New Tools - NAONA?

[jonny round boy]

I really like the new microsites for the new releases. But here in the UK, there's been NO information, official or otherwise, about these tools, so I strongly suspect these won't be available outside North America for a while... ???

Still, you lot had to get your own back eventually....  :'(

Edit: I'm refering to the OF2200 and the MFT3, BTW - we already have the MFK700...

 

[Paul Perry]

I really like the new microsites for the new releases. But here in the UK, there's been NO information, official or otherwise, about these tools, so I strongly suspect these won't be available outside North America for a while... ???

I find it also odd... but then again I find it surprising that there is no European (read: German) counterpart to the extraordinarily rich information exchange between the end users and dealers and NA Festool representatives here on the FOG.

Given the majority of the FOG readership is from the Anglo-Saxon world (according to Matthew's 'International Representation' poll:http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=403.0 nearly 70% of the FOG's membership hail from North America, while Brits and those folk from 'down under' make up another 15% of the membership), one wonders where the assumedly even larger European market gets its information and shares its knowledge?

Part of me suspects there is an enormous cultural difference between the type of folks who enjoy Festools in the Anglo-Saxon world compared to those who use Festools here on the European continent.

My Festool dealer knew nothing about the new MFT until I told him about it (and he appears to be one of the larger Festool dealers here in the Netherlands) and at this moment there is NO mention of the new MFT or OF-2200 on either the German or Dutch Festool sites.  (Here of course the MFK-700 has been available for some time...)

Perhaps the European sites will be updated on Monday?

 

[dirtydeeds]

its totally standard practice with festool uk

i found out about the kappex many months before it was launched in the uk

a question to festool at the time wasnt helpful

they denied it existed, altough id seen photos of it

 

[Dan Clark]

From the poll, 62% of FOG members are from the US.  Over 1/3 of the members of the members are from other parts of the world.    Notice I didn't say "North America". 

At issue is that there are TWO issues, not one.  First is availability.  Is it NAINA (North America) or not?  Second is communication.  How well is the information communicated in the US and elsewhere?

While we in North America receive Festool products later than other parts of the world, we in the United States are blessed (a word that I rarely use) by having an incredibly strong, proactive dealer network, an aggressive US marketing department (headed up by Shane), and a not-so-secret weapon - Christian Oltzscher. 

The quality of this entire network is based on the strong intelligence, ethics and business savvy of people like Bob, Timmy, Bill (two Bills actually), Ron, Joel, and Shane.  People with these qualities exist in other countries too.  Anthony from Australia comes to mind!  We, however, have Christian O.  IMO, it is his drive and vision that created the powerhouse team! 

When I first learned about Festool over two years ago, the base elements of the team were there but didn't appear cohesive.  There was little corporate advertising.  Service was excellent, but received little visibility other than word of mouth.  Festool USA was competing with its dealers; the dealers and Shane were out there, but working pretty much by themselves. 

Now where are we? 
- Shane has done an magnificent job with this rollout.  But who brought Shane on board to Festool USA and turned him loose to do his good stuff? 

- Like many of you, I have my favorite dealers.  But now we have additional options like Woodcraft and Rocker.  For me, it's great to have the opportunity run down to my local Woodcraft and grab a package of 80 grit Rubin on Sunday afternoon.  Hmmm...  I wonder who is the driving force in expanding that dealer network?

- You may not have noticed it, but FestoolUSA is no longer competing with it's dealers.  That reduces a lot of confusion for customers (I was VERY confused about that) and make the dealers happy.

With the falling dollar and slowing economy, life isn't perfect here in the US.  But at least we have a good "Christian" fellow on our side!  ;D

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Ned]

Hear, hear!

 

[Mark]

Hey just be thankful Festool isn't as Area 51 about their tools like Apple is about their new products!

 

[Paul Perry]

Hey just be thankful Festool isn't as Area 51 about their tools like Apple is about their new products!

Agreed (as I agree with each of the above posts).

While I've been using Macs for over 20 years, I've been using Festools for only a few months now but I feel that there are more similarities than differences between Apple and Festool. Not only are both companies dedicated to quality and use their imagination to produce paradigm changing tools, but both somehow are able to turn consumers their customers into disciples fans and advocates.

Which is something special in this world is it not?

 

[Dan Clark]

Hey just be thankful Festool isn't as Area 51 about their tools like Apple is about their new products!

Agreed (as I agree with each of the above posts).

While I've been using Macs for over 20 years, I've been using Festools for only a few months now but I feel that there are more similarities than differences between Apple and Festool. Not only are both companies dedicated to quality and use their imagination to produce paradigm changing tools, but both somehow are able to turn consumers their customers into disciples fans and advocates.

Which is something special in this world is it not?

Paul,

I don't have any Apple products except an Ipod, but I agree.  Both companies focus on things like form follows function.  And elegantly simple is better than flashy complex.  And define the essence of the need and make the tool fit that need as cleanly as possible.  And eliminate the extraneous and emphasize the core.  I could go on, but you and everyone else here know that already. 

