Thread: Who makes festool vacuums?

As far as I can deduce from discussions over the years (and I am not speaking from official Festool press releases or anything), Festool (primarily in the Protool range) had some extractors made by an Italian company who made the similar models under their own brand and for other tool manufacturers. It looked like Festool/Protool went the extra mile and added some extra features and more complete range of accessories the other brands did not bother with, anti-static hoes, pneumatic switching, range of bags/filter protectors, etc.

But this is no longer the way Festool/Protool are going. See their new and unique Protool designs VCP321, VCP 170, which have similar features to the Festool CT22/33 extractors.

A different story with the CLEANTEC extractors. There was a JV with another (cleaning vac) company which created a German plant called CLEANTEC. This plant produced the CT22/33 etc. But, the situation has recently changed with Festool taking total control over the plant, renamed CLEANTEX, and produce only extractors there for themselves. The new range CT26/36.

So it looks like Festool (under both Protool and Festool brands) are focussing on in-house design and construction and making sure their extractors are uniquely Festool in execution and different from all others on the market.

thanks anthony, i always find the background stories behind these companies very interesting.
regards, justin.

Hi all,

interesting question; i don't know the answer yet but i'll look into it.

Vacs are not a specialty product for any tool manufacturer, so tool brand shop vacs are often made to order by specialist reputable vac manufacturers, to exacting quality standards and specifications of the tool brands. Since there is a same amount of typical Festo system thinking involved in the Festo vacs as in the Festo tools, the Esslingen designers will probably have been responsible for the design and the exact outlay of all those nifty little details. This will probably have been put together in a packet of a shopping list and a lot of detailed drawings, which is shoved over to a quality vac maker with the request "this is what we want, can you make it for us?" Esslingen or some of its sister plants would however be perfectly capable with all their means and machinery to make the vacs all by themselves, i but i doubt if they really have. Would Festo also make the systainers all by themselves? I doubt it; too low-tech, just like plastic vac tubs, it's better for them to focus on hi-tech developments. Unless they have daughter firms under the brand umbrella to do that for them. Our Dutch Philips electronics firm did that as well; the Eindhoven factory designed the circuits and assembled the hi-tech stuff like electronics and speakers and picture tubes, and had daughter firms like plastic and furniture factories make the casings for them.

Elu once had a shop vac, which was made by the German household appliance firm Progress. Bosch, Metabo, Flex and offers vacs that contain many Italian components. The motors are not even necessarily by Miele or Siemens and the plastics tubs not necessarily by Hoechst or Bayer. Hitachi makes the shop vacs themselves, since they also make the household and contractor's CV-range. The number of vac motor/turbine manufactureres worldwide is not large anyway. There are a few of them in Italy and Japan, a lot of them in China, a few in Germany, Sweden and Spain and a few In the USA. The biggest quality brand from the USA is Lamb Ametek, the biggest brand in Japan is Matsushita/Panasonic.
Even a worldwide vac brand like Numatic uses Panasonic and Lamb motors. Nilfisk was bought by Electrolux from Sweden and the sturdy Nilfisk motors are no more. Even when components are imported from China, USA or Japan, the machine is entitled to carry "Made in Germany" or "Made in the UK" when those parts are assembled in Germany or the UK. Even the vac makers world itself is a jumble.

The close cooperation between Makita and German manufacturers is a result from new diplomacy by the Makita Duisburg management. Makita first joined forces with the Dolmar chain saw factory. The Sachs-Dolmar saws were staunch rivals of the Stihl brand, with Sachs making the two-stroke motors. Sachs technology crossed over to Makita, which since then also makes power generators and petrol chain saws. In return Makita makes electric motors for the corded line of Dolmar saws. The 2000 Watts Makita electric chain saws and their Dolmar versions are identical constructions, differing only in colour (blue versus red).
Another Makita cooperation could be spotted in a heavy core drill and a plaster mixer, which clearly show Eibenstock components. This feat goes by largely unnoticed, but it is in fact a sort of a silent revolution in Europe. The first Japanese products in Europe had the same image as Chinese products have these days. Around the first world war, many Japanese students entered exchange learning programs with German industries. What was picked up at Zeiss-Jena, Leitz, Auto Union, DKW, Krupp, AEG, Siemens and Maybach was later put to use in the first Minoltas and Nikons and Datsuns and Mitsubishi and Isuzu products. The first Japanese imported products were copies of European and American technology, or low-tech stuff like tin toys.
The German firms bought cheap Japanese components once they were good enough, so German car brands didn't necessarily stay true to homemade Hella or Bosch-Scintilla car electronics for blinking lights and radios. Now it's the reverse. The big name of Makita shops around for German components to use in their machines. They even shop around in former East-Germany. Such a thing has never happened before in Europe and to many it is a clear sign that the future may favour Asia. Is also shows that the principle of foresaking own development in favour of cheaper buying from the shelf; is worldwide universal.

