Thinking about dipping my toe in the green pool..... should I?

[Mac Cambra]

I have been driving myself nuts, jones-ing more like it. This Festool sale on Domino and Domino accessories has me going crazy. I am trying to decide whether or not I should go green....?

Guys tell me if its worth it or not? I gotta fever and something is going to break.

Wise people, advice please...

Thanks

[Ralph Butts]

Drink the kool-Aid

[eugene thomas]

Domino is worth dipping into the green.

[Peter Kuhlman]

I own the smaller D500 model. Sized best for most furniture type projects. Expensive, fast, well built.
Sure you can do almost all the same functions with a dowel rig like the DowelMax I own or the Jessem version but much slower to use.
Depends upon your projects, the volume of work, funds available.
For me, I find I get better results with the DowelMax and since I am a hobbiest, time is not a huge factor. The difference is when using either tool to do edge joining. I find it very difficult to get a nice smooth joint with the Domino and that is with lots of practice and attending the Festool class. With the DowelMax there is just the slightest variance in height between boards that is easily sanded out while the Domino just gives results in my hands that are unacceptable for that use. The Domino gets used for other tasks but edge joining gets the dowels.

[Frank Martin]

Domino is definitely a worthwhile investment. I have many Festools but Domino and the track saw are the ones that I consider totally worth the price tag. The rest I could have gone with other brands without too much compromise.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Yes, get the domino. It will simplify all your joinery. But don't do it without a good vacuum--Festool or other brand. without good suction, debris is not cleared and bit overheating or breakage is probable at least on the smaller domino machine.

[mreza Salav]

I have had Jessem dowel jig (both types) and they work quite well. I am in the middle of building a full house including cabinets for kitchen + 5.5 bathrooms and lots of other projects and went and bought the Domino. It is much faster than dowel jigs. I think it is not as accurate but accurate enough for most works.
It is very well built machine. Since I bought it I rarely use dowels at all...

[Victor Robinson]

Dive in brother, the water's fine. The Domino is a great first dip. I don't think you'll regret it, and at 10% off, now is as good of a time as any.

Besides, if you don't like it or can't justify it for your work, you can probably sell it for very close to what you paid for it. Both models are very well-engineered, and a joy to use.

[Max Neu]

Do it,they have a 30 day return policy.If you don't like it,you can return it for a full refund with no questions asked.

[Jim Matthews]

The Domino sets are easy to resell, if you don't use them.

I doubt such a tool will expand your skillset, but
it will make set up and joinery easier.

Perhaps that would translate into more finished projects.

I like the idea of the Domino, but dislike the reliance on proprietary tenons.
The money, as with modern razors, is in the "disposable" parts that can't be reused.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have been driving myself nuts, jones-ing more like it. This Festool sale on Domino and Domino accessories has me going crazy. I am trying to decide whether or not I should go green....?

Guys tell me if its worth it or not? I gotta fever and something is going to break.

IMHO - if you're at the "considering it stage", you've already past the point of no return. ;)

You might as well jump in with both feet. :D

(I'm really only half kidding)...

I went through much of the same thought process with the track saw. Finally one day when cutting a sheet of plywood w/my shop made jig, the plywood pinched the blade - jammed - and tore up the edge. Scratch one piece of plywood, that, at the time had been a real pain in the neck to drag home. I was between vans and had to tie it to the roof of my Accord and drive it home in a rain storm.
That was the last straw. I unplugged the circular saw, jumped in the car and went straight to Hartville Hdw. and picked up a Festool TS55EQ.

IMHO - if you've reached the point where you have to ask if it's worth it - you've already determined you can use it.
Go for it!
As mentioned, you have 30 days no questions asked - and - resale value of Festool is very high.

[Mac Cambra]

Who am I kidding, I was already wearing the swimming trunks. The vacuum is also 10% off so I was going to get that also.

I was just afraid that once I was in there would be no turning back - a Festool zealot in the making.

I will order it and thank the wife for the great early B-day gifts.

[Frank Martin]

I like the idea of the Domino, but dislike the reliance on proprietary tenons.
The money, as with modern razors, is in the "disposable" parts that can't be reused.

Actually, you can make yours if you think they are too expensive without too much effort. I had been doing loose tenon joinery even before Domino so did that before. However, after the Domino, I found the price of the consumables not so much to consider making my own.

[John Piwaron]

I have been driving myself nuts, jones-ing more like it. This Festool sale on Domino and Domino accessories has me going crazy. I am trying to decide whether or not I should go green....?

Guys tell me if its worth it or not? I gotta fever and something is going to break.

