Which Festool changed your way of doing things the most?

[peter halle]

We pride ourselves here at the Fog for providing guidance to all visitors in regards to tool purchases and usage.  Although our Forum is searchable, some of the the key questions that visitors and members alike have is "What is the fuss about?  Why are they so different?  Why should I spend that amount of money for a tool?  Do they really make a difference.

I searched and didn't find a thread (or poll) devoted to this, so I thought that I would put it out there.

You may vote twice - in case you are uncertain.  You may change your vote.  The poll will be open for 16 days - thru Christmas Eve.  

Please vote in the poll.  That will be a summary.  BUT the real information will be your description that I hope that you will post why you voted the way you did.  I thought that this could encourage discussion and provide information to those who are interested but unsure.

Thanks for helping out!

Peter

 

[johnsonri]

For me, hands down, the MFT itself changed the way that I do things around my shop. The MFT is 'the glue of the system' that holds everything together in my shop. From layouts to glue-ups to infeed/outfeed tables, the MFT plays an integral part.

The TS55 comes in a close second, but without the MFT, I would not have the TS55. I can't say the same about the reverse. I could conceivably own the MFT without the TS55...wouldn't want to, but could.

In my shop, the system begins and ends with the MFT!

Regards
Rey

 

[sw1211]

No Domino in the poll?

 

[Frank Pellow]

I'm glad that you let us choose two, because I would have had a very difficult time choosing only one.

My Festool circular saw  made it much much easier to cut sheet goods.  Of course it is the saw coupled with the guide rail that I am talking about, so maybe I am cheating and giving three answers. My guided circular saw may even have saved my marriage  ;D because my wife and I no longer get into the arguments we used to have when we tried to wrestle sheet goods through a table saw.

With my my Festool Rotex sander, I now look forward to sanding.  Many years ago, I tried to refinish my cabin using the combination of a Makita belt sander and a Makita palm sander.  I worked very hard at this job for a long time and it was a dismal failure.  Then, about 4 years ago, I tackled the same job with three Festool sanders and, this time, it was a big success.  See the thread: http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/restoring-the-exterior-of-a-cedar-cabin-using-three-festool-sanders/

 

[harry_]

I purchased a TS75 with a pair of 1400? rails and a CT33 two years ago. Since then the only time my table saw sees sheet goods are after they have been well broken down. I do not use the table over the TS75 for accuracy or quality of cut. I do so strictly for convenience, the table may happen to be closer or the parts smaller. (Keep in mind I do not have an MFT).

Not long after, I purchased a few more various systainers. This really changed my reality. Professionally 99% of my work is away from my home shop and the tools are shared. I do not have the luxury of 'home tools' and 'away tools'. As a result of the systainers, (and a few weekend projects) virtually every tool has a home. A place that belongs to it exclusively. I can go from the middle of a weekend project to packed and loaded in the truck for work in under 30 minutes,.... more like under 15.

Over the years I have seen too many a tool get beat up for not being in a case. Having a different type, shape style case is a huge nuisance on a capped pickup. Worse in my case, as I have a roll-out bed. Loose cases would fall out of the rollout tray and jam things up. Then I would have to unload the 1/2 the truck (which may not have been necessary for the job I was on) so I could climb inside to retrieve the wayward case. Having most all my air/power tools in a various systainers, all locked in together as a stack has prevented this  AND increased my tool carrying capacity. Not to mention it looks more professional on a job site.

I do not want to suggest that quality dust collection in unimportant (to me) because I did not give it a vote. A significant portion of my work comes from new construction,.. where I don't vac, I sweep. That which is not new construction, CSMS & table saws are set up outside. In fact, most 'heavy tooling' is performed outside. The CT loses to both of these tools. Both sit on drop cloths during remodel work (for what that process is worth, because of wind), at the very least it looks like I care (I DO). The CT33 will go inside with me and be used for dust collection with my sanders or whatnot, and be used as a shopvac at the end of the day to clean the floors.

In my home shop the CT33 is used quite extensively, or as much as I can. The routers that I use most often do not accept dust collection and/or I do not have the attachments. The table saw when used indoors (I really don't have the space for it), gets connected to my 2HP DCS.

Festool will change the way you work,.... count on it. The how is decided by what tools you buy and what you do with them. Every story is a little different

 

[peter halle]

Steve,

I messed up.  It has been corrected.

Now you can vote and tell a story.

Peter

 

[Frank Pellow]

I purchased a TS75 with a pair of 1400? rails and a CT33 two years ago
. ..

Hey Harry, you are supposed to confine the discussion to two tools  [poke] (even though I cheated a bit :-[).  Which two did you vote for?