I will try to find a Festo dealer who has a Festool vac in a disassembled state, or i'll take one apart myself. Only by inspecting all the components (timestamping or coding of the plastic castings and the make of the motor) will the origin of the entire machine reveal itself. I have a feeling it will be a very eccentric mix of stuff, assembled in one particular country. When the Festool vac reads "Made in Germany", then it's obvious what country that is. When the Makita vac also reads "Made in Germany", than Makita Duisburg has probably been shopping around again. I haven't looked close enough at either products though, so that's only speculation om my part. It's not likely that Festool copied their product from a Makita line. The Makita shop vac line up to now had more resemblance to Hitachi and Panasonic products than to Festo products. Festool was definitely years ahead with the comprehensive vac line they have developed over the last decade, so Makita is probably the copycat in this case.

greetings

gerhard

looked up some pics to illustrate my point

thanks gerhards, you are the man!
when the time comes for me to buy an asbestos vac, i shall take a serious look at the inside of these 3 machines. once i am satisfied that the festool is a better and more importantly, safer machine, i will happily pay the extra coin.

regards, justin.

I know I am necroposting here.

But I read recently that Mafell made the plunge saws for Festool. Mafell is also out of Germany and according to one Aussie on another forum has no interest in supplying or setting up dealers in Australia and suggested we buy from the USA dealers………….Yes they speak a version of English but they have different power req.


I wonder how many of the tracks are now interchangeable/compatible? Scheppach? Mafell has it's own rail but also fits Festool rails.

NO idea though if the Mafell are rebadging for Festool or just manufacturing a unique design/model for Festool.

Also told at Carbatec that Festool is designed & manufactured in Germany, Protool is designed in Germany and made outside I think it was in Eastern Europe.

Now there is a word I hadn't come across

Necroposting

You're right, you are.

Probably would have been better starting a new thread as your post doesn't seem to relate to this threads' subject? Or am I missing something?

Was just highlighting the fact that it is possible the Vac was made outside and rebadged. As a lot of Festool products are manufactured by others and festool also supplies motors, parts etc to other tool makes as well. As in all industries there is cross platforming for developmental & set up cost reasons.

In regards to who manufacturers the Festool dust extractors and plunge saws, the answer is very clear - Festool Germany. In the past there have been some specialist products like the M class dust extractor shown below that have been manufactured by other suppliers. Festool replaced that model in 2011 and now manufacture 100% of all their dust extractors in their special plant just for extractors in Germany (close to Stuttgart).
Festool were the pioneers of the rail saw in 1964 and have continued to develop this to the latest TS 55 R model that is on the market today and is manufactured in their main tool plant. Mafel make products for many brands.

I have personally been through all the production plants on many occasions and seen all these products in full production and this is one of the core values of ensuring a high level of quality within the brand.
Since the change of the last few specialist extractors in 2011, I am not aware of any Festool tool that is not made in their own factories.

I hope that clears up the questions of where the tools are manufactured.

We hope that you are all enjoying the tools and they are getting a good work out.

Regards

Blair

I had the pleasure of visiting the Festool factory on the Festool dealer trip in 2011 & the Metabo factory last year for Octoberfest(awesome timing). It's totally amazing to see the background of the German tool companies & how they produce there tools in there factories. One of the major differences was the amount of ladies in the production lines of these tools, when questioning our guide his answer was they have a lot more attention to detail & consistency. This is testimony to the amount of warranties we see come back.....I would safely say under 0.5% which reflects the high quality standard

ps: Blair I think we are due for another dealer trip around October

Erm, I have a couple of Festool vacs, albeit older ones. The SR5E is actually made, (and internally branded as such) by Wap. Stihl, Makita, Festool and probably a host of others also self-branded this long-lasting design. Thankfully, because of its ubiquity, parts are still readily available which is why mine is still going.

Festool make their own plunge saws. They may have copied and adapted older designs from rivals, as most companies do, but the designs are unique. Mafell make plunge saws for Bosch; stripping them of some of Mafell's patented niceties in the process to justify the significantly lower pricing. That is why, whilst Mafell's original is still the best, the Bosch is also a damn fine value for money tool also.

Further to other posts in this thread.

Protool appears to be the bastard child of Tooltechnic's acquisition of Narex, a Czech republic (actually Czeckoslovakian) manufacturer of extremely long standing and repute.

They still make Narex branded tools for their domestic market.

It's really quite an unusual marriage: Tooltechnic have a reputation for superb design and poor engineering, whereas Narex/Protool were traditionally rather crudely designed and beautifully overengineered.

Originally Posted by TTS_Blair

Since the change of the last few specialist extractors in 2011, I am not aware of any Festool tool that is not made in their own factories.

I hope that clears up the questions of where the tools are manufactured.

We hope that you are all enjoying the tools and they are getting a good work out.

Regards

Blair

I was told by my local tool shop that the Festool belt sanders are actually made for Festool by another german company but can't recall the company's name.

The belt sanders are a very old original Holz Her design, the name means "wood here", a cry made by german journeymen carpenters to their apprentices.

It is a recent acquisition of Tooltechnic's. You will have no doubt seen older sanders by B&D, Bosch & Metabo using Holz Her's licenced designs. Since the takeover these manufacturers have had to source their licenced designs elsewhere, hence the recent changes in design of their respective tools.