What would say would be the best Festool to buy first.

[Shopmaniac]

As some others have suggested, it depends on your needs.  I found the CT22 and saw first and the sander second to fit my needs.  The saws are great for breaking sheet goods down + the saw is variable speed.  I.E. it can be used on aluminum sheets too.  The sander is the same way.  Combined with the dust collector you can't lose!  Good luck!  The choices are really hard, but the money is very well spent... you won't be looking for replacements if you buy.  As a side note, Bob Marino is great to deal with.  This is a shameless plug on my part, he just sent me a second 55" rail, connectors, etc. and got them to me in time for this weekend use.  Buddy, all I can say is, once you buy you won't be able to justify anything less for quality.

 

[Dan Clark]

At a woodworking show in 2006, I watched a Festool rep (I believe his name was Reiner) demonstrate the old Rotex 150 to people.   (See below.) It was connected a CT22, with the fastest speed and in Rotex mode, he would bear down HARD on a piece of wood and say, "See...   NO dust."   And he was right - no dust.   I stood back and watched for a while as he'd repeat this over and over.   Some people looked skeptical, so he'd yank the CT hose off and do it again.  Dust flyin' everywhere.  I loved the look on spectator's faces. 

Dan.

p.s., From a time-in-hand perspective, my favorite tool is my C12.

 

[Michael Kellough]

At a woodworking show in 2006, I watched a Festool rep (I believe his name was Reiner) demonstrate the old Rotex 150 to people.   (See below.) It was connected a CT22, with the fastest speed and in Rotex mode, he would bear down HARD on a piece of wood and say, "See...   NO dust."   And he was right - no dust.   I stood back and watched for a while as he'd repeat this over and over.   Some people looked skeptical, so he'd yank the CT hose off and do it again.  Dust flyin' everywhere.  I loved the look on spectator's faces. 

Dan.

Even with a kinked hose? Look closely at that CT 22.

 

[Dan Clark]

...
Buddy, all I can say is, once you buy you won't be able to justify anything less for quality.

Actually, this is a major issue for many of us.  Although we tend to rave about the quality, after a while it doesn't start feeling that way.  The problem is that you get used to the quality and that becomes normal.    I.e. you start expecting that level of quality as reasonable and right.  Then you go into Lowers or Home Despot.  What you used to think of as "decent quality" is now "absolute junk".    You pick up your Dewalt drill (which still works pretty well) and wonder, "Why is the damn thing making so much grinding noise!"    Yep, your perspective changes!   

Quality is addictive.  It's tough to go back!  ;D

Dan.

 

[Dan Clark]

Even with a kinked hose? Look closely at that CT 22.

Yep, even with the kinked hose.  If you'll look closely, that part of the hose is NOT the smaller hose.  The boom arm comes with a short section of bigger hose.  Also, it's not that kinked.  Below is a blowup.

Dan.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Even with a kinked hose? Look closely at that CT 22.

Yep, even with the kinked hose.   If you'll look closely, that part of the hose is NOT the smaller hose.  The boom arm comes with a short section of bigger hose.   Also, it's not that kinked.   Below is a blowup.

Dan.

Yes, that's a really big hose. Even bent that tightly the air passage is still probably larger than through the normal hose.

 

[mysterium]

Hi Dan, & Michael,

I know this is not "your" kinked hose...

However on my boom arm installed on my CT 22 the large hose didn't want to make quit as tight of a bend as I would have like, thus had a tendency to "kink" like the picture.  I had purchased a "Y" so I could easily by pass the arm to use with my 2nd hose.  I found that by adding the "Y" the large hose more easily made the 180 degree turn.

Hope this helps, jim

 

[mjg]

Considering that your sander is a good first opportunity for replacement I would tend to agree with the Rotex as a first Festool (preferably in a nice package deal with a CT22).  But I would like to point out that my first Festool was the LS130 Linear Sander and it does a special job as well as being as great sander.  If you don't need to sand straight lines (e.g. railings, moldings, etc.) then the typical random orbit approach will serve well.  If you get the LS130 you can do the general sanding but suddenly you can easily do sanding on linear tasks and this is a delightful change.  Just my opinion.
  Enjoy!
Mark

 

[Dan Clark]

...
I had purchased a "Y" so I could easily by pass the arm to use with my 2nd hose.  I found that by adding the "Y" the large hose more easily made the 180 degree turn.
...

Jim,

Hi.  Great info.  I've purchased the "Y", but haven't used it yet.  Thats a great idea about using the hose and another hose.

Thanks,

Dan.

