Festool VS. EZ Smart

[Gary Keedwell]

Well,

I like reading them because I learn some of the things about the products so I can make an INFORMED decision on my own. The reviews are what they are...nothing more. Just another tool to help me decide what or if I want to buy. Sometimes I will read 4 or 5 reviews and listen to the forums and read the specs. and or the manual to assist in my decision making. I work hard for my money and I don't make very many consumer regrets. That being said....I go by the old saying...."Believe nothing you hear...and only half of what you see"

Gary K.

[Don Baer]

I have tried to stay away from posting on this thread but as it has grown into the typical F vs E arguement I feel I must contribute something. Woodworking is not an exact science. There are several way to tacke any problem weather it's cutting wood or joining. Books have been written on finishing, there is no right way or wrong way. It all has to do with how one works. I had the privilidge of spending a day with Sam Maloff and he doesn't use either the F or the E. I am sure they both have there merits and those who use these tools feel very passionatly about them. Please remember that there is no right solution, only the one that works for you and no amount of arguing is going to change someones minds when what they use works for them. I use the same set of rails that I bought 20+ years ago to break down sheet good. I paid less then $10 for them when I bought them. Today you can buy them at the borg for less them $17.00. Then I finish on my table saw. Does that make it the best system, well I'n my opinion it does but remember what my dad said about opinions, everybody has one. Now let us resume normal woodworking.

Now let us resume our normal woodworking..

[Andy Hoyt]

I don't own anything F or E - and likely never will.

But I do use a guided system - it's my eyes, hands, and experience.

Price was right too - free from the OEM.

Cordless, too.

[Dan Clark]

I have tried to stay away from posting on this thread but as it has grown into the typical F vs E arguement I feel I must contribute something. Woodworking is not an exact science. There are several way to tacke any problem weather it's cutting wood or joining. Books have been written on finishing, there is no right way or wrong way. It all has to do with how one works. I had the privilidge of spending a day with Sam Maloff and he doesn't use either the F or the E. I am sure they both have there merits and those who use these tools feel very passionatly about them. Please remember that there is no right solution, only the one that works for you and no amount of arguing is going to change someones minds when what they use works for them. I use the same set of rails that I bought 20+ years ago to break down sheet good. I paid less then $10 for them when I bought them. Today you can buy them at the borg for less them $17.00. Then I finish on my table saw. Does that make it the best system, well I'n my opinion it does but remember what my dad said about opinions, everybody has one. Now let us resume normal woodworking.

Now let us resume our normal woodworking..

Don,

I don't think that F or E is meant for the professional wood worker who has a very large woodshop and a large inventory of expensive, traditional wood working equipment. These folks have created and fine-tuned an environment and process that works for them.

However, many people (like me) don't have that luxury. Yes, "luxury"...

I have neither the space or inclination to purchase a large, high-quality table saw that will handle 4X8 sheets of plywood. I can't buy a 16" jointer and planer. I don't have no space for three or four 10' long work benches.

So what do I do? Like a lot of these folks who don't have the luxuries that you and others do, I work around them. Yes, I have the money to purchase decent tools. But I have nowhere to put them.

So, I buy Festool. I figure out ways to maximize the space and time that I have. I leverage what I can.

If I had a whole passle of portable tools I liked, I might buy EZ.

Frankly, although I don't like the aggressive and insulting tone of some of the EZ posts, I like even less posts that imply, "Let's go back to discussing 'needs of real men' - guys with planers, and jointers and table saws." Sorry, but that doesn't make it either.

Each of us is trying to find our own path. Please recognize that. Some paths are not the traditional, but they are valid.

Regards,

Dan.

[Don Baer]

Dan,
I find nothing in your post that is contrary to what I have posted, i wonder why you nothered to respond?

[Dan Clark]

Dan,
I find nothing in your post that is contrary to what I have posted, i wonder why you nothered to respond?

Don,

Perhaps your meant something other than what I read. Let's forget it.

Untimately, what is important is that each of us finds the tools that meet our needs. Some people (no, not you) seem to feel the need to insult others' choice of tools or company because it doesn't match their own.

It's the abuse that bothers me, not the tools or companies.

Regards,

Dan.

[Ken Salisbury]

OK - here we go again ! ! !

We don't need the "nasties" as Jim B calls them. Either stay on the topic and refrain from the "you pick on me and then I pick on you" syndrome. Thread is on the verge of being closed.

"Your Friendly Moderator"

[Frank Pellow]

I read the Fine Homebuilding article and, to me, it seems like a good and fair comparison of 6 guide rail systems, any one of which I am sure I would be happy to use.

