OF1400 and LR32 - why doesn't of1400 come with an 8mm collet?!

[mickmick]

Having spent considerable money on an of1400 and now the lr32 system, I find that coming to use the two tools, there is no 8mm collet provided with the of1400 to use any of the cutters provided with the lr32 jig.
Really really unimpressed with this festool.
How much does an 8mm collet cost a large company like festool?
How much do disappointed customers cost a company?
A lot if you express that disappointment to others in the trade...

 

[mickmick]

After a search I now see the 8mm collet costs £50!

 

[threesixright]

After a search I now see the 8mm collet costs £50!

Are you sure? Mine did. Is there a P/N printed on it? can't find it.

But measuring, I got a 12mm and 8mm collect in the systainer. Its on the rightside just under the fence.There are slots to hold 2 collects.The 12mm was installed, the 8mm sits there waiting ...  [tongue]

Sure its not in?

 

[mickmick]

Mine comes with a 12mm and a 6mm :-\

 

[Frank-Jan]

According to the festool.co.uk site. It comes with 1/2" and 1/4" collets. (I got mine in the Netherlands, and it came with 8 mm and 12 mm. link to of 1400 on festool uk site

 

[elfick]

In the US we get 1/4, 1/2, and 8mm.... but no side fence.

 

[mickmick]

Shambles
Kind of thing I would expect from a really budget manufacturer.

 

[Doug S]

It is a bit cheeky.

Remember my mate moaning after he bought his CSX drill for £200 that he had to spend another £25 on a decent bit holder as the one that came with it was rubbish.

 

[Phil Beckley]

Hi
Initially all the routers into the U.K. were supplied with metric collets....and all complained that we did this - so it was decided that specific with the U.K. use of imperial size cutters the routers would be supplied with imperial collets hence the difference to Europe supplied machines
Rg
Phil
Festool U.K.

 

[Mario Turcot]

I have both, the OF 1400 & the LR 32 System. The OF 1400 came with 8mm and 1/2" collets. The LR 32 came with two bits both 8mm shank.

I also have 2 Dewalt, Makita and a Ridgid routers. All of them came with a single collet.

 

[Doug S]

In Festool UK defence I have had my OF1400 since it came out and have never had a need for an 8mm collet, it is not a size we use here. 

In mick mick defence it sounds like they get one in the rest of Europe and America so would be nice if we got one or at least got one with the LR 32 kit, after all it is a "system".

You don't get a side fence in the US, now I am confused  [blink]

 

[peter halle]

Everyone reading here should note that the items supplied with with the routers might vary based on location.

So to just read that "he got this but I didn't" without knowing about where people live might lead to wrong impressions.

Peter

 

[mickmick]

The fact that a festool employee and a moderator have stepped into this thread is ample evidence of how embarassing it is for festool to sell a £500 jig (lr32) designed to work with a £400 router and because you're in the Uk, we will skimp on providing the collet needed for the system to work.
£50 is also an extortionate amount for a collet.
It is a complete pain to have to order this extra part and wait for it to arrive before continuing with the work at hand.
These ridiculous cost cutting inconveniences to customers are the kind of practise I associate with cheap manufacturers like Draper or Silverline, and not a premium tool manufacturer like Festool.
At the very very least Festool should make it clear at the point of sale of the LR32 that other parts are needed for the system to work.
But Festool see them as extras and the customer will have to work out and pay for seperately  :

 

[Doug S]

On Axminster website the LR32 has a review saying it is a fantastic bit of kit but the reviewer has a moan about needing the 8mm collet extra.

 

[threesixright]

Seems to me people here are comparing apples and oranges.

Maybe the US kit comes without the collet, but the kit is also much cheaper then here in the EU.

• EU - EUR 765 (2 collets)
• UK - GBP 686 (2 collets)
• US - USD 600

Website in the US seems a bit wanky, missing picture of what you get.

 

[woodwreck]

I seem to recall picking up the 8mm collet somewhere numerous years ago, but it seems that Fst could offer the collet(s) as an ordering or sales option and yes that would add admin cost, so at a minimum, better point it out in the literature of what is included. This whole flap does not speak well of the product.

 

[Bob Wolfe]

If you don't like it, stop complaining and send it back. Next time read what you get for you coin.
BW

 

[DeformedTree]

I think part that gets lost in this is that sales of the inch collets should have stopped as part of a phase out by all companies. Get everyone globally metric and reduce the number of sizes.  If festool has just mm collets to start they should have stuck with that and created a market for mm bits in markets they were not currently in use.

Like other discussions that have been had, by offering up modifications/changes to some markets so they don't have to update their ways you just make the problem worse. You can't kill something if you keep feeding it life support.

Having both inch and metric, and multiple sizes of both is just costing everyone more money.

Also it gets back to the same problem for those who are in markets that are historically inch, that now they are going to have to go buy different collets while the ones their tool comes with just sit to the side. If someone is in a position like me and only has a couple router bits, I just want to be able to move forward with just metric shank bits and never think about inch based ones. Having obsolete, backwards and none standard forced on you because of those around you does not make for happy people.

In this situation this would be at the very least a good case to sell the routers with no collets and let people pick which ones they want on their own as a separate item.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Having both inch and metric, and multiple sizes of both is just costing everyone more money.

True that 100%.

However the problem do not reside solely with the router. The LR32 system comes with two bits and the question is more like: Should Festool provide a collet that fit those two bits or offer different bit shank? The former seems logical to me, but then you may end up with an extra collet you will never use. What ever the route a company takes people always find a way to complain. In this case I believe the customer is right to do so.

 

[James Biddle]

I bought the OF1400 back in 2005 and it came with 1/4", 8mm, and 1/2" collets back then.  Looks like they changed the kit.