# Festool Domino Dominates or Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful



## rikkor

Thanks for the review Giz. I wish I could justify that level of expense, but I can't.


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## gizmodyne

Mine was a gift from my wife and her parents.

For me the justification was some windows I will be making. Loose tenons will greatly speed the construction of 13 of them. The speed and accuracy of this thing is amazing. I am looking forward to having time to use it for furniture projects.


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## Noodles

I have to agree with Rikkor. I don't mind paying a premium for a good tool but Festool, although they may be great, are not three or four times price wise better. The Domino for example: makes quality mortises ONLY, costs $700 plus the nominal wooden domino (tenon). Compare that to my Powermatic Mortise machine, $150 (Craigs list used) $35 for new chisels, makes quality mortises. Ridgid 3650 Table saw, $389 (on sale) Forrest Blade $60 makes quality tenons amongst other things ;-). All my cost under $700 with an end product that is equal or better and a machine (saw) that is the center of my shop.
In my opinion I cannot and will not spend the kind of money Festool is asking for their products when high quality tools (Porter Cable, DeWalt, Makita,etc. are available at less then half the price.


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## gizmodyne

You make a good point Noodles. The Domino however, is extremely tiny and green.


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## mot

Festool does conjure up some pretty emotional replies. Sure there are a lot of things that do hidden joinery just as well and for less money. However, using this tool produces an amazing versatility that I am, otherwise, unable to duplicate in my shop. I have lots of different ways of cutting a mortise, and I use them all. I have, just recently, come across a project that the Domino was not only the best way, but it was the only way. Plus it's extremely tiny, and green. Nice review, Giz. I love mine. After I used it once, I not only forgot what it cost, but no longer cared. I do appreciate that others may not be in the boat that allows them to indulge in a tool like this, but after reading comments and reviews from extremely skilled woodworkers and seeing their work and how it was facilitated by this tool, I was sold.


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## dalec

My first reaction on seeing the Festool products and their pricing, was, "I can't justify spending that much." Yet, I can see a lot that the Festool Domino can do and their tools are very well designed.

Dalec


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## boboswin

The price of most things depends on whose "OX you are goring".

bob


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## DanYo

will have one …. someday ... first a used scroll same …


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## Noodles

Guys, I am not saying that the Domino is not a useful tool. It is. What I am saying is , in reality it's simply a portable mortise maker. If you feel spending $700+ for that, great. My point, in general, is more an indictment against the over-pricing of the Festool line. As a tool junkie I would love to own some of their tools. But to my mind they are ridiculously over priced and on principle will not buy them. Keep in mind that their manufacturing cost cannot be much more than say, Porter Cable etc, if at all. Remember it's just a motor and a casting not unlike a good Biscuit Joiner. My guess is that their manufacturing cost is about $70. That's a ten times markup when the mainstream of the manufactures of tools of equal quality are going with a 3 or 4 times markup. So what's happening here? Festool's Marketing Dept. has decided that they will create a market with an impression of "high prices will mean high quality" They will sell less product at the higher markup where they then will meet or exceed their profit goals. So please go buy their products and I am positive you will be happy. I. on the other hand, will spend my tool money more wisely. I bet if more of us took this approach they would have to revisit their policy and bring their pricing more in line with the rest of the industry.


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## boboswin

I love those tools as much as the next guy but I have to agree with Noodles. 
There is an obvious disconnect between the consumer and the companies demanding high returns on investment that exceed the value of their wares. I not talking about how well they are made or how well they work but I'm addressing my concern that perhaps patents protect the product whilst marketing stuff their pockets.
Woodworking tools are just one of these areas that have built in protection for their vertical markets.
I'm not suggesting a change in the legislation but it would be nice if the consumer were a bit more prudent .

$75,000.00 for a pickme up truck! Give me strength! Arrrrgh.

Bob


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## cajunpen

Bob, the Festool products are great - or so I've heard. I think that you and Noodles have hit the nail on the head - the Festool company cannot be blamed for "overpricing" their products - it's us, the consumers, that enable them to charge the prices that they do. I can afford to buy a Domino now, (and I will someday) but I choose to wait awhile. Sooner or later they will hit the used market and I'll strike like a coiled cobra.

