What Festool Did You buy Today?

[Cheese]

I grabbed a cordless TS 55 today off of Recon.

Two minutes later, I went back to take another peek, and it was gone, replaced by a Rotex.

Been wanting one for a while. Felt lucky to have gotten it right before it was pulled.

I'll be using a hose but look forward to not having the cord or cord straps snagging.

You'll enjoy the TSC 55 and while I prefer the thin kerf TSC 55 K, even the thick kerf TSC 55 R is a lot more enjoyable to use than the corded TS 55.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I grabbed a cordless TS 55 today off of Recon.

Two minutes later, I went back to take another peek, and it was gone, replaced by a Rotex.

Been wanting one for a while. Felt lucky to have gotten it right before it was pulled.

I'll be using a hose but look forward to not having the cord or cord straps snagging.

Nice score! I'm desperate to get a TSC55 sometime soon myself!

 

[ReneS]

Thanks guys!

And I should have been more precise... it is a K with the 5 AH batteries.

 

[onocoffee]

A Holly Jolly Christmas to you all!

After @Cheese encouragement, I was able to locate a DX 93 E up in Connecticut and one of my old friends was willing to be my emissary and pick it up on his way back for the holidays. The case is a little dinged but it's in good and clean condition overall. Gave it a brief run once I got it home but those old oval ports are quite irritating (though I don't know which is more irritating: the port or the classic Systainer) - and the port adapter I printed for the RS2E does not fit on the DX93, so there's that.

Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season and Thank You for your generosity and grace in answering my most basic and rudimentary questions about woodworking!

 

[Cheese]

Congrats...the DX 93 is a real gem. It totally replaced my Fein sander which had been my go-to for those small difficult areas.

Make your life easier by relegating those classic Systainers to mundane tasks like housing plumbing supplies...electrical supplies or whatever. Stuff that's only opened up maybe 4-5 times a year. The DX 93 deserves a modern Systainer and the original Systainer insert can be modified to fit in the new style Systainers.

As far as that pesky oval port problem goes, keep your sharp eyes focused on finding the now obsolete 56756 hose end connector. I'm sure there's still some NOS items floating around. It's not easy to attach the older hose end connector to the oval port, but it's 10x better than fighting with the current 500668 item. Here's some photos for easy identification.

 

[Coen]

keep your sharp eyes focused on finding the now obsolete 56756 hose end connector

It's however the type of material that will age regardless of use.

But yes; it's better in so many aspects as the current bayonet type.

 

[GordonR]

Cxs 18v

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Gordon, I got the bare/basic impact driver from "Santa Claus" and it was a similar deal as your purchase...pretty much "buy a Systainer and get a nearly free tool".

 

[onocoffee]

With the impending price increases to hit Friday and my actual need to bore dog holes in my new outdoor workbench, I finally picked up the MB-40 today and have the 3D printed accessories printing right now (it's going to take about 36 hours).

 

[ReneS]

Onocoffee... how's it look? Nice and sturdy?

 

[onocoffee]

Onocoffee... how's it look? Nice and sturdy?

It's... pretty good.

If that sounds hesitant, that's because I'm not sure yet how I evaluate it. My only comparison is a Milescraft Drilling Jig that I got from Woodcraft back in 2024 when I was boring holes in my workbench. I used that to bore 86 dog holes in 1.5" plywood with the CXS12 and a Fisch 20mm Forstner bit. That did the job.

The MB-40 seems more stable but I find it a bit wobbly - though I only used it solo. I did not use the accompanying rails and guide. That said, the 20mm dog holes (that are 19mm deep) look straight and vertical, so that's a positive. On board dust collection is great - though there were a few times when the chips got a little larger and clogged the port.

A couple months ago, when I knew I was going to get the MB-40, I went out and got the T-18+3 since the only Fast Fix drills I had were the CXS 12 and an older TXS 2,6. I used that today to bore the holes with a 1/2" chuck and a Fisch 20mm Brad Point bit with 1/2" shank. The worktop is made of cherry, maple and walnut but I thought the bit would bite a lot quicker, so the bores took a bit longer and were more difficult than I had anticipated. I got into a routine of starting the bore in 2nd gear and at full blast until the bit started cutting. Then, once it seized, backed it off, switched to first gear and continued the cut. It would seize depending on how quickly it was biting and if I had more pressure on the drill.

