What do we do with all our Festools when we die?

[bwehman]

Long road trip with the wife this weekend and conversation started to wander down the path of working through different life scenarios. One of them that came up was "If you die, what do I do with all your Festool stuff?"

Hadn't thought about it too much. I told her to come here, make a post with all the tools and ask for help valuing them. And then sell everything other than the CXS, figuring it could come in handy for house tasks.

 

[onocoffee]

Perhaps in the interest of not heralding your early demise: use caution when informing your wife the cost of Festool...!

 

[Duckler]

With respect to the opening title:
I am hopeful that my son wants them.
Somedays I am hopeful that I live long enough for his sons to want them.

 

[ChuckS]

I plan to start selling my tools gradually, and by the time I die or long before it, I shouldn't have any expensive tools left as estate. It is our responsibility as woodworkers not to leave tool selling as a last burden for our surviving families!

Be a good woodworker -- alive and when dead.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I'm doing the same as Chuck. I've actually started selling off or giving away a lot of double ups of stuff I rarely use, and once I've built the last shed the cement mixer and Kanga hammer goes. I want to dramatically declutter where I can and hopefully raise a bit of cash towards retirement.

Although my young bloke's not really interested in my tools, I'm really hoping that will be something that changes as he gets older and starts to appreciate good tools, I don't think I'll hold my breath though.

The one aspect that's good being a hoarder like myself is that a lot of the kind of stuff I've accumulated has shot up in value. The books however will take a huge hit, as that's a bit of a niche market now sadly. Not a lot of people buying 300 year old books on Greek mythology.

 

[Cheese]

The books however will take a huge hit, as that's a bit of a niche market now sadly. Not a lot of people buying 300 year old books on Greek mythology.

Unless of course you're Greek and a personal friend of Scylla & Charybdis.

 

[MacBoy]

I’m fortunate to have a son who is also a hobby woodworker.

He already knows the Festool is flowing down to him. And he understands the value aspects.

Recently she realized the price of Festool items. She asked me “can you write down the price of each one on blue tape?”

I’m tempted to ask her “Honey, for what situation ”

 

[luvmytoolz]

I have 4 Festool dusties of varying vintages and so far no broken bits luckily. Kind of makes me wonder though when the formula changed as my ~45 year old SR5E extractor (similar one shown) is so tough, I actually removed the handle on top and bolted a sheet of MDF to it so I could stack boxes on top. Not light boxes either!

 

[luvmytoolz]

Unless of course you're Greek and a personal friend of Scylla & Charybdis.

Yeah, I'm between a rock and a hard place! ;-)

 

[jeffinsgf]

Years ago, a customer at a woodworking show told me his greatest fear was that his wife would sell all his tools for what he had told her they cost.

 

[kevinculle]

No kids here, but of the 11 nephews and nieces, one has demonstrated very commendable skills at woodworking/construction. He already got my Hitachi sliding miter saw when I upgraded to a Kapex about a decade ago. So, when the day arrives that either I am no longer motivated to descend the stairs to the basement shop or I am no longer here, the tools will be trucked down to Georgia for his benefit.

 

[hdv]

I have a paragraph in my testament that all my tools are to be donated to the local vocational school. Sadly, my goddaughter has no interest in them.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Great idea. Wish there was a vocational school around here to donate them to.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Regardless of what people's intentions are with what they expect will happen when they pass, I can't emphasise enough to spell it out clearly in a will or letter to avoid any issues with family members when that day comes.

It's quite surprising how people can react if they think there's a payday in it.

I'm actually making a fully itemised list of all the things I'm keeping that I want to pass on, and who they're going to so there won't be any drama as a result.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Perhaps in the interest of not heralding your early demise: use caution when informing your wife the cost of Festool...!

Yeah, they call that a "perverse incentive"

 

[djcook50]

Long road trip with the wife this weekend and conversation started to wander down the path of working through different life scenarios. One of them that came up was "If you die, what do I do with all your Festool stuff?"

