New Mafell DDF 40 Duo Doweller

[Svar]

Bits are 55mm long, have an 8mm shank with a flat. The 5mm CMT bits I bought (about $9 each at routerbitworld) are only around 53.5mm long. The machine’s socket is round with a set screw in the middle.
Wonder is the flat would disallow the bits to be used in a router collet?

Thanks.
I've used bits with shank flat in a router with no ill effects. I used it with 1/2" to 10 mm reducer sleeve.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I called Timberwolf about my DDF 40 that stopped running. Spoke with Jeff. He was surprised by the failure and apologized. There is no problem returning the tool for a refund. He promptly emailed a pre-paid FedEx shipping label.

Jeff was very pleasant to deal with and I’ll probably buy another Mafell shortly.

Returned the tool in the same packing it arrived in, a strong triple wall cardboard box and bubble wrap surrounding the dressy Mafell cardboard carton that held the Mafell Sys 2, and the special foam wedge that prevents plunge movement of the machine. Despite all that the jostling of transit was apparently therapeutic.

“We received your Mafell DDF 40 Duo Dowel System back today.  It was able to turn on when I plugged it in, but there was some noticeable fluctuation in the motor.  I opened up the motor and did not notice anything unusual—except the spring that pushes in one of the carbon brushes was slightly out of place.  When I moved it back to its proper place the machine sounds perfect. I’ll keep the machine here in Chicago as a demo—we could always use another for walk-ins!“

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Not sure what to make of that?
If it wasn’t working correctly out of the box, it’s not fit for purpose?
If you had removed the cover and inspected the brushes, would it have voided your warranty, or maybe not as brushes are a consumable.

Or are they saying, it’s all good now, do you want it back?
Maybe a better approach would be to just inform you that they’d received it?

I picked one up to look at closely in a shop yesterday. There was a bench close by, so I just tried the plunging action with the machine switched off. It seemed very easy so, I’ve formed the opinion that the difficulty plunging, has to be bit design, or lack of power/speed, or both?

Looks very well made as you’d expect but, I think the body of the machine is too thick. I have quite big hands but, thought that a slimmer body, would be more comfortable, and make plunging easier? Which is how the previous model was.

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=69479]Jiggy Joiner[/member]  it would have been an easy fix (as it turns out) but by the time the unresponsiveness of the switch became intolerable I’d already decided the tool wasn’t going to be useful enough (for what I do) to keep it so I didn’t want to risk the refund by messing with it.

I took Jeff’s response to be It was a very minor misfit that caused no damage and it’s all good now so do you want it back?

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] That’s fair enough I guess.
At least you followed protocol, they get the machine back, and you got your money back.

 

[HowardH]

I've had mine about month and have only used it a couple of times.  I haven't had any issues with the plunge being difficult and I was plunging into plywood.  It does have a qualify look and feel to it.  It's a fine addition to the workshop. 

 

[Birdhunter]

I’ve been using my DDF about a month and the plunge effort is definitely easier. I cannot explain why this would happen, but it has.

 

[HowardH]

The guy at Timberwolf told me to expect that exact thing. 

 

[DeformedTree]

So I'm planning to buy the DDF but part of me has had hesitation since the 110V model is new.  Don't really want SN 000004.  Part of me has considered getting the 230V version as those may have more testing/debug time.  I'm not sure if it changes some of the performance or not.

Certainly a bit concerning if folks have had issues with it, it's not like there will be that many of them around.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

@ DeformedTree I don't think you have any worries with Mafell, my experiences with them have all been positive, bearing in mind that they are quite a small company with limited outlets.
They aren't fast at answering email but, neither are Festool in my experience, in fact I have at least two unanswered emails to Festool.
Timber Wolf seem a decent dealer, so again you should be fine.

As for 110v V 240v, all I can say is, I own, and have owned in the past many tools in 110v for our mobile and site work, and a lot of 240v. I have quite a few tools that are identical in both voltage. I have found that the many show the 240v to be more powerful/faster. Running certain tools side by side it's quite noticeable, however, that may be, because over here we use step down transformers, and obviously the length of an extension lead would also have an effect.

I have run a 110v mitre saw against an equivalent 240v version, angle grinders, table saws, etc, and the 240v's seem faster? Some of the smaller tools, like sanders etc, don't seem any different, or at least not noticeable. The only tool I can't tell any difference with are the Festool CTM 26's, they sound and seem to perform the same in both voltage.

I haven't done any scientific tests but, you can hear and feel the 240v tools are running faster.
Could well be, and probably is a different story on your side, as you don't need transformers.

 

[Birdhunter]

I had several conversations with the Timberwolf staff when I was getting used to my DDF40.

Those conversations erased any concerns I had about support for the tool. I got prompt and expert responses to my questions.

The quality of the tool is excellent.

 

[DeformedTree]

@ DeformedTree I don't think you have any worries with Mafell, my experiences with them have all been positive, bearing in mind that they are quite a small company with limited outlets.
They aren't fast at answering email but, neither are Festool in my experience, in fact I have at least two unanswered emails to Festool.
Timber Wolf seem a decent dealer, so again you should be fine.

I already own a Mafell tool, pretty let down by parts of it.  I think folks definitely have over hyped them.  But it's a rather different type of tool than a DDF.  Since this is a Festool Forum I'm not going to get into it very much.  But simply, it is expensive and has an un-expected amount of crude-ness to it, and some things that made be rather un-happy.  In the end, companies are companies, they have good points and weak points,  good products, bad products.  Any company can make some dumb decisions on a product. People want to believe Mafell is magicaly different, when it's just another company.

