Are Festool Router (and tools) really worth the money?

[matt scarlett]

I've looked and re-looked at Festool router in particular. but I'd like to get some real world views and professional views of people who have used them.

I'm starting out for a second time with my hobby, but from what i learned last time; buy cheap buy twice. I've looked at the likes of your £100 routers from Hitachi and Black & Decker, but do you think it'll be a good investment, or am i shooting for the stars. I've also looked at Makita and Dewalt around the £300 mark, but i've seen a few 1 star comments for Dewalt, which surprised me.

Nay advice/comments would be welcome.

 

[Wuffles]

Which one are you looking at and for what purpose?

 

[custard]

I use a few different Festool routers, I use them on a daily basis and they're superb tools.

But I also have a couple of DeWalt 625's (and before that the Elu routers that they're based upon), they get used constantly in my workshop and they're superb tools too.

If I was buying one general purpose router for hobbyist purposes I'd probably get the DeWalt (or the Trend equivalent), accessories are a lot cheaper and are also available from third parties, so you're not locked into the Festool system, plus generally speaking they're a bit easier to mount onto a router table. What I wouldn't do is buy one of the ultra cheap routers, but unless you're going to invest heavily and widely across the Festool family of tools I'm not sure I'd pay the Festool premium for occasional, weekend use. Products like DeWalt and Trend occupy a pretty sweet spot in the middle.

Just my thoughts, good luck!

 

[adidat]

I think it depends on your budget and what your trying to achieve. In my job I earn reasonably good money for a 25 year old, so I have mostly festool tools as I know I can use them with repeatable accuracy. Its a more professional look when you turn up with a big stack of matching white tool boxes rather than 15 boxes of different shapes and colours. Im lucky in that through the company I work for 99% of my quotes are accepted as the customer knows there getting a top notch job! So if I require a new tool then it will have been priced into the job.

I often hear people moaning about the price of festool gear I think its quite well justified, all there tools come with a 3 year warranty they collect the tool for free, sometimes offering a loan tool then fix it and return it in a few days all for free, even if the tool has been abused. They have spares available for 10 years after buying the tool. They have a demonstrator that will come to your place of work if your uming and arring about buying something. They offer a 2 weeks cooling off period and will give a full refund if you decide you don't want it in that period evening if the item has signs of use.

there also just excellent tools that work and do a great job, they come in a very sturdy case that can be used as a hop up if desperate. All of the above costs money!

So if your not in the trade of have a limited budget then the trend t10 is very good.

p.s I don't claim all there tools are the best out there, I have the fein multimaster which is very good and half the price of festools offering this is the same case for my chopsaw and jigsaw!

adidat

 

[matt scarlett]

Which one are you looking at and for what purpose?

I was looking at the 1400. Inline with my hobby of building speaker & subwolofer enclosures, I need a router to cut the speaker mounting hole, but i wanted to also use some serious roundover bit as well, like the Trend bit

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trend-C191X1- ... 6016.l4276

 

[adidat]

that cutter is recommended for table use as a slight wobble with a hand router and alot of damage could be done!

adida

 

[petermillard]

Short answer: yeah, pretty much. They're quality tools that work well and have above average dust collection across the range, with good warranty and service. But whether that's worth it to you, only you can decide.

Oh, and re. those 1-star reviews, there's all kinds of reasons people leave them - problems with deliveries, damaged goods, inexperienced users with a tool they don't understand, or just people who don't like the tool; when you're chunking down a few hundred quid on something, you get to be quite particular...

HTH Pete

Edited to add: +1 to table use with that cutter.

 

[matt scarlett]

that cutter is recommended for table use as a slight wobble with a hand router and alot of damage could be done!

adida

thanks for that, and thanks top everyone for the advice. I guess i was already semi sold, but now I just need to convince the other 'alf! But i assume Dewalt and Makita are both brands that can be trusted?

 

[Wuffles]

Which one are you looking at and for what purpose?

I was looking at the 1400. Inline with my hobby of building speaker & subwolofer enclosures, I need a router to cut the speaker mounting hole, but i wanted to also use some serious roundover bit as well, like the Trend bit

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trend-C191X1- ... 6016.l4276

1400 is a lovely router., good all-rounder You can bequeath it to someone once you've killed yourself trying to use that bit in it

As everyone has said, the tools are very good, I started with Bosch, moved up to the 1400 after trying a TS55 and converting, then switch some tools to Mafell, but the good Festool tools stuck with me, domino, routers and what not. I eventually moved on the OF1400, lost next to nothing on it as the resale values are very good on Festy gear. I now have the 1010 and the 2200, because, well why not. I also have a Triton mounted in that table I recommended to you, better than a Festool for table mounting in a cheapo table.