I personally don't fault anyone who is lucky enough to have needed/wanted one and took the plunge. Good for them ). Having said all of that, it is an incredible machine.


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## FloridaUFGator

In woodworking there are a million ways to do the same thing. That is why we love it. I could argue that a $150 mortiser is too much money because I can buy a $20 chisel and mallet and produce the same mortise. To me it comes down to time and preference. Unless you are doing this as a hobby, time is money. You can produce 10-fold mortise/tenons on a domino than you can produce on a benchtop mortiser and table saw. Thus, if you can deliver a product to a customer at a fixed cost the domino could pay for itself on a single job. However, if I was doing this as a hobby I would prefer the bench top mortiser and chisel method (or maybe just the chisel method). It just a lot funner. I too agree that the Festool domino is VERY expensive but if you are the only player in town you have a captive audience. I own a few Festool tools and in quality and operation they are heads and tails better than anything out there (just my opinion). Can I make an argument that they are 5-times better. I guess that depends on the tool. If you value your lungs I wouldn't settle for anything less than their Sander/CT dust collector lines. I've used many sanders and so-called collectors and NOTHING compares.

Good review Giz. Also liked your review of the SS. I was in the same boat a while back and settled for the PM2000. Extremely happy with my purchase but would love saftey feature of the SS. The riving knife helps significantly though.


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## BobB

I thought the same thing about Festool…until I used their products. They make things easy and accurate. I have the circular saw, jig saw, router, and MFT. I plan on buying a domino this year. All I can tell you is that I'm sold on them. You can buy other tools for less but once you buy these your others will sit on the shelf collecting dust. My Dad has been woodworking for about 40 years. He thought Festool products were over-priced and not worth it. He equated them to buying a BMW instead of a Ford. Then he came to my house and used them. Now he's thinking about buying the circular saw and the router, even though he already has a shop full of quality tools.

Festool products are made in Germany, not China like many other tools. That accounts for some of the price. The rest of the price comes from smart engineering, accuracy, and darned good marketing.


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## Loogie

I've used the Domino along with other Festool products at an organized demonstration and they are awesome. The engineering is spectacular. Are they pricey? You bet! Do you get what you pay for? That's for each person to decide independently. Bashing Festool for it's prices makes no more sense than bashing BMW or Mercedes for their pricing. I have owned a BMW (I bought it used) and their engineering was also top notch-but I, personally, decided that it was not worth the price premium. The bottom line is that we are here to objectively review products. It's up to each person to decide if that product is worth what the company is asking for it. The Festool products are excellent products by anyones measure and I'm glad they are doing well in this country because I think it will force the other big name tool suppliers to step up their game a bit. We're already starting to see that with the plunge/rail guided/riving knife circular saws that Dewalt and Makita are introducing. They're aimed squarely at the Festool product.


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## Fireball

Hi Giz,

Did you end up buying all the different cutterheads or have you been able to get by with D5 that comes with it?

I'm going to order the set which comes with the cross and trim stop and have also been looking at the domino assortment systainer which comes with all the cutterheads and a bevy of the domino tenons.

THanks for your insight.


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## gizmodyne

I have the multi-cutterheads. I have used several of them. I would just take the "plunge". <actual> I ordered mine from Woodcraft. The prices are set on all Festool so I went for free shipping. I also figured I could return it by driving to the store if needed.


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## Grumpy

I have been eyeing one of these off for a couple of years , would love one but I think they are too expensive yet.


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## Karson

I have the cash in hand, but I still don't think I'd get the usefullness out of it.


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## thetimberkid

I have just bought one along with the TS55 saw and love them both!

Thanks for the review

Callum


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## Steve2

Everyone keeps comparing the Domino to a bench mortiser with regard to time… It seems to me it should be compared to something like the P-C biscuit as a comparable evaluation. In that case it is $750 v. $120.

No one questions the nifty features etc or quality - just a like comparison cost.

What am I missing?


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## GeorgeR

I bought a domino about a month ago and think the idea behind it is great and the construction of the tool is excellent. But I find that the plastic guide pins are very bad for aligning the tool for spacing between one tenon slot and the next. The instruction booklet gives almost no information about using the tool. The demo DVD is for a previous model. I bought a separate book about using the domino and the vacuum cleaner. However, like the DVD, it is for a previous model with straight metal registration pins.

