Thread: Is Festool worth the cost?

Much like your uncle's motto, my grandfather used to say 'the price is long forgotten after the quality is enjoyed'
I dont own any festool stuff but have never regretted buying a better quality tool.

In my early life I worked in retail/trade selling engineers supplies including power tools for six years. I learned two things which are pretty much universal laws. You get what you pay for and buy what the professionals buy.

There are cases why a cheap junk purchase makes sense but in things like hand tools, power tools and measuring tools you will get more accurate and consistent results if you go up market. There is nothing more annoying than s a ruler that is not straight (don't ask how I know) or a circular saw in a poorly moulded rubbish plastic casing.

I was hearing that many tradies are buying Festool and only Festool, both in Australia and Europe. I now have three Festool tools and they are a joy to use.

If you are happy with stuff that works then buy the mid range tools, I have the Dewalt pro hammer drill and drive and am perfectly happy with them. If you want the top of the line quality manufacture shell out the mulah and buy Festool. For instance I bypassed the other rail saws and went to Festool and I would do it again in a flash.

John

Personally, I own the festool OB2200 router and the domino. Both tools are absolutely top notch can't say anything wrong about them. They are well build, very precise and I believe festool makes a difference in the small engineering changes. Like the offset positioning of the handles on the router. They don't just put the handles there 'cause everyone does it... They think about it and chose to ofsett them to the plunge mechanism. Really find this much more comfortable. This is just one example you can find a lot on their site.
The domino is just a life saver. It's like a lamello on steroids. I use it all the time wouldn't want to miss it.
I don't know about australia but here in belgium the festool warranty is also incredible. they even issue a 'theft' warranty - meaning that if your equipment got stolen you can get a replacement (one time only offcourse) for 100 euros. You only need a police report... talk about customer care.
For any new non-battery powered tools I only look at Festool and Mafell (also great quality). I don't really like dewalt (way to heavy and unaccurate for my taste, I find it more suited for contractors)
I also own a lot of makita tools and I think I won't switch out brands when they run on batteries. I find makita's 18V system to be unmatched, especially in battery loading times. Having a considerable collection of tools and batteries I think it's best to stick with one brand so you don't have to use different chargers.

The most important thing is can you afford it... I'm using this for my business so it pays for itself... but a hobbyist with a full festool shop... thats quite the investment if it's not bringing something back to the bank....

Cheers

I don't believe that one manufacturer can make the best tool in every class. Festool makes some tools that are best in class, or very near to it, and some of their other tools - whilst still very good - are not necessarily best in class. They have even put out duds, such as the Ti 15 impact driver (taken off the market after 2 years).

Restricting my comments to tools available in the Oz market (e.g. Mafell is not), and also to tools that I've used:

• Track saws, Mitre saws, Jig saws - best in class or very near to it (Makita make very good saws too, and the Bosch Jigsaw has a very good rep)
• Sanders - best in class, along with a couple of other brands which are also up there in price. The new ETS EC 150 is a cracker.
• Domino - unique and excellent, with a couple of small ergonomic issues
• Vacs - very, very good, but maybe other less expensive vacs are nearly as good?
• Drills - something that Festool seem to struggle with - especially cordless. Better options available, specifically Metabo.
• Routers - I've only used an older OF900 so can't comment. Again, Makita Routers have a good rep, as do Bosch

EDIT: In short, it is very wise to buy quality tools, but the "best" is not necessarily needed. By buying quality you only spend the money once.

Good Morning Damz

Great advice above. Festool and Metabo seem to have better precision than others. They are just smoothern nicer to use.

Makita make some great stuff, but they they also make throw away junk for BigChains that they (Makita) are ashamed to put on their own website. Be wary.

With Festool, you can always go down to a Festool agency and try the tools - they do this routinely. Take some familiar tools with you and try them out together - you will instantly see what I mean when I say that Festool works smoother and more precisely. They even sound better! Festool agents know that once you try, you will eventually buy - the narcotics approach to marketing.


