Which Festool tool could you not live without?

[Russell Tribby]

I purchased the Domino a few months back to use for a plantation shutter project. I pulled it out and broke it in last week and immediately fell in love. I cut 60+ mortises in about 30 minutes with not an spec of sawdust to show for it. The Domino and vac are my lone Festool purchases so I'm wondering, for those of you that have a larger collection, what Festool pieces are the most prized in your shop?

[David DeCristoforo]

So far I've managed to live without any....

[Russell Tribby]

Originally Posted by David DeCristoforo

So far I've managed to live without any....

That was me up until a month ago. I know that the price tag of the Domino is pretty ridiculous but the amount of time it saved me is invaluable. Between teaching, coaching and our three little ones I have a limited amount of time to get things done in the shop. Any piece of equipment or process that helps me to use my time more effeciently is certainly appreciated.

[Reed Wells]

Oh-Oh, All of them.

[Bill Wyko]

I'm up to 9 now and wouldn't part with any of them. Some people will say buying Festool is showboating but I'd disagree. They truly are the best tools I've ever laid hands on. Especially the Domino and any sander they make. The sanders are soo smooth in your hands compaired to anything else. No more numb hands. Their sand paper and dust extraction is great too.

[Jesse Cloud]

I've got pretty much everything but the drill. Wouldn't want to part with any of them. But the real heart of my shop is the system comprised of the multifunction table (MFT), the plunge saw (TS55), and the vac (CT-22). I pretty much use my table saw as an assembly table these days. The three above get used every day.

[Tom Cowie]

Originally Posted by Russell Tribby

I purchased the Domino a few months back to use for a plantation shutter project. I pulled it out and broke it in last week and immediately fell in love. I cut 60+ mortises in about 30 minutes with not an spec of sawdust to show for it. The Domino and vac are my lone Festool purchases so I'm wondering, for those of you that have a larger collection, what Festool pieces are the most prized in your shop?

Hi Russell

The Domino is great and I wouldn't be without mine but I admit that the Festool's that I can't do without are the Rotex and vac combo.

Tom

[Ron Dunn]

None of them.

I admit I've been contemplating a rail-and-saw combination to trim panels to final size after glue-up, but that contemplation has taken over two years because what I have now (a home-made guide) does the job.

I'm sure they are good tools, especially if carpentry or joinery is your thing, but to me they are neither indispensible nor life-saving.

That opinion may get changed soon *grin* ... I'm taking a couple of my preferred joint making tools to spend the afternoon with another woodworker, looking at his Domino in comparison. I'm really looking forward to it.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have 3 and I want a Domino and I couldn't live without any that I already have. Period!!!!

[Joe Mioux]

the mini, the midi(?) and the ct 22.

joe

i have the ct33 vac

[Craig D Peltier]

I dont own any. I do want the rotex sander. I have used it and it takes material off like nothing else.
I have also used the circular saw with guide rail. I was impressed but definately live without. I have a saw with 50 inch rails which helps I guess.

[Steve Clardy]

I have 1 sander, the 150/3, which is great, but could actually do without it.

I have a bosch that is comparable. A tad more vibration than the festool.

[Rick de Roque]

Originally Posted by Dennis Peacock

I have 3 and I want a Domino and I couldn't live without any that I already have. Period!!!!

Dennis,

I have the Domino and if you want to take it for a spin your welcome to it.

Rick

[Dave Falkenstein]

I use two MFT1080's connected together as a work table, glue-up table, crosscut table, panel cutting table. The MFT's are really versatile with the guide rail for cutting and routing.

[Loren Hedahl]

I could live just fine without any of them. My assortment includes the saw with a selection of rails, the MFT table, the RO125 sander, domino and CT22 vacuum.

However, they have saved me a bunch of money.

I was all set to build a new shop. After getting permits, bulldozing, power, ect., then building the structure I was figuring $20K minimum and about a year of my time. Then there's benches, shelving, heating, dust collection, lighting, insulation, etc. Then there's the continuing costs for heating, taxes and building maintenance.

Instead, I gave my son-in-law my contractor saw and most of my other power tools. He had just moved into a new home with an unfinished basement and was really happy to get these.

So now in my garage shop I can do just about anything I did before, just about as easy and certainly with less mess to clean up at the end of the day. I pay for no extra heating, no extra property tax and no extra building maintenance.

Almost all work is done at the multi-function table that sets end-to-end with a traditional woodworking workbench at the same height. Heating is by a radiant heater that heats me instead of the whole shop.

I kept a floor mounted drill press, two band saws a jointer and my big ol' Delta turret top radial arm saw. All my stock is direct from a local mill. To clean up rough stock I roll my RAS and jointer out to a shed. The RAS works great to trim off a wavy edges using the front of the table as a fence that guides a straight edge clamped to the bottom of the rough boards. Then the rough boards can be cut to a few inches over length, jointed and planed in the shed and the dirty work is done.

I blow the sawdust off the machines, roll them back into their corner of my garage shop, sweep up the shed and the rest of the work is done inside.

So, I have about three grand in Festools, but I figure I'm way ahead.