What are your five favorite Festool tools and five non-Festool tools?

[NYC Tiny Shop]

Recently, I purchased a Leica Disto 2 Laser Distance Measure tool. With this tool and my Kapex UG Miter Station I was able to do precision work that would have normally taken five times the amount of time. It was really such a pleasure to do work that used to be much more time-consuming. Now, I carry the Disto 2 with me whenever I work or, meet a perspective client. This recent discovery made me wonder, what other tools are out there that could make my work experience better?
So, I will start with my list of my five favorite Festool and five non-Festool products, that I presently believe are indispensable to me, with the hope that not only will I discover a new "invaluable tool" like the Domino XL or the Disto 2, but that maybe one of my fellow Fogsters will discover something new that makes work-life better.

Five Favorite Festool Products:
1. Kapex UG Miter Station
2. Domino XL
3. HL 850
4. ETS 125/ CT 26E Package
5. OF 1400 CMS-GE

Five Favorite non-Festool Products:
1. Leica Disto 2 Distance Measurer Laser
2. 3M Peltor X5A Headphones
3. Paolini Pocket Rule by Woodpecker
4. Nitrile Tough Work Gloves
5. Bessey One-Handed 6" Clamps

 

[wow]

I only HAVE 5 Festool tools (see my signature) so that takes care of the first part.

For the second, it's hard to narrow it to 5 but here goes:
• SuperMax 37x2 HD Drum Sander
• Table Saw
• Drill Press
• Milwaukee M12 Impact Drivers and Drills
• Bessey K-body Clamps

 

[Bikeboy80]

Festo's
Kapex
Planex
Domino
Ets125
Syslite

Others:
Stellito TiBone 14
Bosch Lazer measurer
Fastcap third hand poles
Hitatchi pinner
Ketter work table

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

I only HAVE 5 Festool tools (see my signature) so that takes care of the first part.

For the second, it's hard to narrow it to 5 but here goes:
• SuperMax 37x2 HD Drum Sander
• Table Saw
• Drill Press
• Milwaukee M12 Impact Drivers and Drills
• Bessey K-body Clamps

Which Table Saw do you have? Yes, I love my K-Body Besseys, too...along with my Hilti Impact and Hammer Drills.

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

Festo's
Kapex
Planex
Domino
Ets125
Syslite

Others:
Stellito TiBone 14
Bosch Lazer measurer
Fastcap third hand poles
Hitatchi pinner
Ketter work table

Yes, I love my third hands, too. Which Ketter table do you have? I almost listed my Grex P635 with Senco P1010.

 

[Walk On Wood]

I'm a hardwood floor guy, so my favorite tools revolve around my chosen profession.

Favorite Festool's:

1) cordless Carvex barrel grip
2) RO150
3) RO90
4) TS55REQ
5) T18+3

Non-Festool's:

1) CDCLarue Pulse-Bac 550
2) Ceno Satellite Buffer plate
3) Diamabrush hardwood buffer plate
4) All of my Woodpeckers measuring/layout tools
5) Veritas VX60 block plane w/ pm-v11 blade

These tools listed above were all "game-changers" for how I work.  They're the ones that do their job so well that they bring a smile to my face when I get to use them.

 

[mouppe]

In no particular order...

vacuum pump
lie Nielsen 5 1/2
veritas plough plane
veritas router plane
gramercy bowsaw

 

[wow]

I only HAVE 5 Festool tools (see my signature) so that takes care of the first part.

For the second, it's hard to narrow it to 5 but here goes:
• SuperMax 37x2 HD Drum Sander
• Table Saw
• Drill Press
• Milwaukee M12 Impact Drivers and Drills
• Bessey K-body Clamps

Which Table Saw do you have? Yes, I love my K-Body Besseys, too...along with my Hilti Impact and Hammer Drills.

I have a Laguna/Robland saw that's about 20 years old. I really like it, as it's as much a quality machine as anything from Germany. In fact, it has german motors in it. Runs very smoooooth!