On another forum, one fellow complained about the high projected cost of the new Kapex.  I wrote back:

Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of tools that don't live up to their marketing hype. Assuming that it's as good as the marketing materials say, the Kapex will be worth every penny to get a saw that actually works as advertised.

Like many (most?) people, my life is incredibly complex and "exciting".  I don't need something complex.  I don't want glitz.  I no longer crave excitement.  I just want something that works.

To me a major factor in my enthusiasm for Festool is having a product that actually does what it's supposed to do - cleanly and simply.  Out of the box.  First time.  Every time. 

Dan.

p.s., I don't say that Festool tools are perfect, but they come pretty close.

 

[joraft]

Hey just be thankful Festool isn't as Area 51 about their tools like Apple is about their new products!

My son-in-law works for Apple at the Cupertino headquarters. He works in the new products lab and must spend all day evaluating (playing with) new product prototypes. He knows many months (sometimes years) what's coming down the pike.

Unfortunately he cannot (and will not) say a single word about a new product until after it's released. So I get the inside story on a new product after everyone knows about it anyway. What good is that?

John

 

[Paul Perry]

My son-in-law works for Apple at the Cupertino headquarters. He works in the new products lab and must spend all day evaluating (playing with) new product prototypes. He knows many months (sometimes years) what's coming down the pike.

Unfortunately he cannot (and will not) say a single word about a new product until after it's released. So I get the inside story on a new product after everyone knows about it anyway. What good is that?

Indeed, as you know, Apple notoriously goes to extraordinary lengths to keep what it is working on secret, which of course is not only essential to their business model but contributes to the curiosity and appetite of the huge Macrumors press and community (as well as Apple's stock price).

From what I've understood even the various hardware and software teams who developed the iPhone were kept in the dark about the product they were working on as were the families of the senior management right up to the moment of Steve's keynote.

Who knows with the rise of cheap imitations to what lengths Festool will go to protecting its R&D in the future?

-- Paul (who wonders if the rumored Festool vacuum clamping system will work with the old MFT as well as the new one...)

 

[Dave Rudy]

(...Apple's stock price).

Not working too well, then, is it?

 

[Paul Perry]

Not working too well, then, is it?

Their stock price has taken a tremendous beating in the last while yes. But I fail to see what that has to do with what we were discussing???

 

[tallgrass]

i love my festools but i do not think the mac corollary is a good one. festools are at their best when in the hands of competent, knowledgeable and  experienced hands and are marketed to such, macs are marketed to those who do not have vast computer skills, as a matter fact are they marketed to those who have little to no computer skills. they are cute but far from the top of the computer power world, though they sure like to give that impression, more of a lifestyle product.

 

[Dave Rudy]

Actually, you should try a Mac sometime.  Mine runs Windows XP professional faster than all but the latest quad-core PCs, and runs an operating system that only exists in the dreams of Windows users.  I had Macs from the day they came out, then had to switch to Windows for about 15 years to run some high-end software. A few years ago I returned to Mac and saw my very last blue screen (until, of course, I ran XP Professional on the Intel Mac -- and got yet another blue screen!).  But enough about computers -- let's get back to Festool, shall we?

 

[Qwas]

... as a matter fact are they marketed to those who have little to no computer skills. they are cute but far from the top of the computer power world, though they sure like to give that impression, more of a lifestyle product.

Then why has Microsoft been trying to copy it for the last 15 years???

It's funny how most people who bad mouth Macs have never actually used it. They bad mouth from heresy. If they would actually sit down and use one for a week, they would understand why Mac sales are up!

The same seems to be true about Festool.

 

[tallgrass]

aaaa the mac cool aid ;D. i do not have problems with the pcs i use. maybe i will look at them when i start to need a walker and i no longer work as a ME. None of the high end FEA , CFD software works on a mac and they are just starting to use solid state drives, or should i say not yet.not only that using them with anything that does not come from the temple mac is a pain. Getting communication between the mac and rapid prototypers and cnc machine give you heart burn. as for not crashing ,,,,,,not true. i have seen them lock up.......freeze. i guess the only thing i like  about the mac is that they are designed on pcs ;D. people in our lab have come in using them but it does not last. macs also hae not met launch standards while thinkpads have> :
this.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[tallgrass]

actually mac left their tech and moved to x86 hardware not the other way round. their will alway be those that need training wheels. ;D

 

[tallgrass]

a little light hearted ribbing and the macafiles disappear ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D????i hope you all know this just a little fun?

 

[Eli]

We haven't gone anywhere, just letting your PC rant tail off so we can get back to talking about Festools...... Let us know when you're finished.

 

[tallgrass]

just catching my breath  ;D ;D,,,,have to figure out where to put the new tools in April.i think the only thing i am not going to get  is the 700....thank god there is at least one tool of theirs that i think makes no sense. my wallet is happy about this.......