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riri
4th May 2006, 08:46 PM
Hi Festool users,

I was wondering which tool you like best and which tool you use the most.
I do have a lot of Festool tools and to decide which one i prefer is not easy. I love the plunge saw ( 55 & 75 ) and their guides. I do also like the 1010 router. However if i had to pick my favourite i will have no hesitation in picking the Rotex. I use it almost on a daily basis. I love the feel and the power you get from it.

I use it on wood obviously ( very coarse to very fine sanding ) and i have yet to come across a sander of similar capabilities. I use it also ( and more and more ) on polishing. Again it does the job quickly and perfectly.

So for me it is the Rotex that i prefer and use the most.

I'd like to have yr opinion.

Thanks,

riri

echnidna
4th May 2006, 08:53 PM
Me estwing hammer

Bodgy
4th May 2006, 09:44 PM
Je ne connais pas parce' que vous achetez les Festools?

En Australie, nous disons que vous avez plus d'argent que des cerveaux!

Pardon, ma Francais

riri
4th May 2006, 09:45 PM
Me estwing hammer

As we are in a Festool forum:p , i think it would be better to stick to Festool tools. :cool:

regards,

riri

nt900
4th May 2006, 09:52 PM
Hard to choose. So I will be a bit obscure and say my MFT and guide rails. Even though they are more like accessories than tools.

echnidna
4th May 2006, 10:42 PM
As we are in a Festool forum:p , i think it would be better to stick to Festool tools. :cool:

regards,

riri

Do festool make hammers? :)

Lignum
4th May 2006, 10:55 PM
Domino - Not that i have ever used one, but i dream about it so much i feel as though ive been using it for years:o

patr
5th May 2006, 03:30 AM
Greeting Echnidna

They do not make them which is strange as they hammer your wallet!

Pat


Simou! I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Uncle did - Not screaming and shouting like his passengers.

johanxh
5th May 2006, 09:53 PM
Dear Riri,

I have a Festool plunge saw with guide rail, and find it an absolute pleasure to use.

What makes the Rotex special (in relation to other sanders)?

On a similar same note, what makes Festool routers special (I have never used a Festool router, and have an ELU and a Triton)?

Also, is there any reason to buy a Festool dust extractor rather than less expensive brands (seeing that I can currently get one for half of the normal price...)

Regards,
Johan

Groggy
5th May 2006, 10:05 PM
It would have to be my drill - hands down.




It's the only Festool I own :o - but I aim to fix that!

riri
5th May 2006, 10:06 PM
Hi Johan,

You are right, the plunge saw is terrific and although i have a stationary table saw, i find myself increasingly using my ATF 55. Ease of use i guess when cutting large panels but also safety of use and clean cuts.

I choose the Rotex because this is for my applications the tool i am using the most. As i said i use it now more and more for polishing with incredible results. But if you have a though job ( like old varnished stairs ) take a 40 sanding pad and there you go like no other sander thanks to this very special planetary motion and the available power.

The Rotex is heavy, that is true, and in this way is not made for jobs above the head but apart from that i do believe it is an incredible tool.

Elu is ( was ) an excellent brand. I have an Elu stone cutting table and find it unbeatable. They have now been bought by B&D ( so i heard ). Wait and see...

All the best to all south africans ( lovely country )

riri

patr
5th May 2006, 11:11 PM
Riri

Excellent thread as it gives a clear idea to those folk who question the sanity of Festool purchasers! And whilst I still think they are too expensive, they are superbly designed, beautifully made and conveniently packaged in the wonderful systainer. In my opinion, ( and caution here dear reader as I am an Irishman living in Wales and an ex-soldier to boot so really its not worth a lot) is that they are truly "fit for purpose".

As the thread progresses it will be very interesting to see which particular tool emerges as favourite. I am unsure as to which tool I would award the highest honour, which here in Wales, would be the Daffodil Award. I am leaning towards Anthony's post on the MFT and its accessories because at a stroke I have replaced a Radial Arm Saw, and a Bench Saw. The accuracy of the guide rails coupled with the clean cut of the TS55 have rendered them obsolete. But, having sanded down over 20 window rebates recently in this old house of mine, the tool which has saved me countless hours of sanding has been the wonderful Duplex 130 in-line sander which with the 90 degree sanding pad, sands both surfaces of the rebate at the same time. Unglamourous maybe but a really clever piece of kit which will take on virtually any profile as you can create your own sanding pad.