Fair Winds

Graeme

I have to admit here that the Festool drills are tools that I personally would not recommend,However their off shoot brand Protool drills were hard to fault that I now have 2 of them before they closed the Protool brand down here.
Both the Domino's are terrific tools but the outlay for these need to be justified as does the Kapex ,I figured on retiring that I would replace some tools to enjoy my remaining years with quality tools ,having done that for me I reckon they will last me out .
I don't reckon that I have fully justified the cost of replacing the tools but my wife & I agreed that to buy once & be happy with the budgeted retirement present.
The three Festool routers are also nice tools and thought has gone into them ,the OF2200 is a beast that if you are small in stature all due care should be taken into account with prolonged use,whereas the OF1400 is a nice sized machine for general use & the smaller OF1010 with 1/4"capacity is fine with it's small work capacity.
Cheers

Great advice all round. It confirms my thinking in that Festool IS worth the expense IF you can afford it or hang on long enough to save up.

I've been watching plenty of you tube videos and I really like the cord/vacuum management especially with the boom. I'm putting together my DC for my big machines but I suspect a Festool vacuum for my smaller power tools along with selected Festool power tools may be on the cards.

There is no simple answer to this,it depends on a number of factors.
Probably primarily budget,and/or intended use.
If you intend to run a business and expect to use your power tools for many hours a day then your Festool tools should long outlast cheaper brands.
I use Festool random orbit sanders and Plunge saw,which I think are great.I do not however use Festool Routers which I don't fancy and much prefer my 2 Makita ones and my trusty ELU one which is still going after 25 years.
I also use cheapo Ozito brand drills and drivers which are ok for what I use them for and can be replaced easily if needed.

If you are just a hobbyist then you probably don't need top of the line tools and will get results just as good from budget brands.
If you are lucky enough to have deep pockets than you can take your pick.

Firstly i have never owned Festool, like you I find it hard to justify such a price hike from other quality brands. In contrast I also agree with the sentiment that you should buy the best quality that you can afford.
However I find it offensive that some brands charge such obscene prices in Australia as compared to the US, but that is a topic for another thread.

I came across this from one of my subscribed channels on YouTube, it's a bit raw but i like his style. Take his comments and interpret them as you will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oezp-_DcUgg

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I don't believe that one manufacturer can make the best tool in every class. Festool makes some tools that are best in class, or very near to it, and some of their other tools - whilst still very good - are not necessarily best in class.

to get the most from Festool, you need to buy into their system. Not everyone wants to do that.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Restricting my comments to tools available in the Oz market (e.g. Mafell is not), and also to tools that I've used:

• Track saws, Mitre saws, Jig saws - best in class or very near to it (Makita make very good saws too, and the Bosch Jigsaw has a very good rep)
• Sanders - best in class, along with a couple of other brands which are also up there in price. The new ETS EC 150 is a cracker.
• Domino - unique and excellent, with a couple of small ergonomic issues
• Vacs - very, very good, but maybe other less expensive vacs are nearly as good?
• Drills - something that Festool seem to struggle with - especially cordless. Better options available, specifically Metabo.
• Routers - I've only used an older OF900 so can't comment. Again, Makita Routers have a good rep, as do Bosch

EDIT: In short, it is very wise to buy quality tools, but the "best" is not necessarily needed. By buying quality you only spend the money once.

I'd add ...

• Jig saw -- I've been very happy with my Bosch
• Mitre saw -- I have a 10" Makita sliding compound (240V). I hardly ever use the compound feature. I really don't need the cutting capacity of a 10" or 12" saw. I'm currently looking very closely (110V market) at a smaller saw and may buy the Bosch -- the final decision will be based on the availability of decent saw blades. My new local tool store stocks Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita and DeWalt
• router trimmer -- I'd buy a 2nd Makita before shelling out for the Festool and it's dedicated cutters

My opinion is that there are some companies who have built a great reputation by producing superior tools, and now they must protect their reputation by maintaining the high standards - which is different from companies that have used their past reputation to stay in the game, and produce inferior tools. Examples of the former group are, in my experience, Lie Nielsen, Lee Valley, and Festool.

