Thank you for You Tube videos because Festool directions are horrible

[jlcichocki]

I have spent a small fortune in 2015 outfitting my shop with new Festool equipment.  I think the new tools are absolutely amazing.  I feel like I'm rediscovering woodworking all over again.  However, in many cases I'm not sure the tools would have made it out of the box without the help of You Tube.  I can't believe a company as great as Festool puts products on the market with such poor directions and diagrams.  My Christmas boom arm and CMS table nearly put me over the edge.  Thank you Peter Parfitte for saving my sanity.

 

[Mort]

Peter and Paul Marcell (Half-Inch Shy) are the unofficial Festool instruction manuals. They've sold me on quite a few of them too.

 

[JBag09]

I have spent a small fortune in 2015 outfitting my shop with new Festool equipment.  I think the new tools are absolutely amazing.  I feel like I'm rediscovering woodworking all over again.  However, in many cases I'm not sure the tools would have made it out of the box without the help of You Tube.  I can't believe a company as great as Festool puts products on the market with such poor directions and diagrams.  My Christmas boom arm and CMS table nearly put me over the edge.  Thank you Peter Parfitte for saving my sanity.

I hear ya there. Same for me a few years back. Along with videos from Peter and Paul, I used Eric's videos as my instruction manual.
Good luck with your new tools.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

You should see what Weinig's manuals are like.

100k for a moulder and the manual is about the same level.

It's a German thing.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt] Obviously it is a long time since some purchased a DeWalt, Bosch, Makita or Metabo etc.,. [smile]  Compared to the rest, I find little fault with Festool's basic tool Manuals.

Manuals are designed to show you how the tool operates, not how to use it (or which tool is best for you), in your project. That is where YouTube, the FOG, your experience or that of friends and colleagues comes in.

And there are excellent Supplimentry Manuals by Rick Christopherson and released through the FESTOOL USA website, eg. -http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Kapex-KS120-Supplemental-Manual.pdf

 

[Shane Holland]

There are also a good number of "Getting Started" video on Festool USA's YouTube channel athttp://festool.tv, including one for the CMS.

 

[sancho57]

This has been discussed here before. If memory serves me right we concluded that festool considers these professional tools. People that buy the tools should be able to set them up and use them.

That had me banging my head against the wall the I first started using them. I was at one point when I was ready to get rid of them and go back to my stationary tools and forget festool. Oh I was pissed and cursing them all sorts of upset.

Then I signed up for my first end user class, had some exchange of emails with Steve Bace about the issues I had and he took time and helped me with them. Which was basically getting square cuts on my MFT.

But unlike a lot of companies Festool service is available, a phone call away to get help and we have this resource to. Now that Festool TV on U Tube came about it makes life a lot easier.

Im still having issues with some of the tools but coming here I know that someone else has experienced the same or similar issue and I search and find the help.

 

[Stone Message]

First, many thanks for the kind comments above.

I have found the US Supplemental Manuals absolutely brilliant for explaining quite a few of the Festool range of tools in a very simple step by step fashion. The diagrams are superb and there are quite a few insights that are impossible to find in the Festool manuals.

Peter

 

[Mort]

[size=13pt] Obviously it is a long time since some purchased a DeWalt, Bosch, Makita or Metabo etc.,. [smile]  Compared to the rest, I find little fault with Festool's basic tool Manuals.

Manuals are designed to show you how the tool operates, not how to use it (or which tool is best for you), in your project. That is where YouTube, the FOG, your experience or that of friends and colleagues comes in.

And there are excellent Supplimentry Manuals by Rick Christopherson and released through the FESTOOL USA website, eg. -http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Kapex-KS120-Supplemental-Manual.pdf

I've got a lot of DeWalt tools too, and I find I don't need to read the manual because they're pretty basic. My Festools have so much adjustability and extra malarky that you not only have to read the manual, you have to take a college class on what all those green switches and buttons do.

 

[Rob in Vancouver]

Festool manuals are a lot like ikea assembly instructions.

 

[Stone Message]

Festool manuals are a lot like ikea assembly instructions.

[big grin] Very topical !

Peter

 

[SS Teach]

No question YouTube videos are very helpful. The other thing is also true Peter and Paul have cost me money. But their advice is right on, I have yet to be steered wrong.

 

[Rob in Vancouver]

That's one thing I love about Festool and YouTube.
So many passionate people post videos and reviews on this brand.  It's very rare to see this level of passion on any other tool brands.
This is indeed a big feather in the hat of Festool and their marketing dept.

 

[Steve-Rice]

I have got to agree with Rob on this one.  Festool owners are quite an interestinig group of people.  I hear guys in my woodworkers guild talking about their tools all the time, but there is nothing like the addiction to Festool.  I genuinely enjoy the FOG and all the videos. you definitely don't get that with any other manufacturer.

I'll offer a toast to the new year with a heaping tall glass of the green Kool-Aid!  Looking forward to the new offerings in 2016...

 

[jlcichocki]

First off, my apologies Peter for misspelling your name.  No disrespect intended.  I love your videos and have learned a great deal.

I also should have sent proper recognition to the video contributors listed above.  I too have learned from MrBigerock (inspired me to try kitchen cabinets), Paul Marcel (did realize there was a brother Peter), Ron Paulk, Dave Reinhold, Marc Spagnuolo, Festool USA, Highland Woodworking, etc., etc.

I am not a professional but have 30+ years of woodworking experience and have occasionally worked along side my father in his home repair business.  I don't feel like I should have this much trouble setting up (assembling) these tools.  Whether its a German thing or not, these companies sell to the world and should do a much better job helping us get started.  I'd sooner unwrap my CMS table and get a piece of paper that says "watch Peter's video on You Tube" instead of the what I got.

You all you helped me greatly and for that I am thankful for your help.  On the same token, you have all caused me many thousands of extra dollars because you present thing too good

Thanks to all, and happy new year!!!

Jeff

Jeff

 

[mo siopa]

While I experience the same frustrations and have never found any instruction manual particularly helpful, I have to defend the writers of them.  Writing instructions is one of the most difficult forms of communication that exists.  We humans are far too impatient to read through a manual that thoroughly explains anything more complicated than a toaster.  We are immediately bored with anything that seems too mundane; yet a manual needs to address the most basic of functions. It is a no win situation with little to no recognition or reward (think of this- a successful manual results in.....slightly fewer complaints about the manual).

Thankfully as noted above, we have among us some skilled individuals willing to post videos.

Happy New Year and Good Shavings to All,
Chris K

 

[Jimmy FineCut]

I would also like to say a big thank you to Peter, Paul and Eric for there videos pointing me in the right direction with new Festools.

What about if Festool got rid of the paper instructions and instead when you register your new tool on the Festool website you get a downloadable pdf with all the instructions and links to the relevant YouTube videos showing the tool setup and use. You can then save this pdf file to a smart phone or tablet and have them all to hand if need be or log into the Festool site and see this option next to your machines.

 

[mike_aa]

I would also like to say a big thank you to Peter, Paul and Eric for there videos pointing me in the right direction with new Festools.

Peter, Paul and Eric have given us some great performances, haven't they?  [eek]