The Hater's Guide to Festool | Deep Dive into The Company and the Tools
This is the hater’s guide to Festool. Now, I know when a lot of you see a Festool tool in a video, you get green with anger like the hulk having to walk down 100 flights of stairs. You don’t like the Domino. You don’t like the track saw. You don’t like their sanders (typically because of the price). There’s a lot more to this tool company that I think you should pay attention to. Let’s discuss it, and by the end, you may change your mind.
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Festool Tools I Own and Recommend:
Festool Dust Extractor - https://amzn.to/3LzIJvi
Festool ETS125 Sander - https://amzn.to/3LY2Svl
Festool Cordless Track Saw - https://amzn.to/3Rt5lBm
Festool Domino 500 - https://amzn.to/3EROyAq
Festool Rotex Sander - https://amzn.to/454p1yw
Festool Kapex Miter Saw - https://amzn.to/3LY2XiD
Festool Top Rock Radio - https://amzn.to/48uOcgA
The History of Festool
Festool actually started in 1925. It was started by two men, Albert Fezer and Gottlieb Stoll. They actually started repairing old wood-processing equipment. When they first started, their brand was known as Fetzer & Stoll. In 1927, their company came out with the first portable chainsaw. (Did you know that? That’s pretty interesting.) In 1930, they came up with the SB 126 portable circular saw, which really changed the game, I think.
In 1933, they changed the company name by combining their two names and came up with Festo. In the 30’s and 40’s, they had some of the best-selling disc sanders. (As a matter of fact, they were the first to patent independent dust extraction on a sander.) In 1946, they came out with the AD 85 portable circular saw. It’s one of the ones on which they started innovating with exterior run-back protection for greater safety, cut depth adjustment without changing the saw’s center of gravity, and a number of other improvements.
In 1951, they came out with the first orbital sander and changed the game for woodworkers and contractors everywhere. In 1962, the logo changed again, with the Festo brand started to look more like what we see today. In 1962, they brought their first guide rail to market. In 1980, it was replaced by the aluminum version and then in 2003, we got the version that we have today with the FS2. In 1964, they changed the game for on-site accuracy by coming out with a circular saw and guide rail. In 1966, this is where they really upped the ante in my opinion: RTT-S orbital sander is the world’s first orbital sander with dust extraction.
In 1983, the logo changed again and added a blue color (which is kind of weird). In 1992, Festo expanded to include the tool brand, Tooltechnic, which owns the company today. (More on that later.) In 1993, they introduced the sustainer. In 2000, the logo became the signature-green Festool logo that is loved and hated around the world today.
In 2005, YouTube was born, and one year later came the most divisive tool on YouTube - the Domino. 2007 brought their Kapex, which is an absolutely fine miter saw. We started getting mobile dust extractors in 2009. The sustainer (as you know it) came in 2012 with that locking mechanism. In 2020, we got what could possibly be the greatest Festool invention ever made - the Toprock radio. This thing sounds so good.
In case you didn’t know, Festool is now owned by TTS Group, which also owns SawStop, Shaper (the handheld CNC), Narex, and even a cool company called exoIQ that makes an exoskeleton to give you extra support in case you have to work overhead, so your arms don’t become fatigued. Super cool technology.
Why all the Festool Hate?
I’ve been called a “festering stool” and a “fool” more times than I can count on this channel, all because I chose to buy a tool. It doesn’t make sense to me, and I’ve never been that way. I’ve never looked at a channel and thought, “Oh, that person has a Powermatic” or “They’ve got Milwaukee” or whatever brand of tool, “so now I can’t identify with them anymore.” It is a tool. All of these tools you could replace with some other brand of tool and do the same job.
I think viewer Matt Robinson summed it up best with his comment: “I only have a few Festool-made tools but would have more if I were a professional woodworker.” If you’re a professional woodworker, you’re in the business of making products for money, or you’re a contractor, and you’re making money, that’s where these tools will pay for themselves a million times over.
This is because these tools make things go much faster, like the Domino, the track saw, the sander, the superior dust extraction, and the warranty. Most contractors or woodworkers won’t blink an eye at the price because the tool will pay for itself on the first job.
A DIYer who just does this on the weekend or maybe even once a month can’t justify the price. I’ve been there; I know. I used to look at Festool and think, “Wow, that costs a lot of money! Why would I spend $229 on a sander when I can buy the DeWALT version for $89?” I didn’t need to buy it because I wasn’t in the business of making money with it at scale. I was making money on the side with my side business. Festool wasn’t a priority to me. In fact, the first Festool sander I got was a gift, and that’s when it really opened my eyes. I was then more thinking, “Wow, these are really nice,” and with that dust collection paired to it, we’re talking next level. There was very little dust in here when I was sanding, and that’s when I thought about looking at some more of their tools.
