Midwest Festool Dealer?

W

woodie

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
314
Does anyone have any suggestions for a Festool dealer in the Midwest.  The only local supplier I have is Acme Tool.  Unfortunately the one near me has fewer Festool products than I do (and I don't have that many).  No one at my branch seems to know or care to know much about the product either, making me less inclined to give them my money.  I've purchased larger items from them (MFT/3, CT26, FS3000/2, etc.) to avoid dealing with UPS on potential shipping damage.  Most everything else I've purchased from Bob Marino. Bob's been great to deal with, I'm just trying to see if there is anyone closer to me (Iowa). 

Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City are all within that 1-2 day UPS ground delivery circle. I've just never heard any recommendations from these areas?
 
If your intent is to pick up your purchase from a store, in the Twin Cities you have a couple choices if driving from Iowa. Directly up 35W there is a Rockler Woodworking in Burnsville and a Woodcraft store in Bloomington, Minnesota. Both are southern suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul and both are Festool dealers. You can get contact info from their web sites and make a call to see if they have what you need before driving up.
 
Where abouts are you located in Iowa?  Just curious as I'm in Cedar Rapids and always looking for fellow Festoolians.
 
The Twin City's have 4 dealers. Woodcraft (Bloomington), 7-corners hardware (St. Paul), ACME (Plymouth) and Rockler.

I go to Woodcraft as it the closest and I like the personality of the store,  7CH and ACME are a bit further away for me but are good stores. Rockler I can't recommend... their lack of knowledge about the product.. One guy said yea I went to a two day training class and it was way too much to remember.... here's a catalog...  I took his catalog and I have never bough any Festool product from them since.

The Festool Rep for the area and maybe Iowa? Is at the stores on a Saturday once in awhile but you get don't always get much notice before they happen.   I can tell you it would be worth the drive up from Iowa...well depends where you are in Iowa... I grew up in Newton, IA 40 miles East of Des Monies, IA  I80.  MPLS is an easy 4 hour drive....snow storms aside.

The one thing I have noticed is that all retailers seem to be a little tight on inventory of everything.

For Festool, it is most noticeable in the fewer number of accessories they carry.

Always worth the call to see what is in stock... if you are ready to buy but need hands on to decide.

That is what I like about Woodcraft with the classroom area... I have taken Festools in and tested them and living here they have let me take the Demo unit to the job site and give it a real world test... They know how I treat my tools and they know I won't treat it bad.... all they ask is that I take the time when I return it to give them detailed feedback of what I found and thought of the unit while I was testing it.

Cheers,
Steve
 
Thanks for the feedback. I get up to Minneapolis 2-3 times a year, so I'll definitely check out some of the stores listed. I stepped foot into a Woodcraft for the first time a few weeks back. It was in Woodridge, Chicago.  I have a feeling it wasn't one of their flagship stores, but it was certainly more impressive than my local offering.  The classroom area was really neat! 

I hear you on keeping lean with inventory, but with Festool, accessories are what completes the "System".  I recently purchased the OF1400 and I couldn't get any accessories for it. No edge guide, no guide rail interface, no LR32 components…  Just a recent example, but this has been the ongoing local experience. 

kelauben - Hey, I'm in Cedar Rapids too  [smile].

 
My experience has been, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I have gotten a few toys from "Uncle" Bob.  I have never had anything damaged when he sent it.  The packaging has been such that I think if the toys were ever damaged inside of his packaging, it had to have been intentional.  I do like to get my hands on the toys before i get them home for playing.  I have, upon occasion, discussed a tool with Bob before purchase and have found him to be very subjective in annalysis.  If he ain't used it, he has told me so. If you are not happy with local stores, stick with where you have had satisfaction in the past.

For me, knowledge by my dealer is more important than locality.  I do have one other dealer local to my area who is also knowledgeable and helpful. I try to split my purchases between both dealers.  Both are knowledgeable and that is what is most important IMHO.
Tinker
 
Chicago - Wood World, only Festool dealer in Chicago, northside literally just 1 minute off of I-90
Full line of Festool tools and papers, lots of stuff in stock, nice display and demo area
Nice guys to deal with, let them know you are in the FOG
Lots of exotic woods, staircase parts and other odds and ends you don't normally find in stock
PS - they have a Fogtainer sitting on their shelf  [big grin]
Hope that helps
 
woodie said:
Thanks for the feedback. I get up to Minneapolis 2-3 times a year, so I'll definitely check out some of the stores listed. I stepped foot into a Woodcraft for the first time a few weeks back. It was in Woodridge, Chicago.  I have a feeling it wasn't one of their flagship stores, but it was certainly more impressive than my local offering.  The classroom area was really neat! 

I hear you on keeping lean with inventory, but with Festool, accessories are what completes the "System".  I recently purchased the OF1400 and I couldn't get any accessories for it. No edge guide, no guide rail interface, no LR32 components…  Just a recent example, but this has been the ongoing local experience. 

kelauben - Hey, I'm in Cedar Rapids too  [smile].
Click to expand...

Woodie,

You should Call the Bloomington Woodcraft and ask to be put on their email list. Timothy Roseth is the manager and his phone is 952 884 3634 tell him Steve Rusk sent you.... he will know right a way the call is about Festool  [big grin].  Tell him you are interested in Festool events mostly.... Their email about classes and events like the Festool Rep being there.  The website for that store is minneapolis-retail@woodcraft.com it is just off of 35W and is easy to find.