Wise people, advice please...

Thanks

Get it. It works great at my house. I don't know that it's the right thing for *every* project but it sure is handy on plenty of them. But - get a vac too. With one of their vacs attached it gets ALL of the chips it cuts. All. That's great! :)

[Duane Meadows]

Jumped feet first into the green pool years ago... Grizzly green everywhere;)

[Jim Becker]

The Domino is the one Festool product I don't currently own that I really want to own...and will own when I have the funds to procure it.

[Mac Cambra]

I am in, just placed the order for the Domino set , Domino assortment and cutters plus the CT48 dust extractor. Can't feel the temp of the pool yet because sticker shock has me numb. With the extractor out of the way the barrier to other tools won't be as hard to swallow.

I will let you know if my green conversion is going to spread.

[Victor Robinson]

I am in, just placed the order for the Domino set , Domino assortment and cutters plus the CT48 dust extractor. Can't feel the temp of the pool yet because sticker shock has me numb. With the extractor out of the way the barrier to other tools won't be as hard to swallow.

I will let you know if my green conversion is going to spread.

Did you go with the small or big one?

Just a FYI if you wanted to reduce sticker shock a bit - CMT makes bits for the Domino that cost about half as much. They're pretty much indistinguishable as far as I can tell in my own hands and based on what I have heard form others.

[Mac Cambra]

The smaller one, the DF 500 Q set, it has some of the guide accessories. I also got the tenon kit with the cutter set. Thanks for the CMT pointer, I will keep that in mind when I need replacements.

[Ken Platt]

I got the 500 a few months back. There's a learning curve, but I'm finding it very useful. The ability to put a mortise right in the middle of a large panel with perfect alignment is pretty cool. I recommend the videos by Half-Inch Shy.

Also, although you already spent for the vacuum, for any others thinking of the domino, I find that my regular shop vac does just fine. I cobbled together an attachment hose with some old shop vac hose and some adapter I had sitting around the shop.

Ken

[Mike Cozad]

Does the domino replace biscuits in large panel glue-ups? If so, other than a possible need for increased strength, why? I have a PC biscuit cutter that is brand new (have had a long time but was out of woodworking due to health issue) and now that I'm able to get back into the shop, had expected to learn to use it. Not that I am flush with enough Benjamins to go green, but curious anyway....

[Mike Cutler]

Does the domino replace biscuits in large panel glue-ups? If so, other than a possible need for increased strength, why? I have a PC biscuit cutter that is brand new (have had a long time but was out of woodworking due to health issue) and now that I'm able to get back into the shop, had expected to learn to use it. Not that I am flush with enough Benjamins to go green, but curious anyway....

Mike
Yes it can for either plywood or solid lumber. I would say that if plywood is the primary material though, the biscuit jointer is more than suited for the job, especially since it was designed for that application. The Biscuit Jointer gets a lot of negative attention these days, but used for intended purpose, plywood carcass construction, it is a very valuable tool
The Domino is a floating tenon system. Anywhere a traditional M&T joint would be the correct joint, the Domino can perform that task with a floating tenon. The tenons are hardwood, so the joint strength should be the same as using hardwoods.
There are some M&T joints it won't replicate, a Foxtail, or wedge, or a through M&T for example

[Ole Anderson]

OK, set the wallet down and slowly back away from the Kool Aid...

[Rich Riddle]

If you can, sip the Green, don't gulp. I have the track saw and a sander. Many people spend thousands and thousands on the Green when Festool precision isn't needed with some tools. Good luck with sipping.

[Max Neu]

I think anyone that owns a domino cutter should invest in a domiplate. It will eliminate any misalignment issues using the domino the standard way.Any offsets in joints are usually from fence drift or flex, assuming there was no operator error.

[johnny means]

Don't get me wrong, I love all my Festool gear. The Domino is an especially well engineered and useful tool. But their sales are hardly enough to inspire me to move on a purchase. Really, is $740 that much more enticing than $820?

[Mike Cozad]

Mike
Yes it can for either plywood or solid lumber. I would say that if plywood is the primary material though, the biscuit jointer is more than suited for the job, especially since it was designed for that application. The Biscuit Jointer gets a lot of negative attention these days, but used for intended purpose, plywood carcass construction, it is a very valuable tool
The Domino is a floating tenon system. Anywhere a traditional M&T joint would be the correct joint, the Domino can perform that task with a floating tenon. The tenons are hardwood, so the joint strength should be the same as using hardwoods.
There are some M&T joints it won't replicate, a Foxtail, or wedge, or a through M&T for example

Thanks for the information. So then is the real draw to the domino system just the speed savings over traditional M&T joinery? Unfortunately (or for my wallet, fortunately) I am with Johnny in his observation that the price drop doesn't seem large enough to skip right out and get one. Especially with one previous comment that you need the dust extractor to go with it. Am I right that its north of $1400 for both?

