First Tool Gloat

[Eric Shields]

Though not the gloat of the week by any means (congrats again Jim) this was in my foyer when I arrived home from work Monday night. LOML was kind enough to bring her in from the cold after she got home from work.

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And here she is, just waiting to sink her teeth into a few door slabs this weekend :)

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I've been waiting to justify this purchase for a while and since the infuse of shop funds (thanks again Santa) I've gotten to that point. Tomorrow and Friday (my weekend) I'll be trimming the bottom of two doors for my ongoing basement/shop transformation. I was able to frame both doorways out last weekend (after a little demo) and they are just waiting for the slabs. I'll probably get a little carried away and trim a few other doors around the house that are just a pinch rough to open :rolleyes:

My general impression of the shipping and quality of the tool has lived up to the others expressed here. Although a little steep, I can justify the price aspect of this tool considering the amount of work it will see in the near future (shop walls will be bead board), and the lifetime I know I will get out of it. Not to mention the precision/ease this will add to cutting down that 4x8 stock so I can use them on my Dewalt Portable TS.

Thanks for looking,

Eric

[Dave Malen]

Eric,
I guess it's going to be a festive time at your shop.
Dave

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats Eric............Everything I've heard about that says you'll get your money's worth and be quite pleased with it's performance!

[Jim Becker]

Ah...a bit 'o the black 'n green! Congrats, Eric! Good stuff!!

[Pete Brown]

Is that the 55 or the larger one? I have the 55 and it is great. The extra capacity of the 75 is very nice, but I found it just a bit too big for me to want to mess with regularly.

One recommendation: if you're interested in ripping plywood, instead of purchasing another short section, spring for the 8'+ section. Alignment of the two separate pieces when you separate and relink them often can be a real chore.

Take your time and make sure everything is tuned up, square and tight, before you take that first cut through the rubber. I rushed on mine when I first got it so the rubber is a little rough. It still beats the pants off my old setup, though.

Finally, the saw sounds different from any other tools you own. At first, I thought mine was broken, but it was the soft start and the type of motor they use. It doesn't scream (thankfully!), it makes more of a hum/rattle-type sound.

Festool stuff is great. Welcome to the slippery slope! :)

Pete

[Don Bullock]

Congratulations!! I must admit that I have never seen one of those in person. The pictures and reviews alone tell me that it's a super tool. It's one that I have to check into. Maybe they will have one for me to see at the WoodWorks show this month. Enjoy.

[Jeff Magnus]

Wheres the vacum? The plunge saw and rail was my first Fes purchase......Im knee deep now. Unfortunately, American made tools are totally inferior to this line up. Its hard for me to even look at all the crap we pawn off on our unsuspecting public anymore. Germans build it the way it should of......... been put together.

[Mike Wilkins]

Congrats on the entry in the land of the Festoolians. I have the 55 version that I got when the older model was on close-out before the upgrades. I love the splinter-free plywood cuts; square and precise.
I got mine after making a mess of a pricey sheet of oak veneer plywood trying to use a circular saw and straightedge. Not pretty.
Stay safe and watch those fingers.

[Rich Torino]

Congratulations Eric,
you made a good choice of tools. You'll be amazed at how much you can do with this saw especially when cutting sheet goods....