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Thread: Does Festool have package prices?

  1. #1
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    Does Festool have package prices?

    I'm looking to upgrade my dust extraction but before I order a vacuum extractor I thought I'd see if anyone knows of any Festool "packages" that might help spread the sticker shock a bit.
    I'm leaning toward a CT 36 with a boom package and the Festool cyclone as an integrated vacuum system but If I could find the extractor packaged with a router or sander and package price maybe I'd go that route.

    Also, do the Festool extractors work well as general shop/floor vacuums?
    The Plane Anarchist

  2. #2
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    I could be wrong, but I do not believe that they do the packaging anymore...I "think" it was stopped some time ago, too.

    The performance should generally be better than a standard shop vac, but I've chosen not to use my Festool extractor for general cleanup. I keep an inexpensive Ridgid vac for that kind of thing. In that way, I'm not filling up the Festool bags with general debris. Only sanding, sawing and "Dominoing" dust go into the bag and they last a much longer time. That's my personal preference. One other thing...keep in mind that the only real difference between the CT36 and the steps down from that is physical storage capacity for what gets sent to the bag. Therefore, you can consider a smaller unit at lower cost that gives the same extraction performance, leaving more money for the additions you want to put with it.
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  3. #3
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    I bought quite a few tools from Bob Marino before he retired. As I recall I purchased a sander, router and ct36 vacuum and got a few dollars off when combined. I did a quick look on Beaver tools, they recommend putting a few tools together but when adding the prices, there is no savings. Its too bad they cant or dont offer some type of incentive when buying multiple tools, one would think it would be to Festools benefit to do so......I'd guess they dont care, they will get your money one way or the other.
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    I think to get the overhead boom set up I need to go to at least a ct26. But I didn’t find that one in stock so I started to think of the 36.
    I also have a Ridgid so that’s an option for floor work.
    The Plane Anarchist

  5. #5
    Depending on your application, you might want to consider the Ridgid WD 7000 which is back in stock at Home Depot. It has 203 CFM vs. Festool's 130 CFM. It also runs about $325.00 vs Festool's much higher pricing. It comes complete with hose and accessories along with on board storage. I tried it to use on my Kapex and it has made the saw virtually dust free at a fraction of the price of any of the Festool Dust Extractors. And it comes with a lifetime warranty.

  6. #6
    Festool never discounts prices on the tools. Occasionally we see consumables marked down a little.

    Two things: First- When I buy a Festool I try to combine it with something else that the dealer can offer discounts on. I have gotten DeWalt tools for half price when combined with an expensive Festool purchase.

    Second, I have the Festool long life bag for my vacuum. I think it costs about the same as 20 of the regular paper bags, but I have emptied it 100+ times.
    Before I had the reusable bag I would suck out the full paper bags with the shop dust extractor and get 5 or 6 cycles out of each bag.

    Greg.

  7. #7
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    The CT 36E and Festool cyclone is now in my shop waiting for dust to happen. My local (85 miles away) dealer didn’t have the boom arm so I’ll have to mail order that. And a few hose end accessories. I’d like to get a good floor sweep. We’ll, and a router and sander but I dunno about spending that much. I’ve been retired for a few years but I get called to consult quite often so I do get some mad money once in a while…..
    The Plane Anarchist

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Sack View Post
    Depending on your application, you might want to consider the Ridgid WD 7000 which is back in stock at Home Depot. It has 203 CFM vs. Festool's 130 CFM. It also runs about $325.00 vs Festool's much higher pricing. It comes complete with hose and accessories along with on board storage. I tried it to use on my Kapex and it has made the saw virtually dust free at a fraction of the price of any of the Festool Dust Extractors. And it comes with a lifetime warranty.
    Is that 203CFM real, or just manufacturer bluster? The largest Festool vac at almost 3 times the price doesn't move that much air. I'm wondering if anyone has actually tested it.
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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Lightstone View Post
    Is that 203CFM real, or just manufacturer bluster? The largest Festool vac at almost 3 times the price doesn't move that much air. I'm wondering if anyone has actually tested it.
    I can only quote the manufacturer's claims. The Ridgid comes with 1 7/8 in. diameter hose, the Festool uses a 35 or 36 mm hose. I tried the Festool Dust Extractor hooked up to a Kapex at the last AWFS Show this summer. When cutting from front to back very slowly, it was virtually dust free. As near as I can tell, the Ridgid works almost as well with the Kapex as did the Festool. Perhaps a narrower hose closer to 35 mm might help. However, considering the cost savings and the lifetime warranty, for me, the Ridgid was the wise choice.