Johanhx asked about the Elu routers and how they compared to the Festool ones. Well I bought the Elu 96 and 177 years ago and they have been wonderful tools. But when BandD bought out Elu they diluted the quality of the brand (IMHO) and the previous bomb-proof quality went out of the window. When I needed to upgrade (safety switches, weight and quick stop braking) I turned to Festool and my eldest son, who also likes to turn expensive wood into sawdust, inherited the Elu's and they are still going strong after 17 years albeit with the odd change of brushes.

The Festools, the OF1010 and the 1400 have been the natural successors to my Elu's and notwithstanding the excellence of design, I like their lightness and single hand use (OF1010). The ability to use the MFT and guide rail brings a whole new meaning to accuracy. I checked many before buying and the big Bosch was high on the list until I saw the Festools in the same shop and was able to test side by side. The Festools won because of their plunge action, dust extraction, bit change and immediate stop. The 1400 is a marvel and I can route, with the chip extractor fitted and connected to a little CT Mini, with virtually no dust or shavings in the workshop. The OF1010 is a jewel of a router and is very effective on the Leigh dovetail jig.

Kind regards
from a beautiful sunny day here in the Principality
Pat

Simou! Go and find a bottle of South African Cabernet Sauvignon to drink to our friend from the tip of Africa.

riri
6th May 2006, 12:35 AM
Thanks Patr for yr good account Elu/Festool. I do share yr view that quality has inevitably suffered from the takeover.

How expensive is expensive. I live in a country where labour costs is extremely high ( similar to those in Germany ). Every man hour costs me 45 €. There were jobs before especially on sites, were all morning was necessary to do a small but important job ( replacing one damaged board of a precious wood floorboard for example ). Before i started to use the plunge saw it was not uncommon for an employee to fiddle a full morning to get the board out without damaging the others, to groove a new one and to replace it. Now with the plunge saw and the guide and then using the 1010 with the guide, it takes less than 1 hour.

My saving 3 hours @ 45€ = 135€ on a single operation!!!

Needless to say i am quite happy to pay 600€ for a plunge saw and the guide. My opinion is that Festool designed their tools for countries like ours where the cost of material is negligible compared with that of man hours. In that , i do not think their material is expensive.

riri

johanxh
6th May 2006, 01:38 AM
Dear Riri and Pat,

Thanks for your most enlightening comments (and for the good wishes)!

Would you recommend Festool routers mostly for hand routing? What about fixed use (using in a Woodrat, or router table)?

Regards,
Johan

patr
6th May 2006, 03:58 AM
Hi Johan

Both are excellent as hand routers but the OF1010 is especially good due to its compact size, lovely handle which allows you to use it one handed and very quick brake should you start to wander which I do quite often after a snifter or two! They are lovely machines which inspires enormous confidence and their accuracy as hand routers is much enhanced by the guide rail attachment which takes accurate routing to a new height. I am sold on them and again staggered at the thoughtfulness that has gone into their design.

I use both of them on the Leigh dovetail jig. The OF1400 takes both collet sizes so I can use my 1/2 inch bits and whilst the OF1010 is limited to the samller bits it is a delight to rout on the jig because of its lightness. The electronic speed control on both machines is very effective and the machines maintain a constant speed and power. I would imagine that their use on a Woodrat would be equally impressive and may I point you in the direction of a UK woodwork forum, UKworkshop.co.uk, which has many threads on both Festool products and the Woodrat.

I haven't used them on a router table but my old Elu's were very effective on a Sears Craftsman table I bought in the USA years ago and I would think that the Festools would be similarly excellent.

Riri
On the question of cost effectiveness you are absolutely right and for a professional whose living depends upon speed and first time accuracy they are a very cost effective and therefore excellent value tool. But for a bumbling old pensioner who plays at woodwork and who is spending his childrens inheritance they are expensive tools which needs careful thought before purchase. Mind you I do think that the record for thinking about it is 5 mins before picking up the phone and ordering!

