Quality of Festool Cutters and Bits

[ChipMonk]

What is so special about Festool cutters?  How do they compare to other brands?

The quality of the 8mm and 10mm dowel bits I recently received is very disappointing.
Note the porous weld and excess filler material protruding beyond the cutting edge of the drill.

HW S8 D8/30 Z (491068)
HW S8 D10/30 Z (491069)

 

[Kev]

I don't believe they're amazing ... Unless a bit is Centrotec or we talking about a specific blade compatible with a saw, I'd buy alternatives.

I'm fairly certain Festool contract these out to other manufacturers - possibly their QA is slipping?

 

[Holmz]

...
I'm fairly certain Festool contract these out to other manufacturers - possibly their QA is slipping?

Do they repackage? Or is that done at the suppliers?
If it is done t the suppliers, then the Q&A needs to be done at the suppliers.

 

[Stephen B]

Interesting when you look at the sizes of these dowel bits (see reference below), because although metric they do not relate to some commonly used diameters of Australian supplied Dowel. For example 9.5mm and 12.7mm  [See Porta link].

Another example of Australia at least, not being quite fully metric, but also an issue for New Zealand and Nth America.

[size=10pt]http://www.festool.com.au/epages/tooltechnic.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/tooltechnic/Products/491065/SubProducts/491068
http://www.porta.com.au/products/productdetails/dowel-4-22mm/tasmanian-oak


___________________
Can certainly agree there [member=42735]DB10[/member], Sutton Drill Bitts are the best even over the Centrotec. Always a private disappointment when customers select cheaper lower quality options.

 

[DB10]

Good question [member=58794]ChipMonk[/member]  like Kev say's unless it's Festool Centrotec then don't bother wasting your money.

I learnt the hard way, I bought the Festool (Branded) drill bit set in the picture on line, they are nothing more than cheap Chinese drill bits, they loose there edge faster than a new comedian. I've had to replace most of the smaller bits with new ones from Sutton and to add insult to injury you can buy exactly same generic set from Bosh in the same case different colour latch for $30 less than the Festool ones.
In comparison I bought the Sutton Viper set, well there's no comparison, they are quality drill bits that cost the same as the Festool branded ones and unlike the Festool bits coming from China the Sutton drills are made in NZ.

 

[Holmz]

... and how does it help FT to sell cheap tools at premium prices?
(Unless it is directed by an executive that is taking his few million next year and bailing it makes no sense.)
Can it be a sad case of fleece (or flense) the loyal customer one time, and totally polarise them? or did they get a dodgy set in the supply system?

 

[ChipMonk]

The shafts are branded with Festool details and most likely probably made for Festool.

Irregardless who manufactured these, it is still Festool responsibility and their brand getting tarnished.

Thanks for mentioning Sutton [member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member], I was not even aware of them.

 

[DB10]

... and how does it help FT to sell cheap tools at premium prices?
(Unless it is directed by an executive that is taking his few million next year and bailing it makes no sense.)
Can it be a sad case of fleece (or flense) the loyal customer one time, and totally polarise them? or did they get a dodgy set in the supply system?

I might have had a bad set, seems unlikely though, but I only have the one non Centrotec set from Festool and I'm sure as hell not going to waste my money on another set to find out.
Picture  this scenario, A contractor or a keen DIYer, is in his local tool store and sees all the Festool tools and thinks to himself one day soon I'm going to start replacing all my old tools and I've heard good reports on those Festools. But for the time being he needs some drill bits, so he pays the extra money and gives the Festool set a try, now he's probably going to have high expectations from this simple set of drill bits and because he has never used Festool before this will be his first impression of the brand, but what he wasn't to know was that he had actually just bought a cheap generic Chinese drill bit set. So he will soon find out that his humble drill bits are not so great and that will be his lasting impression of Festool.

We pay a premium for Festool because you only get what you pay for, but in this case you don't. You get a set of cheap generic drill bits in a Festool case.
It's not worth staking your reputation on.

 

[ChipMonk]

I for sure won't buy any Festool cutters and will be much more hesitant buying anything else from them. These cutters are more than double the price of Whiteside so I am having really hard time coming up with any excuses for Festool letting this slip through their system.

 

[DB10]

I'm also a big fan of Whiteside but unfortunately they are not always easy to come by in Aus.
[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member] I seem to spend half of my life popping into the big B for one thing or another and I always check out the Sutton drills section because every now and then they will be on deal.
One time I checked they were on deal but the shelf was empty, strange I thought because yesterday when I checked they were not on deal and the shelf was full, as this was about 10am in the morning I asked a guy working there, where are all the Sutton drill bits sets that you had, have you removed them from the shelf because I can't believe they have sold out already, his reply was the staff would have had all of those, you got to be really quick in here when a deal like that comes about.
He was good enough to put a set aside for me when they next came in and I got them at the deal price. so I guess there are some good perks to be had working at the B.