So, do I think the hate is justified? No. I think most people who hate on the Festool brand have literally never touched one or have never used them long enough to form an opinion. I think most people who hate on the Festool brand are just jumping on the bandwagon, like with Ford versus Chevy.
What sets Festool Apart?
So, what differentiates them from their competitors, and what causes them to be a little higher priced? I think most people who are unfamiliar with the company and their tools underestimate the power of this system. Everything pretty much works together.
For example, the guide rail can be used with the track saw, a jigsaw, a router, and other tools. It just makes things easier. Also, all of their dust extractors connect easily to every tool they make. When you take the MFT table and combine it with the track saw and a router, you have a system where you don’t even really need a miter saw. You can pretty much make any cut that you want, and because of the way they cut, everything is super clean. You don’t get any tearout.
Take the Kapex miter saw, for example. It connects to easily to the Festool dust hose and has one of the best stock dust collection systems on the market, bar none. Is it perfect? No, but it’s better than anything else I’ve tried, regardless of whether you’re making sliding cuts or stationary cuts. It’s also extremely accurate. I don’t ever have to worry about it deflecting. It’s just one of the better top-end saws.
Speaking of dust collection, this is where I think Festool outshines every other tool company on the market. You can connect it to the Domino and have zero dust when drilling mortises. The sander collects 99% of dust. When I’m sanding, I don’t have fine dust laying all over the shop. With the track saw, if the material is supported correctly, I get very little dust. I added the dust cover port, which does help.
One thing that I think gets lost on a lot of people when they’re looking at Festool is how much thought goes into these tools. I didn’t understand it until I got them. There are a number of little things that add up to a lot of thought. For example, the way the depth adjustments and the tilt adjustments work on the track saw is great. The Domino is one of the best-engineered tools I’ve ever gotten. It has so many adjustments that allow you to fine-tune what you’re trying to do, like depth adjustments and width adjustments for the holes you’re trying to drill out. The fence on the Domino is easily adjustable. As for the storage system that goes with these, I always thought the sustainers were a goofy upsell, but having a place to properly store your tools is huge. It has really helped my organization in the shop.
All of their electrical cords disconnect. You would think that’s silly, but when you’re transporting or storing these, it’s awesome to just be able to take the cord off and not have it all jumbled up and in your way. They also offer a bunch of attachments to their tools. There’s a right-angle sanding attachment. There are a bunch of attachments for the Domino. Every tool has extra stuff you can add to the tool to make your job easier and more efficient. Time is money, and it helps pay for the tools if you can work faster. They even have a sustainer of domino tenons. Is it a little pricey? Yeah, but I can take it anywhere I want to go. This is especially helpful if you’re working jobsite to jobsite.
I think a lot of people also don’t know about the company itself and how they treat their employees. I learned about this a few months ago on a channel called WittWorks - https://youtu.be/8I8cP9y5Jzo?si=OgkDpRugenoOmKLU. I also want to give you a perspective from someone who actually works there. Jason Bent from Bent’s woodworking started using their tools a few years before he went to work for them, and he can give you a better inside scoop on what goes on at Festool.
Thoughts From Jason Bent
Jason Bent - Bent’s Woodworking - https://www.youtube.com/@bentswoodworking
I like Festool for all of the obvious reasons. They make great tools, they have an amazing warranty, and everything just works so perfectly together. I didn’t start with Festool. I worked my way into it. What’s unfortunate is that it seems like Festool is this really polarizing brand, and in my opinion the biggest reason for that is the cost. The sad thing is that the majority of people that tend to have a negative attitude towards the brand have more than likely never used the tools.
That’s their opinion, and that’s what everybody is entitled to. Here’s what I’m going to tell you. In November and December, I had the opportunity to do an internship with Festool North America here in Indiana as part of my retirement from the Army. The biggest thing I took away with me is how everybody in that building is treated and how everybody is important. What a lot of people don’t know is that Festool is actually still a family-owned business in Germany.
Me, as the outsider looking in, got to see that family feel within the organization here in the United States. From the CEO sitting in his office down to the person packing the box that gets shipped out to you, I felt like everyone was equally important. Cleanliness and comfort and taking care of the employees was one of the highest priorities that I saw during my time there. They have an unbelievable facility that is always clean. As a matter of fact, their facility is very different from a lot of the other warehouses within the industrial complex that they operate out of.
