Our friends over at Tool Nut and Festool Products (same company) reminded me that today is the last day before Festool’s 2018 prices go into effect. In many cases, this means that a whole bunch of tools will be a little more expensive tomorrow.
I’ve had good shopping experiences at Tool Nut, and they’re also an affiliate partner of ours, but all Festool retailers offer the same prices.
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2018 prices go into effect 3/1/2018.
Are you getting anything?
I’ll likely make a last-minute purchase for a small Sys-Port. I need more slides for my larger unit, but they’re so expensive to buy individually, it’s a better idea to buy the small one, harvest the drawer slides, and then use the metal box for something else. I might also buy some of the DIY Systainer Port drawers to make a storage stand for. Right now I have a stack, and it’s a hassle to retrieve bottom boxes.
I didn’t want to post about this “deal,” as I don’t like the idea of tool prices undergoing methodical increases every year, but I always end up buying something last-minute. That extra “if I buy today I can save $X than if I wait a few weeks” incentive is enough to push me into a purchase that I’ve been putting off.
Darn. I also need to check my emails to see if there are any Festool review requests compatible with the projects I have planned for this year. I had been keeping an Amazon wishlist to keep track of things like this, but for some reason I’ve lost the ability to search them.
I have also been tempted to get a “delta” or rectangular sander to complement by 5″ sanders, but I don’t think I’m ready to deal with the mountain of sandpaper that I’d have to order to get the same grit sizes I use with my 5″ sander. So maybe I’ll put that off until the day before next year’s price increases go into effect.
Update: I went with a 5-pack of drawers. Adding Sys-Port Drawers to my Festool-made unit just doesn’t make economical sense. It’s been very useful, but I wouldn’t buy it again.
Joe Smith says
Feb 28, 2018 at 10:56 amLike Festool isn’t expensive enough already.
Dean says
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:20 amEveryone is acting like Festeal is on sale or something. Buy today and save. Yeah right. Got to hand it to those folks at Festeal for making a price increase look like a sale.
Marty says
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:40 amI’ve been thinking of selling some Festool stuff, guess I can raise my price too!
RCWARD says
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:56 amI didn’t know Festool and Toolnut were one and the same . Got to say Festool is way out of my league so raise away boys.
fred says
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:28 pmToolnut is just one of many Festool dealers.
They sell other brands as well – but have one website that links you to their Festool items.
My take is that Festool makes some good products – but many not necessarily worth the premium in price that their pricing model (no discounts) commands. Like when looking at other top European brands (like Mafell) you need to decide whether a premium price translates to more money in your pocket, better productivity, higher quality work, enhanced safety or some other intangible that you are willing to pay for.
Joe says
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:28 pmFestool makes some good tools they don’t beat every company in every category….but dust extraction, is good ,Hilti is better, sanders good, track saws good, Domino is great..jigsaw kit not bad for light work,but Mafell is the best…..
Price increase shouldn’t bother anyone buying Festool tools…..
fred says
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:32 pmI have a Domino XL and really like it (I save the word “love” for my wife and kids).
Once it comes off patent (like the Fein OMT did) – I think that we’ll see come competition.
When we looked at Mafell tools for timber framing – we concluded that they were best in class – but bought 2 big Makita planes, a Makita chain mortiser and a Makita beam saw. Not in the same class – but good enough for our needs and a whole lot less expensive.
Paul says
Mar 2, 2018 at 11:38 amEveryone keeps mentioning “when the patents expire”. We know they will but does anyone know when they actually do? It is not like I am waiting to buy a domino today or I am just going to wait it out but I am genuinely curious when it is (and which patents specifically).
We can expand this into the SawStop patents as well since FT bought them. I assume they know when those patents are going to expire as well and then other manufactures will copy or innovate the design.
Anyone know more on a time frame? Fred, you follow this more closely than most. What other highly sought after tools are we waiting on the patents to expire before we see clones?
fred says
Mar 2, 2018 at 10:54 pmMy understanding that US utility patents typically last for 20 years from the date that the patent application was filed. This assumes that fees continue to be paid to keep the patent in force. Some items can be protected by multiple patents – each citing a different set of claims – and each having different filing dates. I’ve seen some discussion on the internet that the Domino patents may have filing dates of 2004 and possibly as late as 2007. So we might be waiting another 9 years – but this is just conjecture on my part.
