Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...
Discussion
This will probably be one of those newbie questions that will get me mocked for the next couple of days, however keen students of this thread will note it took me 3 weeks to get a screw out of the wall, so here goes.
What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
bodhi said:
This will probably be one of those newbie questions that will get me mocked for the next couple of days, however keen students of this thread will note it took me 3 weeks to get a screw out of the wall, so here goes.
What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
They tend to make quite interesting tools and they tend to make them well. Their stuff is a system generally and everything compliments everything else which is nice (dangerously expensive). What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
Domino machine - brilliant and unique (although patent runs out next year)
Tracksaw (they possibly invented the modern day rail saw) - I replaced my Bosch system with it and it is much better as a package.
Rotex sander - brillaint...geared mode is fab.
TXS 10.8v drill...for something so underpowered, it is a work of art. Centrotec chucks/bits are brill too.
Midi Vac - great suction, lovely hose and the bluetooth remote is great.
Etc. Etc.
Don't get me wrong, I have other branded tools as well - but the Festool stuff is just nice to use.
bodhi said:
This will probably be one of those newbie questions that will get me mocked for the next couple of days, however keen students of this thread will note it took me 3 weeks to get a screw out of the wall, so here goes.
What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
Someone a while back posted they had bought the Festool 90mm rotary sander I think it was. For the same price you could have the Makita 150mm random orbit sander, Makita 4" belt sander, Makita half sheet sander, Makita palm sander and a Delta type sander and probably still enough left over for lots of belts,discs, paper etc. What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
guitarcarfanatic said:
bodhi said:
This will probably be one of those newbie questions that will get me mocked for the next couple of days, however keen students of this thread will note it took me 3 weeks to get a screw out of the wall, so here goes.
What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
They tend to make quite interesting tools and they tend to make them well. Their stuff is a system generally and everything compliments everything else which is nice (dangerously expensive). What's the big deal with Festool? What makes their kit worth the extra over Makita/Bosch etc?
Domino machine - brilliant and unique (although patent runs out next year)
Tracksaw (they possibly invented the modern day rail saw) - I replaced my Bosch system with it and it is much better as a package.
Rotex sander - brillaint...geared mode is fab.
TXS 10.8v drill...for something so underpowered, it is a work of art. Centrotec chucks/bits are brill too.
Midi Vac - great suction, lovely hose and the bluetooth remote is great.
Etc. Etc.
Don't get me wrong, I have other branded tools as well - but the Festool stuff is just nice to use.
However, whilst I adore my festool stuff, the vast majority is Dewalt. For 'most' tools, it's not worth the juice for me, but the stuff like plunge saw/domino I think it is...
I've also noticed some brands don't have certain tools I'd like to own. That said, I'm a "DeWalter" and there was one item Makita offered that DeWalt didn't until recently (a wrench). Generally, wait long enough and they all seem to come out with the same items.
When you start to buy battery tools, you kind of get locked into that brand. If you buy mains tools, you're not locked-in as such.
When you start to buy battery tools, you kind of get locked into that brand. If you buy mains tools, you're not locked-in as such.
mgtony said:
Someone a while back posted they had bought the Festool 90mm rotary sander I think it was. For the same price you could have the Makita 150mm random orbit sander, Makita 4" belt sander, Makita half sheet sander, Makita palm sander and a Delta type sander and probably still enough left over for lots of belts,discs, paper etc.
Spoken like someone who has never used a Rotex 90 It's a specialist tool, but for refinishing doors, stair cases etc, there isn't anything better. Geared mode for quick stripping of finish, random orbit mode for the finish coat, pop on the bumper so you don't sand the cault/silicone away on a window cill, then switch to a delta pad for the corners...and getting in between the spindles on the stair case use the slot sanding base. Oh...and all done with zero dust. Nada. And when paired with the Granat sandpaper (which is very well priced when bought in large volumes), it just makes even more sense.It seems farcical, but for high quality work, no other manufacturer makes it that easy. I am a bit of a junkie when it comes to sanders...I seem to collect them. Several bosch pro corded and cordless, Dewalt sheet sander, a little Metabo 80mm sander...but for the jobs you need it, the RO90 is indispensable.
I would like a RO150, but can't really justify it. But if I was regularly refinishing floors, worktop, tables etc it's a no brainer as geared mode saves about 90% of the time against a normal random orbit.
Promised Land said:
loughran said:
I bought a Ferstool TXS 18 a month ago and I really like it !
I've been using the same Makita drill for maybe 15 years now and despite fitting a new chuck a few months ago due to slippage, it's been faultless and I've used it a lot. Literally thousands of hours of trouble free use.
But I am fickle and was seduced by Festool and their slick stacking systainers.
As it turns out, the TXS is lovely, it balances nicely in the hand, has a bigger footprint than my Makita so is more stable sitting on a surface and at 1370g is noticeably lighter than the 1760g Makita.