Why is that? It’s because they care about the people that are doing the work and making sure the company continues to run. People can say what they want about Festool and the brand. I’m not here to get anybody to purchase Festool products. My experience has been nothing but positive, and my closest friends are employees of Festool. Because of that, it makes me feel like I’m part of that family.
So, for me and my business moving forward, Festool is the only option that I even consider. I just have so much confidence in knowing that I’m going to get exactly what I want. To me that speaks volumes about a brand. Back to Matt -
Festool Warranty
Another thing that sets Festool apart is their innovation. Looking at their track record all the way back to 1925, they were always continually innovating the tools, including coming up with tools that didn’t even exist yet. That’s something I like to see from a company. Festool comes out with new tools pretty regularly. Even over this past year, they’ve been developing innovations for their track saw, and we’ll see those this year. You like to see that a company you’re investing in is continually trying to improve.
Another thing that sets Festool apart is that they have one of the best warranties in the business. Ridgid has a lifetime service agreement. In other words, they’re going to service your tool, and I had some experience with that. Festool has a 3-year all-inclusive warranty. That means if I use a tool every day, for 8 hours a day, and it just tears up from wear and tear, within that first 3 years they will replace it no questions asked. Once you get outside of those 3 years, you’ve got a 10-year guarantee on parts availability. So, if your tools tear up within 6 years, and they don’t make that model anymore, they’re going to keep making parts for it. If they don’t have the parts for it, I get a brand new tool.
Hard to Find in a Brick and Mortar Store
In a lot of places, especially in a rural area like where I live, tool availability is truly a challenge. It’s hard to actually put your hands on a Festool tool in a brick-and-mortar store. If you live near a Woodcraft or a Rockler, you can actually go in and mess with these tools to see what they’re like before you buy them. I was able to visit my favorite Woodcraft store down in Hurst, Texas. Their Festool display was awesome, and it’s nice to be able to just walk into the store and pick those up.
With some of the more popular brands, you can just walk into a Home Depot or Lowe’s and check out those tools in person. That’s where Festool lags a little behind, in my opinion. On the other hand, Festool is more geared towards woodworkers and professionals, and they’re targeting less the DIYers and hobbyists. You can always find their tools online, and links to them will be below.
So, if you’ve never used a Festool tool and you want to start dipping your toes into the water, what do I recommend you buy first? I highly recommend the ETS 125 orbital sander and the CT 36 dust extractor. It’s a mid-sized dust extractor, but it has a huge capacity. Those two will get you started, and you will notice a major difference in your sanding as far as your hand fatigue and the dust in your shop. These two are superior (in my opinion) to anything else that I’ve used. Then, if you want to dip in a little further, I highly recommend the cordless track saw with two 55” tracks. That way you can cut a full 8’ sheet. After that, you’re on your own and can start picking what you want.
Downsides to Owning Festool
Price, pure and simple. Everybody complains about the price of their equipment because it is expensive. The Kapex miter saw was a $1,500 purchase for me. Is it worth it? It just depends on what you’re doing. If you’re making money with your business, and your business can pay for this, go for it. If not, you can get something else. This is just a personal preference.
Do I like the Kapex? Yes, I like it a lot. Is it what I thought it was going to be? No, it’s not. I thought the dust collection would be perfect. Everybody talked about how good it was. It is pretty good, but it’s not perfect. That’s the only thing I was let down about, but I love everything else about the saw.
With that said, everything else other than the miter saw is priced fairly in my opinion. I know I’m going to get some hate for this, but the Domino is the only thing like it on the market. You constantly see potential Domino-killers trying to come out, but none of them will do everything that the Domino can do. This is even more noticeable when you put it in the Festool system. Nothing else can compare. If I had a product like that, it would be premium-priced as well.
The track saw is in line with several other brands, but it’s the only one with anti-kickback. The attention to detail that Festool puts in every single one of their tools, and even their sustainers, makes a huge difference. This is even more noticeable when you start buying into their whole system. Even the speaker has a soft-close lid.
It's definitely worth mentioning the build-quality of their tools. These are really, really well-made tools. When you pick one up, you absolutely understand the quality of it. It’s even more noticeable after the first time or two that you use it. You know that you have a quality tool in your shop. And they’re green. Who doesn’t like green?
So, you think I’m a fanboy drinking the Kool-Aid. You know what? I am. I’ve got both hands on the jug and I’m okay with that. I’m an organic fanboy. I’m not paid by them. I’ve never been paid by them, and they’ve never given me a tool. I just really like their stuff.
Useful Links:
You can watch the full video review here - https://youtu.be/a932Lw_UWvk?si=NE7E_8CUMIFlP0in
Greatest Free Gift I've Ever Received: http://story4.us/731Woodworks