Hadn't thought about it too much. I told her to come here, make a post with all the tools and ask for help valuing them. And then sell everything other than the CXS, figuring it could come in handy for house tasks.

Thanks for your thoughtful musings on this subject. As an older guy, 75, I had a serious health issue occur last year that brought this subject into laser focus on what to do with one’s stuff. Not so much the valuation of stuff, but the clearing out of one’s tools, etc. by the surviving spouse/estate. And not leaving a shop mess of tools and junk to clean out. We both went through the massive ordeals of cleaning each parents’ estates…what a job!

I’m at a point of having built most of the larger furniture and items that we want in our house, or for others. Severe arthritis has set in and it makes it a challenge to handle large boards, etc. so no more major projects. It’s time. But I still want to do smaller projects and keep being creative.

So this fall I decided to sell the big items: 18” bandsaw, jointer, SawStop and dust collector, which are finally done and it was work. My wife won’t be burdened with having to sell large pieces of equipment and get them moved out. Everything else should be manageable. So I “downsized” to a 10” bench top bandsaw (Laguna) and the Festool CSC SYS 50 table saw. I’ve still got a shop full of smaller tools and stuff, but it would be easier for my wife to sell or give away should I precede her. And I’ve promised to keep thinning out unnecessary/unused tools (anyone interested in Festool OF 1010 router?) and pare things down. I’m hoping family members might be interested but who knows.

It’s a bit cathartic to go through this process. I’m curious if others have gone through this thought process and taken action.

Thanks for listening.

 

[tjbnwi]

My son and son in law will work it out. Having the shop, I own at least two of just about everything Festool sells in North America.

Today I was edge banding circles with the Conturo that is not in the table. Can’t do circles in the Holzher edge bander.

Tom

 

[ChuckS]

I have a paragraph in my testament that all my tools are to be donated to the local vocational school. Sadly, my goddaughter has no interest in them.

Is there more than one such school at your location? If not, what happens if the school no longer exists before you?

Thanks for your thoughtful musings on this subject. As an older guy, 75, I had a serious health issue occur last year that brought this subject into laser focus on what to do with one’s stuff. Not so much the valuation of stuff, but the clearing out of one’s tools, etc. by the surviving spouse/estate. And not leaving a shop mess of tools and junk to clean out. We both went through the massive ordeals of cleaning each parents’ estates…what a job!

I’m at a point of having built most of the larger furniture and items that we want in our house, or for others. Severe arthritis has set in and it makes it a challenge to handle large boards, etc. so no more major projects. It’s time. But I still want to do smaller projects and keep being creative.

So this fall I decided to sell the big items: 18” bandsaw, jointer, SawStop and dust collector, which are finally done and it was work. My wife won’t be burdened with having to sell large pieces of equipment and get them moved out. Everything else should be manageable. So I “downsized” to a 10” bench top bandsaw (Laguna) and the Festool CSC SYS 50 table saw. I’ve still got a shop full of smaller tools and stuff, but it would be easier for my wife to sell or give away should I precede her. And I’ve promised to keep thinning out unnecessary/unused tools (anyone interested in Festool OF 1010 router?) and pare things down. I’m hoping family members might be interested but who knows.

It’s a bit cathartic to go through this process. I’m curious if others have gone through this thought process and taken action.

Thanks for listening.

I don't keep duplicate machines (cordless drills and hand tools, yes). After I got my DF500, I sold the benchtop mortiser and biscuit joiner. I sold my jointer after I learned how to use a thickness planer to its job. So, in a way, I've started disposing of tools a decade ago.

Starting next spring, I'll sell all my handplanes except a few, such as the low angle jack. They're Veritas stuff and I will be asking for 50% of their retail prices. If they are still not selling, 60% off. Money isn't the issue, landing them in the right hands is.

The SawStop PCS, Kapex, DF, routers, and bandsaw will be the last to go (probably in 10 years or so).

Unless I pass unexpectedly, all my main woodworking tools will go and the shop will be returned to my family in its original condition -- as a double garage.