Santa called last night...

[Matt Meiser]

Got a call from the president of my company last night regarding my bonus. After telling SWMBO, I got instant permission to pick this up today. I've just made a couple test cuts, but it has some really nice features. I also picked up a set of the clamps and some extra anti-chip blocks. I wanted to get the hose guide for the end of the rail but couldn't find one locally today so I'll have to get it later.

Where to buy was a real dilema for me as there are so many great Festool dealers out there--Bob Marino, Tools For Working Wood, my local Woodcraft, and Electric Tool which is a local place. In the end I ended up buying from the local place because I knew they could really use the sale and the manager is my old neighbor but I kind of felt bad for not buying from the other guys. He didn't have the accessories so I picked them up from Woodcraft on the way home.

Edit: BTW, I've had the vac and a ETS 150/3 sander for a few years now. The saw is my second major Festool purchase.

[Jim Fox]

Well atleast you aren't working for a company that under a new commission system you would be making 10k less for the same amount of work.

[Eddie Watkins]

You must have been a good boy!!:D Merry Christmas!

Eddie

[Don Bullock]

Wow Matt, that's some bonus. Congratulations. :D As for where to buy, I agree that's become difficult. Buying from your local store is definitely a good thing to do. Many these days can't compete with the Internet and are going out of business. Bob's been so generous answering my questions, which have been numerous, that I'm planning on buying some things from him if I get any cash for Christmas.

[Bill Huber]

Well big deal, I bought a new screw driver with my bonus...., well it was a pocket screw driver but a nice one..:D :D

Matt that is a great looking saw and I have been looking at them for a long time just can not justify it yet, (note the yet).
I was looking at them at woodcraft one day and just almost did it but then this little picture came into my head, looking down the barrel of a 38 and hearing "we need a new carpet in the living room" so I didn't get it.

Keep us posted as you use it more.

[Brett Baldwin]

Good stuff Matt. Congrats on the early Christmas present.

[Peter Stahl]

Congrats Matt! Your bonus beat my $100 dinner I got.

[John Hain]

Matt, is that the bigger or smaller one? Why did you pick the one you did?

[Matt Meiser]

Matt, is that the bigger or smaller one? Why did you pick the one you did?

John, its the smaller one. There was really no reason for me to get the bigger one as I'll mostly just use this for sheet goods or putting a straight edge on solid stock. I picked up a used Skil HD77 worm drive saw for construction-type projects.

[Bruce Page]

You have a sink in your shop? That just ain’t right!

Nice use of the bonus.

[Matt Meiser]

You have a sink in your shop? That just ain’t right!

No, its great! Its not a legal sink though. There is a frost-free hydrant that was pre-existing. I wouldn't have installed it but I love having it. What I did was run the drain down into a small sump that gets pumped out onto the driveway (gravel.) Again, I wouldn't have installed the sump, but a few summers ago water started coming out of the ground through the gravel around the hydrant due to heavy rains and ran across the shop floor. So I had to put in the sump to keep that from happening. It kind of snowballed from there and I ended up with one of those 4gal high efficiency water heaters too. I also ended up putting in an inexpensive water filter since the hydrant water comes from our well before the softener system. The hydrant feeds water to the sink and hot water heater through a washing machine hose. I can easily shut off the hydrant and drain the system if I want to shut off the heat out there.

Eventually I'll probably do something about putting in a bathroom out there which will involve either a separate septic field or a pump to send it back to the house, which is uphill from the shop by about 4'.

[Art Mulder]

Bonus? What is this "bonus" thing you people speak of?


...art
(worked for non-profits all my professional life. Of course, that may change as funding cutbacks showed me the door last month... Anyone in Southern Ontario in the IT business?)

[Bruce Page]

I’m just jealous. If I ever get a real shop I’m going to try find one with a bathroom. :)

[Matt Meiser]

Art, PM sent.

Part of my new company's philosophy is bonuses for everyone based on the profitability of the projects we actually work on. A big switch from the last place where it depended on whether you were part of the good-ole-boy network or not. Part of the philosophy is that if the bonus isn't able to at least make a down payment on a really nice toy, it isn't going to motivate people.

[Richard Dragin]

I sort of take issue with the title of the thread, it isn't a "gift from Santa" but something you earned. I understand saying it in jest but if that is part of your employment compensation it isn't a gift.

Either way, nice addition to the shop and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. What did your wife get to buy?

[Jim O'Dell]

Bonus? What is this "bonus" thing you people speak of?
...art


Art, that's because for most of us it is spelled B-O-N-E U-S. There is a difference! :D
Actually, mine was very small this year, but then I have only worked there since the middle of Sept., so nothing was expected at all. I guess it shouldn't ever be expected, only nice when it does happen. Congrats on the new saw, Matt!
As a side note, I wrote a service ticket for a Lowes manager about a month ago. He showed us what he bought for each of his department managers as a Christmas bonus out of his own pocket. a Rolex that had to have been 10k each! Suddenly, I didn't feel bad at all about that 50.00 Beis fence I got from Lowes. :D:DJim

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Matt! Excellent choice for investing a little of your bonus.

(I had a very nice call from my Boss on Friday, too, and those kind of calls really do feel good! Oh, and besides the nice news, she also sent chocolate. LOL)

[Keith Cope]

Nice!

I've been looking at a few Festool items--haven't taken the plunge yet, though.

Enjoy!

[Matt Meiser]

Art, that's because for most of us it is spelled B-O-N-E U-S.

Funny, that's what we called it at my old place.

["Jason Belous"]

Matt, does this mean your giving up metal and coming back to the wood side. When I first joined smc you had quite a wood shop set up and you were giving it up for metal work. Are you sticking with the metal or are you having second thoughts.

[John Browne]

Kudos! Great saw, great decision. You're going to love it.

[Brian Keith]

I bought nothing with my bonus, maybe because I didnt get one. I guess after 17 years of service I still dont qualify.

[Matt Meiser]

Matt, does this mean your giving up metal and coming back to the wood side. When I first joined smc you had quite a wood shop set up and you were giving it up for metal work. Are you sticking with the metal or are you having second thoughts.

Jason, I had scaled my shop back considerably but never got out of woodworking. For example I traded a planer for a Dewalt lunchbox and some cash, got rid of a lot of redundant tools, tools I very rarely used, etc. And then I used the proceeds from selling all that to buy tools to get into metal working, so now I can do both. Back then my shop was too full to really be able to enjoy multiple hobbies. A guided saw system was always part of my plan, but it is playing a different role than I anticipated back then, hence this purchase.