Thread: Festool prices

The Aussie dollar is high against the US dollar, but I'm not sure it's changed much against the Euro. Whatever the Euro has done, Festool will charge the price they want. It's your call as to whether you pay it or not. Maybe you could go one of the other plunge saw/rail combo's. I would expect Makita's to be good. And I'm sure there is a rip... I mean quality copy of the Protool drill around by now.

But I guess you have to consider things like

3 year warranty.
Pick up and delivery service
24 hour turnaround where possible
Excellent tech and engineering support
knowledgeable dealers who get excellent training...
and so on.
I have several Festools which were indeed expensive when I bought them, but gee they make my work a pleasure and I think they have paid for themselves many times over. Just being able to square boards with the TS75 and guide rail, then get a perfect butt joint from that cut..well!

Just my two cents on Festool pricing.

LGS

Earlier this year $A was Euro 0.65, it is now Euro 0.86.

Originally Posted by LGS

The Aussie dollar is high against the US dollar, but I'm not sure it's changed much against the Euro.

Here is a chart of the Aussie $ vs. the Euro over the past few years:

Currency Charts | Currency Chart | Currency Exchange Chart

Go to: 'Instruments'. Select 'EUR/AUD'. Then select 'Time Scale'. Select 'Monthly'.

Festool (Australia) have not lowered their Australian prices in several years.

I'd like to know why? Particularly, when other companies (European (manufactured), Japanese and US) have. I understand the companies who manufacture in China can lower their prices by a large amount. That makes sense. However, I expect that any reputable company should respond to changing (long term) exchange rates to alter theirs accordingly.

Originally Posted by LGS

Whatever the Euro has done, Festool will charge the price they want. It's your call as to whether you pay it or not.

And I certainly will not. I will not reward rampant greed. And that goes for companies that charge high prices for Chinese manufactured products too. I expect to pay quite a bit more for a European manufactured product. I even expect to pay more for an innovative product like Festool. What annoys me is the fact that prices have not tracked (long term) exchange rates.

Originally Posted by LGS

Maybe you could go one of the other plunge saw/rail combo's. I would expect Makita's to be good. And I'm sure there is a rip... I mean quality copy of the Protool drill around by now.

There is. Milwaukee have an impressive line-up which does all I need at significantly lower cost. I don't get a four speed gearbox (I only get three speed), but I do get a brushless motor and (according to a couple of builder mates) excellent reliability and back up service.

Originally Posted by LGS

But I guess you have to consider things like

3 year warranty.
Pick up and delivery service
24 hour turnaround where possible
Excellent tech and engineering support
knowledgeable dealers who get excellent training...
and so on.

I'm happy to consider all those things, BUT, they were all in place back when the Aussie Dollar was trading far lower than it is today. Nothing has changed, except the profit margins to someone. Do YOU think that's fair and reasonable? I don't. And I will not be supporting a company that adopts such an approach.

Originally Posted by LGS

I have several Festools which were indeed expensive when I bought them, but gee they make my work a pleasure and I think they have paid for themselves many times over. Just being able to square boards with the TS75 and guide rail, then get a perfect butt joint from that cut..well!

Just my two cents on Festool pricing.

LGS

The quality of Festool products is not in question. Their pricing, in view of the long term exchange rates is. I'd be very happy to see some kind of explanation from Festool on this matter. Every other company can do what they, apparently, cannot. Why is that?

There is currently another Federal Enquiry into punitive pricing against Australians, centred on Computers & downloaded software. Same mind set - 'They are on an island & must be dumb, we can charge what we like'.

Corded tools are a bit of a problem due to 240 vs 110 volts, but you can get 240 volt tools from the UK.

As for battery tools, you only need to source a battery charger locally, everything else you can get direct. Festool try to enforce their pricing on US dealers (they got fined for the same thing in Australia) but you can buy 'second hand' on E-Bay or get friends to buy & ship the items to you here.

Festool as an company, have no need or responsibility to change their pricing to suit your requirements. If they are too expensive for you, then that is that. I don't lower my prices because someone feels I'm ripping them off. They are welcome to go elsewhere. Which is what Festool are saying to you.

Some time back I was looking at a purchase of a Festool item,I researched the prices on ebay which initially gave me pointers to the item in Europe and the UK.

I came away thinking about cost of the tool in UK as opposed to the local cost even if I could,I could have had it posted out here for about 50quid I would have been better off to the tune of saving around $500 landed here.However also being over the import allowance that would also have been adjusted down.