The dealer now tells me that the alignment pins (the black plastic ones) are not to be used between tenons but only for the first tenon and that the cross stop should be used after that. This isn't mentioned in the instructions, the DVD, or even the catalog which says the cross stop is an accessory to extend the functions of the domino.

The cross stop isn't included with the basic tool.

For $800 I expect to have all the parts I need to make a tool work properly and I also expect a reasonable instruction book.


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## Petewood

Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how people reviewing a tool will bring price into it, or other factors irrelevant to the physical functioning of the tool! Sometimes, people will even discuss the manufacturer's corporate politics when "reviewing" a tool. And very often, I find people who've never even seen one "in person" talk about why it's unecessary to have, or that there's "more than one way to skin a cat", etc.
All of that talk seems to me like it comes from a person who goes onto a BMW forum to say that you can get to the store in a Yugo, so why buy a BMW? Neither a professional driver nor a mechanic will have trouble answering that one.
As a pro, I can say that there are three things which all of my tools and equipment must posess:
1) Accuracy. No runout in my saw arbors or router spindles, no coplanar deviation in my jointer tables, etc.
2) Reliability. It must run daily in a commercial environment, for years, without breaking.
3) Speed. It must enable me to "skin the cat" by the fastest means possible WITHOUT sacrificing surgical precision.

Like everything I have by Festool, the DF 500 Q (Domino) meets all of those criteria. It makes no sense to compare the Domino to a plate joiner simply because it looks like one any more than it does to compare a BMW to a Yugo because they both have 4 wheels. The beauty of Festool's engineering only begins with what you can see and feel on the outside. In general, where other manufacturers use a bushing, Festool uses a bearing. Where others use a bearing, Festool uses double bearings. Where others use double bearings, Festools uses heavier (often bronze) bearings. Their motors are award-winning, and often very specialized to their task.
Do I think that $1,200.00 is a lot to pay for that machine and all accessories (tax incl.)? I don't, because the alternatives are all a lot more expensive over a bit of time. I have bills to pay, folks, and this one has helped me.


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## a1Jim

Glad you lovin it.


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## Petewood

Nice work, Jim! As much as I love my Domino, it'll see no use on this project (a Stickley sideboard <#800>), which means a splined top and pinned through tenons.


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## 303Woodwork

Thanks for such insightful comment. 
Here's another Festool Domino Review
Lots of money, but certainly a tool to add to the Xmas list…


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## 303Woodwork

Sorry, got the address wrong above. it should be
*Festool Domino Review*

Apologies to anyone that tried to follow the link

:v)


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## JHIM

it is worth every penny. I will no longer buy anything but festool. as long as they make it,im buying.. great tool great products..


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## Newbie17

The Festool Domino is by far my favorite tool. I feel like I'm cheating because it is so fast and easy to use. I'm currently building four dressers for my kids and all joints in the carcase are made using the Domino. I know, don't hate me. The joints are so strong and easy and the fact that the dressers needed to be made NOW made the decision to use the Domino an easy one. I also learned to use it in a variety of situations and will be making a video showing all the situations in which it can be used to help others.

People who say it's the same as a bench-top mortiser have never used a Domino or are unaware of it's capabilities. For example a tenon reinforced mitered joint. It takes seconds to make this type of joint with a Domino.

The only way to build as fast is to use pocket screws, but I prefer hidden, stronger dominos to screws.

Disclosure: this is the only Festool product I own and am not paid by them either.

I'm glad I found woodworking as a hobby and also glad to be able to use nice tools.

A final bit of rambling. This is for newbies looking to make some big purchases. I have Jet, Sawstop, Grizzly and Laguna products and I'd say the Grizzly is on par with the other brands, as far as performace goes, and will be buying more of their products in the future. Grizzly's customer service is noticeably better than the other brands' customer service I've dealt with. The 12" Grizzly jointer I have cuts smoother than the Jet 20" planer as well, which surprised me. (Both have helical cutter heads.) Rambling over.


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