Will you be buying the *NEW* Domino

[Michael Mayo]

So I just get my daily Woodcraft email and it has as the very first item featured a huge banner ad for the *NEW* and *IMPROVED* larger, better, stronger, faster, smarter Festool Domino Joiner. Now if you thought the first iteration of this tool was a lot of money then you are going to really be surprised when you see the $1200 price tag on this baby. I don't argue that this tool is as amazing as it sounds to be but for the at home woodworker who is serious but not really making money with woodworking this thing is just way out of the normal guy's budget. For a production shop this thing is a bargain it would seem to me. A big production shop would probably want a couple of them in case one goes down for repairs or they have several guy's doing the same thing at once. I am sure they pay for themselves in short order. I would love to have one but it just isn't ever happening unless I get lucky and win the $350M MegaMoney drawing tonight and then I probably won't be too interested in woodworking for a while.........:D

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2084365/37774/Festool-Domino-XL-Joiner-DF-700-.aspx?refcode=12IN03NL&srct=1413130&utm_source=directemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=3_27_12&utm_campaign=12IN03NL

[Dave Mura]

Well I certainly wouldn't mind owning one of those :)
http://chdsolutions.com/img/11d867796d85db8cad5280ac44cec7c1.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/a57d48399922b03419153a9760c5ce53.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/cabad3b9bc0afe08cd9ec861638ed1d9.gif

[Jerry Thompson]

I do not think I would buy one at a quarter of the price. I still would rather chop or drill motices and use a router or tablr saw to make tenons. That and when ever I save up enough butter and egg money it'll be toward a better band saw or drill press.

[Dave Lehnert]

I'll never buy one for that price but also don't think it is too much of a stretch for a home shop. Yes, expensive for a hand power tool but the $$$$ is not out of reach. We spend that much or more for a planer, jointer, bandsaw, table-saw etc.... For the type of work I do, there are much cheaper options.

[Victor Robinson]

Where's Frank?

[frank shic]

you won't believe this but despite my recent suggestions of using a domino xl for door construction, i haven't really used my domino that often. i tried using it for cabinet carcase assembly the other night and it was just such a royal pain that i was only too relieved last night when i went back to stapling and screwing the parts together. i'll definitely be opting out and wouldn't rule out selling off my domino some day in the future if i don't find more uses for it soon!

[Sam Murdoch]

I own the last version and am very happy that I do. It is a great tool - immensely useful. Can't imagine trading up, but will sign up for one when it is offered in the monthly Festool give-a-way on the FOG :rolleyes:. Meanwhile, I'm happy with the old model.

Just reading Frank's 2¢. I agree Frank the Domino is not a tool for cabinet box construction (or face frames for that matter - read my earlier post on other threads :)) but when it comes to constructing cabinet doors or attaching shelf edges, or gluing up panels, c-tops etc., among other projects, the Domino is king. A time saver, an accuracy improver and certainly a structure enhancer.

[Myk Rian]

Short answer, no.
Longer answer, never.

[Chris Tsutsui]

It's not for me. For big M&T work I would just cut them with other methods... I imagine if I was making a lot of bigger projects and wanted fast and easy loose M&T that's bigger than a regular domino then I would invest in the big domino. But only if I was selling that stuff commercially.

I say it's for the "well off" hobbyist, or commercial work.

$1200 could be used towards a lot of things...

If it were $300 cost, I would probably buy one though. :)

[Mike Henderson]

The Domino XL was demonstrated to me in a class recently. It's designed for much larger mortise and loose tenon joinery, such as doors. Unless you're doing a lot of this kind of work, I think you'd be better off to drill out your mortises.

For the demo, the Festool guy used a couple of 2x4's and the mortise was big enough that you wouldn't want to use anything much smaller. For furniture work, the regular Domino is the proper tool.

Mike

[frank shic]

i've also noticed that i'm a very impatient wood joiner so i really much rather prefer pocket screwing almost anything as long as the joint won't be visible... i hate gluing in plugs, cutting and sanding them as well lol

[Jay Jolliffe]

Nope..I have the 500 & I'm happy with that.....I don't see it as being that much better other than a little bigger & longer tenon.

[Brian Kincaid]

I'm looking forward to longer tenons in the 8 & 10 sizes. I have often wanted to use the full 40 travel in the 500 on both sides of the joint, but I don't have any dominos that length.

XL? Probably not for me. I have used a 4 more than I would use a 14, but the 14 would have been fun to use sometimes.

-Brian

[Peter Quinn]

I would have, but when I made the choice a few years back I went slot mortiser rather than the smaller domino because I needed a greater capacity. If it really works as well as the smaller version (I use one at work frequently) it would be great for large frame and panel work. I do a lot of what might be properly call millwork or architectural millwork, and I can imagine lots of uses for which those big dominos would be perfect. But I'm certainly not going to dump my slot mortiser at this point. Maybe I'll win the mega millions drawing and buy two, one for left hand mortises and one for right?

[Dave Lehnert]

I keep looking for the $19.99 Harbor Freight model.

[Van Huskey]

I don't have any uses for the XL that I wouldn't rather use other techniques for. The regular Domino is a different story.

