Selling the Notion of Festool to Contrator Friends

E

extiger

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Two San Francisco contractor friends just spent a week at my house. Salmon fishing. They were fascinated by the Festool equipment in my dedicated WWing shop. One of them specializes in Victorian home restoration. I neglected to explain the 9-hole abrasives on my RO 150E Plus and the reasons for that unusual spec, though they were immediately in love with my C-12 drill, and ATF55.

I can explain the dust collection advantages of Festool sandeers. But what number is commonly kicked around when describing abrasives durability? How much life-extension is reasonably expected on each piece of sandpaper? 200%? 150%. What? (please give me an average for all grits and paper types. I don't want to put these guys to sleep)

Gary Curtis
Northern California
 
Kinda hard to quantify since discovering Festool a couple of years ago the old sanders collected dust on the shelf until I got smart enough to sell them. But I would estimate at least twice the life on bare wood (which is what I mostly work with) probably somewhere between 200 to 300 percent.

I run a cabinet shop mostly working with best quality domestic plywood and (usually) maple or oak for rails and stiles.
 
I agree w Steve 2x the use is a very close estimate.

When I first got my ets125, I was using it at school to help my kids sand end grain butcher blocks.  They were 24 x 18 x 1.5 and made of walnut and ash.

We sanded side by side with my new hitachi 5" and older DeWalt 5" using Irwin and Norton abrasives.  It was obvious in the first 20 minutes that the ets125 was cutting faster, even with the same grit.  The Festool abrasives lasted about 2x longer too.  Then there is the dust collection. :D

For me, the sanders are the best Festool for the money, and my TS 55 is a very close 2nd.
 
Tell your buddy that renovates Victorian homes that the TS55 or TS75 are a licence to print money.  I spend alot of time on old homes, and when your making jamb extensions for a 120 year old house that is out of plumb and out of square...the saw with guides more than doubles your productivity.  Honestly, I think for that particular task, I am 100% more accurate and about 800% more productive.
 
HA

I laugh because I am a San Francisco cabinet maker and recently I purchased my ts55 and vac set up.

Carpenters, GC'S, and architects are all really awed-not joking- over my set up. Frankly I still am also.

I went on an install today (pretty big 8 rooms) all preprimed to be painted in place(bondo, caulk, and paint makes me the cabinet maker that I a'int) and I ditched the table saw and chop saw. It took 8 trips to carry everything in-under a scaffold down a long walk.

Bring some saw horses and a sacrificial ply top and your good to go.

This saw has really changed my life. Even beyond not having to haul two 60lbs saws down a difficult path. It has kind of reignited a new excitement in installing.

I can't wait to install some complicated millwork-finished or unfinished. I would not be afraid to do some nice long 16' miters in some prefinished material in some beam caps or even something closer to the ground. Plus I'd surely have to buy a mft among other things .

Tom
 
Thanks guys. This is all ammunition to convey to my friends. Of all the tools, though, Festool sanders have the biggest surprise features, and that is why I wanted a number on the increased abrasives life. The saw/vacuum/drill side is relatively easy to pitch.  I asked my Festool dealer, a fellow named Don Cope in Georgia the same question. He threw in a few points I didn't know about the sanders.

Because of the 9 holes (or is it 8) in the sandpaper, there is a)less heat b)less clogging c)better surface contact and thus a smoother finish. I deal with Don Cope because he teaches Furniture Design and Building at the college level. He really knows his way around a shop and explains with an impressive level of expertise.

thanks again.

Gary
 
Good Afternoon,
The Abrasives brochure loads slowly for me from the Festool USA Web site.

This is a valuable brochure, so, as an alternative, a while back I uploaded it to the FOG Gallery as a series of images.  It may be faster for you!

To see it, click here.

Thanks,
Matthew
 
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