![]() Both machines create vibration, and it's not too bad unless you're using it for long periods of time. And, Fein will also sell gel-lined leather gloves that, when worn while using the Super Cut or Multi-Master, also absorb vibration. ![]() These springs greatly absorb the vibration generated. The Super Cut also has sturdy springs on each side of the tool arm, just in front of the bearing that allows it to oscillate. The Fein Super Cut has a 4mm stroke and 400 watts of power, compared to 3.2mm and 180 watts for the newest Multi-Master. Fein will launch its latest in this line, the Super Cut, in mid-summer 2007. Since then, Fein has sold millions of this do-all oscillating tool (sanding, cutting, grinding, scraping), refining it and improving it along the way. ![]() But it was the invention of the Multi-Master in 1986 that changed their fortune in the United States. In fact, Festool is so stringent on accuracy and precision that its goal is to have no more than 99 flawed tools out of every one million produced-with flawed meaning everything from an out-of-round bearing to a scratched housing.Īlthough 80% of Fein's business is in metalworking tools, the company still puts a great deal of research into developing newer and better woodworking power tools, like those listed earlier. And not only do they assemble the tools, they troubleshoot them and test them as well, and they're trained to spot one with a potential flaw. I can appreciate that because my hands are pretty big, and I've had trouble picking up small parts like half-inch wire nails and those little screws that hold my glasses together. Why? Because these women typically have smaller hands than the men, and that's critical, they say, when dealing with so many miniscule parts and in such tight spaces. That's right, the ladies are in charge of putting together every sander, circular saw, cordless drill, dust extractor, Domino, every tool Festool makes. That's where every power tool is assembled by some of Germany's finest women. The real eye-opener came in the assembly wing of the building. For example, Festool's allowance for bearing tolerances in its random-orbit sanders is 1/50 the thickness of a typical human hair! I have no idea how they can even measure that precisely. Festool makes about one-fourth of its tool parts, buying the remaining components from manufacturers who consistently prove they can meet Festool's ridiculously high standards. Later we learned and appreciated just how precise the tool parts are that come out of those machines. Even though all these machines run a constant lubricant bath, there was not one drop on the floor. I've seen a few tool-making factories, so the large industrial milling machines (all computer operated) did not stand out as unique (although I'm sure they're exceptional), but the efficiency of the workers and the work space and the cleanliness of the work area did. We began Day 4 with a tour of Festool's milling and assembly plants in Neidlingen, again not far from Stuttgart. The good news for woodworkers in the United States and Canada is that Festool has just made a huge commitment to our market to sell and service tools and train us in how to use them.ĭay 4: For my final day with Festool on location in Germany, I witnessed the quality, precision, and attention that goes into the production of every one of their products. ![]() Festool will continue to operate its training center in Nevada, and will also keep its Goleta, California office open as a distribution and service center. This training facility, like the one in Henderson, Nevada, will help educate those retailers who sell Festool products on how to use them, how to demonstrate them to customers, and how to troubleshoot them and service them. ![]() Rather, Festool announced that it is relocating its North American headquarters to Lebanon, Indiana (within an hour and a half of my Hoosier hometown) where work began over a month ago on a new facility that will house corporate offices as well as warehouse space and a second training center. But that was not by a long shot the good news. Long a presence in Germany and Europe as a maker of high-quality, long-lasting woodworking tools, Festool welcomed us with a very fine dinner Saturday evening that made this farm-raised Midwesterner feel right at home: pork chops. ![]()
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