Review of the Festool Workcenter WCR 1000

[semenza]

Hi,

I checked this out the other day. It is much more beefy and sturdily constructed than pics reveal. The hooks and such are all quite heavy gauge.

I don't think it works for my shop or site set up, but it does look like a useful and effective item.

Seth

 

[tbellemare]

Has anyone figured out what the down-turned bar is for between the sander "V" holders?

The only thing I've used it for is a towing handle when I want to move everything around.

Tom

 

[honeydoman]

Well just left woodcraft with the workstation!  Had to buy floor model which is great as it is all put together!!

Will post pics tomorrow with it all set up at my job I am doing

One main reason I bought it was because of brices video!

Plus can't let him get ahead of me on festools!  Lol

 

[Laminator]

Thanks for the info guys and it looks like I will be getting one for the next commercial job I do.  It will make moving the vac, laminate trimmers, 1010 router, belt sander, and a several other  tools from room to room a lot easier than what I've been doing which is piling it in a sys5 with the lid open.

 

[honeydoman]

Well the stand worked out very well today and to keep remembering to hang stuff up instead of laying it very gently  on the ground!

 

[Brice Burrell]

Well just left woodcraft with the workstation!  Had to buy floor model which is great as it is all put together!!

Will post pics tomorrow with it all set up at my job I am doing

One main reason I bought it was because of brices video!

Plus can't let him get ahead of me on festools!  Lol

Rock on Kreg! [thumbs up] 

 

[Aaron Underdahl]

I have played with the WCR at my dealer a couple of times prior to this class and have been on the fence whether or not I needed this in my personal line up.  After using the WCR for the last couple days at the doors and drawer class in Indy, it was an easy decision.  My plane from the class landed last night @ 9pm.  I was at my local dealer @ 9:30 this morning to pick up my WCR 1000.
Here are some pictures of how I have modified and setup the WCR for my needs.  I have decided to rename this to the MFTSV [cool](Multifunction Table Support Vehicle)  My plans are to use this set up to strictly aid the workflow around the MFT tables. 
I most likely will purchase two more WCR1000.  One for the van and one for another CT vac without a boom arm for the shop. 

 

[builderbob]

Aaron, you're shop is very neat!  I like & strive for that but I have my challenges as mine is a garage that sees family storage uses (no cars)!

On a side note, I like what you did with the Kreg clamp table/router integration. How do you use a router fence with that setup?

You must live close to a Woodcraft as I see a lot of the same drivers, woodpeckers & pinnacle stuff that I have pillaged from my local store as well!

Bob

 

[Aaron Underdahl]

Aaron, you're shop is very neat!  I like & strive for that but I have my challenges as mine is a garage that sees family storage uses (no cars)!

On a side note, I like what you did with the Kreg clamp table/router integration. How do you use a router fence with that setup?

You must live close to a Woodcraft as I see a lot of the same drivers, woodpeckers & pinnacle stuff that I have pillaged from my local store as well!

Bob

Bob, Its been a long road to get the shop to this state,  Big plans for the future. 

I have a homemade fence that I clamp down with the Kreg clams.  It works ok.  After using the CMS last week, I will eagerly waiting for this to hit my shop..

I do have woodcraft about 15 min from my house and have a couple other dealers within the same distance that all sell the same stuff. 

 

[builderbob]

I think we would all enjoy a CMS!  I'm not holding my breath...I should be receiving my Incra LS positioner this week. It seems the CMS is quite portable...that would be a nice feature as I use the Kreg portable jobsite table for the road, but it sits only 18" or so from the ground. I don't use it in the field that often, so I deal with it.

Bob

 

[daviszr1]

Well the stand worked out very well today and to keep remembering to hang stuff up instead of laying it very gently  on the ground!

Kreg,

I'm interested in how it is working out for you.  Has your productivity increased?  That's kind of the bottom line for me.

 

[honeydoman]

Ben ineresting question  If tools are hanging up and easily reachable then overall it might save 10-15 minutes a day of a full day building cabs or even rolling the cart from room to room(have not done that yet) but that would save time

So I guess yes it does when you are utilizing the stand to it's potential.

If you were using only one tool  or maybe 2 then maybe not

But if you got you're routers out and sanders drill and even domino then deffentnelee (spelling?)