[Victor Robinson]

The XL is a complement to the existing Domino, certainly not a replacement. I would definitely consider replacing my Domino with the larger one if it actually did all widths (or even if it went down to 6mm as the smallest), but obviously, Festool wants you to have to buy both. I'm just a hobbyist and even with a potential interior door project coming up, I can't justify the XL.

But from an engineering standpoint, both machines are very cool. And the XL improves on some of the ergonomics of the original, which were already pretty good.

[Glen Blanchard]

And the XL improves on some of the ergonomics of the original, which were already pretty good.


I got the original the day it was available for sale in the US. Don't really have a need for the XL, as I do mostly smaller stuff. I agree with Victor though, the handle configuration looks much more comfortable and ergonomic.

[Richard Shaefer]

I have the 500 and I also make a lot of doors. To be honest, the XL is a neat widget, but cost wise, it's a little too close to a 1 hp stand mortiser (my real work horse for doors) to be practical for me. I do think the tool makes a lot of sense for carpenters that do outside work such as pergolas, and I could see it making a lot of sense for exterior door shop that make bigger exterior doors where it's easier to move the tool around the workpiece instead of vice-versa.

[Rod Sheridan]

I think it's a fantastic tool, and if I had a use for one I'd buy it.

That said I have a hollow chisel mortiser and a shaper for mortice and tenon work so I don't think I'll buy one.

Regards, Rod.

[Jeff Monson]

I'd love to own one, but $1200.00 for a tool that gets used "on occasion" is just too much for me to justify in todays economy.

[johnny means]

I guess I'll be the first to say that I'll be buying one definitely. While it is not as capable as a stationary mortiser,i never know where I'll be working at, and the portability makes it more useful for me. I'll also be keeping my original, which I just repurchased after selling off my first one and regretting it.

[Jerome Hanby]

IF (<- big if <g>) I ever buy a new Domino this would be the one that I'd buy. Much more likely that I'd fall into used older model... I'll be getting a vacuum, a sander or two, and a Kapex (my wife wants one!) before I even begin thinking of a Domino.

[Paul McGaha]

Jerome does your wife do woodworking also?

[Jerome Hanby]

Jerome does your wife do woodworking also?

She turns (pens so far but is getting worked up to do bowls). She loves the notion of segmented turning and has collected lots of Malcom Tibbets reading materiel. He uses a Kapex to prepare his segmented bits and pieces so she is thinking that is the tool of choice. Therefore I now love Malcom Tibbets <eg>.

[frank shic]

luccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccky :)

[Tony Joyce]

I will indeed be getting one. I have the 500 and will keep it. For me both have a place in my shop. The 700 will be the quick and easy way for doing interior and exterior doors. I have a stationary mortiser, but I like being able to take the tool to the work on larger pieces, less handling = better. The one thing I will miss is the dealer employee discount, that I got on the 500.

[Paul McGaha]

luccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccky :)

No doubt of that. It must be really cool that she can share the hobby with you.

[Ty Williams]

I'll be getting one. The largest tool I have room to store is about the size of the Festool Systainers and no one tool can weigh more than about 40lbs because I have to carry it from where it's store to where I'm going to use it. For me, this makes the Domino XL the best solution for how to do things like doors, gates, beds, benches, etc.

[Jerome Hanby]

No doubt of that. It must be really cool that she can share the hobby with you.


Other than the "why have you stacked this stuff on my lathe stand?" inquiries <g> Of course that's better than the two years of "when are you going to finish my lathe stand?". I don't think so, but that last one could have been a little bit my fault <g>

[Kevin Gagne]

you won't believe this but despite my recent suggestions of using a domino xl for door construction, i haven't really used my domino that often. i tried using it for cabinet carcase assembly the other night and it was just such a royal pain that i was only too relieved last night when i went back to stapling and screwing the parts together. i'll definitely be opting out and wouldn't rule out selling off my domino some day in the future if i don't find more uses for it soon!

Hi Frank and other,

Not sure is you are aware of the Domiplate accessory for the Domino but it is great. It makes building cabinets very easy. It is rather inexpensive also. I use this just about every time I pull out the Domino. It will give you a perfect alignment for the corners.

http://www.senecawoodworking.com/

[frank shic]

kevin, thanks for that reference. i just discovered it about a month ago and built one out of scrap poplar. i think i will go back to using a domino on each side of the panel just for alignment before i screw the parts together. i had a few blowouts this time using my pneumatic stapler.

[Craig Michael]

As others have said, the original domino and the new domino xl are compliments, not either or. They do not do the same size domino's so you cannot use one for all of your tasks. I have seen the new domino xl up close and check it out and saw a demo of it. It is a very nice tool and even though it is quite a bit larger than the original domino, the xl is well balanced, the handle placement is great and the features are excellent. There are few few little things that they upgraded on the design of the xl vs. the original. Just my guess, I think you'll see a revised original domino with some of the improvements of the xl.

One thing that you notice right away with the xl is the size of the cutters. They are large, especially when you see them next to the original cutters.

[frank shic]

the extra stops are nice