Hot off the press: Festool Rising Prices

[Rich Konopka]

Just received an email from McFeely's indicating that Festool prices are going up (http://www.mcfeelys.com/info/festool-alert2.htm) again for the second time within a year. They went up in April and are heading up again in February. I guess the appreciation of the dollar vs. the Euro is not good enough to hold off increases. I can't say that I will do my part this time to support the economy.

[Don Bullock]

The price hikes this time are not as steep as the ones in April. That McFeely's link is handy for seeing what they are. It gives old price, new price, percent of change and the dollar amount of the increase. It's great that Festool, unlike many companies, lists their new prices ahead of time. I saved quite a bit on a sander and CT 22 package before they went up the last time.

[Neal Clayton]

it's a marketing tool to get more people to buy for christmas and during the post christmas 'sales'.

[Mark Koury]

So, let me get this straight - the dollar is up against the euro and Festool has had a major embarrassment with the Kapex introduction (a real blow to their reputation, IMHO); they already have prices that are astronomical; so what are they going to do - RAISE prices! You’ve got to be kidding!

This reminds me of the line from the movie Animal House when everything is falling apart: ROAD TRIP!
Makes no sense.

Most of their tools are above average (I own several) and their service is good - but - their sales force is on CRACK!!

Just my opinion.

Mark

[Andrew Joiner]

The prices seem at the top right now. Why can't they just get a Bailout from the German government and give us poor tool junkies a break?

[Frank Drew]

You'd think that the current worldwide economic slowdown wouldn't be the best time for a price hike; many of their potential customers are particularly hard hit these days.

[Tim Malyszko]

The average price increase is about 6.38%, which is in-line with the yearly price increases we are being "previewed" to by our suppliers. It sucks that prices are going up, but everything is going up in price, not just Festool.

Also, I'm sure these prices were set before the dollar strengthened.

[John Craig Brown]

I have Festools and use them along with other Pacific Rim tools. I agree that raising the price is ridiculous in this economy and they are going to price themselves out of the market. It would be nice if they issued a statement of support and stabilized their pricing for the time being.

And I agree with the Kapex screw up as I had one of the faulty models. When I called Festool they instructed me how to make a temporary shim and said they would send me a metal piece for a "final solution". Where have I heard that before. I mentioned that to the guy on the phone and he was not amused.

[Neal Clayton]

When I called Festool they instructed me how to make a temporary shim and said they would send me a metal piece for a "final solution". Where have I heard that before. I mentioned that to the guy on the phone and he was not amused.

even if i were jewish and on the other end of that phone call, that would've gotten a chuckle out of me.

[Steve Schoene]

There are a lot of trial balloons with product price announcements. Not all of them actually come to pass. Is it likely that Festool actually raises US prices in the near future. Only if they are crazy and/or don't much understand basic business principles. Demand is DOWN in the US, its down pretty much around the world. It's going to be down for a year, at least. Commodity prices are also down, including shipping costs.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Hmmm. Seems to me I remember prices of just about everything going up because the price of oil, gasoline and fuel was skyrocketing. That was just a few months ago. I'm still waiting for prices to go back down now that oil is selling at a five year low and gasoline is getting close to $1.50. Perhaps I missed the announcements?

[Christopher Stahl]

My observation is that companies raise prices for these times of higher fuel prices, but rarely ever lower them when fuel drops. Ends up being a good excuse to raise prices. If prices were to drop, then people could be stimulated to purchase again, even if they dropped to their previous prices.

[Pat Germain]

I think the primary market for Festool is the pro sector. It's no big deal for a professional to pony up an extra 6%. Of course, there are fewer professionals these days. Maybe Festool requires the price increase to offset reduced demand.

I didn't hear about the Kapex problem. I'll have to look into that. I wasn't planning to buy a Kapex anytime soon. But if I happen to see a used model for sale, I'll want to know if it has a problem.