 

[GPowers]

Aaron

Looks like the Festool classes are costing you more each time you go. I noticed two MFT in the background, did you buy the second one after the November Cabinet class?

 

[Deke]

Thanks Brice and everyone else. I picked up my Workcenter today, loaded it all up and I love it. I have a small basement shop and a few issues have bogged me down quite a bit. First, all my frequently used tools are either far away on the wall or (more commonly) strewn about my benches making my benches that much harder to use for what they were made for. Second, having my most often used tools nearby. Third, getting to my ETS 150/3, RO 90 and Domino and using them with my CT 22 requires some futzing around and digging our systainers. Fourth, with a low ceiling I had no good boom set up for my vac hose.

I think the WC it taking care of all my problems (shop problems, not mental or social)!

 

[GhostFist]

I think the WC it taking care of all my problems (shop problems, not mental or social)!

Ya you need a JERK-center for that [big grin] so do i apparently [poke] [poke] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

 

[Deke]

I think the WC it taking care of all my problems (shop problems, not mental or social)!

Ya you need a JERK-center for that [big grin] so do i apparently [poke] [poke] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

I am trying to think of more things that rhyme with "work" but I am too tired. Pork Center for all your barbecuing needs? Cork Center for your wine shop... Fork Center for...

 

[terrystouf]

  Any one taking this out to a jobsite (interior finisher) care to comment (Brice) on a longer term evaluation ? Im on the fence on this , mostly about having to tie up the vac if its over at the mitersaw or something,then rolling it back and having everything fall off or something?Not sure if I would want multiple vacs just to accommodate it , and would not want to make another base (I would just make a rolling slotwall/pegboard rack , if I was going down that road ) I can really see the need to have a small close at hand tool rack, and would love to hear any + or - feedback about this thing , before I dump another $500 (Cdn after tax).Thanks in advance ...

 

[Brice Burrell]

Terry, I've had the Workcenter for about a year now.  I haven't gotten as much use out of it as expected for one reason, because of all the exterior (windows, dormers, decks, fence, greenhouse roof and so on) projects I did from last spring through fall.  It would be pretty hard to use the Workcenter up on a ladder installing windows. [tongue]  This winter I did get a chance to use it on a big interior job.  It was invaluable for a number of projects there.  For the custom closet shelving projects it was great at keeping things organized and off the floor just as I hoped it would be.  Still, you need to stay organized or you can overwhelm the Workcenter too. 

I don't mind taking two vacs to the job since I have a Mini and 26.  I suppose there could be some inconvenience if you only had one vac on the job. 

As far as transporting it to the job it is slightly bulky and there are few plastic parts that require a little care in loading.  Honestly, I don't know how it would fair if transported daily since I haven't done that.  I pack it carefully just to make sure it gets to the job in tip top shape, but than again, I'm a careful kinda of guy.  Maybe it can take the abuse of transporting.  You'd have to ask someone else for a better answer.

I see the workcenter like the MFT table, there is some hassle involved in getting it to the job, but once there it's well worth the trouble.       

 

[Jason Kehl]

I have had the WCR for about a year now using it exclusively for site work and it transports just fine.  I did screw the metal tray in place so it can't bounce off and I also lightly strap it to the wall so it can't tip over on bumpy roads, but otherwise no issues in transport. I have a 16' enclosed trailer for my tools and the WCR lives in there on top of the CT26. It does not come out of the trailer for every job ( I do quite a bit of exterior work) but it has been a worthwhile investment for me.

It saves some time, although if you directly convert minutes saved to dollars earned without considering convenience it may not literally pay for itself in the short term. If you factor in that it is a pretty slick convenience, especially when working in occupied homes by helping to keep the work area neat and organized then it pays off in that sense. I often just wheel the unit (with all the tools on it) into a suitable corner at the end of the day and it is ready to start work again in the morning.

I never remove it from the CT for transport, just return the tools to their systainers, pick the CT/WCR combo up and carry it away, nothing to it.

j

 

[terrystouf]

Thanks for the response guys, Im still on the fence , this or a cxs next . Ill try to stick with my new monthly tool budget  :, (that went to hell x2 already this month) , but it seems like the wcr would be quite usefull in certain situations.I've been on a full systainer makeover for awhile now in a do or die attempt to get more organized. We'll see...