Thread: Domino Jointer

Originally Posted by Lignum

Pat im real keen to get a Domino as they do look so good, but $1200 for a power tool is preposterous. Ill follow the link and see if i can do beter overseas. If im successful ill let other forum members know and maybe we can be all winners


PS love your aviator. Whats his name?

Before you get anything on ebay from Europe, make sure that you get an accurate shipping quote. (Royal mail, for example, is ruinously expensive. A typical Festool shipped airmail would likely be close to 80 GBP):eek:

The other problem is ebay Germany doesn't have PayPal, and its rare to find someone who accepts Visa directly, although tool dealers probably would.

Also, a good free email translation service is AltaVista's Babblefish-it works reasonably well except for most industrial terms.

(The world of dirt cheap Leuco and Leitz cutters and blades is not available to us, as bank transfers and freight will more than double the price of a bargain item. Do yourself a favour and never check the machinery section of ebay Germany-it will make you sick.)

Greg

Thanx for you advise Greg Now im of to look at the German e-bay machinery

Originally Posted by patr

Simou's tasting notes on the Festool pad and Rubin sanding disc:

Taste. Delicious. Reminds me of rubber with a touch of velcro. !

Good luck getting that back.:eek:

Hi Gregoryq

Most of the German EBay dealers will accept PayPal but you are right on freight costs and it would be worth getting quotes from UPS/DHL etc.

As for the velcro, Rottweilers call it throat floss!

I thought it was just us in the UK that were being taken to the cleaners by our respective importers and it has saddened me to see that you folks in Oz are also paying too much for your Festools.

The trouble is they are so good that despite me ordering myself not to buy them I risk Courts Martial and just buy them. Mind you, as the Presiding Officer I have always found the evidence against me to be rather weak, dismissed the case and awarded myself costs which I then put towards another Festool.

Crikey I do believe I have hit on the ideal way to fund my Domino. I am just off to award myself £450 in damages for the trauma I have had over the horrible sight of our beloved PM, the Rt DisHon T Bliar wearing a jacket without a tie in your fair City of Melbourne by the Sea.

Simou!..... bring me another Scotch. No ice.

Originally Posted by Ratbag

Who was it who frst coined the idiom "a fool and his money are easily parted"? I'm not levelling any criticism at any particular individual here: except perhaps myself. I'm continually astonished at how much we mugs in Oz are prepared to pay for power tools. Companies are able to milk us for a price premium of about 50% over what the North American market is asked to pay. Check out JapanWoodworkerdotcom and others if you'd like a rude shock. By paying up we allow these companies to charge us obscene prices for what is, after all, just a well designed tool. Maybe it's time for a consumer boycott?

I appear to have applied my pen to the metaphorical Bullants' nest and stirred vigorously with my (albeit off-topic) remarks. I apologise. My observations on pricing would perhaps have been better written elsewhere. However, some comments have been subsequently made that warrant rebuttal.

(a) I have been a Festo/ol chooser & user for the last 22 years, buying tools from West Germany, the U.K. and domestically.

(b) I currently have ten goers and 2 dead 'uns, of which the goers are used regularly.

(c) I refuse to accept that my considered reflection of years of use of their products can be construed as criticism, "bashing" or even blasphemy!

(d) I feel disappointed that a pricing policy exists where mature markets such as Oz & the UK are heavily subsidising sales to consumers in less mature markets such as the USA.

(e) If any company is involved in Resale Price Maintenance or other illegal behaviour, then we as consumers have both an interest and an obligation to ourselves & others to see these practises investigated and prosecuted by the relevant authorities. In the interests of protecting myself from malicious litigation I hereby make it succinctly clear that I am not hereby making any allegations, either specific or general, about any individuals, corporate entities or others, in relation to any illegal., unethical or otherwise inappropriate or morally reprehensible activity of any type whatsoever. Any conclusions drawn to the contrary are mere delusions for which no responsibility shall be accepted.

(f) Long term relationships are usually formed by mutual trust and respect. Abuse of the relationship by either party risks both the existing relationship, and the possibility of others being formed in the future. From what I've read in this forum, it appears that some potential and current customers are finding their relationship less than mutually satisfying, perhaps even abusive. Companies risk these relationships at their peril.

(g) Once again, I apologise for the off topic discussion, and for the length of my post.

Originally Posted by patr

Hi Gregoryq

Most of the German EBay dealers will accept PayPal but you are right on freight costs and it would be worth getting quotes from UPS/DHL etc.

As for the velcro, Rottweilers call it throat floss!

I thought it was just us in the UK that were being taken to the cleaners by our respective importers and it has saddened me to see that you folks in Oz are also paying too much for your Festools. .

It's not just the Festools, no siree! We get a thorough hosing on most fronts, although it has improved in recent years. Economies of scale and shipping are frequently cited reasons. I think that here all of the mark-up happens at the distributor/importer level, because retail margins seem lower than elsewhere. In two cases that I know of the importer drop ships from the dock to the retailer, yet charges a 110% margin on ALL of his costs, including shipping. Nice work for some, eh?

