How many people here own a Festool Domino?

[Günter VögelBerg]

I am just curious. How many of you guys who enjoy using hand tools own a Festool Domino? I did a bunch of picture frames recently that would have been a lot quicker with loose tenons in the ends. It kind of gave me an itch for a Festool Domino. I have always balked at the price tag and the fact that they are based on proprietary cutters and consumables, but I am getting increasingly tempted.

To be clear, I am not a hand tool guy. I like hand tools. I like visible joints to be cut with hand tools and my finish surfaces are generally planed and scraped (not sanded), but my stock prep is all done with machines. I cut tenons with a dado stack or a band saw and I cut mortises with a hollow chisel mortiser unless I am working on a big piece that I cannot maneuver over m mortiser. My goal is always to work more with hand tools, but my shop time is limited to a couple of hours a week and sometimes I just want to get something done. That's where the domino might come in.

But for the price of one of them I could get a nice antique Norris smoothing plane or a set of Blue Spruce chisels...

[Paul F Franklin]

I have the XL and the small mortise kit from Seneca. I do mostly power tool woodworking, but have and use hand tools when they are the best tool for the job. I went through many of the deliberations you allude to, but in the end, I get the most satisfaction from completing nice work. I have a lot of pieces I would like to build, and tools that help me do quality work faster make sense to me. I have no qualms about using dominos in place of traditional concealed mortise and tenons when doing so doesn't compromise the finished piece.

[Prashun Patel]

I have one and love it. It is versatile. It’s just another tool in the arsenal. I still do a lot of work by hand. I tend to use it on table bases

[Mike Henderson]

I have the non-XL and love it. To my mind, it's the only really unique Festool tool. I use it on just about every project I do.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

I did a bunch of picture frames recently that would have been a lot quicker with loose tenons in the ends. It kind of gave me an itch for a Festool Domino.

There are many ways to assemble a picture frame. Dowels and a doweling jig (like the Stanley #59) are the forerunners of tailed tools to do this kind of work.

Otherwise bridal joints or lap joints also work.

jtk

[Mark R Webster]

Have one and love it!

[scott lipscomb]

I have an xl and use it a lot for doors, gates, and windows. It is a huge timesaver and makes very strong joints.

[Günter VögelBerg]

That's the other thing...I wish there were more overlap in the sizes. I think they smaller one would be more useful for me but I feel like if I am spending that much for a tool I would want to larger capacity.

[Derek Cohen]

I purchased the smaller 500 model a few years ago to aid in building frames for doors when I remodelled our kitchen. It was very useful. It has not been used since as one of the joys of woodworking is making traditional joinery. I keep imagining that there will be a use for it in the future - which I am sure there will. Just not there as yet. Ditto my Makita biscuit joiner (which is more helpful for reinforcing mitres as it has a shallower cut).

With regard sizes, I went for the 500 as it seemed to me to be medium furniture-sized. The large 700 appeared to be better suited to larger pieces, such as large table legs.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Wojciech Tryc]

I have the smaller (500) model and I use it on almost every project.

[Bill McNiel]

I have the had the 500 for approx 6 years and use it alot;
Cabinet face frames, both frame joints and attachment to carcass box
Interior and exterior window and door casing
Jointing plywood panels
Drawer joinery
Basically any and every butt joint that is not part of a "fine furniture" project and there are times when a floating Domino is used on furniture.

My preference is to create hand tool joinery on furniture commissions but the market doesn't always support my desires. The Domino is one of the best purchases I have made in over 50 years of creating stuff made of wood and I highly recommend it. I would recommend the 500 as the 700 is a little too big for my old week hands and I can always double drill in the few instances that I need a stronger joint.

JMHO- Bill

[Mike Wilkins]

I have the original model, I believe it is the 500 model. Before purchase I questioned the sales guy about both and was told the smaller unit is more useful for furniture and cabinet making. If you are making doors and large structural items, the larger (700) unit will allow for more robust loose tenons. I have really enjoyed the unit and am thinking of more ways to get the best use of it. You have to learn to work in metric, although Imperial spacing blocks are available, and may be a future purchase.

[Andrew Hughes]

I also own a domino it’s a great tool.
I also keep it under lock and key and my cute dog is all grown up. ;) Just in case anyone is getting any crazy ideas.

Good Luck

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have one (500) and occassionally use it, but have found a bit difficult to use in place of traditional joinery.

[Curt Harms]

I wonder how much longer before there are competitors on the market?

[Paul F Franklin]

Triton has a product that does two dowel holes at once that is generally similar in appearance and application, but from the reviews it doesn't seem to be very well designed or built. Curious if anyone out there has tried one?