As far as Festool and the EZ`system comparison, yes the writer picked Festool by a very narrow margin but, as he says, "Choosing between Festool and EZ`Smart is like choosing between Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

[Gary Keedwell]

I read the Fine Woodworking article and, to me, it seems like a good and fair comparison of 6 guide rail systems, any one of which I am sure I would be happy to use.

As far as Festool and the EZ`system comparison, yes the writer picked Festool by a very narrow margin but, as he says, "Choosing between Festool and EZ`Smart is like choosing between Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

Frank...it was in Fine Homebuilding. Do you think that home building would have different criteria than woodworking? Just a thought,is all.

Gary K.

[Dan Clark]

They would probably have picked the Festool guides by a higher margin because they are woodworkers.

The vast majority of Festool users are woodworkers, not builders. Many builders have a set of tools that they are happy with and would probably pick the EZ guides as the superior alternative.

Although the Festool guide is very good, I believe that most woodworkers are attracted to Festool TOOLS, not Festool guides. If you use Festool TOOLS, then you probably will choose Festool guides. I.e., the Festool guide would preferred because they are Festool tool users.


Regards,

Dan.

p.s., Yes some Festool users have EZ guides, but the VAST majority do not.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank...it was in Fine Homebuilding. Do you think that home building would have different criteria than woodworking? Just a thought,is all.

Gary K.

Right you are Gary. I went back and edited my post to make the correction.

[Gary Keedwell]

Dan, you are absolutely right. I have 3-4 carpenter friends that you described to the tee.

Gary K.

[Jeff Fritzson]

Well I might as well add on to this as I have yet to post on one of these threads. I am both an EZ user and soon to be a festool user (sanders to start.) I use my EZ system with a Porter-Cable Mag 25. I get good results but mainly do not expect to have a finished cut using this set up. There are two primary reasons for this:

1. Operator error - regardless of which system (EZ or Festool) I still have to mark crosscuts on long boards with my eyes, pencil and then line up the guide. When I am doing multiple of these I automatically introduce errors. The particular cut I have is a 15 inch long crosscut on a piece of plywood 75" long. What I actually ended up doing is using my SCMS set up and flipping the board over. That gave me the best results.

2. My Mag 325 does not have a blade in it that gives me a great finishing cut. I could change the blade but for the most part, I break down to rough sizes and finish on my TS with a WWII blade.

Now number one above is going to exist regardless of whether I use EZ or Feestool. Number two above has an interesting twist but it is really comparing the Festool Circular saw to the PC Mag 325. I could not justify the price of the Festool Circular saw for what I do (not anyone else.) Is Festool's circular saw good? Absolutely. I have had my opportunity using it and it is a wonderful saw. If I had unlimited funds it would be in my arsenal.

However, for how I do woodworking (if you can call it that) I could not see that as my best bang for the buck. I would not use it enough (currently) to justify that expense. You might ask how do I justify the festool sander expense and I can say right off the bat that the dust collection is the primary reason (the mag 325 with a shop vac gives some decent DC.) Health issues and built-ins lend myself to justifying the sanders.

That is just from my perspective.

Regards,
Jeff

[Dan Clark]

...soon to be a festool user (sanders to start.)

Jeff, what Festool sander are you looking at?

Operator error - regardless of which system (EZ or Festool) I still have to mark crosscuts on long boards with my eyes, pencil and then line up the guide. When I am doing multiple of these I automatically introduce errors.
...

Now number one above is going to exist regardless of whether I use EZ or Feestool.

Maybe. Maybe not. If you limit yourself to guides, then I'd probably agree with you. If you also use Festool circular saw + MFT1080 + guide, then I don't think that is necessarily true.

... how do I justify the festool sander expense and I can say right off the bat that the dust collection is the primary reason (the mag 325 with a shop vac gives some decent DC.) Health issues and built-ins lend myself to justifying the sanders.

The Festool sanders have great dust collection built in. And, with an adapter (check out a Fein adapter) you can hook it to your shop vac. However...

There are two issues here.

First, most shop vacs do not control dust very well. Festool and Fein (and maybe others) have great dust collection and very fine filters. Very, very little dust escapes them.

Second, an issue that many people report is that a better quality DC (like Fein and Festool) has some much suction that it overpowers the sander. Festool DC's have an advantage here because they have variable suction control.

You many want to consider looking at the DC issue first. Festools and Feins are excellent, IMO.

Obviously, you need to take what I write with grain of salt since I'm a Festool fan (see signature).

Regards,

Dan.

p.s. Be careful when buying your first Festool. It's a long slippery slope.

[Gary Keedwell]

Dan, I agree with you and have some carpenter friends that will agree, also! lol

Gary K.