Alf wrote:
Tsk, Festool, spend, spend, spend mentality see? Catching...
It might be the way i tell them. There is no spend, spend, spend mentality. Let me explain. Unlike some although I love my woodworking (and would do it anyway), this is a business, and like any other form of employment i am in it to earn money, and it is for this reason and this reason only that i buy the tools and machinery that suit me best. Whether it is a £1 screwdriver or a £3,000 table saw i will pay the price if i need it.
As you know i paid £1700 to have 3 phase fitted. Why? because i wanted to purchase 3 phase machinery, why? because i believe that 3 phase industrial machinery suits my way of working and will easily take being used 6 days a week.
I seem to remember that both you and Tony thought that this was a good idea.
As i have said if i need to buy a tool to complete a commission i will right it off in the cost of materials, so i have not paid a penny for the Festool saw.
Why Festool? because i can honestly say that in all the research i did before buying it i have not read one bad word about them. Add to this the fact that in the last 6 months both a Dewalt and a Bosch have broken down on me, and you will see why i want something that will last.
Tony wrote:
Some spend their money on the most expensive power tools and some on the most expensive hand tools - mine goes on hand tools as i think it is better spent threr.
Yes Tony i am sure in your case this is true, but in my case if i did everything with hand tools my family would soon go hungry and i would go bankrupt.
Don't get me wrong there is something very special about a piece of furniture made solely by hand, but i am afraid that in the cutthroat world of business its just not realistic.
Tony wrote:
Mid range power tools do as good a job as Festool and all the others once you put a decent blade in it- at least thats been my experiemce.
As you can see from above with circular saws i have found this to be the opposite. But in the case of routers both the Dewalt (625EK) and (Bosch GOF1300 and GOF900) have given me first class service.
Tony wrote:
We all make our choices and stick by them but it is folly to try and claim that Festool is
(a0 good value for money or
(b) priced reasonably
If one is prepared to pay premium prices for premium tools then so be it.
I never mentioned value for money nor priced reasonably. What i did say is i stand by my choice. In my view this tool is as good as others say it is, and surely if i am happy with a tool that is all that matters.
To those who say that Festool are over priced, remember i am getting paid for doing a job/hobby that we all love, and whether i pay £300 for a power tool or LN plane does it really matter. As long as it serves its purpose and gets the job done i am pleased with it.
If you want the best you usually have to pay for it. Power tools are what i use. That is not to say if i won the lottery i would not pay £1300 for Karl Hotley;s new mitre plane or £3000+ for one of his smoothing plane.
By the way Alf i did not pay £20 for a Festool clamp it was £15 for 2. While on the subject of clamps what about the price of Bessey? £20, £30. £40, a time yet there are many a member who is willing to buy these, why because they are one of the best on the market.
Regards
Woody
(or should that be 