Also, look at the Whiteside bits at routercutter.co.uk or CMT through a contact I have if you want decent bits. IMO Trend bits (and pieces) just aren't as good as the two I mentioned.

 

[matt scarlett]

Also, look at the Whiteside bits at routercutter.co.uk or CMT through a contact I have if you want decent bits. IMO Trend bits (and pieces) just aren't as good as the two I mentioned.

I've bought a few Trend but was advised to look at Freud for ruoter bits. I try and stay away from cheap bits after this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2MZVQ43 ... &store=diy

 

[Wuffles]

Silverline Lolz

 

[biskit]

Think I'm going to have to move down south to get the sort of money those tools cost. Must have had 50 years using rubbish tools. (homer) !!!!!!! :!: :wink:

 

[Wuffles]

Think I'm going to have to move down south to get the sort of money those tools cost. Must have had 50 years using rubbish tools. (homer) !!!!!!! :!: :wink:

Would you then change your name to domino, or go double-barrelled like we all do down South.

 

[Racers]

Hitachi M12V/VE are very good and cheap, about £150 I use one in a router table and its a beast!
I also have a Makita 3612c which is also good.


Pete

 

[Distinterior]

I have a couple of Dewalt 625's and a couple of the earlier versions when they were still Elu branded. All are still going strong and get used for routing kitchen worktop joints & boltholes. The older Elu's get used for various tasks and one of them ( at least 20 years old) gets used and is permanently fixed in my router table. They are good workhorses, strong and reliable.

I also have 3 Festool routers, the OF 1010 which is a little gem. The OF 2000, another good smooth workhorse with reasonable dust extraction and the OF 2200 which is really smooth and powerful which mainly gets used for machining lSolid Surface type material. It really comes into its own for this task as it is quite heavy which gives it stability which is important when taking heavy cuts. It's dust extraction is also very good compared to my other larger routers, again when machining solid surface as is produces a lot of waste & mess.

I am very tempted to get the OF 1400 as I think then, there would be no tasks I couldn't take on.

I think you would need to decide what your main use of a router would be and what your budget is. Overall, if you do decide that Festool is the route for you, then I think the general consensus from people I know is, get the OF 1400 as it ticks the majority of boxes and can be used for various tasks.

Tim.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Have a DeWalt 625 in my router table, used to use it hand-held as well. Now have a OF1400, best router I've ever used by a long chalk. The balance is fantastic, the snap-in guide bush plates are great as well, no mucking about with centring mandrells.

I still like the big DeWalt, but the run out is very noticeable now it's in a table with a collet extension - have checked the extension and it has almost zero runout.

Also got a couple of ancient B&D routers, awful things, but they do have a Euro collar, so I keep them in case I ever want to do any overhead routing or make a pendulum jig etc.

Mainly using Wealden bits now - great quality and price.

Simon

 

[adidat]

another thumbs up for wealden there excellent quality and price!

adidat

 

[yetloh]

I have a DW625 which is a good workhorse, plus the FESTOOL 2200 which as Tim says, is really superb for smoothness, stability and dust extraction. People often say that for fine handwork you need a small router but I find the big Festool is better. It is highly adjustable and the the mass and smoothness allow great delicacy. I used mine for routing out the main waste from long rows of secret mitred dovetails with very little waste to be trimmed out afterwards by hand.

Jim

 

[matt scarlett]

Hitachi M12V/VE are very good and cheap, about £150 I use one in a router table and its a beast!
I also have a Makita 3612c which is also good.
Pete

What router table do you have?

Also, look at the Whiteside bits at routercutter.co.uk or CMT through a contact I have if you want decent bits. IMO Trend bits (and pieces) just aren't as good as the two I mentioned.

There are some menacing looking bit on that site! Thanks for the link.

I guess it won't be from Professional use, just making sub and speaker boxes,

0:12 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIoSvt8 ... tml5=False

but i had a Triton router ... i think, admittedly it was used from cash converters, but after little use, it basically started to fall apart. Every time i used it i was trying to hold on to various parts at the same time that with the vibration would simply fall off.

 

[Ali]

I would say they are definitely worth the money, very nice range of routers which hold their value well backed up by festool customer service.

It depends what you want to do though, you can save a lot of money if you need one for a router table. I own the cms system but am never tempted to use my festool routers in them.

I own a few Bosch routers too which are undervalued in second hand markets, great routers though. If I was starting out and didn't have the budget for festool then I would take a look at the two big triton routers.