Tool-Rank.com Community Power Tool Blog.

Festool is known to be at the top of the line when it comes to most woodworking tools. I say most, because I don't want to start any brand wars. So who wouldn't want to win some of their tools?

You know the saying, Its takes money to make money, well in this case, it takes Festools to win Festools. You need to write a Festimonials or Festool testimonial in order to qualify. You have until October 15th, 2008 to be entered into a random drawing for a free ETS 125 EQ sander.

If you dont own any Festool products, dont feel bad. Every month The Wood Whisperer gives away a free Festool product. You can enter his random drawing once a month. This month they are giving away a DTS400 Sander, a shop apron, and a mini-systainer.

 

There has been a bit of  information floating around the  internet about DeWalt's new plunging track saws. This is somewhat big news for the building community because DeWalt is the first of the well known US companies to offer such a saw. From what I understand, these types of saws are really popular in Europe, but DeWalt is hoping to make a showing in the US. Festool is another brand that offers a plunging rail saw, but they are not as well known to your average builder or woodworker.

DeWalt will be offering both a corded and 28 volt cordless version of the saw, and both will feature a dust port that you can connect you vac/dust collector to. They will offer 3 different size rails to fit your needs, a 48" 59" and 102" and also offer a connection kit to join rails together to make them even longer. They same rail system can also be used on DeWalt routers, with a rail attachment.

Another great addition, is the anti-kickback feature. When engaged it will prevent the saw from kicking back while in the rail. This will not only save your wood and rail from the kickback cut, but it is also a great safety feature to save your much loved body parts.

If you are one of the few that can afford the $1300 Festool Kapex, you can pre-order yours today form Rockler , and it will ship for free July 1. If you can not afford one of these ultra cool saws, but you just want to check it out, head on over to your  local Rockler store for a Demo. Then you will see how amazing it is, still not be able to afford it, and wish you had never even heard of the Kapex. :)

 

Ever since Festool announced they were making a miter saw, the woodworking world went crazy. There have been a few details floating around the Internet for a while now, and even a video or two. But the big news is that we finally have a price. Rumors had the price set between $1200 and $1500, and they were right on the money. The official price from Festool is $1300. Now $1300 is not cheap when it comes to miter saws, especially for a 10 inch, but when has Festool ever been cheap? People that buy Festools either buy because they want a good high quality tool that will last them a lifetime, or they buy because they think the most expensive tools will make them a woodworker.

There are a number of features that set the new Kapex apart from the rest of the miter saw field. You might not be able to notice from the above photo, but the parallel rails that typically side on a normal sliding saw, are stationary. Instead, the whole saw body slides on the rails. This allows for a much smaller overall size. You can basically put this saw right up against a wall, without having to worry about the rails putting a hole in your wall when you slide the saw back.

There are almost too many things to mention that make this saw the new top dog, but here are a few more features. The Kapex has a variable speed motor that allows you to set the speed for the type of material you are cutting. The bevel adjustment is completely counter balanced via springs. You can literally adjust the bevel to any angle and the saw will stay there. The saw base is made out of Magnesium alloy, this puts the saw weight at only 47 Lbs. The Bosch and Makita counterparts weigh in at 55, and 48.5Lbs. Sure Its only 1.5Lbs under the Makita, but the fact that it has a number of extra features, shows how well it is engineered.

Festool has 3 new tools on the market. The one that has really caught my eye is the new MFK 700 Modular Router. It can go from the standard vertical routing, to horizontal routing with the simple change of a base. This comes in very handy for doing edge banding.

You can check out all three tools below, also via their websites.

Also check out TheWoodWhisperer.com to enter to win a free Festool

MFK 700 Modular Router

Features:

• 720 Watt Motor
• Tool-Less Base System - Quick, Easy Base Changes From Horizontal to Vertical Applications
• One Motor, Two Bases- Takes Full Advantage of Modular Design
• Super Fine Micro-Adjustments in 1/256" (1/10mm) Increments
• Multiple Dust Extraction Options
• 1.5° Horizontal Base Incline Provides Perfect Results With Edge Routing