 

[sancho57]

I've bought a few Festool cutters. By cutters I mean router bits. I found them to be good bits. Along the lines of white side or infinity.

I just remembered that Festool does have 2 types of bits, one is stainless that cost a little more then their other bits. They have a HZ ( I think) in their p/n. Those are the ones I buy.

Now as far as drill bits , I find them very good. Yes they do cost more then I normally would pay for drills. That is because I consider drill bits consumables.

As consumables I used to buy cheap bits use and toss.

But due to the cost of them I save them and get them resharpened. Lots cheaper to get them resharpened then to pay for new ones.

 

[Stephen B]

[member=42735]DB10[/member]

Due to Bs Internet Policy for team members I cannot comment directly about your experience .  [blink]

[member=58794]ChipMonk[/member]
Sutton drill Bitts should be easy to get in NZ. Some are even made there. Try Bunnings NZ or any NZ offshoots of Total Tools, Mitre 10 or Masters. Even your Festool dealer should have them in another section of the store.

Do not reflect negatively on Festool based on this experience. They make some fantastic power tools, and most consumables and accessories are also of very high quality.

 

[weekendwarrior]

I generally don't inspect bits/consumables.  I will now!  [eek]

This thread regarding Festool going the cheap labor & inexpensive material route reminds me of the Chinese-made battery charger thread from last year...

To meet increasing demand for Festool products, inferior sources are being used, but sold at the same prices.  Shame!  Shame!

 

[Birdhunter]

I have both the standard Festool drill bits and the Festool Forstner drill bits. I very seldom use the standard bits as I have others closer to my work bench. I do use the Festool Forstner bits a lot. I find them much sharper than the Freud or other brand bits. I bought both the Imperial (inch/fraction) and metric Forstner sets. Both are excellent.

 

[Holmz]

I have both the standard Festool drill bits and the Festool Forstner drill bits. I very seldom use the standard bits as I have others closer to my work bench. I do use the Festool Forstner bits a lot. I find them much sharper than the Freud or other brand bits. I bought both the Imperial (inch/fraction) and metric Forstner sets. Both are excellent.

Those Forstner bits in the original (non FT) OEM marking cost me 125 Euros, and they are great.
I got them straight from Germany.

It is like buying an Opal car in Australia. They are rebadged as a Holden Astra.
Same as Ford/Mazda and Chevy/Opal.

For cars and repairs/distribution it makes sense for both parties. For the FT branded bits it seems easier to change the supplier.

Computer and SSD memory have problems with counterfeit parts n the supply chain.

I got some Dormer (made in Brasil) bit and they are great.

 

[TylerC]

Unlike solid carbide cutters or solid steel bits that are used in machines like line boring machines (with fixed speeds and pressures); these cutters rely on a steel body and carbide tip.  Is this inferior? No. It is actually a better way to build the bit for free-hand usage as we see with handheld power tools.  A solid carbide bit may be prone to snapping due to unintentional lateral force and speed fluctuations (federate and rotational).  So these bits have a carbide tip brazed to a steel body. Additionally, the carbide tip provides a longer-wearing, more durable tip material versus steel.

These issues are likely cosmetic and shouldn't affect the quality of work being performed.

That said, we've made Germany aware of your concerns on this. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

 

[Kev]

I have both the standard Festool drill bits and the Festool Forstner drill bits. I very seldom use the standard bits as I have others closer to my work bench. I do use the Festool Forstner bits a lot. I find them much sharper than the Freud or other brand bits. I bought both the Imperial (inch/fraction) and metric Forstner sets. Both are excellent.

Yay on the Forstner bit - they'e quite good, no complaints on those!

 

[Cheese]

The Forstner bits ( Zobo) are ridiculously priced...but they're ridiculously good. Without a doubt they are worth the $$$.

 

[Stephen B]

The Forstner bits ( Zobo) are ridiculously priced...but they're ridiculously good. Without a doubt they are worth the $$$.

[size=14pt]Yes they certainly are a quality product.


Action in slow motion.

 

[Cheese]

Ya,  I certainly don't feel the need to burn my pension up by purchasing extravagently priced Forstner bits, but once I put that bit to task, it's all over. I'll purchase another, and another, and another...