[Greg R Bradley]

Thanks for the information. So then is the real draw to the domino system just the speed savings over traditional M&T joinery? Unfortunately (or for my wallet, fortunately) I am with Johnny in his observation that the price drop doesn't seem large enough to skip right out and get one. Especially with one previous comment that you need the dust extractor to go with it. Am I right that its north of $1400 for both?
You pretty much NEED a dust extractor to use a Domino. One side effect to the huge amount of chips created QUICKLY in a small mortise and a bit moving from side to side is that you need to get those chips out or risk breaking a bit. A standard shop vac works almost as well as a Festool Vac. At minimum you can just put an adapter on your existing big shop vac hose but that will be a bit hard to use. A step up is add a Bosch VAC005 hose for $35 - that will fit a normal shop vac and connect to most Festool tools. A step above that is add an iVac switch so the shop vac turns on with the tool. The next step up is a Festool, Fein, Bosch, Makita, Dewalt, etc. dust extractor that add features. Some of these are variable suction for use with sanders, HEPA filters for hazardous materials, quieter for more pleasant operation, etc.

[Mac Cambra]

Thanks guys for all of the responses. Somehow I knew that most of the response would support a new tool acquisition. I believe in this case its because the tool is a good one, but then again I have to admit I am a tool addict and asking a bunch of other similarly afflicted guys if I should get another tool, somehow I knew what the responses would be.:D

[Jason White]

Yes, by all means GET A DOMINO! I have the 500 and love it but now I want the 700 (XL) model, too, for larger projects like beds, tables, and outdoor furniture! Has totally changed the way I think about joinery.

- Jason


Don't get me wrong, I love all my Festool gear. The Domino is an especially well engineered and useful tool. But their sales are hardly enough to inspire me to move on a purchase. Really, is $740 that much more enticing than $820?

[Mac Cambra]

I guess if you factor in the fact that you were going to buy the tool anyway, the extra 10% makes a difference. In my case the 10% was applied to not only the domino, but the domino assortment and the dust extractor. Savings were on he order of $200. The tools are expensive and the $200 I got to keep makes it a little less obnoxious.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The tools are expensive and the $200 I got to keep makes it a little less obnoxious.Actually - the joy of using a top shelf tool more than makes up for the expense.

Two things in my shop always bring a "warm fuzzy" feeling to me every time I use them.

One is my Festool TS55EQ track saw and the other is my Starrett combination square.
(Actually - three - every time I use my Kraig pocket hole jig I marvel at how well it works and how easy it makes things go together)

There's just something about using a tool that, if what you're trying to do with it doesn't work out as planned, you know the tool isn't to blame.
It's hard to put it into words, but, IMHO, that sort of confidence in your equipment makes you a better craftsman.
Accuracy and repeatability are "built ins" with good equipment & knowing that will instill confidence in you.

[Don Huffer]

Mike
Yes it can for either plywood or solid lumber. I would say that if plywood is the primary material though, the biscuit jointer is more than suited for the job, especially since it was designed for that application. The Biscuit Jointer gets a lot of negative attention these days, but used for intended purpose, plywood carcass construction, it is a very valuable tool
The Domino is a floating tenon system. Anywhere a traditional M&T joint would be the correct joint, the Domino can perform that task with a floating tenon. The tenons are hardwood, so the joint strength should be the same as using hardwoods.
There are some M&T joints it won't replicate, a Foxtail, or wedge, or a through M&T for example

I've had a biscuit jointer for over 25 years and this is the first time I have heard its intended use was for plywood. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. You may have missed the many articles Fine Woodworking has done on the jointer. One was a standard dining chair.

Don

[Don Huffer]

I guess if you factor in the fact that you were going to buy the tool anyway, the extra 10% makes a difference. In my case the 10% was applied to not only the domino, but the domino assortment and the dust extractor. Savings were on he order of $200. The tools are expensive and the $200 I got to keep makes it a little less obnoxious.

Don't forget the exchange rate robs twenty six cents of every dollar spent. That's more than $180 on the Dom. Ouch!

Don

[Jim Becker]

The fact that the Domino is also a somewhat "unique" tool also raises the appeal. Enjoy your new tool!

[Kent A Bathurst]

Drink the kool-Aid

Don't drink the kool-aid.