new MFT, along similar lines to the following FAQs about the old MFT:

• At what dimensions should the stops for the guide rail support and the hinged guide rail holding device be set on the MFT 1080?
• I was cutting into my MFT with my TS55 saw. Is that normal? Do I have to replace the top? 
• Can you make the MFT larger?
• What holes should be used to locate the protractor head of the angle unit on the MFT? 
• How can I accurately transfer angles from my angle unit to the MFT?
• How heavy are the multifunction tables? Is it easy to take them to the jobsite?
• Can I connect two or more tables to make a larger work surface?
• What is the load capacity of the MFT multifunction table?

Assuming that is the case, I reckon Dan's questions are an excellent basis for the new FAQ, and here are a few more of my own:

• Which new accessories for the MFT3 will fit the old MFT?
• Which new accessories for the MFT3 will not fit the old MFT?
• Can the MFT3 be purchased in various sizes?
• Will parts be available (eg longer rails) which will allow users to construct larger MFTs?
• How can I join an old MFT to the MFT3?
• Can the MFT3 be adjusted in height?
• When will the MFT3 start to become available in various markets?

Forrest

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  Adjustable height and / or at least three legs adjustable fo leveling instead of one leveling leg.

  Some ,very accurate, integrated set up for squaring the guide rail.

  A size that is large enough to cut 49" (oversize ply, part board).

  Make it lighter-  for easier transport.

Seth
 

 

[Texastutt]

Here Here on a bit lighter... It is a bear to haul into a home.
It is my assembly table, cut to size table, and lunch table. So I would like to know what we're asking on.

 

[nola]

a discount to those who recently purchased one

 

[ccmviking]

There are different audiences for such information.  There is information needed for those folks that have never seen or heard of an MFT, then there is what is needed by folks that already know a lot about them whether or not they currently own one.  I believe from what I've seen and/or heard about the MFT is that it's a great product and very useful.  I personally have been on the fence about purchasing mainly due to some of the shortcomings discussed on this site (e.g. the ability to quickly and accurately square, the sloppiness of the tab where the rail lands, etc.).  What I would like to see is what it's capabilities are, and how has it been improved over the now discontinued MFT.

Chris...     

 

[Qwas]

Hi,

  Adjustable height and / or at least three legs adjustable fo leveling instead of one leveling leg.

  Some ,very accurate, integrated set up for squaring the guide rail.

  A size that is large enough to cut 49" (oversize ply, part board).

  Make it lighter-  for easier transport.

Seth
 

I agree with everything Seth says and how about some stiffer legs to stop the table from shaking.
Along with quickly and easily squaring the fence to the guide rail, how about a fast and accurate 45 degree setting (after all, the 2007 USA catalog says "the MFT will, in many cases, outperform a miter saw... in terms of precision...).
An optional vise.
How about a small shelf (5-10 inches deep) underneath the table for storing tools and tape measure while working a big project on the table top.
A shelf to hold the TS55/75 between cuts.
Some holes in the side rails so the clamping elements can work there too.
2 boards (or anything else) that slide up from underneath the table to give a perfect 90 degree corner when gluing up parts.
Perhaps an optional storage cabinet underneath the table.
A support coming up and over the table for lights, power strip, vacuum hose.