Festool power tools - Woodworking Talk

jumping3jack · 10-22-2007, 10:10 PM

New to the site and glad to have found it. I have a friend who has a TS55 Festool plunge saw and he gets good clean and accurate cuts on sheet goods. I would like to get the TS75 which is $560.00 with the track. I also need a new router for cuting dado's. Does the Festool 2000 router use the same guide track and is it worth the $450. price tag compared to other routers?

Thanks
Jack

Corndog · 10-22-2007, 11:22 PM

Not a big fan. How long before they turn into Delta/DeWalt /Hitatchi/ect..........off shore junk=$$$$ for the "company".

My 2....

billybokay · 10-23-2007, 11:32 PM

I am a huge fan of festool.
Top of the class, no doubt about it. Best tools on the market.

Personally I think the ts 75 is overkill. I love the ts55 for sheet goods and never have needed more power. The 75 is better if you are going to be cutting a lot of solid oak doors or other 8/4 stock. It is larger and heavier and more powerful, but I am more than happy with the 55.
Same on the router. The 1400 is more than enough for a hand held router, and the 2000, larger and bigger, is not recomended for table mounting.
Funny how festool has a load of people who love them , and a group of people who hate them.
The people that love them all have one thing in common. The actually have used and owned them.

Corndog · 10-23-2007, 11:46 PM

Perhaps I was too harsh. Just grumpy I 'spose.

**TexasTimbers** · 10-24-2007, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jumping3jack

. . . Does the Festool 2000 router use the same guide track . . . . and is it worth the $450. price tag compared to other routers? . . .

Billy, thanks for your response. When jack made his first post in the Introductions section he posed two question basically. one was objective and one subjective. I actually guranteed him that there was enough Festool owners/lovers on this site that if he posed his questions in the Power Tool section it would answered. I guaranteed it!

Now I am starting to get a little nervous. I will summarze his two questions don't make me llok bad!

Question #1 (Objective; i.e fact or fiction)
Does the Festool 2000 router use the same guide track as the plunge saws?
Question #2 (Subjective; i.e. opinion)
Is the $450 router worth $450 compared to other routers?

Festool owners unite! I am probably the biggest non-Festool owner fan on the board who used to say they are SO over-priced, so I would like to hear from you guys about this as well.

Orson Carter · 10-24-2007, 06:34 AM

Hello..
I am the owner of two OF2000's.
Q1. There is an adapter plate which you can mount the 2000 to and then mount this to the guide rails for routing. There are also stops available so you can do just that.. set a stop. In addition there is an accessory which allows you to rout perfect squares. It comes in two sizes, but has nothing to do with the rails. For a lot of groove routing I actually use the Domino, particularly for things like 5 or 6mm inlay or trenches for the bases of boxes. Its a more flexible tool than you think.

Q2. Before the OF2000 I used a Bosch 1100POF. Its a little 1/4" collet beast. The OF is extremely powerful and easy to use. Soft start and when you stop and restart immediately, it doesn't jar. I bought them originally for use with a Leigh FMT and D4R jig. They work beautifully, have 1/4", 8mm,12mm, and 1/2" collets available and are ergonomic in their use. With a Festool or similarly powered dust extractor, the job is very clean. The variable speed is cool too. I actually intende to buy a couple of Makita 3612c electronics, but for hand use they're just a bit clumsy. Everything on the Festool is exactly where you want it. If you want a real good routing experience, I suggest you get hold of some of Festool's 8mm shank bits. The results are outstanding. I'm sold on 8mm now for anything I get in that size shank. Spiral upcuts are the bees knees.
Incidentally, I have a Triton TRA001, 2 and 3/4 HP router in a table and I'd have no hesitation using the 2000 in it's place. Power to burn. Sorry I forgot about the price. Yes I think they are worth it. Over here they sell for double the Mak 3612s but I don't regret buying them.
Hope that helps.

Regards,

Orson

Orson Carter · 10-24-2007, 06:46 AM

Hi again,
Corndog, sorry to hear you don't like Festool, gotta ask what experience you've had to give you that opinion.
Billy, I use a TS75 routinely. I tried a 55 and just didn't feel it was right. Admittedly I do a lot of work with thick hardwood and no panel work. There is one thing that I feel the 75 has over the 55 and that is the weight. It sits better on the rail and you get fewer hassles with wayward cuts. (see the Festool Owners Group for discussions on this).
BTW, I dont belong to Festool, will always give you an honest opinion of pros and cons but find them to be better in most but not all cases. You guys don't have the belt sander there, but imagine sanding veneer with a belt sander without fear of breaking through and getting a finish on solid timber at 120g that allows you to go straight to a finishing sander!

Regards,

Orson

Buffalo Bilious · 10-24-2007, 10:15 AM

Personally, I've got nothing against Festool performance, though I've never used one of their tools. I'll take everyone's word that it's top notch. But is the added performance/efficiency enough to justify the whopping prices? That's my issue...

$560 for a circular saw? $450 for a router? $250 for a finish sander? $700 for a hopped-up biscuit joiner?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", and I like the "bling" as much as the next guy...

I just don't understand their pricing model, and I keep wondering how much of it is based on hype.

Orson Carter · 10-24-2007, 10:47 AM

Hi Bill,
I've seen too many threads on too many forums end up in a bun fight regarding Festool pricing. I'd hate to see the same thing happen here. I think everyone in the end agrees that they aren't cheap , not in price or quality.

Orson

**TexasTimbers** · 10-24-2007, 11:07 AM

Orson thanks for the great answers. Hopefully Jack will come back and see that his questions got answered in detail.

BuffaloBill I hear ya. I used to be in the same boat saying I would never buy a Festool at those prices, and I might not. But it sure is tempting.

jumping3jack · 10-24-2007, 03:06 PM

Thanks for all of the input. I just need a good way to cut sheetgoods and easy set-up for cuting dado's. I don't mind paying the extra for something that will make these operations easier! Are there better systems for doing the two jobs?

Jack

Orson Carter · 10-24-2007, 05:21 PM

Hi Jack,
For cutting sheet goods, Billy is right, the TS55 is the boy for the job along with the rail. Or you can get a Dado set for your Table Saw. OR.. Makita now make a replica of the TS55 and rail system. That might be a bit cheaper.
As I said, I find the Domino useful for 5,6,8 and 10mm dados and you get a loose tenon joinery system with it.

You can see how I use the Domino and the TS75 for this and other purposes at http://www.burrellcustomcarpentry.com/subpage26.html

Regards,

Orson

johnep · 10-24-2007, 06:05 PM

As a UK resident I have watched our tool industry die or transfer manufacturing overseas. It looks like this is now happening in the USA.
A great shame but your local company will never compete on price with the Chinese. Same with standard furniture too.

Where the local manufacturer can score is the top end of the market where the customer values that 'extra' that you can bring to the product.

johnep

Corndog · 10-25-2007, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buffalo Bilious

Personally, I've got nothing against Festool performance, though I've never used one of their tools. I'll take everyone's word that it's top notch. But is the added performance/efficiency enough to justify the whopping prices? That's my issue...

$560 for a circular saw? $450 for a router? $250 for a finish sander? $700 for a hopped-up biscuit joiner?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", and I like the "bling" as much as the next guy...

I just don't understand their pricing model, and I keep wondering how much of it is based on hype.

That's kinda what I meant. I mean....whooo!!!! They've been around fer a while and with the Domino "replacing" th B.J. it's bound to happen...Home hobbiest Festol XT!!!!! [made in Taiwan]
I'm sure they're GREAT tools but we got werk done before 'em...we'll get the job done without 'em.

My 2 inches...