Nothing sucks more than over-driving a screw and screwing up (yuk yuk) a pretty piece of woodworking. While Panasonic’s worked to prevent this error electronically, Festool’s got a simpler mechanical method. Their Depth Stop chuck is designed to stop at (imagine this) a fixed depth, eliminating the need for torque stops.
Though it looks a bit like a droid from Star Wars, the CT Mini is actually a dust collector — the smallest vacuum/dust collector bearing the Festool name. If it looks a bit familiar, that might be because the CT Mini is pretty much just like some of the other Festool Vacuum models, except it’s a bit smaller and lower priced.
The C12’s been around for some time — it was part of PopSci’s Best of What’s New 2003 — but it remains one of the most versatile cordless drill kits available. Now Festool’s offering a $400 set that comes with all four interchangable chucks: straight standard, straight quick-connect, right angle quick-connect, and eccentric quick-connect. (Previously you received only one additional chuck.)
Switching between tools takes time, and if you have to set up the tools as well, that time can seem like an eternity. We come from the “if I have to stop to reset at all, that’s too long” school of thought.
Now that you you know how impatient we are, you can see how the Rotex RO 150 FEQ from Festool appeals to our inner “lazy.” (You know, like those really freaky Volkswagen “fast” commercials? No? Oh well.) It switches from random orbital sanding to rotary sanding, which means you can take off a little or a lot without swapping tools.
With the TS 55 EQ circular saw, the German company Festool claims to “bring the accuracy of a panel saw to any site” through two unique features: the EQ’s 55″ guide rail, which gives you 30+” more guide rail than with other circular saws, and its retractable blade design which — as opposed to the standard pendulum-type retractable blade cover — allows you to make plunge cuts. Essentially you can start and end your cut anywhere in the material, which means you can use the EQ to cut apertures and false joints.
Other features include:
The TS 55 EQ lists for $430, and street pricing is similar.
The Circular Saw TS 55 EQ [Festool]
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