Kind regards
Pat

Simou! A small Hoegarden. Correct glass mind.

riri
6th May 2006, 07:52 AM
Hi johan,

I share Patr's views on the lightness and control of the 1010. I do not have the 1400 and frankly i am so satisfied with my 1010 that i do not have any intention of buying the 1400. I suppose that it would be a luxury to have the 1010 under the table as it would defeat its main advantage ( its weight and ease of use ). A "normal" router table is perfect and keep that 1010 for all other occasions.

riri

Carpenter
6th May 2006, 11:43 AM
As a jobsite worker, I chose the OF2000 for my neeeds. Routing stair stringers in seasoned Australian hardwood is a task best undertaken with ample power onboard! (I learnt the hard way & cooked a 1400W router of a different brand). It's probably too big for the type of woodworking stuff most of you blokes are doing, but it still shares the impressive attention to design & engineering common too all Festool tools. I cant wait too pair it with the new routing template on the next stair job.
http://www.festool.com.au/mediandoweb/index.php?sTemplate=zoom&sTemplateFile=standard.php&sLanguage=English&BILD=http://tts01.my-tts.com/internet/mediandoweb/images/Kat_2005/fraesen/jpg_zoom/zoom__fr_mfs_492611_z_01a.jpg
However, my most used tool would have to be the Rotex RO150. It's just so versatile with variable speeds & dual mode sanding action, & when coupled with the dust extracting.....unbeatable Dr Festool!

riri
8th May 2006, 02:29 AM
Thanks for your comments Carpenter. I see that we share the taste for the Rotex.

Not being a specialist in routing with template i would be interested in having further explanation. What will that template enable you to do that you can't right now.

thanks

riri

Carpenter
8th May 2006, 11:05 PM
Hi riri
When you build a stair, the treads & risers locate into grooves in the stringer (the angled member of a stair case). These grooves or rebates are cut out with a router, & usually you make up a template for each stair that is made because each stair is unique. The template allows each tread & riser (if the stair has risers) to be cut out accurately, but the catch with the template is that you need two, one for each stringer because they are a mirror image of each other & therefore opposite to one another. With the Festool routing template, you no longer need to construct templates, in fact once you set the template up for a particular stair configuration, it can be flipped over & presto, its the opposite template for the second stringer!....can you follow that? Good eh?

nt900
8th May 2006, 11:10 PM
Carpenter,

When you do you next stair job with the Routing Template, I would (suggest the group also would) love top see a picture of it in action. Would you mind?

Carpenter
8th May 2006, 11:21 PM
Absolutely Anthony, you'll just have too wait until I buy it......mmm, now when is my next stair job.....

nt900
8th May 2006, 11:31 PM
Now come on someone out there.... ask Carpenter to build you a staircase. He has an OF2000 in need of a MFS Multi-Routing Template buddy.

If anyone is interested in seeing what the MFS Multi-Routing Template can do (although not a good staircase demonstration) you can have a look at our web-site, half way down this page: http://www.idealtools.com.au/webcontent38.htm

Personally, I am trying to invent a job I can put the Multi-Routing Template to use on. So I can get my mind around some of the types of work it can enable.

riri
9th May 2006, 01:20 AM
Thanks For yr explanations Carpenter. I think i got it!!!:) . Like nt900, i would love to see pictures of it at work.

Regards,

riri

TassieKiwi
3rd July 2006, 04:39 PM
Riri - do you have the 'old' Rotax or the Far Eastern Queensland one (FEQ)?

Having never before visited the Festool forum, or used any Festool, well, tool - closest I ever got was to pick something up, admire the fine engineering and then go :eek: :eek: :eek: at the price, thinking 'what twats would buy that? - I would have to say that my favourite tool of all tools is.................the only one I've got! Dominoooooooooooooooooooooo.....

:D

I've only used ot once, and it's still my favourite, so there.

I'm now contemplating inventing a project that needs the Rotax 150. I think I do.

Lignum
3rd July 2006, 07:17 PM
Domino - Not that i have ever used one, but i dream about it so much i feel as though ive been using it for years:o

So dreams do come true:)

TassieKiwi
4th July 2006, 03:27 PM
So Lig, now that you've had it a few weeks, does it feel like you've been using it for years?

Lignum
4th July 2006, 03:39 PM
It has, strangly enough. It feels like my woodworking arm extension. Every thought now is automaticly honed to "Will the Domino do it" Just got the go ahead to do another 3-way mitered low-line and cant wait to get it all Dominated up:D :D :D

TassieKiwi
4th July 2006, 04:22 PM
Sweet. Pics if you would, kind sir!

riri
8th July 2006, 01:39 AM
Hi,

Yes i have the old Rotex.

Today i feel like praising the PS Trion 300 EQ ( the one with the barrel handle ). It is such a joy to use. I ususally hardly use it, hence i tend to forget its capabilities. Recently i used it to make rectangle door cutouts in a cupboard ( incidently 100% Domino made ) and i found the Trion to be really pleasant and precise. The guiding of the blade is impeccable. Very good tool indeed and by Festool's standards not that expensive. A good buy.

riri