DIYbanter - View Single Post - Flesh Sensing Kapex, Track Saws, Domino ??

Leon[_7_]

On 7/14/2017 3:36 PM, wrote:
On Friday, July 14, 2017 at 9:22:24 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:

Anyone that uses their
tools quite a bit for years on end, not just on weekends, or for those
in the trades, can afford Festool.In the long run their tools save
countless hours of labor and they last.

Hmmm... I would respectfully beg to differ. Some of my employees and even a couple of subs are lifetime tradesmen. Seems they all have at least a few kids, and with differing ages it is cheaper for the wife not to work, but to mind the house front and keep from paying exorbitant child care for 2, 3 (or even more) kids. Every week is a struggle. Add in normal kids' cost, family illness, rain/weather days, and on and on... they don't have the money.

Ahhh yes, you are correct and I was painting a bit too much with a broad
brush. Anyone pretty much means Everyone. And that was not what I
actually meant to day.

Example: Festool hammerdrill/driver with batteries, and the impact driver tool only is $525 + $300 + tax, and you are at nearly $900. That is a ton of money for a lot of folks, regardless of how much the long term returns might be. It is important too, that one remembers that Festool is only confident enough to offer a 3 year warranty on their products. I remember many years ago when one of the guys I knew that worked at Woodcraft told me how much "out of warranty work" cost. It was scary.

And... as we say, sometimes, $10 is $10, right?

Example: As you know, I just bought the Ridgid equivalent of the above mentioned set. $178 + tax, and a LIFETIME warranty. Buy once, cry once, etc. No whining about Ridgid standing behind their warranty as I have followed their instructions implicitly and they have stood by their warranty without squabble. The Festool has batteries that should be longer lasting, but they really add a LOT the tool weight and it does come with a Systainer instead of the crappy nylon bag. Some guys like the soft cases as they are more easily packed into totes for transport (that includes me) as they have give to them making it easier to pack, but the Ridgid bags just plain suck. One big gold star to Festool for a usable tool case.

(So I bought an excellent Husky bag at Father's Day on closeout for $16 I really like, so back in business. The drill/driver bag now holds my Bosch 5" sander, a 4" finish sander, and a pile of sandpaper for both. Not a total loss, but still a POS.)

As far as affordability, from time to time I buy tools for my guys and let them pay me back over time. Got to be my "all star guys" or I don't. Miss a couple of days of work due to rain, the kids are sick from something going around school and have to go to the doctor, and you get your truck fixed... and you are broke. So if they actually own and use their own tools, I will put a drill, saw, impact, or something like that on a tab and let them pay me back. Sometimes, as I remember well, you just don't have the money.

all true.

I have noticed that most that criticize Festool and other upper end
tools are ignorant of the features and quality of the tools and have no
real hands on experience.

It's that way with just about anything new. I have a first generation Milwaukee circular saw that had RED plastic parts with unpolished aluminum castings. Boy was it red... in a world of polished aluminum (Porter Cable, etc.), and black plastic with polished aluminum (Millers Falls, etc.) it really stood out. It also stood out years later when it was still running, and decades after that after it had been rebuilt (bearings/triggers/brushes) a few times. It still runs, but it isn't strong. At 40 plus years, it has earned a rest.

I still remember how much fun the boys made out of that saw, "Hey Robert, go get your Fisher Price saw and cut up the studs" and "I didn't know Mattel was in the tool business! What a POS!".

As someone that literally uses his tools to make a living and buys specific tools for specific purposes, I can say that most folks never use their tools to their potential, and some never learn how to use them correctly. That's fine; it;s like a guy that owns a Corvette that will go 180 mph... how often does he do it?

My first Festool tools were the Domino and the Festool vac. I was very
impressed with the quality and consistent results that I got with the
tool. FWIW I am well into my 3rd replacement box of 5mm Domino tenons,
1,800 tenons per box, along with the original 600. I am still using
the same 5mm bit that came with the Domino, about 10,000 mortises just
for that sized bit. And I do have an extra 5mm bit that is about 10
years old and has never been used.

Anyway I have added a Festool track saw, drill, 3 sanders and thier
work bench. I have passed on their routers, Kapex, and jig saw so far.

I was glad you added other tools to clarify the nature of your Domino tool, though. I thought it was a second son... "Well, I was out in the shop the other day with Domino and we got a lot done!" and "I took the Domino (kind of like saying "the boy") to work with Karl and me the other day" and it worked out great. Then "I have come up with some new joinery with the Domino and it really speeds things up; I can't imagine doing this without my Domino!" and comments like that. I thought Brian had a kid brother!

Just kidding... just messing around... the day is almost over here.
The boys are putting in the last of the plumbing on a kitchen remodel and I will get a nice draw and go smoke a cigar.

But you know, I told guys for years that my DeWalt 713 I had was the son I never had... no kidding!

Robert

;~)