USA - battery track saw 55
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SittingElf
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Nothing is wrong with it. I own one and it's awesome. Don't know why Festool hasn't brought it in yet.
(Also the Vac-SYS system, Belt Sander, and a whole lot of other products)
Frank
(Also the Vac-SYS system, Belt Sander, and a whole lot of other products)
Frank
B
Brent Shively
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Frank is correct. There are no issues with the saw, we have not released an ETA on its arrival yet. Once one is available I will be sure to post it to the FOG.
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SittingElf said:
That belt sander would be something. I'm sure you've used one Frank, you have it all. Do you actually own one? I recall a video, years ago, that blew my mind. Watching that thing suck itself down to the work piece. I'm unsure if it'd ever make it here. Conflicts a bit with the Rotex line.
SittingElf
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Sean Ackerman said:
Hi Sean,
No, I don't own one, but I did get to use one at my German Dealer's showroom. It is really a winner!
I thought about buying it and using with a transformer (Like I do for my Vac-Sys and Conturo), but this particular tool was only rated for 50hz, unlike many others that are dual frequency....so I passed in the hopes of it coming to the USA at some point. I don't really see it conflicting with the Rotex line. It has very specific and narrow purpose for which the Rotex line is capable of, but not as well focused on... much like the RAS, LS130, and DTS400, all of which I own and use for their specific strengths.
One of the VERY few remaining non-Festool tools I have is a B&D belt sander which has performed pretty well, but nothing like the Festool I demo'd. (The only other remaining small power tools in my shop that arent' GREEN that I can think of are my DeWalt Sawzall, a Makita cordless impact driver that will be replaced if Festool comes out with an Ti18V, and a powerful PC 7518 Router which lives in my router table. Everything else is GONE!)
Cheers,
Frank
Frank, do you use it "a lot", and what for?
Sean, something is strange. In this economy where all is collapsing, when every Dollar is a large cake, Festool is refusing to come on the biggest market (USA) even have "sure (no problem) product" in demand. [eek]
Sean, something is strange. In this economy where all is collapsing, when every Dollar is a large cake, Festool is refusing to come on the biggest market (USA) even have "sure (no problem) product" in demand. [eek]
SittingElf
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DanielOB said:
I don't use the best sander that often, but it is appropriate for use especially when I need to strip paint or wax off of a large FLAT surface. I generally use my Rotex's for final sanding. The Belt Sander is awesome at very quick removal of existing finish while insuring that all remains flat.
The Festool model does it amazingly well and VERY powerful, much more than the B&D.
Frank
TelcoRandy
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I have a feeling that Festool isn't actually committed to the North American market. I honestly think that Festool doesn't release a lot of their tools here because they're only interested in protecting their patents and preventing potentially competing companies from releasing tools similar to theirs here in North America.DanielOB said:
I'm no patent lawyer, nor will I claim to be but don't you have to try to actually market your patented product to keep it valid? I suspect that Bosch didn't release their modular drill here in North America because Festool has active patents on their modular drill system here and Bosch wouldn't be able to infringe on them... I could be wrong, it's just a hunch...
My mind could be changed though, assuming Festool begins releasing all of their cordless tools here. But lets face it, that's never going to happen. Most people on this forum that wanted to purchase a PDC/DRC/BHC/etc have already bought them abroad and no dealer is going to want to stock an item that has already been sold a large majority of their customers by sellers abroad (profit potential lost). I'm guessing the TSC 55 has some fresh new patents that need to be protected and I could only imagine that's the reason why it will be released here. The PDC on the other hand is probably already guarded by the other T-Series and C-Series drills being marketed and thus will never be released here.
Hopefully someone can chime in and tell me I'm wrong and give a logical explanation as to why Festool seems to ignore our market. Until then I will just assume I'm right.
In response to TelcoRandy
Patents are valid even if the product is not marketed.
The number of PDC etc bought from overseas is very small compared to the eventual US market. Just because a handful of people on FOG have one, it does not mean that the market has disappeared.
I think that Festool is pursuing a very careful strategy in which it favors the core market in Europe over the North American market because it makes sense for them to do so.
As I have stated before, Festool does not have unlimited manufacturing capacity. They cannot wake up a thousand workers at 4:00 in the morning, give them tea and biscuits and have a revamped product being shipped that afternoon (Apple iPhone issue). Festool has to carefully control their product launches so as to not have shortages. They satisfy their core markets before bringing tools to other markets.
The rapidity with which the Conturo was launched in the US shows that Festool will on occasion brings products here quickly if they have something that is unique and that is of interest to a significant,but limited number of people/businesses. They will do very well with the Conturo but it was not intended to be anywhere near a mass market product. The Vecturo is more widely targeted, but given the price, it is still a relatively limited appeal/sales product in its product class.
I see no reason why Festool will not bring other cordless product to NA etc over time. The pace of introduction will probably be much slower than we would like.
Patents are valid even if the product is not marketed.
The number of PDC etc bought from overseas is very small compared to the eventual US market. Just because a handful of people on FOG have one, it does not mean that the market has disappeared.
I think that Festool is pursuing a very careful strategy in which it favors the core market in Europe over the North American market because it makes sense for them to do so.
As I have stated before, Festool does not have unlimited manufacturing capacity. They cannot wake up a thousand workers at 4:00 in the morning, give them tea and biscuits and have a revamped product being shipped that afternoon (Apple iPhone issue). Festool has to carefully control their product launches so as to not have shortages. They satisfy their core markets before bringing tools to other markets.
The rapidity with which the Conturo was launched in the US shows that Festool will on occasion brings products here quickly if they have something that is unique and that is of interest to a significant,but limited number of people/businesses. They will do very well with the Conturo but it was not intended to be anywhere near a mass market product. The Vecturo is more widely targeted, but given the price, it is still a relatively limited appeal/sales product in its product class.
I see no reason why Festool will not bring other cordless product to NA etc over time. The pace of introduction will probably be much slower than we would like.
Frank, what converter are you using for your Euro tools. There is a German company selling the STL-SYS on EBay for $593. Does that sound reasonable considering what they sell for in Europe? They do warn on the site that a converter is required. Free shipping.
SittingElf
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DanielOB said:
I don't use the TSC55 "a lot", but it comes in VERY handy when I'm nowhere near an outlet, and too far for extension cords. I use it remotely like that with the dust bag and no Dust Collector. The bag needs emptying pretty regularly, but it's not really an issue.
As far as improvements... Can't really think of any. The saw works with either one or two batteries, but of course using only one reduces the power and usage time. The introduction of the 5.2amp 18V batteries should improve the capability even further. Great saw and matches my powered TS55 perfectly.
Cheers,
Frank
SittingElf
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rst said:
First, all I need is a high wattage step-up transformer. I don't need a frequency converter because the tools I connect to the transformer are dual-frequency rated. I would hesitate to use only 50hz tools for any long length of time, but the 50/60hz machines just hum along without any issues.
You would have to check the frequency on the STL-SYS to determine whether it's right for you.
Here's a picture of the transformer I use with my tools, and it was less than $150. Works exceedingly well and both fuse and circuit protected.
[attachimg=1]
Cheers,
Frank
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I touched one personally at the Katz clinic in San Rafael a couple weeks ago. Manufacturing takes time even when there aren't importing concerns to fret over. If they started selling the thing in a new country before they had enough to actually send to all the dealers then people would be angry at them for an entirely different reason.
I really liked the brushless motor and the brake, but I don't personally have enough of a need for cordless to justify the purchase.
I really liked the brushless motor and the brake, but I don't personally have enough of a need for cordless to justify the purchase.
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