Festool, along with Sawstop, seems to be the two power tool companies in the woodworking space that spark the most debate about cost versus value. Ask any woodworker who has purchased a Festool product (and already paid off the credit card bill) and 9 times out of 10 they’ll say it is definitely worth it.
Conversely, if you’re sitting on the other side, it’s hard to see how much value a Festool Domino or Rotex can really add to your day-to-day woodworking.
What Makes Festool so Great?
Festool made a name for themselves by producing extremely high quality power tools and breaking ground with a number of game changing tools that are offered by no one else.
Some of the biggest selling points for Festool tools are:
- Quality
- Innovation
- Dust Collection
If you’re looking for tools that are extremely accurate, will last a lifetime, or offer features that can’t be found on any other tool (like the Domino) then Festool is the way to go.
Their dust collection capabilities blow most other tool brands out of the water as well. As we learn more and more about the dangers of prolonged exposure to wood dust, using tools that eliminate the majority of the dust produced makes for a far safer shop environment.
Is Festool Worth it?
I’m in the camp that there are Festool products that, for the right woodworkers, are 100% worth it.
If you are building furniture with any kind of joinery then the domino is an absolute game-changer. Of course, there are alternatives to the domino, like the Triton Doweling Joiner or the Dowelmax jig, but none of these options are as advanced or easy to use as the Domino.
The Kapex miter saw is another example of a tool that offers an very high level of accuracy and dust collection. Amongst segmented woodturners this is a very highly sought after tool as it can be dialed in to make the precise cuts required for segmented work.
With that said I also feel that there are products, like the Festool track saws, drills, and routers, where the competition has caught up. Now the huge difference in price is no longer worth the now slight differences in performance.
Do Festool Tools Ever Go on Sale?
Festool products never go on sale. Once a year retailers may offer opportunities to buy Festool products before they go up in price for the next year but finding actual discounts on new Festool products is near impossible.
With that said there are still ways to find Festool tools at a discount.
The easiest is to monitor your local buy/sell groups on marketplaces like Facebook or Craigslist. This can be a bit hit and miss as some tools offered will be heavily used in a commercial setting and may not be worth the premium price being asked.
Finding Festool tools that have only been gently used can take time but I can confirm that they do show up if you’re diligent and willing to wait for the right deal.
Reconditioned Festool Tools
FestoolRecon.com is a good site to keep an eye on if you’re looking for discounted Festool tools. The site sells refurbished tools at a discount and even include a 1 year warranty so you know you’ll still be getting a quality product even if it isn’t brand new.
They state that the tools are either customer returns, discontinued items, or dealer returns so you may very well end up with a brand new Festool!
The catch with this site is they only sell one model at a time until it is sold out. So if you’re looking for a discount on a domino you may be better off just buying new rather than waiting to see if one ever shows up on FestoolRecon.
Final Thoughts on Whether Festool Tools are Worth the Price
I feel that in a commercial shop or a high use home woodshop that adding a few Festool tools to your arsenal is definitely worth the money.
As we expand out Etsy business we have an eye on a couple tools, namely the domino and Rotex with Hepa Vacuum, that should help us really clean up the shop and be able to start offering some new, high margin products.
Derek grew up woodworking in his father’s shop and has since gone on to start up a successful woodworking business on Etsy. In his spare time, you can find him mountain biking, skiing, or writing.