As I mentioned on my previous post, part of the concern is simply the US market is a very small place for Mafell, it's almost shocking they do make US specific tools for the US, but some of them they simply ship as is, the Erika 85 is such a tool, you buy the Germany version.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

[member=68063]DeformedTree[/member]  In that case, I think you’d be better saving your money.

 

[sroxberg]

I recently purchased a Mafell DDF 40 and have been playing with it. The manuals leave a lot to be desired which isn't really a surprise since they are a German Company and like Festool the manuals weren't real strong.

Is there a good source of information in English on the internet for how to operate these units. I have located plenty of video but none with lots of how to.

Anyone on this site willing to talk with me on the phone, or share information with me on how they learned, or what they know.

I also bought both of the templates to do Shelf holes, simple things like how to get that set to drill holes at 37mm in from the edge. without manually marking the locations, I'm assuming there is a way.

Thanks in advance for any advice or help.

 

[HowardH]

I recently purchased a Mafell DDF 40 and have been playing with it. The manuals leave a lot to be desired which isn't really a surprise since they are a German Company and like Festool the manuals weren't real strong.

Is there a good source of information in English on the internet for how to operate these units. I have located plenty of video but none with lots of how to.

Anyone on this site willing to talk with me on the phone, or share information with me on how they learned, or what they know.

I also bought both of the templates to do Shelf holes, simple things like how to get that set to drill holes at 37mm in from the edge. without manually marking the locations, I'm assuming there is a way.

Thanks in advance for any advice or help.

There is the Mafell Users Forum.  They have a bit of info out there.  I also got a DDF40 late last year and have been playing around with it.  I find it to be a joy to use and very accurate.  Like the Domino, there is a little bit of a learning curve, i.e. making sure you plunge all the way in or the dowels won't go in all the way, stuff like that. 

 

[jeh]

There are some videos to found on YouTube that should get you started.

 

[sroxberg]

The YouTube videos I've located are worthless to me which made me think that possibly I had not found the correct ones.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Although a long time Mafell fan and user, the duo doweller is not one of my favourite tools in the their range.
Mine is the older model but, in all honesty, it rarely sees daylight, and just an opinion but, it plays a big second fiddle to my Domino machines.
I just can’t help thinking it was produced as a competitor to a Domino, as opposed to an addition, or variation.
We still use the odd dowelled joint here and there but, they are often just single dowells as opposed to pairs.
Anything that might require twin dowells, would almost certainly be Domino’d by us instead.

A few colleagues own the older and newer Mafell dowellers, and the feedback has always been very mixed. They seem either loved or hated. The Domino machines on the other hand, are nearly always loved and marvelled at.

I’m interested to hear why the lovers of the dowellers would choose to use one on a job, instead of a Domino?
Obviously this is very much opinion based, as I’m a great believer in each to their own but, a Domino is very close to mortise and tenon joinery, where as the dowellers even in duo form, are at the end of the day, just dowelling jointers?
I get that there’s more hold and no twist using a pair of side by side dowell pins but, the same none twist can be achieved using single Domino’s?

I sought of see the Lamello jointing system in the same light. It’s a nice idea and design but, not (opinion based) as good as a Domino, especially taking into account having the Domino connector system as a further option?

 

[Lincoln]

Pretty sure the doweller was around before the Domino.
I have both the DD40 and the DF500 - both are fantastic. If you want absolute precision, the DD40 has it over the Domino. If build quality worries you, the Mafell is streets ahead of the Domino. I was actually a bit surprised when I opened the sys and looked over my Domino.
Having said that, I love my Domino and use it on most jobs I do. If doing cabinet work, I use the Dom for joinery and the DD40 for hinge plates and shelf holes.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Pretty sure the doweller was around before the Domino.
I have both the DD40 and the DF500 - both are fantastic. If you want absolute precision, the DD40 has it over the Domino. If build quality worries you, the Mafell is streets ahead of the Domino. I was actually a bit surprised when I opened the sys and looked over my Domino.
Having said that, I love my Domino and use it on most jobs I do. If doing cabinet work, I use the Dom for joinery and the DD40 for hinge plates and shelf holes.

Can’t remember now but, I’ve had the old model doweller a very long time, and it never captured my imagination like my first Domino did.
I know all about Mafell build quality etc, as I’m a long term user of their tools but, as I say, the dowellers are probably the only machines in their range that don’t excite me.
Nine times out of ten for me, if I were doing joinery that didn’t need the strength of the Domino, I would get the biscuit jointer out, more than adequate.
I can’t agree about the the precision over a Domino either.
The precision of the Domino is one of it’s strong points for me.

I guess it depends on an individuals requirements to make a real judgement.
We still manufacture and fabricate a lot of stuff, including large types of doors glazed and solid timber. We always mortised and tenoned them back in the day, still do with some applications. Then we got into the Domino’s which was a game changer, especially time wise, which enabled us to be more competitive price wise. So not a great deal of demand for any dowelling for us.

I get the the doweller being handy for shelf holes and hinge plates etc, providing you’re doing enough of it for the outlay.
In honesty though, I could sell my doweller tomorrow, and I don’t think we’d ever miss it.

Plus there are some easy quick set dowelling jigs around now, that are a fraction of the price, even the well engineered versions.
I suppose it really depends on the individual but, I see a lot more Domino machines being used than dowellers.