    By the way, if choosing one of the Festool Dust Extractors, make sure it comes with the optimal Festool hose for the Kapex. If I remember correctly, one or more of the models comes with a different hose. The extractor I looked at at AWFS did not have the optimal hose for the Kapex and I would have had to put together a package that included an optional hose. The package total with tax was over $900.00. Also, the replacement filters are quite expensive.

    The Ridgid is a wet/dry vac that comes with a variety of nozzles and a hose, so it can be used for a variety of tasks, including shop cleanup.

    As a side note, in the interest of transparency, I am not a fan of Festool's customer service. My Kapex came with a manufacturing defect that was easily remedied. Festool Customer Service put me through the ringer. This combined with the various Sawstop complaints regarding current Sawstop Customer Service, I am thinking twice about further Festool purchases since Festool now owns Sawstop. I have been a Sawstop owner for about 10 years. While I did have a few issues when I first bought the saw, dealing with the original Sawstop Customer Service was a breeze and actually a pleasure. It appears that under the current ownership, the Customer Service has become more "corporate".

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Sack View Post
    I am thinking twice about further Festool purchases since Festool now owns Sawstop. I
    Tooltechnic owns Festool, Sawstop, Shaper Origin, Tanos and a whole bunch of other companies. Festool does not own Sawstop...they are parallel entities with a common corporate owner. That said, you have to go with your gut around what's best for you and if you have concerns from your personal experience, it makes sense to make other choices.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Tooltechnic owns Festool, Sawstop, Shaper Origin, Tanos and a whole bunch of other companies. Festool does not own Sawstop...they are parallel entities with a common corporate owner. That said, you have to go with your gut around what's best for you and if you have concerns from your personal experience, it makes sense to make other choices.
    I stand corrected. However, since Sawstop joined the Festool, aka Tooltechnic "family", customer service does not seem to be the same.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Leigh Betsch View Post
    I'm looking to upgrade my dust extraction but before I order a vacuum extractor I thought I'd see if anyone knows of any Festool "packages" that might help spread the sticker shock a bit.
    I'm leaning toward a CT 36 with a boom package and the Festool cyclone as an integrated vacuum system but If I could find the extractor packaged with a router or sander and package price maybe I'd go that route.

    Also, do the Festool extractors work well as general shop/floor vacuums?
    I know your not looking for an opinion but I thought I might offer one anyway based on my research. I have a CT36, and I looked at and read various reviews and comments on the CT Cyclone. I wanted to use the CT Cyclone to avoid the cost of replacing bags. I also looked at the Oneida addon. Generally speaking the Oneida had much better reviews due to the cyclone shape. I only considered the CT after that due to it's stickability. Someone told me the bags last far longer then you would expect, so I ended up being neither. The bags do last a very long time, I don't plan to add a cyclone.

    What do you plan to use the CT36 with? If its mostly power tools, you might consider trying it out without the cyclone and see how it goes. You can always spend the $300 at any time and add on.

  13. #13
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    Thanks Derik. I bought ct36 and the ct cyclone. I like the idea that it’s all integrated from the factory. It’s really the reason I went with Festool. I just want stuff that works and works together. I’m not saying there aren’t better and less expensive options but I like the idea that I don’t have to work at the stuff working together.
    Last edited by Leigh Betsch; 01-20-2022 at 8:56 PM.
    The Plane Anarchist

  14. #14
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    I can only quote the manufacturer's claims. The Ridgid comes with 1 7/8 in. diameter hose, the Festool uses a 35 or 36 mm hose. I tried the Festool Dust Extractor hooked up to a Kapex at the last AWFS Show this summer. When cutting from front to back very slowly, it was virtually dust free. As near as I can tell, the Ridgid works almost as well with the Kapex as did the Festool. Perhaps a narrower hose closer to 35 mm might help. However, considering the cost savings and the lifetime warranty, for me, the Ridgid was the wise choice.

    By the way, if choosing one of the Festool Dust Extractors, make sure it comes with the optimal Festool hose for the Kapex.
    So, does that mean my craftsman saw really has 6 horsepower ??? That' what they're claiming. Someone could quote it - does that make it so ?

    Narrower hoses are not the way to go on the Kapex or any other tool that needs lots of volume. In fact - in bone stock config. the ridgid would be much better at collection on a Kapex. None of the festool vacs come setup for the Kapex. You have to purchase the optimal hose separately.

    However , I think we're talking about using a vac for hand tools like routers, sanders, ect....
    And when it comes to usability with those , the ridgid starts to lose its advantage. First, there is no tool activated switching. Second, there is no variable speed, which is useful (arguably necessary) for sanding. Third, that short, large dia. hose that is an advantage on a kapex is a liability when using with a sander or small router. Fourth, the ridgid is much louder.

