Thread: Buying Domino in USA

They offer a good service but I think you pay a premium for it. Last time I checked they were a lot more expensive than buying online and shipping through myus.com. The latter will also buy directly for you for a flat $10 fee if the US merchant only takes funds sourced from the USA.

Still, it is a solution for some. A bit like certain expensive electronic products through WWW.pricejapan.com who have been operating for years.

Given that the price of Festool products is almost exactly half in the USA as it is in oz (how do they get away with that?) I reckon it has to be worthwhile importing.

Personally I couldn't be bothered with a stepdown transformer, but i am very keen to buy accessories from the USA. I emailed one online Festool seller in the USA but he said he isn't allowed to ship outside the USA. So much for the free market. Has anyone found a festool dealer who will ship to oz from the USA?

Originally Posted by jack620

Given that the price of Festool products is almost exactly half in the USA as it is in oz (how do they get away with that?) I reckon it has to be worthwhile importing.

Personally I couldn't be bothered with a stepdown transformer, but i am very keen to buy accessories from the USA. I emailed one online Festool seller in the USA but he said he isn't allowed to ship outside the USA. So much for the free market. Has anyone found a festool dealer who will ship to oz from the USA?

Unlikely as they won't be dealers for long if it becomes known to Festool they have exported power equipment. Consumables may be different as some here buy in the US.

Hi Chris,
I'm not after power tools because of the 110V problem already discussed. I'm after a few small guide rail accessories and some dust collector bags. Does anyone have a US supplier of these?
Jack

Have a search through this forum as there are some who have bought consumables from the US so I guess the same sources might supply accessories as well.

OK, will do.

I get all of my accessories from Jamestown Distributors. They will ship to Oz direct, will happily take an Ozzie credit card, their service is excellent and they stock just about everything - takes a week or so.

My last batch of accesssories cost me AUS$870 including the shipping and would have cost $1500+ retail here. Aussie is even stronger now.

Just make sure you are very clear about the shiping company they use (I think the standard US postal service is the good value one - Fedex etc are a ripoff). They (Jamestown) quoted me about $70 for postage and it ended up being $250 because they sent it via the wrong carrier. BUT they immediately refunded the difference.

I would make contact with the company rather than just using their online shop.

For what its worth, I wouldn't buy a power tool from US because I hate the idea that you have to use a step down transformer as well as losing the warranty (albeit they rarely go wrong). The Domino on its own is US$775. Call it US850 after shipping (which is about the same in AUS$ now). You would probably pick it up here for about AUS$1300 - so certainly a lot cheaper.

Be aware that you run the risk of being hit with sales duty if your paperwork shows more than $1000 of value. I think this is correct but am not clear on the details.

Thanks John,
I'll check them out. I'm after guide rail clamps and some other small bits. Have you investigated buying a Systainer box and having any other accessories packed inside the box and shipped to Oz? I think you would be paying for volume rather than weight in that case. I'm not sure how it would work out.

I agree about power tools, although I would definitely consider a cordless drill. I wouldn't be surprised if the charger is multi-voltage. If not, you would only need a tiny step-down transformer. That's assuming you can find a supplier who will ship the tool to Oz.

Rgds,
Jack

I think you might find that ( Internationally) Festool has a tight hold on the reins.
( some people may call that restrictive trading?..but it is not in our jurisdiction)
If Festool find their USA dealers selling outside their zone ( as someone else said) they won't remain dealers for long!
Smaller accessories etc maybe OK?? ...but I have had these email discussions with US suppliers last year. Even though they will sell stuff internationally ( and some suppliers won't) they all seem to baulk when it comes to Festool.

So before you work out fancy ways to convert voltage or arranging cheap shipping, etc, I suggest you contact the US suppliers direct and ask the question....Will they export Festool?

Past experience also suggests that shipping of heavy items is disproportionately expensive.
I hope you can prove me wrong.. given the favourable exchange rate.

If you intend to use one of the buying/shipping agents in the US..make sure you know the full cost.

Cheers
Bob

A few people on this forum, me included, have bought a fair bit of Festool gear overseas. This is for both machines and accessories. None were shipped direct by the Festool dealers nor did I ever ask them too. They were all shipped to a US address ( usually free in the USA for Festool tools) then delivered to Australia.

No one said it was easy.

However doing it this way is not too difficult for some but it is more so for others. Either way, it ensures Festool can sell their gear here with big pricing differences for some (not all) of their tools.

AS far as 120v capability goes, this can be of benefit for a lot more than just Festool tools, and the tool shops will ship these direct.

Hi Jack,

Yes - I bought a Systainer 2 and a bunch of sandpaper, as well as clamps and saw blades for Kapex and TS55. Funnily enough, they didn't put anything inside the systainer despite me asking them to. I think because of the blades (five of them), it was the weight rather than volume that was the key for me. But I would see if you can get them to do it - couldn't hurt.

Originally Posted by TP1

A few people on this forum, me included, have bought a fair bit of Festool gear overseas. This is for both machines and accessories. None were shipped direct by the Festool dealers nor did I ever ask them too. They were all shipped to a US address ( usually free in the USA for Festool tools) then delivered to Australia.

No one said it was easy.

However doing it this way is not too difficult for some but it is more so for others. Either way, it ensures Festool can sell their gear here with big pricing differences for some (not all) of their tools.

AS far as 120v capability goes, this can be of benefit for a lot more than just Festool tools, and the tool shops will ship these direct.

..."no one said it was easy"...exactly why I posted this as devil's advocate!

So much for a Global Economy

I have also bought lots of stuff from the US (where it is considerably cheaper) but I have friends in California and so it is easy for me to Buy and re-ship to Oz.

Be aware also that some US businesses will not accept overseas cards ( eg Visa ) and so you have to pay with a card that has a "US billing address".Therefore you need to know someone who will pay for you and you reimburse them .An international money transfer from our banks may cost you eg AUD$30 fee as well. (Paypal also allows you to transfer $$..cheaper??)

So back to my original point..Do your homework!..and this Forum helps you with that.

Cheers
Bob

thanks guys,
I occasionally travel to LA, so I might just wait until my next trip and have some tools sent to my hotel.
Rgds,
jack

I've bought a TS 75 and OF1400 from the states. I then bought a 2000w step down for $175 off ebay about 2yrs ago. All up I've saved 50% the cost if I were to buy it locally. I know we should all be supporting the local market, but most people are only thinking about saving $$. Both tools are still working fine. As for warranty, suppose you take that risk, but realistically how often do festool's pack up, not often due to their quality. Fair enough if the converter stuffs up it may blow the domino, however it would likely blow the fuse first in the converter, which will cost 20c to replace.

Need to note though that USA Festool items are slightly different to AUS as the Aus versions have the Braking component in them due to the higher voltage, I believe that is why their model numbers are eg.. EBQ TS75 vs EQ TS75