Originally Posted by patr

Hi Gregoryq

Crikey I do believe I have hit on the ideal way to fund my Domino. I am just off to award myself £450 in damages for the trauma I have had over the horrible sight of our beloved PM, the Rt DisHon T Bliar wearing a jacket without a tie in your fair City of Melbourne by the Sea.

Simou!..... bring me another Scotch. No ice.

Colonel Pat, you must be a dyed-in-the wool Tory. (Not that there's anything wrong with that)

Originally Posted by Lignum

I dont think anyone is or has bashed Festo, but it IS over priced. They can make all the excuses they like about quality, customer service etc, but the bottom line is the products arnt twice as good as their nearest rivals yet their pricing is. The ROS is great but no better than the Metabo which is far cheaper and the FEIN ROS is measurably better. And the OF2000 which i have used, apart from the great precision fence dosnt come close to my fifteen year old ELU MOF when its in the hand being used, and the smaller 1010 is the most over priced power tool on the market. I have found it very clumsy to use, its the only Festo product iv used that i didnt like. The dust extractors sux just as good as the Metabo and Makita yet they are almost half the price. Dont get me wrong, Festo is top quality gear worthy of any workshop, but i just wish they were at a relistic price, then they would feature in my workshop.

By the left!

You are not by any chance LCpl Greg Gregory are you? My once trusty batman who ran off with Regimental Mascot to a far off place? If you are you scoundrel then I hope Festool Australia Pty double their retail prices with immediate effect.

By the way how is Rhoddri the Goat? We miss him you know.

Simou! another Scotch. No ice.

Originally Posted by patr

By the left!

You are not by any chance LCpl Greg Gregory are you? My once trusty batman who ran off with Regimental Mascot to a far off place? If you are you scoundrel then I hope Festool Australia Pty double their retail prices with immediate effect.

By the way how is Rhoddri the Goat? We miss him you know.

Simou! another Scotch. No ice.

Drat! I knew I should have listened more carefully to "keep head down when engaged with enemy". Don't mention the goat...touchy subject around here. Mum's the word, and all that. Wink, wink, nudge nudge.


Rhodrri bleats her regards...:eek:

Sorry Lignum, I meant to add a reply to your post.

I believe that Festool's Rotex sander, and the equivalent models from Makita, Kress, Bosch and Mafell, have unique properties that set them apart from others. They generally have more power available to do the job, and generally excellent vigration supression. Fein, however, have the smoothest operating 6" ROS on the market. But what really sets the abovementioned sanders apart from the rest is the option of direct gear drive to the head. In certain operations, such as really course sanding on rough surfacfes, the combination of gear drive and having your hands so far apart on the machine produces really fantastic, easily and generally safely controllable results (just don't try it one handed @ the top of a ladder on old weatherboards)! It's also fantastic for polishing work in gear drive mode, making it the most versatile machine on the market.

Of all Festool's products that I've tried and used, I believe the Rotex is their best designed and executed tool. It's also the one I use the most. If it wasn't so good then why did all the other abovementioned manufacturers copy the design? Metabo's machine is also very good, too. But it's restricted to random orbits only, with 3mm or 6mm fine and course settings. As previously mentioned, Fein's 6" sander, while beautifully smooth and vibration free, is best suited to the fine work. Fein also have a very big, powerful and fast 8" ROS. While I haven't used it and therefore can't comment on its use, I can add that it's pretty expensive, and the specialist sandpapers, only available from Fein as far an I'm aware, are scarily expensive.

No other ROS is as versatile as the Rotex. No other extracts dust as efficiently. No other allows the sandpaper to do its job without clogging for so long. And no other has such an extensive range of accessories, from both original Festool branded papers, sponges and pads to aftermarket products from Hermes, Mirka and others. If imitation is the basest form of flattery, then the Rotex is the best sander in the world, bar none! While it does have its imitators, it doesn't as yet have an equal. Excepting, perhaps, the new model. As I havent seen let alone used one yet I can't comment. But is sure has a hard act to follow. To a jack of all trades and master of none like myself there's simply no choice.

I share Ratbag's views over the Rotex. I would add that i had the opportunity to buy comparatively cheaper ( from a swiss well reknowned firm... ) sandings papers for The Rotex. Results: they would not last half as long. So where is the economy? I shall never do that mistake again. Yes sanding disks from Festool are expensive but they never let you down.

Regardless of opinions or positions people are taking, at least the FESTOOL FORUM is showing signs of life again. That's good.

Gary, I am still waiting for my tickets to Japan.

Originally Posted by nt900

Regardless of opinions or positions people are taking, at least the FESTOOL FORUM is showing signs of life again. That's good.

Gary, I am still waiting for my tickets to Japan.

nt900,
Sorry mate, I thought the tickets to Japan were in the price of buying the Domino? ($1200+) surely it must be??
Unfortunately no hotel. You can stay in my shed, as long as you dont touch my tools
You can use my pedal bike to get around, its got a nice basket on the front, I need the van.
Hows that sound?

When it arrives in the usa (dont know when that will be?) I can get it from there (woodcraft). Japan is on 100-120v same as over there. Just the bloody shipping costs then.
Cheers. Gary.