What I was concerned about was racking. The Milescraft racks a little, which meant that some of the holes in the main workbench are slightly skewed. Even in the moments when I felt like I was pushing down unevenly on the drill, the MB-40 seems to have maintained verticality. So, in this case, it's quite sturdy - and at no time did I ever feel that it was janky. The Milescraft can have a bit of that janky-ness but it cost me $42. Comparable drill guides from Rockler and Woodpeckers are considerably more, and I believe the Woodpeckers is more than the MB-40. I do think the MB-40 has greater versatility, with the exception of the lack of doing angled bores.

I need to use it more to really get a feel for it - as well as read the instruction manual thoroughly. I glanced through it and it seems there's a bit of functionality that I don't know yet. I like the LR-32 compatibility.

One thing that did really irritate me is that, sometimes, the drill would detach from the MB-40 after the bore. Perhaps it's the way I was holding it or moving it, but the locking collar would unlock and as I would lighten my pressure, the drill would come off the MB-40. It's not difficult to reattach but it is annoying and started making me concerned about letting go of the drill after the cut.

Here's a pic of the results. I jigsawed the slots but everything is still rough cut in the pic.

Oh, and in case anyone is curious: I plotted the grid by hand with a pencil and ruler.

 

[ReneS]

Thanks! That is very interesting.

 

[onocoffee]

Nothing heavy duty today, just met up with a cabinet maker unloading more Systainers. Actually, it was the same cabinetmaker I bought some Systainers from back in March. I cleared him out of T-Locs and SYS3s - he still has quite a bit of Classic Systainers left, if anyone is interested.

Got the SYS3 M187s for $30 each (his asking price, which I thought is quite reasonable) and offered $20 each for the three T-Locs.

 

[onocoffee]

And here's something I finished last week. I saw it on the web and thought it would be fun. It's 5x30 Pez Dispenser. Printed on my Black Friday Special Bambu Labs P1S - which is a really great and easy to use printer. It holds about 14 Dominos and works like a Pez dispenser. Tilt the M437 back and the Domino comes out. Don't know if I'll ever really use it, but it's fun!

 

[zormzz]

Recently, I learned that I could order EKAT parts from my local dealer. Turns out the prices are the same as if I bought it from EKAT and I presume that my dealer makes a little margin, so I'm happy to order parts that way.

But when I asked him to get me base rings for the OF 2200 (so I could have a ready and easy way to mount the router on the flattening sled plate), he ran the number and Festool told him they were not available. I don't know if that is something they were discontinuing or if they were just out of stock.

Undaunted, I decided to call Customer Service and ask them about the rings and when I might be able to get them. The rep was kind enough to find out they had one left and sent it to me. Thanks Festool!

Do you happen to have the part number handy still? I am trying to find one of these too.

 

[anthonymall]

It's... pretty good.

If that sounds hesitant, that's because I'm not sure yet how I evaluate it. My only comparison is a Milescraft Drilling Jig that I got from Woodcraft back in 2024 when I was boring holes in my workbench. I used that to bore 86 dog holes in 1.5" plywood with the CXS12 and a Fisch 20mm Forstner bit. That did the job.

The MB-40 seems more stable but I find it a bit wobbly - though I only used it solo. I did not use the accompanying rails and guide. That said, the 20mm dog holes (that are 19mm deep) look straight and vertical, so that's a positive. On board dust collection is great - though there were a few times when the chips got a little larger and clogged the port.

A couple months ago, when I knew I was going to get the MB-40, I went out and got the T-18+3 since the only Fast Fix drills I had were the CXS 12 and an older TXS 2,6. I used that today to bore the holes with a 1/2" chuck and a Fisch 20mm Brad Point bit with 1/2" shank. The worktop is made of cherry, maple and walnut but I thought the bit would bite a lot quicker, so the bores took a bit longer and were more difficult than I had anticipated. I got into a routine of starting the bore in 2nd gear and at full blast until the bit started cutting. Then, once it seized, backed it off, switched to first gear and continued the cut. It would seize depending on how quickly it was biting and if I had more pressure on the drill.