    While the festool filter (all festool consumables) are very spendy - the disposable bags are pretty mcuh the same price. You will have to go through hundreds of bags before the filter needs changing. Re: Festool service. It's the best in the industry. Sure they have problems like everyone else and their practices often don't make sense to non Teutonics or the frugal minded. And it's practically inexcusable that the market's most expensive miter saw has problems out of the box - let alone had a defective motor which the company denied for the longest time. but that's for another time and place. What they do have - and you should have availed yourself to immediatly with a defective kapex is a 30 day no questions asked return. A few others have this now too, but they don't have a three year parts and labor warranty. Sawstop while owned by festool's parent's holding co. is still run out of Oregon and I can assure you they still have very good customer service on the whole. We were recently sent an entirely new starting switchbox gratis after 40 min. of trouble shooting with an engineer over a no start issue. Turned out the real issue was a wonky breaker in the main service panel.

    n.b. We were not the orig. purchaser of the saw.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sabo View Post
    So, does that mean my craftsman saw really has 6 horsepower ??? That' what they're claiming. Someone could quote it - does that make it so ?

    Narrower hoses are not the way to go on the Kapex or any other tool that needs lots of volume. In fact - in bone stock config. the ridgid would be much better at collection on a Kapex. None of the festool vacs come setup for the Kapex. You have to purchase the optimal hose separately.

    However , I think we're talking about using a vac for hand tools like routers, sanders, ect....
    And when it comes to usability with those , the ridgid starts to lose its advantage. First, there is no tool activated switching. Second, there is no variable speed, which is useful (arguably necessary) for sanding. Third, that short, large dia. hose that is an advantage on a kapex is a liability when using with a sander or small router. Fourth, the ridgid is much louder.

    While the festool filter (all festool consumables) are very spendy - the disposable bags are pretty mcuh the same price. You will have to go through hundreds of bags before the filter needs changing. Re: Festool service. It's the best in the industry. Sure they have problems like everyone else and their practices often don't make sense to non Teutonics or the frugal minded. And it's practically inexcusable that the market's most expensive miter saw has problems out of the box - let alone had a defective motor which the company denied for the longest time. but that's for another time and place. What they do have - and you should have availed yourself to immediatly with a defective kapex is a 30 day no questions asked return. A few others have this now too, but they don't have a three year parts and labor warranty. Sawstop while owned by festool's parent's holding co. is still run out of Oregon and I can assure you they still have very good customer service on the whole. We were recently sent an entirely new starting switchbox gratis after 40 min. of trouble shooting with an engineer over a no start issue. Turned out the real issue was a wonky breaker in the main service panel.

    n.b. We were not the orig. purchaser of the saw.
    Look, the Ridgid probably doesn't actually produce the 203 claimed cfm, your craftsman saw doesn't have 6 horsepower, and the Festool Dust Extractors may or may not actually produce the claimed 130 cfm. But I am assuming the Ridgid's 203 claimed cfm is going to be at least somewhat higher than Festool's claimed 130 cfm.

    As far as Festool hoses are concerned, they recommend the 35 or 36 mm hose for the Kapex (I can't remember which it was), which some of their Extractors come with, and some don't. If you don't agree with this, take it up with Festool. All I can tell you is that the narrow hose with the Extractor connected to the Kapex was what Festool recommended and the combination produced virtually dust free cuts when I operated the saw at AWFS this past summer. And the Dust Extractor they recommended to me for my Kapex did not come with the recommended hose, which I then would have had to purchase separately.

    As far as the warranty issue with my Kapex, I didn't say anything about the motor. My issue involved one of the sliding fence extensions being twisted. I didn't feel this warranted returning an otherwise perfectly acceptable saw. All I wanted was the fence extension replaced, which was ultimately accomplished after considerable effort, jumping through multiple hoops, and general aggravation over a period of way too much time.

    Does the Ridgid have variable speed control? No. Does it have auto start? No, but a relatively inexpensive plug and play device can be purchased to make it auto start, which I will be purchasing. And by the way, it is not "much louder".

    Does the Ridgid do everything the Festools do? No. But the Ridgid does do some things the Festools don't. But based on what I have observed and experienced, the Ridgid is almost as efficient in dust collection as the Festools at a greatly reduced cost and is a bit more versatile.

    I am not suggesting anybody stop buying Festool Dust Extractors and start buying this particular model of Ridgid. Frankly I try to avoid at all costs doing any business with Home Depot, the only source for Ridgid vacs. Festool produces extremely high quality products. I only suggested this as an alternative.

    If you don't mind spending up to three times the cost, have no problem with the replacement bags being considerably more expensive, and are fine with a three year vs. lifetime warranty, by all means buy Festool. For me, I think I made the right decision.
    Last edited by Rob Sack; 01-22-2022 at 12:57 PM.

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