Ask This Old House

[Jim Rimmer]

I've noticed that Tom Silva has been using Festools for a while now. The episode I saw this weekend (it could be a rerun) he was using their track saw. I guess he has a new sponsor.

[John McClanahan]

I read where he said his guys like Festool, so that's why he uses them. Some episodes do look a bit like an infomercial.

[Lloyd Kerry]

Like the 'what is it ?' segment where they had a piece of woven poly with handles. One of them said a parachute, lol, but it was a device for mixing water with a bag of ready-mix. Wow! You can't buy advertising like that! Well, I guess you could, but it would cost a bundle. I should send them a plywood pouch!

[Ron Natalie]

Similarly they had a "What is it" segment with a drywall cutter that uses two cutters that have a strong magnet to hold them to opposite sides of the drywall and cut both faces at once.
I went out and found it as a result and it works GREAT.

[Jim Becker]

Tom may have an "arrangement" now, but he originally bought Festool based on the merits after a demonstration and hands-on with someone that many of us buy our Festool products from worked very hard to get an appointment. You can say that an SMC-er got Tom hooked... ;)

[Tony Zaffuto]

He also uses LN planes.

[phil harold]

for doing remodeling a festool with dust collection makes life a breeze

[Bill Edwards(2)]

Quite a long time ago Tommy pulled out a Cordless CXS and I thought What a peice of
junk that is.... (having no knowledge of Festool).
It sound belies it's strength.:o

[Joe Adams]

I met Tom Silva several years ago and asked him about Festool. As I recall, he said he had tried one of their sanders on a job and was so impressed with the dust collection that he was sold on their tools. He said believe it or not he paid for his own tools and understood Festools are expensive but felt the dust collection was worth it.

This was just prior to me drinking the green Kool-Aid. I started with one and within few years had a dozen.

[Stan Krupowies]

This was just prior to me drinking the green Kool-Aid. I started with one and within few years had a dozen.

Yup, that green Kool-Aid is quite tasty isn't it?

[David Weaver]

It can't be too much of a surprise that they would gravitate toward festool tools.

If you think about what pros were using in the 1980s, etc, those tools are gone now replaced by less repairable disposable imported tools (in my opinion) from the big makers.

[Peter Quinn]

I can remember an old TOH where Norm and Tommy built a small kitchen from scratch in the driveway of the cottage being remodeled using mostly festool products. This was pre domino or kapex, but the track saw and routers were in use, as well as screw guns and maybe a jig saw? Festool was pretty new stuff them, few were talking about it. My impression is they have always been pretty progressive tools wise on that show. It's really not hard to believe that a good remodeling contractor doing high end work would gravitate toward the best tool he could buy, is it? That used to be porter cable, but no one accused him of secret sponsorships then. I don't smell a conspiracy when I use festool, and I don't smell one when he does either.

[Craig Michael]

I met Tom Silva several years ago and asked him about Festool. As I recall, he said he had tried one of their sanders on a job and was so impressed with the dust collection that he was sold on their tools. He said believe it or not he paid for his own tools and understood Festools are expensive but felt the dust collection was worth it.

This was just prior to me drinking the green Kool-Aid. I started with one and within few years had a dozen.

He did buy all his original Festool tools. He purchased them from Bob Marino, Bob used to have a picture of himself with Tommy (and I think Tommy's brother who is his business partner in Silva Construction). Now he gets the trials, not sure if those get comp'ed on if he pays for them. Maybe it's a mix, I guess it depends on the shows rules.