Because a lot of Festool gear is not cheap here if by trying to import it you would probably go close to the import allowance .

Now because Festool in Europe/UK do not allow for the onselling of their product in Europe to a country outside of that region we're kind of stuck with what we had.

I ended up paying salesmans price which knocked off a fair bit from the marked up price but nowhere near the $500 I could have saved by having someone in the UK buy it on my behalf.

I am afraid I cannot explain Festools pricing as it applies here.
Cheers

Originally Posted by LGS

Festool as an company, have no need or responsibility to change their pricing to suit your requirements. If they are too expensive for you, then that is that. I don't lower my prices because someone feels I'm ripping them off. They are welcome to go elsewhere. Which is what Festool are saying to you.

You seem to be missing my point. Festool prices were high three years ago, when the AUD was performing poorly against the Euro. The AUD has markedly improved in the past 6 months aginst the Euro (and a bunch of other currencies). This appears to be a relatively long term phenomenon. Companies like BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi have responded by reducing their prices accordingly. Why has Festool kept it's prices high?

Anyone from Festool care to respond?

Zaphod, you miss the point. It doesn't matter two hoots what other companies do, Festool has the right, privilege and possibly the need to keep their prices where they are. They need give no explanation as to their pricing policies. You are the one feeling aggrieved, it's your issue. If you want the tools, then buy the tools, if they're too expensive, get over it. No-one is forcing you to pay Festool's price. It is your perception, not I might say the market's as it stands at present, that their prices are high and you are entitled to know why. You are not entitled to this information, unless Festool decide to let you know. Info like this is on a "need to know" basis. And, as an end user, you don't qualify for access to that information. Make your choice and settle it.
I would be extremely unimpressed if every time someone bought an item from me, I had to prove that my profit was acceptable to the buyer. Get real!!

I'm sick and tired of people bashing Festool prices. They have their reasons for pricing the way they do and they alone can and will decide what they need to earn and whether the market will stand it. A disgruntled buyer, who expects them to lower their prices because everyone else has and because the dollar is worth more now than earlier is NOTentitled to demand information regarding how the company operates. No one is holding a gun at his head, no one is saying you must buy Festool.
I bought my Festools with price as a secondary consideration. I'm not sorry I paid what I did and would pay again now for the same tools. If the heats too hot stay out of the kitchen.
Let's make decisions based on our judgment and capability rather than expecting someone else to "toe the line" regardless of the effect on them.

I'm done!!

Originally Posted by bsrlee

There is currently another Federal Enquiry into punitive pricing against Australians, centred on Computers & downloaded software. Same mind set - 'They are on an island & must be dumb, we can charge what we like'.

Corded tools are a bit of a problem due to 240 vs 110 volts, but you can get 240 volt tools from the UK.

As for battery tools, you only need to source a battery charger locally, everything else you can get direct. Festool try to enforce their pricing on US dealers (they got fined for the same thing in Australia) but you can buy 'second hand' on E-Bay or get friends to buy & ship the items to you here.

Indeed. That will probably be the approach I will take. I will NEVER support a company that engages in price gouging.

As others have said, Festool is under no compuction to either lower their prices, nor explain their obscenely high level. Given the global nature of business, they will likely find that their business model will be ultimately unsustainable.

A simple answer "Because they can". What they are telling you is you need them more than they need you.

Wongo is correct...."because they can".....I am no rocket surgeon but even I can see why their products are more expensive than the competition.
They will continue to lead the pack with innovation and quality, that is the Festool DNA.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

There is currently another Federal Enquiry into punitive pricing against Australians, centred on Computers & downloaded software. Same mind set - 'They are on an island & must be dumb, we can charge what we like'.

I think it has been correctly stated that they do not have to alter their current pricing in Australia just because the dollar is strong at the moment. They seem to have a premium product that can stand alone with limited competition and they obviously do not need to lower the price to get the sales they are looking for.

Importers of larger machinery (which all seem to have similar specs) have a bit more pressure due to the competition. If one retailer decides to pass of the savings they are making due to the higher dollar then it is a wise marketing decision as it will draw sales from its higher priced competitor.

The bigger question, which seems to be what the Federal Enquiry into punitive pricing against Australians is asking, is why is there such a big difference in cost between the same products overseas than in Australia. It perhaps comes back full circle to the rising dollar issue, there is a difference as they can get away with it!

No one has taken the 20% increase in freight in the last 3 years , this negates the $ increases.

If you want festool you pay their prices if you dont want to pay the price look elsewhere