I am looking to buy a new jigsaw since I have worn out my old Porter Cable. I own a couple of tools from both Festool and Fein and love their build quality. I would like some feedback from anyone who owns or has used either brands jigsaw, both pros and cons. The only downside to these two brands seems to be finding one to look at before you buy.
Thanks
Replies
no personal experience, but all the magazines are raving about the festool's blade stabilizer for keeping the blade square in the cut. supposedly you can cut from either end of a piece and actually have the cut line up like it was made in one pass.
m
I just received the Festool Trion barrel grip jigsaw yesterday and I must say it is everything I had hoped it would be. There is NO vibration, very smooth running. The cuts are clean and tear out free on bottom and topside of ¾” oak and birch plywood.
The dust collection is great, although dust collection on a jigsaw was not one of my main concerns. The tooless blade change is the best I have seen.
I think the most impressive thing about the saw is the perfect 90 degree cut it gives while using it straight or for tight radius cuts. The blade guides seem better placed than on other saws I have tried. I have only used the saw on wood up to 2” thick, but it is much better than my old Porter Cable. It is more like a cut from a good bandsaw.
I would recommend anyone looking for a new jigsaw to try and find one of these new Festools to try out.
well that's just friggin great. now i have to add one of those to the evergrowing number of toys on my wish list. for a brief moment it almost seemed like the list was getting whittled down. (sigh...)
enjoy your new toy!
m
Cunner,
Congratulations on your Festool purchase! I'm wondering, do you have any other Festool items? I'm about to get a whole bunch of tools from these guys -- plunge saw, dust collector, sander, and multi-function table for sure. I'm also considering their router and planer. I might now have to add their jig saw to my list!
Any comments or suggestions?
Yes Matthew, I have the plunge saw, dust collector and Rotex sander along with the jigsaw. Every one of the Festool tools I own are well designed, very well built and are a pleasure to use. The dust collection with all the tools is outstanding. This may sound redundant but I think Festool makes some of the best woodworking power tools available. This is not to say that there are not many other brands which are very good (and I own a lot of other brands too), its just that Festool seems to put more thought into ALL areas of too design.
Cunner,
If you would indulge me just a bit further...
I've made a decision to purchase several Festool tools. One question I am trying to answer is about the sander -- is it better to get the Festool Rotex or the 150/3EQ sander. I need a sander that will take down material fast, but I also need a good finisher. I know the Rotex has three different modes, and I've heard that the Rotex is very aggressive in the coarse sanding mode, so I don't have concerns about its power. But how does the Rotex do in the finish-sanding mode? Does it leave a nice, swirl-free finish? Or would you say I'm better off getting the 150/3EQ for finish sanding? Of course, the best option would be to have both sanders!
With the current 20% off deal, I think now is the time for me to get into Festools.
Thanks for your input.
Matthew
The Rotex does a great job of finish sanding, depending of course on what grit paper your using. The duel mode switch really works well for going between the quick removal and finish work. It will definitely leave a swirl-free finish, ready for staining. The dust collection is fantastic.
However, I would think for very delicate work on smaller items or with a lot of curves, the 150/3EQ might be a better choice, although I have not personally used one. For flat work I dont think you could do better than the Rotex, it is really amazing. If you want one tool to do both-the Rotex is it.
I also own an AEG belt sander and a Porter Cable square palm sander and have used these only on rare occasions since I bought the Rotex.
I would not chose the 150/3EQ over the Rotex, but I someday might own both.
Cunner,
Thanks for the help. I was hoping you would say what you said, because I would really love to get the Rotex and have one sander that can do coarse sanding as well as finish sanding. With the package deals Festool is offering, and 20% off, I think it's an easy decision! Well, as easy as it is to spend this much money. One of their packages includes the Rotex and the CT22 dust extractor, with 100 sheets of paper.
Thanks again for your help. And please write into the forum whenever you get a new Festool!
I assume you've been shopping on line. If so, can you recommend a good place to look for the jig saw?
try http://www.mcfeelys.com
m
McFeeley's is a good source. I'm going to purchase my Festools either from McFeely's or from Minuteman Tools. Minuteman is located in Exeter, NH. There is no tax in New Hampshire. I think McFeely's also does not charge tax. Not paying tax will save you a good chunk! You have to pay shipping no matter where you buy.
