Regret buying on Festool Recon

[smorgasbord]

But not the way you might think!

I bought my third Festool - an ETS/EC 150/5 sander that I've been eyeing for months and months, waiting for it to come up on the Recon site and being able to nab it. I've been using my 25 year old Bosch 1370DEVS, which has both Rotex and Random Orbit modes for years, and most recently on a Murphy Bed that's taking me forever to complete thanks to interruptions. It's been a reliable and versatile sander for me.

Well, today I pulled the 80 grit Cubitron disc off the Bosch, put it on the ETS/EC, and WOW - what a difference. Not just lighter, but more stable, better balanced, less vibration, faster sanding - you name it, the Festool is night and day better..

My regret is that I waited so long for the ETS/EC to come up on the Recon site. I saved what, $125? I should have just bought the tool new at the beginning of the year and then would have had several months of usage that I see would have easily been worth that money to me.

 

[luvmytoolz]

It's really hard to get across to people who haven't used these sort of quality tools just what a difference they are in every way, as you say it's like night and day!

I bought my first Festo tools in the early 80's after I was starting to develop a bad case of RSI, and was also blowing through tools that didn't last. From that first tool I was hooked. Over 40 years later and I have zero RSI or health effects due to work using good tools!

I now have absolutely no qualms buying more expensive tools when I can as the benefits are immeasurable!

 

[rjboch]

Not only do you get quality and realibity, but there is always a strong demand for used tools. I have just recently downsized my shop and easily sold a few extra Festool items on eBay. Not only did they all sell quickly, but I was able to recapture a high percentage of my original purchase price (average 80%). You would never see that with the red, yellow, or blue branded tools.

 

[Packard]

I learned a long time ago that especially if you are largely self-taught, to buy the best quality tools that I could afford.

My thinking goes like this. 

If my first attempt at a process was unsuccessful, and I was using cheap tools, where did the fault lie?  Was it in my execution?  Or the fault of the cheap tools?

If I had top quality tools, and the process did not work well, then I know that it is my execution that is at fault.  I can re-examine the process and try to make the corrections that are needed.

On processes that I have a high confidence level on execution, I can make a judgement call on the quality of the tools.  If it is a process that I will rarely use, then I try to find an economical, but competent example. 

But if I have little or no experience with that process, I tend to over-spend to be sure that the tools are not at fault if the results are not up to par. 

The Internet partially negates my thinking because so much information is now available.  But still, on new processes I choose premium tools.

 

[AofD]

Investing in higher-priced, quality woodworking and construction tools is a decision that pays off in numerous ways. These tools not only enhance the efficiency of your work but also contribute to the precision and finesse of your craftsmanship. Time is a valuable resource, and with quality tools, you can complete tasks faster and with greater ease, allowing you to take on more complex projects and meet deadlines more confidently. Moreover, there's an undeniable satisfaction that comes from working with tools that are not only durable but also a joy to handle. The sense of control, the smoothness of the cuts, and the reliability of quality tools can make every project a more gratifying experience. In essence, these tools are an investment in both the quality of your work and the joy you derive from it, making them well worth the higher initial cost.

 

[mino]

It's really hard to get across to people who haven't used these sort of quality tools just what a difference they are in every way, as you say it's like night and day!
...

Yesteday a friend came by the shop are of our hackerspace.

There was my C12 Li hanging around with some Centrotec bit in it. In the middle for a non-shop-related talk, he just grabbed the drill, and, for no better thing to do with his hands, played a bit with the trigger while talking with me.

THEN, suddently, it hit him! He abruptly talking and started staring at the drill while he was controlling its rotation speed between like 10 and 20 rpm and looking at his achievement with utter astonishment. He looked weird looking at that bit, almost like someone high, so I asked him: "Anything wrong?"
He said: "Well, now I understand ..", referring to my comment a week ago that he should get rid of his walmart-style drill driver ... after he spent the whole afternoon putting together a cabinet with just the hand screw driver. This is a fella who earns well north of 100k/year .. so the issue was not money.

Some things just need to be felt if people have no reference.

 

[woodferret]

I always find it odd that most people are so dismissive when you straight up tell them the point blank truth.

 

[Packard]

And I bought an electric “drill” from Harbor Freight that was purpose-built to run at 300 rpms for mixing mortar, paint, joint compound, etc.  I use it for joint compound, a messy job.  The chuck is pretty rusted, and If I need to remove the mixer-bit I might be up for a challenge.  But I burned out a pretty good conventional drill mixing this stuff and the H-F unit still works fine.

No regrets.  I do wallboard work once every few years.  A better unit would not make much sense. 

I also bought an electric snake for cleaning out drain pipes from H-F.  Just $99.00, and it will save me from having someone come in again as at emergency and charge me $500.00 for 1-1/2 hours of work.  I have not used it yet, but I am fine with this investment.  The one the plumber had cost $450.00 and would doubtless provide better service if used regularly. 

But for things I use regularly, I buy the best I can afford.  I buy Whiteside router bits, Blum drilling fixtures, Festool saws and clamps.  Things that I know will get regular use, are all of very good quality.

You have to be smart about this. 

 

[luvmytoolz]

Not only do you get quality and realibity, but there is always a strong demand for used tools. I have just recently downsized my shop and easily sold a few extra Festool items on eBay. Not only did they all sell quickly, but I was able to recapture a high percentage of my original purchase price (average 80%). You would never see that with the red, yellow, or blue branded tools.

I bought an RO90 a while back and was so blown away by it I decided I'll be getting the new RO150 at some point, so I sold my circa 1979 RO1E, the original Rotex, recently for $250.

This model was built like a brick s**thouse and almost impossible to destroy, I'd call that a pretty good return for a 40 year old tool!

 

[Leemstradamus]

Not only do you get quality and realibity, but there is always a strong demand for used tools. I have just recently downsized my shop and easily sold a few extra Festool items on eBay. Not only did they all sell quickly, but I was able to recapture a high percentage of my original purchase price (average 80%). You would never see that with the red, yellow, or blue branded tools.

I bought an RO90 a while back and was so blown away by it I decided I'll be getting the new RO150 at some point, so I sold my circa 1979 RO1E, the original Rotex, recently for $250.

This model was built like a brick s**thouse and almost impossible to destroy, I'd call that a pretty good return for a 40 year old tool!

Wow, was that around what you paid for it back then?

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk

 

[luvmytoolz]

Not only do you get quality and realibity, but there is always a strong demand for used tools. I have just recently downsized my shop and easily sold a few extra Festool items on eBay. Not only did they all sell quickly, but I was able to recapture a high percentage of my original purchase price (average 80%). You would never see that with the red, yellow, or blue branded tools.

I bought an RO90 a while back and was so blown away by it I decided I'll be getting the new RO150 at some point, so I sold my circa 1979 RO1E, the original Rotex, recently for $250.

This model was built like a brick s**thouse and almost impossible to destroy, I'd call that a pretty good return for a 40 year old tool!

Wow, was that around what you paid for it back then?

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I think it was actually $300 I sold it for, but to be fair I did supply it in a newer systainer and not the original metal case it came in (which I still have), and I think it actually was around the $250 mark new when I bought it originally.

 

[Leemstradamus]

That's an amazing profit lol!

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[luvmytoolz]

That's an amazing profit lol!

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When I sold it, it was as good as the day I bought it, working flawlessly for many years even though I took no special care. The kicker for me though was getting the RO90, it just blew me away at how good it was, so I decided then and there to sell it and I'll definitely get the 150 at some point.