New Festool Domino Shipped

[TasoA]

My new Festool Domino Set was shipped yesterday , Festool 574308 DF 500 Q Domino Joining System (thats the updated model), should arrive Tues. Ordered from Tool King. It's my first Domino, so cant compare to previous model, but cant wait to try it out.

Taso

 

[ForumMFG]

TasoA,

Welcome to the forum.  You will find the Domino to be a wonderful tool and extremely accurate.  There are unlimited resources on this forum for the domino so take a look around and you will find information that will help you.  Take a look at this thread and there are many reviews and articles about the domino.  Be sure to take a look at the supplemental guide by Rick, it's a more extensive manual.

-Dave

 

[TasoA]

Thanks. I'm pretty new to wordworking, plan on working with mostly furniture and cabinets as a hobby. Wanted to get your opinion, I could buy a Festool 1080 for a good price, do you use your MFT tables often? I dont like buying discontinued items, is there a big difference with the new MFT/3?

Thanks,
Taso

 

[ForumMFG]

You will find that many people say that the MFT is the most used Tool in the shop and I agree with that.  So yes, it gets used very often.  If it was me I would by the MFT/3 just because I like to stay current with up-to-date products and because of the differences between the two.  Some of them are:

1.) On the 1080 you would have to fold 1 leg up if you wanted to connect 2 of them together.  On the MFT/3 you don't have to do that.
2.) The aluminum extrusions are different on the MFT/3 in a sense that they are wider at the bottom which gives you more clamping area if you wanted to clamp something on the edge.  The biggest difference that would put me over the fence is that the aluminum extrusions are different from the MFT/3 and in the future festool is going to come out with new tools that utilize it.  A couple that are coming out now that will use this extrusion is the VAC-SYS and the Router table.  On the router table you can buy a stand alone unit or buy the MFT/3 add on.  The VAC-SYS can mount to anything but it can attach to the MFT 3 so you can swing it under the table when not in use.
3.) The fence is a big difference.  The fence on the MFT/3 is much more advanced.

Hope this helps..

-Dave

 

[robtonya]

WOW! Dave you have come back all educated and stuff!

 

[bruegf]

The MFT is the tool that I most wondered if it was a smart purchase/worth the money right after I first bought it and it is the tool that I use most often now that I have it.    It's an amazingly versatile piece of gear and worth every penny.    I use it as much as a sanding and workstation as I do a cutting station.   

Fred

 

[ForumMFG]

WOW! Dave you have come back all educated and stuff!

Thats funny stuff man..

 

[Holzhacker]

Thoughts on the Domino ... I am a lifelong biscuit joint user. I've always loved using biscuits and think they are really helpful.  I don't use my biscuit joiner all the time, say weekly. It sits for stretches but when I do use it I use it a lot. As far as I was concerned the Domino was nothing but a very high priced glorified biscuit jointer. Don't need it, don't want it. Based on checking it out at the store and catalog I saw no reason to buy a Domino.
Man was I wrong. The Domino is now on my must have list.
There are two main problems with biscuits for me at least that the Domino can solve. Slop and maintaining alignment. Slop can be handled. Alignment is a real time sink.
When I use biscuits I am often either doing something complicated or am in a hurry. Maintaining alignment during clamp up of odd pieces for gluing, needing to let pieces sit longer until glue dries to maintain alignment to be able to move the piece or maintain alignment for tacking/nailing is sometimes a problem.
The Domino solves alignment and glue time problems and that is why it needs to replace my biscuits. If alignment and sit time are your issues I would urge you to take a real look at the Domino. (No Festool did not give me one) I don't have one yet but am waiting for the next job where I will need biscuits to get one.
I would also say that out of the Systainer there will likely be a hard learning curve for many, myself included. Once I get the hang of it, I see the tool saving me significant time. The Domino seems to be one of those poorly advertised and misunderstood tools.