It's come with a 3 amp hour 18v battery which is plenty for me but will take a 4 ah battery if you're extra busy. The torque setting is electronic and beeps rather than the mechanical ratchet sound I'm used to but it works well enough. The motor is brushless.
I like it a lot. It feels nice, looks nice, has plenty of power and is a pleasure to use. Whether it lasts 15 years, who knows.... but at that price it blooming better.
Your bit looks past it’s best but why are you using an impact bit in a drill driver and not in a magnetic holder either?I've been using the same Makita drill for maybe 15 years now and despite fitting a new chuck a few months ago due to slippage, it's been faultless and I've used it a lot. Literally thousands of hours of trouble free use.
But I am fickle and was seduced by Festool and their slick stacking systainers.
As it turns out, the TXS is lovely, it balances nicely in the hand, has a bigger footprint than my Makita so is more stable sitting on a surface and at 1370g is noticeably lighter than the 1760g Makita.
It's come with a 3 amp hour 18v battery which is plenty for me but will take a 4 ah battery if you're extra busy. The torque setting is electronic and beeps rather than the mechanical ratchet sound I'm used to but it works well enough. The motor is brushless.
I like it a lot. It feels nice, looks nice, has plenty of power and is a pleasure to use. Whether it lasts 15 years, who knows.... but at that price it blooming better.
For screws, an impact driver is far better, I’ve got 5 drill drivers. (Makita) and 2 impact drivers and the 5 drills do just that drill holes, they don’t put screws in.
You’re into the Festool family now then, a bit like Apple, those shiny boxes will multiply.
But yes, I know what you mean, those shiny boxes do grow on you.
I don't always use an impact for screws. I find that in the lowest power they can be a bit too slow, and in the next one up it's easy to overcook with a small screw as the transition from twist to wallop is very digital.
Whereas a drill driver has a bit more fine control even if you can't whack a 150mm no. 12 self cutter into undrilled oak with it.
I had reason to use my impact driver as an impact wrench recently, as I couldn't get my medium or big boy into the space. 1/2 square to 1/4 hex adaptor and some standard impact sockets. I was surprised at what can be undone with a quarter inch hex!
Whereas a drill driver has a bit more fine control even if you can't whack a 150mm no. 12 self cutter into undrilled oak with it.
I had reason to use my impact driver as an impact wrench recently, as I couldn't get my medium or big boy into the space. 1/2 square to 1/4 hex adaptor and some standard impact sockets. I was surprised at what can be undone with a quarter inch hex!
tumble dryer said:
Sway said:
skwdenyer said:
Yep, that looks like exactly what I need! How exactly do these work, and where would you use them, and for that matter, how do you use them?
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
Sway said:
tumble dryer said:
Sway said:
skwdenyer said:
Yep, that looks like exactly what I need! How exactly do these work, and where would you use them, and for that matter, how do you use them?
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
- as I wrote this I realised that’s the answer doh
GeneralBanter said:
Sway said:
tumble dryer said:
Sway said:
skwdenyer said:
Yep, that looks like exactly what I need! How exactly do these work, and where would you use them, and for that matter, how do you use them?
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
- as I wrote this I realised that’s the answer doh
However, the loads that (quality) fasteners can take are always ridiculously high compared to most domestic uses. Amazing what some grade A M8s can take along their axis.
Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 4th May 21:13
Sway said:
In my case, I've a basin tap with a broken lock nut so the tap wobbles - but the water feed doesn't have an isolation valve so I'd have to drain down the entire system to replace with a normal nut.
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
You could, of course, use a pipe-freezer, install an isolator, and change the nut. In line with the usual way of this thread, that would allow you to justify a cool pipe freezer for your tool collection Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
skwdenyer said:
Sway said:
In my case, I've a basin tap with a broken lock nut so the tap wobbles - but the water feed doesn't have an isolation valve so I'd have to drain down the entire system to replace with a normal nut.
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
You could, of course, use a pipe-freezer, install an isolator, and change the nut. In line with the usual way of this thread, that would allow you to justify a cool pipe freezer for your tool collection Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
Sway said:
skwdenyer said:
Sway said:
In my case, I've a basin tap with a broken lock nut so the tap wobbles - but the water feed doesn't have an isolation valve so I'd have to drain down the entire system to replace with a normal nut.
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
You could, of course, use a pipe-freezer, install an isolator, and change the nut. In line with the usual way of this thread, that would allow you to justify a cool pipe freezer for your tool collection Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
sam.rog said:
Sway said:
skwdenyer said:
Sway said:
In my case, I've a basin tap with a broken lock nut so the tap wobbles - but the water feed doesn't have an isolation valve so I'd have to drain down the entire system to replace with a normal nut.
Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
You could, of course, use a pipe-freezer, install an isolator, and change the nut. In line with the usual way of this thread, that would allow you to justify a cool pipe freezer for your tool collection Idea with this is wrap it around the pipe and slide up to retighten the tap against the basin.
Tbh, I wasn't thinking of replacing all of them, but if there's a reasonably simple way to do it then I will!
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