What I was concerned about was racking. The Milescraft racks a little, which meant that some of the holes in the main workbench are slightly skewed. Even in the moments when I felt like I was pushing down unevenly on the drill, the MB-40 seems to have maintained verticality. So, in this case, it's quite sturdy - and at no time did I ever feel that it was janky. The Milescraft can have a bit of that janky-ness but it cost me $42. Comparable drill guides from Rockler and Woodpeckers are considerably more, and I believe the Woodpeckers is more than the MB-40. I do think the MB-40 has greater versatility, with the exception of the lack of doing angled bores.

I need to use it more to really get a feel for it - as well as read the instruction manual thoroughly. I glanced through it and it seems there's a bit of functionality that I don't know yet. I like the LR-32 compatibility.

One thing that did really irritate me is that, sometimes, the drill would detach from the MB-40 after the bore. Perhaps it's the way I was holding it or moving it, but the locking collar would unlock and as I would lighten my pressure, the drill would come off the MB-40. It's not difficult to reattach but it is annoying and started making me concerned about letting go of the drill after the cut.

Here's a pic of the results. I jigsawed the slots but everything is still rough cut in the pic.

Oh, and in case anyone is curious: I plotted the grid by hand with a pencil and ruler.

@onocoffee the reason the bit is falling out and the drill is coming loose is bc of the way you set it up. I had the same problem initially. You must secure the drill first without a bit and hold the collar from below and tighten from above. Then you put your centrotec chuck on below, then the bit in. It’s much better using a Jacob’s chuck. It’s a 4 step process. Then another 50 steps to do all the other stuff

 

[onocoffee]

@onocoffee the reason the bit is falling out and the drill is coming loose is bc of the way you set it up. I had the same problem initially. You must secure the drill first without a bit and hold the collar from below and tighten from above. Then you put your centrotec chuck on below, then the bit in. It’s much better using a Jacob’s chuck. It’s a 4 step process. Then another 50 steps to do all the other stuff

I should probably clarify a little. The issue wasn't that the chuck was coming out. I was using the 1/2" chuck and that remained secure. It was the T18 that was coming undone from the collar. I'll have to work with it more.

But I did print out those accessories from Printables. Have you used them yet?

 

[ReneS]

You'll enjoy the TSC 55 and while I prefer the thin kerf TSC 55 K, even the thick kerf TSC 55 R is a lot more enjoyable to use than the corded TS 55.

You were right. I am liking the saw a lot. Not having a cord makes it much easier to use on the MFT/3. I know some people here think having a hose attached to the saw makes the lack of a cord pointless, but that wasn't my experience at all.

And today, I broke down some plywood and used the dust bag. It did a very good job of capturing the dust.

Funny thing...the saw feels smoother and quieter than my TS 55 (the thin kerf one, which I bought in 2025).

 

[Michael Kellough]

I enjoy the freedom of using a cordless saw with just a dust bag outdoors, where I can follow up with one of those little insanely high speed blowers, but indoors I still want to be connected to a good vac.

 

[onocoffee]

for awhile now I’ve been curious about the older Rotex sanders and wondering just how they compare to the current model. Because of this, I’ve kept my eye open for a used one at a great price. Finally, that was today.

Seller was originally asking $350, which I do think is a bit much for this sander, and just kept watching it. Then, he dropped the ask price to $275. Reached out to him a couple weeks ago and made an offer and we discussed a number of reasons why I was going to stick with my offer(age, wear, generation, etc) and told him I would not be hurt if he declined my offer. We ended up agreeing but then he seemed to flake out on the day we were supposed to meet (which is about an hour from me). No worries, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Then yesterday, I noticed his posting was still up and since I had to be in the area today, I reached out to him to see if he’d be infested still. Some apologies for the last time but he was willing to agree and we met up a few minutes ago.

Kinda excited to get it hit back to the shop, clean it up a bit and try it out!