The Domino XL 700 with the seneca adapter for 500 cutters ?

[ayhanmecit]

Hello all,  I do mostly cabinets and small furniture.  I have been told that the domino 500 is the better tool for me between the two.  Who out there has used both the 500 and 700 as well as the 700 with the seneca bit adapter?  If so,  is getting the 700 with the seneca adapter and 500 cutters the better route to take.  I am planning to make doors and larger items and just don't want to buy the 500 and wish I had bought the 700 instead.  I can only buy one so I want to choose right.  Is the 700 much harder to handle or burdensome to handle with the smaller material,  or is it so well balanced and smooth that it is not that big of a difference from the 500?  I would greatly appreciate all comments and thoughts on the two.

 

[ceddy]

I would also be interested in this. I have the XL and I am looking to get the adaptor.

 

[ayhanmecit]

ceddy,  do you feel the 700 is a little bulky or hard to control on smaller items?  Do you find that you wish it were a little smaller or easier to control?  I have never used the 700, only the 500.

 

[Kev]

You need to also consider that the 700 is not initially designed for thin stock.

The 700 is heavy and I'm aware of the size and weight difference to the 500.

As far as the mortises you cut, they won't be of a lesser quality because of the adaptor.

 

[RyanR]

I recently bought a 700 after owning a 500- ran across one for a good price and took the plunge (couldn't resist). Anyway, I bought the Seneca adapter and it worked so well, I wound up selling the 500.

To truly test whether I could live without the 500, I made a quick drawer box from 1/2" BB using the 4mm bit and the adapter in my 700. When the combo handled that task, I knew I wouldn't need the 500 anymore. The only shortcoming that I can see is giving up the option of a 12mm plunge depth. For me, that would only be an issue using the 4mm bit with thinner material and it's set up for half-depth mortising anyway. Haven't missed the 500 yet!

 

[ceddy]

Great thank for the input. Gonna pull the trigger on the adaptor.

 

[bkharman]

I also have the 700 with adapter and shims. I really like it. As far as being too much of a brute for small work, this weekend I did a bunch of 5mm and 4 mm mortises in some small stock for a doll bed for my daughter.

I looked and tried both but didn't like the feel of the 500. To each their own!

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[brentmorris]

So it seems like the consensus is 700 with the Seneca items works well for smaller items too? Good to know because I too would like to get a Domino and want to make the correct choice.

 

[MattFerreras]

I have the 700 with the adapter and while I haven't had much experience with the 4 and 5mm dominos it seems to work great. I'm glad a went this direction as it gives me the small and large capacity. Also, I don't find the 700 to be too heavy and bulky for the smaller work that I've done.

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

I went through all this a month ago and decided with the df500.  I looked at my work load being 95% under 1 inch.  I went and looked at the df700 and its a big tool.  Being im using the tool for work and not as a hobby the extra weight and bulk was a deal breaker.  I really like the senca adapter concept but I couldnt pull the trigger.  I will buy a df700 when the need comes up.  Feel like each tool has the right job.  If your doing cabinets get the df500 with the domiplate.    If your build big doors and gates buy the df700.  I bought the df500 and feel like I made the best decision for me.  Theres not a wrong answer both tools are awesome. 

 

[brentmorris]

I went through all this a month ago and decided with the df500.  I looked at my work load being 95% under 1 inch.  I went and looked at the df700 and its a big tool.  Being im using the tool for work and not as a hobby the extra weight and bulk was a deal breaker.  I really like the senca adapter concept but I couldnt pull the trigger.  I will buy a df700 when the need comes up.  Feel like each tool has the right job.  If your doing cabinets get the df500 with the domiplate.    If your build big doors and gates buy the df700.  I bought the df500 and feel like I made the best decision for me.  Theres not a wrong answer both tools are awesome.

The fact that there's no real wrong answer has me bouncing back and forth every few days. Mostly I make are tables, desks, and media consoles. Occasionally I'll work with 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch stuff, but usually it's bigger stock. Though I would like to start making Adirondack chairs. I wish I could just buy both! ...of course I think everyone in this forum would prefer to just have all the options. Lol

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

I went through all this a month ago and decided with the df500.  I looked at my work load being 95% under 1 inch.  I went and looked at the df700 and its a big tool.  Being im using the tool for work and not as a hobby the extra weight and bulk was a deal breaker.  I really like the senca adapter concept but I couldnt pull the trigger.  I will buy a df700 when the need comes up.  Feel like each tool has the right job.  If your doing cabinets get the df500 with the domiplate.    If your build big doors and gates buy the df700.  I bought the df500 and feel like I made the best decision for me.  Theres not a wrong answer both tools are awesome.

The fact that there's no real wrong answer has me bouncing back and forth every few days. Mostly I make are tables, desks, and media consoles. Occasionally I'll work with 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch stuff, but usually it's bigger stock. Though I would like to start making Adirondack chairs. I wish I could just buy both! ...of course I think everyone in this forum would prefer to just have all the options. Lol

If you do a lot of bigger project definitely get the df700. 

 

[Ivanhoe]

Another vote for the 700 with senaca adapter and shims. I was in your shoes last year and read all i could on this issue and there are happy folks in both camps. What I did find was that there was overwhelming support from those that went the 700/Seneca path. I am of average build and have no problem with the weight of the tool.

 

[Red Devil]

Get the 700.
It's more versatile. Especially if your using bigger stock mostly. Our 500 pretty much sits in its sys now....
Eventually you'll have both!

 

[Red Devil]

I second that. The 700 is very well balanced, not too heavy at all.
I was using it today to mortise 8mmx30mm dominos in the top of some white oak 4x4s.
No problems. In fact I liked the weight of the machine to help keep me concentrated...

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Get the 500 then buy a chain mortiser and a Maka.

 

[bkharman]

The fact that there's no real wrong answer has me bouncing back and forth every few days. Mostly I make are tables, desks, and media consoles. Occasionally I'll work with 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch stuff, but usually it's bigger stock. Though I would like to start making Adirondack chairs. I wish I could just buy both! ...of course I think everyone in this forum would prefer to just have all the options. Lol

Get the 700 and in the future if you want a 500, then get one.

I am pretty vocal that the 700 looks like a beast, but purrs like a kitten. I use it and the Seneca parts very often and it is awesome.  If you want to make chairs, definite get the 700.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[icecactus]

I ended up buying both. While I am sure the seneca adapter works great, I felt that festool made 2 different units for a reason. Yeah, it cost me significantly more. However, I hate screwing with things and I felt that I had to go through to many hoops (adapters, shims etc) to make the 700 do something it wasn't designed to do for 90% of my work. I just felt that the money spent on the seneca adapters would be better spent on the 500. I don't regret the decision.

FYI, I'm a hobbyist, with a lot of other hobby's.

 

[Ripit]

Hi, old post but has anyone here using the seneca adapter on the 700 experienced any issues with the tool? Seems to be some rumbling out there recently that it may be causing gearbox issues.

Thanks!

 

[Birdhunter]

I have both Domino machines and use the 500 most of the time. I bought the Seneca adaptor but decided not to use them.

As an engineer, it bothers me to use a tool in a way for which it was neither designed nor tested. To me, it’s logical to think the 700, used with the Seneca adaptor, is going to experience stresses for which it was not designed. I don’t have any way to know if those stresses will result in a mechanical failure.

The 700 is too expensive to risk tearing up the gearbox.