Those that wonder about Festool!

[ScottGoddard]

I have been wondering about Festool for some time now. Of the last couple if years i have been buying professional Bosch, mainly as i could quite bring my self-paying Festool prices and for less used items i dont think i will. However, I recently bought the Domin from Garry. I used it for the first time today, what a brilliant tool this is. I am a novice woodworker and only been aat it a couple of years. I have a couple small kids and if i can speed up some elements and still enjoy the process, win-win. This is where the Domin is a stunning piece of kit, easy to use and great results.

I drop by Axminster today to pick up the power cable and decided after a chat i would buy the Midi vac as well....The salesman said to try my current vac and if I still didn't see the value to bring it back....The midi is still in the work shop, another great tool, again well made (only wish i had bought Garrys.....) I also tried it on my Bosch Sander and it made that even better in terms of extraction...... Wonder other Green tools ill buy.

 

[mbartlett99]

They are good just so damn expensive. I got turned on to them years back while working in Germany where all the finish chippies were using it for final finishing on site.

The domino is an especially good bit of kit if for nothing else than the shear speed; I've used mine a lot and its really proved its worth. I bought a TS55 way back when they were the only show in town and wouldn't be without it although now there's so many lower priced competitors that I'd probably go for a Makita cordless instead. I do have a router by them bought 2nd hand but wouldn't say it was any better than anything else.

I think their strength is in innovating brand new tools but for regular gear its difficult to justify the price unless you doing something very specific regularly.

 

[ScottGoddard]

Agreed, i have the screw fix version panel saw....Doesn't grips as well but i can but the Festool or Makita tracks which are much better at griping...I did think about there sanders though as they look useful when polishing as my bosch inst great at that,

 

[mbartlett99]

All but one of my sanders are Festool. Again I bought them ages ago when the competitions dust extraction was pants. Figure that the sander is the only tool you really use for hours at a time (like today - 6 hrs solid) and cleaning up a dusty shop is nil fun so it was one tool I would happily spend on. Bit like shoes and mattresses cheap is just short changing in the long run.

I would avoid the 150mm rotex though in hindight as its seriously heavy and my Metabo 450 is just as good.

 

[ScottGoddard]

What sanders would you recommend? The dust extraction vasty improved when i hooked up the Midi to my bosch, but it does take some of the speed out.

 

[adidat]

I would avoid the 150mm rotex though in hindight as its seriously heavy and my Metabo 450 is just as good.

Yes it's heavy but it's an amazing sander very versatile had one for 4 year until it got pinched never missed a beat, and that was years of abuse sanding plaster, being dropped and wet sanding corian.

Adidat

 

[adidat]

What sanders would you recommend? The dust extraction vasty improved when i hooked up the Midi to my bosch, but it does take some of the speed out.

Rotex or the mirka one if you have puny arms haha!

 

[mbartlett99]

I had a Festool Rotex 150; great for heavy work when I was doing a major renovation but also seriously heavy and needed two hands all the time. Not fun at all when working overhead.

Had a Metabo 450 Turbo 150 for years which has two settings one for fine one for coarse; pretty good at both, vibration is well controlled and dust extraction is good, pads aren't too pricey. Its a popular unit here for good reason.

Festool ET 125; nice and light, good dust control, comfortable to use. Annoyingly expensive pads and of course the holes in the pad are not standard.

Some really like the Mirka Ceros but I've never used it. The other sanders I've used over time have all been much of a muchness - usually very noisy and generally irritating.

You might find that the new vacuum is too strong and is bogging down your sander - there should be a way of venting the suction of a little - never had a midi.

 

[ScottGoddard]

I am turning down the midi which is helping with bogging down the sander, but i am ok with the given the 100% improved dust extraction....

I have not heard of the Metabo - quickly looking at it and the price is good for that size and functionality.

 

[custard]

I am turning down the midi which is helping with bogging down the sander

You make a good point. I'd guess that one of main reasons for "pigtails", those little swirls left after sanding, are pressing down too hard or having too powerful an extractor fitted which is sucking the sander down hard against the workpiece. For sanders smaller than 125mm, and definitely for the little triangular "delta" sanders, you really need the vac turned down.

 

[custard]

I had a Festool Rotex 150; great for heavy work when I was doing a major renovation but also seriously heavy and needed two hands all the time. Not fun at all when working overhead.

I'm with you, I've got one but I don't use all that much because it's such a brute.

Having said that I know a cabinet maker who uses only a Rotex plus a tiny delta sander for detail and edge work.

I've seen make up some sample finish pieces for a client. He took a rough sawn off-cut and flattened it with the Rotex starting at 60 grit. Then progressed through the grits to 320 grit, still with the Rotex. Then he sprayed the piece. Went back to the Rotex with 1200 grit Granat paper, and finally fitted polishing pads to the Rotex and used 5000 and 8000 grit polishing creams.

So he went from a rough sawn board to an absolutely mirror gloss finish in under ten minutes of sanding time, and all just using one Rotex. That's not too shabby!

 

[mbartlett99]

Yeah its great - for the first half hour!

 

[Claud1]

I have tried all the branded sanders over the years because I used to hate sanding so much, but since I bought into Festool sanders I find it makes sanding quite enjoyable but that is just my opinion.