I have a few Festool tools: a 20 year-old Festo ROS, which still is going strong (probably as it is little used! ); a C12 (10.6 volt) drill, and a recently-purchased CT26E vacuum. They are all quality tools.

The best? No - there are other brands that are as good, even better, but Festool are reliably good. That is the issue. I have an Elu 177e router, which I chose over the Festool equivalent 25 years ago. I have a 20 year old 12v Panasonic drill, which is my go-to ahead of the C12.

These are not cheap tools, however they can be justified by the fact that my quality tools last a few decades. That makes them quite cheap. More importantly, they work well and the pleasure they offer is priceless.

I do have cheap tools, for example a nameless 7 1/2" circular saw, purchased for breaking down plywood sheets. Since I do not do this much, so all that matters is that it does a good enough job. My Rule of Thumb is to spend as much as you can budget on the tools that you will use all the time; spend less on the tools you only use some of the time. Buying the best is not always possible. What is important is buying the best you can afford. That still puts you ahead in the game.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

My opinion is that there are some companies who have built a great reputation by producing superior tools, and now they must protect their reputation by maintaining the high standards - which is different from companies that have used their past reputation to stay in the game, and produce inferior tools. Examples of the former group are, in my experience, Lie Nielsen, Lee Valley, and Festool.

I have a few Festool tools: a 20 year-old Festo ROS, which still is going strong (probably as it is little used! ); a C12 (10.6 volt) drill, and a recently-purchased CT26E vacuum. They are all quality tools.

The best? No - there are other brands that are as good, even better, but Festool are reliably good. That is the issue. I have an Elu 177e router, which I chose over the Festool equivalent 25 years ago. I have a 20 year old 12v Panasonic drill, which is my go-to ahead of the C12.

These are not cheap tools, however they can be justified by the fact that my quality tools last a few decades. That makes them quite cheap. More importantly, they work well and the pleasure they offer is priceless.

I do have cheap tools, for example a nameless 7 1/2" circular saw, purchased for breaking down plywood sheets. Since I do not do this much, so all that matters is that it does a good enough job. My Rule of Thumb is to spend as much as you can budget on the tools that you will use all the time; spend less on the tools you only use some of the time. Buying the best is not always possible. What is important is buying the best you can afford. That still puts you ahead in the game.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yes the Panasonic drills of 20 years ago had a fearsome reputation, fantastic tools. The shopvac I am struggling with a bit, still wondering if a cheaper option will yield similar results to the Festool.

I'd be going with Protool where possible, I've found the build quality and performance to be just as good at a better price. Fit and finish is a notch down and you miss out on some of the fancier electronics, but I reckon it's better value than Festool. Batteries are also interchangeable between the two for cordless tools.

Having said that, I LOVE the FastFix drill attachments. I don't have to use them often, but they can be a life saver in tight spaces. I believe Bosch also has a similar system, probably at a better price.

If dust extraction is a priority, Festool is hard to beat.

For random orbit sanders, I'd take my Mirka CEROS over the ETS every time; half the size, half the weight and over 30% more power. It does cost more (it didn't when I bought mine a few years ago) and it's worth the price difference twice over.

Overall, if you don't HAVE to have Festool, go for Makita. Best cordless range, excellent value and if you spend the extra for the high end, made in Japan stuff you can't go wrong. The Japanese Makita tools we have at work simply won't die and we aren't very kind to them.

Originally Posted by ian

to get the most from Festool, you need to buy into their system. Not everyone wants to do that.


I'd add ...

• Jig saw -- I've been very happy with my Bosch
• Mitre saw -- I have a 10" Makita sliding compound (240V). I hardly ever use the compound feature. I really don't need the cutting capacity of a 10" or 12" saw. I'm currently looking very closely (110V market) at a smaller saw and may buy the Bosch -- the final decision will be based on the availability of decent saw blades. My new local tool store stocks Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita and DeWalt
• router trimmer -- I'd buy a 2nd Makita before shelling out for the Festool and it's dedicated cutters

Is it possible to get a good jigsaw? I really need a new jigsaw but the one's I've had do such a rubbish job, cut on angles and generally just ruin my work.

I don't use the jigsaw much but there are times when it's so handy.