I did not get the standard combination machine, as I didn't want to have to change the setup all that often. Also, I replaced the standard fence with one that I had custom made by Vega for my saw, as the front rail and back rail are over 50" apart. I'll see if I can find a picture that I can post...

 

[Wooden Skye]

Festool in no particular order

1) CXS
2) CT 26
3) TS55
4) OF1400
5) RO90 (but this is a tie with all of the sanders I have)
6) MFT/3 (I know I am cheating)

Non Festool again in no particular order

1) Bosch job site radio
2) Bosch laser distance measure (bought for day job, but found good woodworking uses)
3) Vega pro 40 table saw fence
4) Veritas honing guide
5) ryobi tek4 headphones

 

[jacko9]

Favorite Festool:

Domino
Domino XL
ETS 150/3
RO 90
Trion Jigsaw

Favorite:

Poitras 8" jointer
Powermatic 66 Table Saw
Powermatic 81 Bandsaw
Delta Shaper
Leigh 24" Dovetail jig and my 4 Routers

Jack

 

[chrismorrow]

1. Kapex
2. Centrotec Bit Set
3. T15
4. TS55
5. CT MINI

Honorable mention goes to MFT/3

1. Steel City Granite top table saw
2. Jet 6" Jointer
3. Jet DC
4. Dewalt surface planer
5. Hobart welder

 

[ScotF]

Festool:

1. OF2200 Router
2. Domino XL
3. TS75
4. MFT/3
5. RS2E Sander

Non:

1. Lie-Nielsen Low Angle Jack Plane
2. Laguna 18 inch bandsaw
3. Pfeil Bench Chisels
4. Bridge City Tools DJ-2
5. Hammer A331 J/P

 

[w802h]

TS55
RTS400
Domino 500
Syslite
Ro150

Japanese Hammer
1" Chisel or Anything that needs sharpening (I mean after it has been sharpened!)
Makita Impact w/Compact battery
Bessey Rapid Action 12" Clamp
PLS 5

 

[jaymon5]

domino xl
ets150/3
ro90
kapex
t18

mafell mt55cc tracksaw
woodpecker tools
stilleto TBII15 hammer
ron paulk workbench
delta table saw

 

[Kev]

Urghh ... this'll be hard.

Festool

1. CMS System Complete - all of it ... (all the NAINA kit)
2. CT36
3. KAPEX
4. ETS150 - family
5. Domino - family

Non Festool

1. Protool PDC 18-4
2. Protool SSP 200
3. Protool DSC AGP 230
4. Protool DSC AGP 125
5. Protool PDP 20-4

 

[RJNeal]

You are right Kev, it's hard to pick 5 out of 25 tools.

1. The one I'm currently using .
2 Kapex
3. Domino
4. RO 90
5. OF2200
6. TS 55/75

1 powermatic 66
2 fein mulitmaster
3. Hilti te7c
4 hitachi positive placement nailer
5 boice crane drill press

 

[Slappy]

Festool
1 Domino
2 TS55 REQ

non Festool  no order at all

MiniMax S500P (MM20) Band Saw with self installed  Laguna DriftMaster re-saw fence & Laguna Ceramic guides
MiniMax FS41 Classic Jointer/Planer
Sawstop PCS 3HP Table Saw
all my Woodpecker stuff ( there's a bunch of it )
SuperMax 19/38 drum sander

 

[PaulMarcel]

Festool:

Domino
TS-75
RO-90
CT-22
RAS-115

Non-Festool:

Block plane
Double square
AngleMaster Pro v2
Laguna Italian-made LT-18
SawStop 3 hp PCS

 

[wow]

Laguna Italian-made LT-18

Paul:

That BandSaw would probably be #6 on my list. I love it too, but don't use it as much as the other tools. When I need it though, I smile everytime I use it.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Festool:

1. T15+3 & all Centrotec stuff
2. DTS400
3. RO150
4. CTL Mini
5. CS70

Other:

1. DW613 router
2. Fein MM
3. Elu 125mm grinder
4. Dremel
5. Metabo Jigsaw