You really do make a good point about Accessories. First if you don't by the kits such as your OF1400 experience speaks to... one, you don't save the money and Two, you don't get to enjoy the full potential of the tool.  Woodcraft is really good at sandpaper and blades.  It is the odd ball accessories that they and every retailer seem to not stock in the depth us green blooded people want to see.

The accessories do make the product more fun. When I look at the price of accessories, I'm betting the dealers could have a lot of money tied up in inventory that might not have many turns.... but in retail if the customer doesn't see it they would buy it.... the chicken and the egg thing.

Being an old Best Buy guy, I wonder if Festool corp would ever test a full accessory display with depth at corporate cost (not the retailer) to prove to stores that with just email and website ads they could build total store sales of all Festool product.

I have a dream....where every person owns Festool... [thumbs up]

Ohh.... I see I'm running out of green Kool-Aid....have to go now.

Cheers,
Steve

 
My local dealer closed a year ago.  I have not bought a new tool for a little longer then that.

I am disappointed with with most of the local dealer stores I have been in ( 125 mile radius) and that really puts a damper on my buying.

I do buy all my accessories and consumables from Bob, he is great to deal with.

I do wish Festool, or the dealers I have been to, would put forth some more effort.  I would expect a dealer to know what he had, vs. me having to explain to them what the tool does.  That puts me off big time.
 
tjbnwi said:
Try here;

http://www.berlandstools.com/links/map.html

Tom
Click to expand...

I doubt that the only thing he leaves with is a Festool.... The Lombard location is 15 - 20 minutes from my house.... I was in there recently..... and theit Festool inventory was low so I asked if they were going to quit carrying they guy I asked said  "No.. we just sell a lot of it..."Not sure waht to think since I don't trust anyone in sales...
They have a new Bosch Display with tons of their products more than any of the  Borgs....

 
Last week I was working about 3 miles from the Lombard store. I never made it in there. The Joliet store had their normal stock when I was there a few months ago.

I agree, one can spend a couple of hours looking around at Berlands. Berlands Joliet is my closets Rockler's.

Tom
 
CKB said:
Hello,

New to Fog and have been very happy dealing with:    http://beavertools.com.   Based in St louis, Mo.  They also have a sister site:  http://festools-online.com/.  Great service and they ship to me in Michigan.

Two thumbs up,
CKB
Click to expand...

I'm on the West Coast and up until recently,  I've purchased my Festool tools and supplies from Beavertools, they are both friendly and helpful.  I decided to utilize one of my local Festool dealers recently and Japan Woodworker has a great supply and a friendly store to try products out.
 
If you're going to make the drive all the way up to the twin cities, then 7-corners is definitely the place to go. If nothing else, just for the experience. Photography is strictly prohibited, but they let me break a few rules there. This is a rare photo of the back side of the main Festool display. The tools are on the other side. There is no other store within several states that has more tools and more brands on display than 7corners. It's physically a fairly small store, so it is jammed floor to ceiling. Which makes it such a unique experience.

 
Rick Christopherson said:
If you're going to make the drive all the way up to the twin cities, then 7-corners is definitely the place to go. If nothing else, just for the experience. Photography is strictly prohibited, but they let me break a few rules there. This is a rare photo of the back side of the main Festool display. The tools are on the other side. There is no other store within several states that has more tools and more brands on display than 7corners. It's physically a fairly small store, so it is jammed floor to ceiling. Which makes it such a unique experience.
Click to expand...
[big grin]Now, that's my kind of store!
 
I am in Phoenix and my local dealers don't carry much stock.  I try to buy accessories recently and two of the three stores did not stock what I was looking for and the third store I refuse to do business with due to past history.  So I ordered from The Festool Store in Ca. And my product was shipped the same day as it has been with everything I have ordered from them.  They told me they try to keep one of everything in stock.  They are friendly and very knowledgable.
 
Another Cedar Rapidian here, and I have great news:

There is a TERRIFIC Festool dealer right here in Iowa!!!
It's the Woodsmith store in Des Moines.

Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Great selection. A whole separate room full of Festools.
When you're tired of drooling over those, you can explore the huge Veritas section on the other side of the store.
Assuming you don't get sidetracked by everything in between. Did I mention it's a big place?

Be sure to leave time for the lumber section in the back. And don't miss their AMAZING selection of veneers.
Looking for obscure woodworking books? There's another whole section of the store for that.

Truly, it's a fine woodworker's paradise. Plus it's a drop dead BEAUTIFUL store.
It even has its own garden center outside. But after 5 hours IN the store, I didn't get that far.

Hmmm... maybe we need to put together a field trip.

 
I second the WoodSmith Store...they are awesome.  Sadly, I've only made it there a couple times.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
CSC SYS 50 Delivery Condition
Replies
12
Views
2K
HighlandMarine
H
bwhite220
New Member from NW Arkansas
Replies
2
Views
333
nclemmons
N
J
Warning: Woodpeckers Semble Clamps can Ruin Woodwork
Replies
5
Views
1K
leakyroof
leakyroof
tigger
Festool Work App
2
Replies
28
Views
18K
ElectricFeet
E
R
Can dealers sell old Festool discounted display items?
Replies
8
Views
3K
Ron B
R
Back
Top