Here is the Web address for Minuteman:
http://www.minutemantool.com/
Edited 9/3/2003 3:05:37 PM ET by Matthew Schenker
Matthew, another option is to buy both 150 sanders, the 150/5 and the 150/3. Use the /5 for rapid stock removal and the /3 for fine sanding. To buy both sanders not much more than the cost of a Rotex. I seriously looked into doing this before buying my Rotex. I finally opted for the Rotex because it can also be used as a polisher, but I suspect that in a couple of years I'll be back for a 150/3.
Get both sanders if you can swing it. I use the Rotex to about 120, then switch to the 150 for finer grits. It's nice that both sanders use the same size paper. The Rotex is heavy and aggressive. More finesse with the 150. Nick
I agree, Cunner: Festool puts a lot of thought into not only the design of their tools but even the small things like the cases they come in.
The only Festool tool I own at the present is the cordless drill/driver and after using several other brands, I find it pretty high on the quality list. The only thing I don't understand, which partially, anyway, negates my otherwise glowing enorsement above, is why they put the handles on the cases such that they are carried horrizontally rather than vertically like a brief case! (grin)
...........
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
The only thing I don't understand, which partially, anyway, negates my otherwise glowing enorsement above, is why they put the handles on the cases such that they are carried horrizontally rather than vertically like a brief case!
It's so you can stack the cases for carrying.
Ian -
Yeah, I've seen their 'Systainer' stacking/storage system. Which makes a lot of sense if you own a bunch of their stuff. But it's kinda odd to pick up the handle of the one case I have and end up carrying it flat.
No big deal whatsoever .... just a little oddment in the otherwise mundane world of Dennis' life (grin)
...........
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
It would be impossible to carry the large Systainers vertically, even if Festool used a different handle design. Check the Festool ATF saw, the way it's stored in the systainer and the size of the systainer. You'll immediately find out what I'm referring to.
Regards,
Christian Aufreiter, Austria
Hi,
I have what I think is there latest model now for over a year. I have the barrel grip type. Prior to that I had the cheapest possible jigsaw. I am happy with the Festo, but have not compared it to other high end machines. Now that I have a bandsaw it gets not used much anymore.
Gert
Good:
powerful, keeps constant speed when loaded.
vibration, low
no tear out, excellent results with disposable plates. These disposable plates wear quickly and you'll need to replace frequently for best results.
quick blade change excellent design
90 degr. cut, good results, but only if thick blades are used. (I had hoped for better.)
power cord, nice long length, can be quickly changed if damaged.
Less good:
The barrel grip (= motor) heats up quickly to an uncomfortable temperature. e.g. cutting a large oval in a sheet of plywood already does it. (< 10 minutes running continuously).
Dust collection. I find it awkward, blocking visibility too much. I don't use it
View of cut line (without dust collection) is poor. You have to lean over very far to see the blade. I use the mark on the inlay plates as guide, which is less accurate.
Balance. The barrel grip has a lot of weight at the back. When starting the cut e.g. in a sheet of plywood the machine has the tendency to tilt back.
Noise. I find the machine quite loud, maybe better than others, can't really compare.
Point to consider:
The machine has variable speed, but not like an electric drill were you can squeeze the trigger. Basically you 'preset' the speed and switch on/off. I don't find this a problem.
I am trying to get my hands on some Festools to see how they work, but that's not easy to do. I feel confident about everything but the router.
Has anyone used the Festool router? My biggest reason for getting it is to do dadoes. I like the idea of a guide rail for the saw and the router. But does the Festool router work well for dadoes? I read somewhere that the router can easily slip off and ride into the guide rail or fall from the workpiece. Is this true? Also, can someone please explain how the Festool router is adjusted for dadoes? Do you still use the rubber strip on the guide rail or some other method?
Trying to make final Festool decisions very soon!
Hi Matthew,
I haven't checked this forum for some weeks so my response might come too late.
Anyway, here's my opinion.I live in Austria so I can't recommend any online shops for Festool. But my email-friend Bob Marino isn't only a hobby woodworker but also a Festool ISA. He lives in NJ and I emailed him several times when I had questions regarding the Festool line. He's very friendly, helpful and knows a lot about Festool's as he uses them himself. You can email him at [email protected]
A few links to reviews and comments on Festool's:
http://benchmark.20m.com/tools/Festool/FestoolIndex.htmlhttp://www.cjohnhebert.com/toolreviews.htmhttp://home.alliancecable.net/~woodworker/festool.htmlhttp://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/reviews.htmhttp://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htmhttp://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=3771http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=3510&highlight=festoolhttp://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=3432&highlight=festool
As for the ROS's I have the ES 150/3. It's an excellent machine and my only sander. The Rotex would certainly do a great job but I liked the feeling of the ES better. It's lighter and smaller. If this is also important for you the ES 150/5 might be a good choice. There's not much difference between the surface left by the ES 150/5 and the 150/3 but the ES 150/5 is much faster at stock removal. And the final pass could still be done by hand which isn't necessary IMO.