I imagine Festool has good patent protection on the Domino, otherwise I think there would be direct competition by now...

[Günter VögelBerg]

When does the patent run out? I imagine that when it does it will be like track saws a few years ago and Makita, Bosch, Dewalt et al will be stumbling over themselves to get one to market that is half the price. I love my Makita track saw. I imagine they could make a domino knockoff nicely, too.

[Jim Tobias]

I have the 500 and use it quite often. Frames, boxes , furniture...….it is so simple and so precise.

Jim

[Doug Dawson]

When does the patent run out? I imagine that when it does it will be like track saws a few years ago and Makita, Bosch, Dewalt et al will be stumbling over themselves to get one to market that is half the price. I love my Makita track saw. I imagine they could make a domino knockoff nicely, too.

I would imagine that they already have prototypes ready to go into production whenever legal gives the word.

[Ted Calver]

Another very happy XL and Seneca small mortise kit owner. Love it. With the kit, you have all the options of both machines.

[Jack Frederick]

Another very happy XL and Seneca small mortise kit owner. Love it. With the kit, you have all the options of both machines.
This thread has been dancing around in my head all week and once I sell this rifle I will have one or the other. I went into my local tool store looked at and handled the 5/700 yesterday. The 700 is a beast. The 500 is dainty by comparison. Do you find that the 700 actually handles well? I do build doors and tables on occasion so the 700 would be useful there. At the price it is not something I will buy twice and I lean toward the 700 but, damn, it is big!

[Derek Cohen]

Buy the tool that works best for 90% of its use, rather than a tool you need to compromise on for 100% of the time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Prashun Patel]

I have owned both the 500 and 700. Judging by each camps response, you will probably Ben happy with either.

I am happy with the 700. It’s not too big even for small things. Rather, I was in situations frequently with the 500 where I could have used the additional depth, thickness, or offset that the 700 allows.

It’s not unwieldy if and when you want to make the daintiest of 5mm cuts. You should try to use it before making a choice.

[jack duren]

I have two at work. Non at home. I'm happy without it at home..

If you spent 30 years using other means to build it's not missed.

[Scott T Smith]

I’ve owned a 500 for about 10 years. Great tool.

[glenn bradley]

500 here. Useful for many things. Not a replacement for other joinery. Glad to have it.

[Ted Calver]

This thread has been dancing around in my head all week and once I sell this rifle I will have one or the other. I went into my local tool store looked at and handled the 5/700 yesterday. The 700 is a beast. The 500 is dainty by comparison. Do you find that the 700 actually handles well? I do build doors and tables on occasion so the 700 would be useful there. At the price it is not something I will buy twice and I lean toward the 700 but, damn, it is big!

Haven't really had any problems with handling the beast. It's not really something you normally have to handle in awkward positions, so if you are working on a bench and your work pieces are laid out with some thought, moving the machine from point to point is easy. I only wanted to buy once, so the 700 was the choice because it can do the job of both machines. Absolutely no regrets.

[Matthew Hills]

This thread has been dancing around in my head all week and once I sell this rifle I will have one or the other. I went into my local tool store looked at and handled the 5/700 yesterday. The 700 is a beast. The 500 is dainty by comparison. Do you find that the 700 actually handles well? I do build doors and tables on occasion so the 700 would be useful there. At the price it is not something I will buy twice and I lean toward the 700 but, damn, it is big!

I have the 500. There are a couple of issues I need to work around:
- I can not leave workpieces flat on the bench. (if I'm mortising on the edge, this wouldn't center on a 3/4" piece; if I'm mortising into the face near an edge, I wouldn't be able to register the fence against the edge)
- The tool is butt-heavy, so easy to have it shift if not keeping firm pressure to align on the face+fence
- keeping small pieces aligned is tough (most clamps will tend to get in the way of the domino's registration surfaces). Making your own alignment jigs may be the way to go here.

I don't know that they are any worse for the 700. I have the impression that it may be easier to keep the plunge aligned.

Matt

[Günter VögelBerg]

Thanks for all the input. I've decided that a domino is not in my immediate future but may be when I do the casework rebuild in my living room in a year or two.
I bought myself a nice pair of blue spruce sliding bevels and two narrow butt chisels instead. I would be more inclined to spring for a domino if there were more overlap by between the two machines.

[Mike Brady]

I'm going to be the jerk that says: "Wrong forum".

[Günter VögelBerg]

I'm going to be the jerk that says: "Wrong forum".

Sorry. I asked here because I was interested in the perspective of people who use hand tools regularly for joinery.

[Steven Lee, NC]

I have a 500, really want a 700 too but cant jutify it yet. Did everything I could to avoid chopping mortises, cutting dovetails and I've gotta say it's been a success, lol.