Festool Insanity

[Walnut Beast]

Everything and anything Festool! Big money? You bet! Does it hold it's value? You bet! 

[terrifictimbersllc]

 

[Walnut Beast]

The new latches are a little nicer than the older ones 

[SwampDonkey]

When I see Lee Valley pushing the brand I know it isn't junk.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/tools/brand/festool

[Machinebuilder]

For me it says a lot when the tools is expensive and you can't get it.

I bought the track saw this year and i am really impressed.
I would like to get the midsized router but the only time I saw one in stock i wasn't ready to spend the $$$$

[YellowHammer]

I've had my tracksaw for several, many years now.  It's stupid expensive and stupid good.  I'm on my sixth blade.  The saw runs and look like it's new out of the box.  

[tule peak timber]

Most of my tools are FT, but as they fail, it costs more to repair them then buying a new "other " brand. Another way of saying it is that I own most of their wood related lineup and I'm not buying anymore...or repairing them. Good tools-yes, but they do wear out and are overly costly. I used to get invited to do presentations at the local dealership and let's just say it opened my eyes.  Looking more to Makita and 3M. Don't get me wrong; I try to buy quality stuff but there is a limit.
Cheers,
The Wizard of Crap  

[tule peak timber]

Two ways I save money on their tools is to rebuild their sanding pads and stop buying their sandpaper. The pads are 50 bucks a pop and I rebuild with glued on hook strips from a bulk roll-savings equal several hundred a year. The 3M cubitron has been going up in price but still lasts 2-3 times as long. Savings per year -a thousand something.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I always use Norton or Mirka sandpapers and disks. Disks CDN-95 cents a piece. Interface pads are less than $20. 3M Cubitron is CDN$1.60 each. Lee Valley supplies sandpapers for a fraction of the price you can buy them local at, if you can find local good paper that isn't Chinese rub off junk. ;D I know 5 years ago a box of 3 Norton papers was $10 a pop at Walmart, 95 cents a sheet at Lee Valley.

Locally, Canadian Tire used to carry good sand paper and emery cloth. Haven't seen quality there in years.

[tule peak timber]

I use Mirka also. Talk about the Cubitron cost--this is just six belts. >:(

 

[SwampDonkey]

How big are those belts? I bought some for a Makita belt sander for sanding the porch deck, 4" wide, 4 belts CDN $16. Kingspore brand made in the EU. 24" I think 36" ones are CDN$2.50 more. Never wore out one of them.

[tule peak timber]

37 X 60 

[SwampDonkey]

I see Klingspore belts that size as cheap as CDN$80 at some industrial supply places. Price doesn't mean a whole lot until you know about what kind of quality you're getting. Klingspore is good enough for me, but maybe there is something better. And I'd have no idea what that means. I know that any I've used lasts a long time, so can't be too bad. :D

[Larry]

Love hate for me. 

I have the 1400 router.  Why would they make the best router in the world and but just a stupid handle on it?  The plunge lock isn't anything to get excited about either.

The track with the track saws is genius....but the TS-55 is such a wimp!

Hasn't stopped me thinking.....I need a Dominio!  I might be able to reclaim some floor space that the chain and hollow chisel mortiser are occupying.

Rob, I've been using 3M Cubitron for the ros but really like the Zircona wide belts from Maverick Abrasives.  They last forever but my widebelt is really small.

[Dan_Shade]

I have a rotex sander and a dust extractor, I like them.

Youtuber aVe did a review on one.   I found it a bit disheartening. 

[Ed]

Ya, I'm into Festool...deep. But nothing new in 5 years, at least. Their prices have gotten out of line, imo. They also see the need to re-invent the wheel on a regular basis then raise prices because its "new and improved" when they really didn't fix anything that needed "fixin".

Ed

[Walnut Beast]

Ed they are going up in price January 4th. 
Hey everybody they have a cyclone/ separator for the vacs. Here it is. If you notice on the separator latches are different. The bottom one is the updated latches

 

 

[tule peak timber]

Love hate for me.  

I have the 1400 router.  Why would they make the best router in the world and but just a stupid handle on it?  The plunge lock isn't anything to get excited about either.

The track with the track saws is genius....but the TS-55 is such a wimp!

Hasn't stopped me thinking.....I need a Dominio!  I might be able to reclaim some floor space that the chain and hollow chisel mortiser are occupying.

Rob, I've been using 3M Cubitron for the ros but really like the Zircona wide belts from Maverick Abrasives.  They last forever but my widebelt is really small.

I bought their biggest router 2 years ago and have never plugged it in. Klunky.....The domino thing I use infrequently because I have better ways of joinery and the "snap twist lock" joinery system never unpacked as it looks not too good to me. Purchases I wish I did not make.
 The Cubitron disks and belts and papers are terrific and I go through them by the case, love the stuff. I will look into the Zircona belts, thanks. Merry Christmas !

[Walnut Beast]

Tule if you put them on EBay you would easily get all your money back or close to it.

When it comes to sharpening metal knifes on a mulcher almost all will say Cubitron  is the number one and best choice.

[Machinebuilder]

The track with the track saws is genius....but the TS-55 is such a wimp!

But its all that is available, I wish I could have gotten the bigger one for the extra depth of cut

[YellowHammer]

When I bought all my tracksaw stuff years ago, I bought two of the stupid expensive grid layout tables, the stupid expensive toolbox, a bunch of stupid expensive clamps and accessories and one piece of 2" cheap blueboard foam.  I never use all that other stuff, just the tracksaw, a track, and the foam.  Did I say something about "stupid?"  It's all up in the loft collecting dust.  

However I love the saw, and would buy another one in an instant, if this one dies and if they get available again.  Stupid expensive, but stupid good.  I don't own any of their other tools just the saw.  

[Ed]

At one time Festool offered a TS65 tracksaw, basically a 7 1/4" saw, long since dropped from the lineup.

Ed

[Walnut Beast]

Love hate for me.  

I have the 1400 router.  Why would they make the best router in the world and but just a stupid handle on it?  The plunge lock isn't anything to get excited about either.

The track with the track saws is genius....but the TS-55 is such a wimp!

Hasn't stopped me thinking.....I need a Dominio!  I might be able to reclaim some floor space that the chain and hollow chisel mortiser are occupying.

Rob, I've been using 3M Cubitron for the ros but really like the Zircona wide belts from Maverick Abrasives.  They last forever but my widebelt is really small.

Put your big boy pants on or should I say get your big boy wallet out and get a TS 75 if you can find one 😂. Like everything the 55 you have is outdated the newer ones have plenty of power plus the cordless models. Here is the newest 55 with the new thin kerf blade.

https://www.festoolusa.com/products/sawing/track-saws/576708---ts-55-feq-f-plus-us

[SwampDonkey]

I would imagine with Europe all in on that war over there that any German stuff is likely on hold indefinitely.

[Walnut Beast]

Another area where Festool shines is dust extraction with almost all of their tools. The HEPA filters to the auto clean in the CT 48 is a good choice or one of the smaller dust extractors with the cyclone unit also.