Festool Roadshow

Tom Baugues

Member
Messages
2,790
Location
Lafayette, Indiana
Driving through town today I passed a local hardware store and out in the parking lot there was a large semi truck advertising Festool brand tools and set up to do demos. I stopped by to see what they were up to and watched a few demos. I guess it's been a long time since I've shopped for tools cause these tools seemed to be state of the art tools with tons of features and options. Way more features than I a hobbyist would ever use. Looking at a drill with all the different head options was pretty interesting until I heard the guy say $625.00. Now, for a contractor or someone who does woodworking for a living it may very well be worth the cost but I suddenly felt like I didn't belong there when I heard the cost. Very nice tools...just not in my price range. I did get a free t-shirt though and an education of what good quality tools can do for you.
 
I've never regretted buying the best tools I could afford, but even if I could afford a $625 drill, I'd have a hard time justifying it for my uses. I know a lot of pros, semi-pros, and serious hobbyists who have been able to justify the cost of the Festool products, and I've not heard of anyone who regretted the purchase.

I see a lot of parallels between tool purchases and music gear purchases. Both can be used professionally or as a hobby, and there are wide price and quality ranges for both. Even though I'm playing semi-professionally now (I play for free but charge money to move my equipment, lol), I'm still content using my sub-$1000 guitars in a community where a lot of players would never consider playing a Mexican-made Fender in public. Personally, I'd be afraid to take a $3000 US-made PRS guitar to a gig for fear of banging it up, but I'm perfectly content with a $400 Korean-made PRS. (And I won't have a heart attack if I bang it into a mic stand.) Plus, my playing will be just as sloppy on the expensive guitar anyway, lol. On the other hand, the amp modeler I use is the state of the art and priced accordingly. But to me, the versatility it offers and the satisfaction it brings are worth the premium price.
 
One thing I can say about Festool tools is that they seem to last forever. I bought years ago one of their Rotex Orbital Sanders when I was still building furniture. Never regretted it. A powerful tool beyond imagination. I can literally put most of my weight on it and it does not bog down at all. Are they expensive tools? Yes. Are they worth it? If you need a high quality power tool, then Festool is the name to buy. They have other tools I think that are not that pricey, though none are inexpensive. But, I would not spend that much on a drill. But I did spend I think it was $450.00 for that sander around 10 years ago. Sure made sanding table tops a dream instead of a chore, for sure.
 
I can't add much to what has already been said. If I felt I could justify them, I'd probably get them, but also being ignorant to what they can do for me is probably best too. ;)
 
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