Spend $500 for a drill?!?!

No. Festool tools are good quality for sure but I think i(thats my opinion) it has somewhat of a cult following. Apparently it is fashionable in some circle to buy and own festool tools. I use hand tool for most of my fun projects, but hand held power tools for fixing stuff around the house. I own dewalt’s drills and they are plenty good for half or third of the price.

-- Yves

Festool products are very professional and well made. That said, I won’t buy another (I have the tracksaw). The company has an iron grip on the prices and the way the products are sold, and I kinda go with the free enterprise approach. One good thing, theyv’e inspired some changes in the other tool lines that are quite welcome. Dewalt now has a tracksaw, and Bosch put the blade guide on their jig saw. I suspect there will be a zillion Domino copies if the patent ever expires, similar to the Fein Multimaster. But remember there is one tool quality that isn’t ever reviewed, pride of ownership (call it what you will), and I think that quality has sold a lot of the Festool products here in the US….much like having a Lexus as opposed to a Kia (absolutely no criticism intended). Just a different strokes for different folks thing.

-- I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be (Merle Haggard)

It would have to be a concrete core drill (Milwaukee or better).

-- If you're going to stir the pot, think BIG spoon or SMALL boat paddle. David Grimes, Georgia

Ironically Festool ownership is mostly in the hands of amateurs. Nobody who earns a living working wood can afford them.

-- "The way to make a small fortune in woodworking- start with a large one"

miles125, i have heard that before and tended to believe it. but now i think that all pro’s know festool and it’s reputation, and only a part of the amateurs do. while it’s pretty certain that absolutely nobody of the general public has heard of it. even i only discovered it a year ago. so it’s unlikely that festool is all about showing off, when hardly any of your customers or visitors know it.
i can only assume that most people had the same reaction as me when they discovered it, at first sight it looks like a cheap no-brand tool with it’s flashy green highlights and straightforward design. at second you discover the price and immediately hate it, then you hear how it’s users talk about it and seem brainwashed so you dislike it even more. and the last stage is trying it, and you are sold and become a zombie yourself!

Seriously, I got introduced to Festool years ago at our place of business from the vendors’ reps that visit and call. For some reason, the prices don’t seem nowhere near as bad when I’m sitting at THAT desk ?!?

-- If you're going to stir the pot, think BIG spoon or SMALL boat paddle. David Grimes, Georgia

I own their big circular saw (TS 75) and the small router (OF 1010) and as an amateur am far away from needing them. Although these machines are manufactured a two hour car ride from my home town they are cheaper in the United States than “at home”. So they are obviously not “worth the money”. There seems to be a wide profit margin. It’s about what people are ready to pay.

I buy them as a treat for myself, very well knowing I can never get their value back out of my projects. Who needs a Porsche to get from A to B? Their clever features are worth the money to me, though.

I tested their cordless drill at a tool-show and found it to be much different from my cheaper one. It has plenty of power but is at the same time more friendly to my wrists. It seems the torque is controlled cleverly inside. Screws got in like butter. It may be just my imagination as well. As for the drill I haven’t got myself to pay that much. If I was a booth builder that might be different :-)

Enjoy the wood!

-- Alex ----- Bavaria in Germany

Thanks, guys, for the response about Festool. I’m starting to get a balanced view. At this point, I’d rather have a luxury like a set of carbide-tipped Forstner bits for my drill press. I put a hold on the $575 Festool drill, at least for now.

-- Paul, Clinton, NC

I dont own the Festool drill. I have used it on many occasions. I have been to Festool training for people that sell Festool.

I know you wont regret the purchase. Their warranty is unmatched. The quality is unmatched. Glue4you made a good statement about how well it works. It does that because it has an induction motor in it, in other words, you have full torque at all speed settings, not just full trigger pull. The clutch system wont wear out – as it is digitally controlled rather than done with two plates that can wear over time. The batteries will last many times longer than a typical drill (my newish Dewalt included). Reasons for this are over engineered ‘cells’ that are matched to prevent cross bleeding of residual power. Who is buying them? The people that can afford them (however, it’s an investment for a contractor). It’s a luxury as many have said. Will you be able to drill stuff with other drills – sure and you wont know what you’re missing. If you can afford it – then like I said you wont regret it. Keep in mind, Festool is a system. Everything works with something else – from their darn little boxes (Systainters) to the vacuums to everything else they make. They hook you. And they do that with quality and craftsmanship – at the expense of your pocket book.

That 575.00 package includes all sorts of goodies that you’re not going to find in other drill packages. Go to a local dealer, try it out. It’s a matter of personal opinion and available cash.

- ryan

Someone above said they believed in the free enterprise system. I thought that was the way it worked. Someone builds a product and puts a price on it. We either buy it or we don’t. As long as we have a choice in different kinds of tools at different prices…isn’t that free enterprise? When someone says you will buy the drill made by our govt or our country then it all changes.
I have never owned a Festool product. In fact I have never operated a Festool product. I have a friend that has a Festool battey powered drill. He told me it was the best tool he had ever owned. Is that because he paid a lot of money and he knows it had better be the best or he thinks it is the best or it really is the best. I don’t know. I have drills that seem to get the job done for less money and so far I am happy with them. For the time being, I think I will keep what I have and keep my money in my pocket. Maybe later??