 

[ejfud]

I got my hands on some sanders today at a local seller. Even had the chance to do a little sanding. Very nice and the vac was amazing.

I thought that the Rotex was good, but maybe a bit big. I thought that it really required two hands to control. So I'm leaning towards the ES125 with the CT22 vac.

That is unless you guys change my mind.

Besides the dual mode, why do you think the Rotex is better?

Gary

 

[Dan Clark]

I like the 6" Rotex because of the bigger face and because you can remove the dust collection.  Then it's a VERY nice buffer for your car.

Dan.

 

[Lou Miller]

I got my hands on some sanders today at a local seller. Even had the chance to do a little sanding. Very nice and the vac was amazing.

I thought that the Rotex was good, but maybe a bit big. I thought that it really required two hands to control. So I'm leaning towards the ES125 with the CT22 vac.

That is unless you guys change my mind.

Besides the dual mode, why do you think the Rotex is better?

Gary

Unless I have a need for more aggressive sanding, I don't think the Rotex is even close to being better. For normal sanding, I use the ETS 150/3. The Rotex is a little big and can be awkward. Definitely overkill for sanding most of the projects I work on. The ETS 150/3 fits very nicely in my hand and its not at all hard to control. I use my Rotex more like you would use a belt sander. You use a Rotex for 8 hours straight and you'll feel it in your hands and arms. With either of the ETS sanders, you can sand all day and you won't feel a thing in your hands and arms. I'm glad I have a Rotex and wouldn't give it up, but I think its far from the best sander Festool offers. It is the most versatile though.

I'm not a big fan of the 5" sanders (any brand) either. Stepping up to the 6" is a much better way to go, IMO.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Besides the dual mode, why do you think the Rotex is better?

Gary

Think of the other things a Rotex can do.  Like making polishing and waxing a car a quick job, hogging down a rough sawn board or sculpting a board into a windsor chair seat if you don't have other tools and skills to do it.  I own Festool's RO 125, DX 93 and LS 130 sanders, Bosch 4 x 24 and Vario belt sanders and a 1/4 orbital sander, and a Milwaukee 1/2 sheet orbital sander.  The RO 125 is gets used more than the rest combined.  This will probably change once I switch from refinishing old work and begin making projects with new wood, but I expect the RO 125 to continue to be the main unit.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

If you work with sheet goods, the TS55 will change your life - and save your back.  The saw and vac were my first purchases.  Followed by the Rotex, then the 150-3.  That takes care of most of the dust I generate.  Got the MFT for Christmas.  Router is probably next, but it all depends on what you do.

 

[tongaroo]

I'd say that any tool makes an ideal first tool...if you mate it with any of the three Festool dust collectors. Dust collection on my Rotex 150 is phenomenal, and the TS 75 just gives a little "puff" of dust at the end of my cuts. I'd been eyeing Festool stuff for a few months, but the dust collection on the sander was what did it for me. You wouldn't know you were making sawdust at all, if that paper bag didn't fill every few weeks!

Once I bought my first Festool, the rate of acquisition has increased exponentially. They should just offer a package that includes every single tool in a systainer the size of a refrigerator. It would've saved me a bunch of money and time drooling over my Festool catalog.

David

 

[ejfud]

Thanks everyone.

My first purchase will be a CT22 and a sander. Either the 125 or 150, just need to make up my mind.

Bob, I'll be calling soon.

Gary

 

[Mark]

I've got an older 150 and a ES125... would have preferred having 1 size of expendables rather than having 6 and 5 inch of the same grits. The 150 was just too big and heavy for certain things and the ES125 is a great sander. In retrospect, another combo would have been the 150 and DS400 for detail work and getting into corners.

 

[Brian 57]

TS 55 with dust collection. I've used mine for everything from processing sheet goods (where it gives a very-close-to-final-finish cut), through to trimming the bottom of a 2" thick garden gate in english oak, to effectively "milling" small parts in MDF.

 

[henry1224]

lets see how I got hooked

1st purchase was the TS75 and MFT1080 package

2nd purchase was the Domino package

3rd purchase was the RO150 feq and CT22 package

4th purchase was the OF2000 E and MFS700

5th purchase was the OF1400

6th purchase was the C12

7th purchase was the TS55 with a 75" guide rail

8th purchase was the Trion Jigsaw

9th purchase was the VS600

 

[John Langevin]

If someone simply wanted to sample the Festool experience and did not identify a specific need then I would suggest either Basic MFT with some clamping elements because they work with any makers' tools and serve to demonstrate Festool engineering, quality, and versatility.