 

[Rick Christopherson]

The organization is what has changed my shop the most. My shop has been so disorganized that for years it was hardly even usable. Good tool are very little good when you can't find them. I gutted the workshop earlier this year to lay down some floor tile, and I am just now starting to get it put back together. It was so bad that I didn't even know where to start, so I never started.  [tongue] It finally started to turn around when I brought home two more Sysports from Indiana. I can now keep all of my Festools in one place, and even find the accessories when I need them. I still have a ton of work to do, but at least this is a start.

 

[Frank Pellow]

WOW Rick, you have a MAJOR investment in Festool storage, let alone your investment in tools.  Your wall of Festool stuff will, no doubt, be the envy of most of us.

 

[harry_]

I purchased a TS75 with a pair of 1400? rails and a CT33 two years ago
. ..

Hey Harry, you are supposed to confine the discussion to two tools  [poke] (even though I cheated a bit :-[).  Which two did you vote for?

TS75 & systainers....... (even though systainers are not actually made by Festool)

 

[Dan Clark]

It's the MFT and TS55 for me.  That said, I could easily have voted Dust Collectors or Drills too.   The MFT and Dust Collectors are the core of the system.  OTOH, the TS55 allows me to do things I couldn't do otherwise.   Likewise the quick-disconnect drill chucks.  For me, the MFT is the core...

I've been working on a Kapex table-top for my SawHelper stand.   Breaking down 1/2 sheet of baltic birch, jigsawing the corners, sanding the edges - all on the MFT.  Next up is routing a roundover on the edge, gluing and pinning the wing supports, drilling/routing the Kapex feet-holes, and drilling the mounting holes.  

Regards,

Dan.

 

[jeffinsgf]

All of them are advanced above anything else on the market, but I chose to place only one vote and to place it for the plunge saw.  My ATF-65 is perhaps one of the best tool purchases I've ever made in over 30 years of tool use as both a professional and hobbyist.  I love my MFT-1080, but honestly, most of what I do on it could be done on a shop built table with a plunge saw and a guide rail. The plunge saw drug me into the abyss.  The table, vac, router, jig saw, and driver drill have kept me happily sliding down the slope.

But I feel better when I look at Rick's shop.  [eek]

 

[Peter Hamilton-Scott]

MFT/3 and TS55 is the backbone of Festool. It is for me.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I voted for the systainers.

I have some sanders, a vac and a drill from Festool, but they didn't really change my way of working, only make it a bit more comfortable.

The thing that really changed something for me was the organisation of tools and the way I had to transport them. Systainers made it a whole different ballgame. Tremendous improvement. The fact that they are plain square and stackable is such a pro over all other storage solutions.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

That was one hard poll
I could have voted for most of the choices in good conscience.
I voted for the saw and vac, since they were my first purchases.
Its really the system, though.  That all the tools are designed around dust control.  I used to jury rig a shop vac to my DeWally sander, but it was awkward and ineffective.  With Festool it works perfectly and stays out of the way.  These days it just seems irresponsible to work with tools that don't have effective dust control.

Might be a good idea to add the Domino.  I wouldn't have chosen it personally, but I know some people who would.

 

[Neill]

Peter,

I have to say that my TS55 in concert with the guide rail has changed the way I do things more than any other tool I have.  It is the tool that has come closest to truly replacing another tool, that being my table saw.

My tablesaw was always my "go to" in nearly every project, I now use my TS55 most of the time.  I would not get rid of the tablesaw but had I had the TS55 first I might never have gotten the tablesaw to begin with.

Neill

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Well, my Kapex has probably saved me about 15-20 hours of wasted work time in the last 2 months I have had it.
Take the saw to the work, not the work all the way up the stairs, through the kitchen, wiggle out the door and around to the side of the house.

On a side note, I think I am not getting all the leg exercise that I used to get when I still had my bosch.

Syatainers are a huge time saver, huge.

 

[Bob Marino]

Peter,

As others have mentioned, this is a real tough call. I voted for the TS 55 AND CT. It could just as easily have been the MFT or the sanders, particularly the Rotex 150. The TS 55  made sawing  way safer and cleaner and usually much faster. It allowed me to lose my tablesaw without more than a tad of regret and freed up lots of room in my shop - where space is at a premium.
The CT is such a universal part of working, an extension of the tools themselves, that the only time I give it a thought is if I  ever don't use it and realize the mess  that I just created.

Bob

 

[EcoFurniture]

Ts55, MFT/3 and the systainers are on the top of my list. The systainers/ sortainers make it very easy to keep tools organized (in the shop and the job site) over are the times where every time you have to run out you have to piece your install kit together! A HUGE time saver.

Of course the ct's keep the shop and job site clean!

Love everything!

 

[Frank Pellow]

Ts55, MFT/3 and the systainers are on the top of my list. The systainers/ sortainers make it very easy to keep tools organized (in the shop and the job site) over are the times where every time you have to run out you have to piece your install kit together! A HUGE time saver.

Of course the ct's keep the shop and job site clean!

Love everything!

That's three items at the top of your list.  Which two did you choose?