I also have the CT 22, the plunge saw and the router. My dad has the cool CDD drill with right angle and eccentric attachment. The router and the saw are brand new so I've hardly used them. But so far, I never noticed a tendency to fall off the rail or the workpiece. The Festool router can be used easily with one hand. The second hand holds the adapter which connects the router with the rails. Personally, I wouldn't use the rubber in order to adjust the rail. This would lead to tear out on the rubber and the straight edge I want for the plunge saw would be gone. I'd also bother about routing into the rail. The Festool router has two kerfs which show where the router bit is cutting.If you want a more powerful router than the OF 1000 I've heard that Festool will come out with a 1/2" 2000 Watt router pretty soon. You can already check it out here: http://212.172.181.83/festool.au/cat_mediando/index.cfm?module=display_single_group.cfm&iTreeGroup=2585&iTemplateVersion=2001&sSubGroupTemplate=subgroup&sTopGroupTemplate=topgroup&bDisplay=y&title=Router%20OF2000&CFID=2337886&CFTOKEN=000A3808-ED31-1F17-AC3DB553D4ACE066
BTW, I'd definitely get the accessory systainer for the rails. It comes with clamps, an angle unit, stops, ....
Feel free to ask for any specifics.
Regards,
Christian Aufreiter, Austria
Christian,
Thanks for the very useful information. I've done further research, and I am confident that the Festool OF1000E router is a great tool, and that I'll be very happy with it. I plan to make a purchase of Festool items soon, over the next day or so. It looks like I will get the AT55 saw, OF1000E router, CT22 dust extractor, the 150/5EQ sander, the MFT 1080, and a few accessories. I want to take advantage of their 20% off deal.
Rob Marino saw one of my posts on a woodworking bulletin board and contacted me. He has been very helpful. However, there is a seller in the state of New Hampshire, and in that state they do not have sales tax -- which would save me some money! Of course, I still have to pay for shipping.
I thought the angle attachment came with the AT55 saw? I read a review somewhere -- one of the popular sites -- where the reviewer said the angle unit was included.
Well, again, thanks for the help!
Hi again,
you'll certainly love your Festool's!
The OF 1000 is great but I've heard some complaints as it uses 1/4" and 8 mm collets. 8 mm is standard in this class and many other routers (Dewalt 621, Bosch 1613, ...) use it too here in Europe but this size seems to be rather unpopular in the US. That's why I mentioned the OF 2000. BTW, Festool offers a wide range of router bits.The hole drilling system makes a good impression but I can't afford it at the moment.
You want:- ATF 55 (includes a 55" rail)- ES 150/5- OF 1000- CT 22 (comes with an accessory systainer at the moment, I think)- MFT 1080 (includes a 42" rail)
Additionally I'd get:- accessory systainer for the rails (I can't find it on the website right now, item number # 489672, includes angle unit, clamps, connector, deflector, splinter guard, stop)- sandpaper (the Festool paper has a hole in the centre)- maybe router bits- maybe a more durable accessory kit for the vac (the kit which is inlcuded works well for light use but for heavy applications I'd get something like the shop cleaning set # 454767)- maybe the hole drilling system
Regards,
Christian Aufreiter, Austrian
Christian,
I spoke with Rob Marino yesterday and finally put in my order for Festool items. I did the whole works -- At 55E saw, CT22E dust extractor, OF1000E router, MFT 1080, DS400 sander, 150/5EQ sander, and a few accessories. I'm looking forward to receiving them next week.
Bob was fantastic -- friendly, informative, and not pushy at all. I'm glad I ended up doing business with him.
My only fear is that I will be receiving a new catalog with my order. I already have my eye on the Festool planer and cordless drill...
Hi Matthew,
congrets on your new tools!
Bob Marino is really a great guy! If all salespeople would be friendly and helpful like Bob!
I never used the Festool planer but the cordless drill is fantastic. It's a bit hard to justify the costs for this tool because cordless drills seem to be so cheap in the USA. Here the Festool drill costs pretty much the same as Dewalt, Makita, Bosch and others. But the right angle and the eccentric attachment make it absolutely unique.
Regards,
Christian Aufreiter
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