Adam says
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:38 pmI know they make amazing products, but isn’t their accounting department supposed to get the cost to produce down over time, not up?
James says
Feb 28, 2018 at 4:56 pmI think the only thing the accounting department is worried about is getting the profit per unit up over time.
Jim Felt says
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:39 pmI’m honestly glad some countries can support labor to the degree Germany/Festool can through innovation and perceived quality. Their employees, like Mercedes,BMW, Leica etc. have nearly the highest labor costs in the world. Like “we” once did.
Is there a lesson here? Or am I just noticing the way it is?
fred says
Feb 28, 2018 at 2:11 pmI think that there are mixed messages here. The Europeans do seem to sometimes follow a different drummer. Many – have become used to high taxes in return to more social welfare systems. I’m not sure what we’d make of the taxes in countries like Germany, Denmark and Belgium. I’ve also never seen much in the way of bargains (especially after VAT) on tools in the EU during my annual sojourns. To the contrary, I’ve heard from some woodworker Brits who buy tools in the US when visiting here. The fact that high German labor costs has not killed their economy – nor their innovative spirit – is as you point out a nice thing for them. But I notice that Asian goods seem to be proliferating in Europe as they have done here.
I also note, that not everyone buys a Mercedes , Bentley or Tesla – nor does everyone buy a Kia Rio or Nissan Versa or Chevy Spark at the other end of the spectrum .
Not everything with a German name on it is made in Germany. Wera seems to have moved production to the Czech Republic. Lots Audis are made in Slovakia to save on labor costs. Wiha seems to have moved some production to Vietnam.
While my Leica M3 and M4 were both made in Wetzlar – I not sure where all of the new cameras are now made. My Leica (Leica Geosyems – Hexagon AB) Disto D8 was made in Austria but all of its appurtenances were made in China.
One good thing is that there are US-based tool makers that seem to be doing OK – but not for mass-market products that you are likely to see at WalMart or Home Depot. Lie-Nielsen is one that comes to mind.
Jason says
Mar 8, 2018 at 7:18 amTat made for some interesting reading, thanks.
VladFineCraft says
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:41 pmDon’t buy and save )))
Vacuums -👎
Miter saws -👎
Jigsaws – 👎
John Blair says
Feb 28, 2018 at 2:26 pmI originally got into Festool because I wanted a tracksaw. At the time the Festool, Dewalt and Makita were all priced within $100. So I thought, “I can get the best tool of the bunch and a great case for not much more.” I’ve never regretted the tool purchase. But when it came time to buy a battery operated version, I found a great sale on the Dewalt Flexvolt track saw (which I run on my Festool Tracks). I love my Domino (but only bought because it was on a 20% off sale during a “good” month). MFT/3 very handy when you get some dogs, etc. But as others have mentioned, as the prices continue to climb, you can sometimes get better tools at better prices by mixing and matching. Preemptively buying Festool prices to avoid price increases is not a good idea. The time value of the money often makes it a better choice to wait till you need it and buy it then, only after looking at alternatives.
Julian says
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:00 pmI’ve been sitting on two sanders and a saw I’m selling for the price increase… it does keep the value of your used tools up…
kent says
Mar 1, 2018 at 2:34 pmCrazy prices.
I know the Domino is good, but the idea of spending $1,000 on something slightly different than a biscuit jointer just doesn’t compute.
But if it works for you, go for it.
Brian says
Mar 1, 2018 at 7:42 pmFestool has the weirdest marketing, I’m amazed this model works for some customers…I’m glad to see a lot of Festool users starting to speak out about the yearly price increase, this cannot be accepted by customers.
Barri says
Mar 3, 2018 at 7:56 amIn Europe the prices are not fixed by Festool like they are here. They got fined a massive amount over there for doing what they are doing here so you can pick up Festool at different prices at different dealers. I got some stuff imported to here from there and was amazed at how cheap the stuff was over there. Hardly anymore expensive that equivalent Makita, Dewalt tools. Not sure how long they can get away with the “price fixing” here as they are starting to price their self out of the market but I guess until sales start dropping prices will not drop. It keeps my used prices high though which is one bonus of price fixing.