# Festool 1400, yea or nea?



## repjr55 (Oct 26, 2011)

My friend is pushing me to get the festool 1400 router. The way I understand it, there is no table to mount it to if i wanted, but I hear it works just at well with the track system and free hand. Any thoughts? Thanks.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Did you make your friend mad at you or did you make a pass at his wife,,,the real way to get back at someone is to get him to pull out his billfold..,,it will hurt for a very long time,,, 500.oo dollar router 

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Festool of 1400 EQ 574267 Plunge Router
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repjr55 said:


> My friend is pushing me to get the festool 1400 router. The way I understand it, there is no table to mount it to if i wanted, but I hear it works just at well with the track system and free hand. Any thoughts? Thanks.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Greetings Rick and welcome to the router forums, we are glad to have you join us.

I agree with BJ, I am sure they are good routers but 2X the money of a Bosch or PC, I think not. If you begin using the router table you might find it an excellent tool in it's self. Your money, you decide not us, not your friend.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

repjr55 said:


> My friend is pushing me to get the festool 1400 router. The way I understand it, there is no table to mount it to if i wanted, but I hear it works just at well with the track system and free hand. Any thoughts? Thanks.


Another one lining up behind Bj's analysis. I would also like to see how a track system can duplicate table capabilities.
By the way - Welcome to the forum


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

G’day 

Welcome to the router forum, Rick


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

NAY!!! All you are doing is buying a name when a router that costs 1/3 of that will do just as well as the Festool. I am also a beginning woodworker and I started out like one. I bought an inexpensive Craftsman router and have progressed from there with 5 other routers that 4 are used for a specific task rather than changing one router for each job. My table router is a Milwaukee 5616-20 with above the table adjustment, my hand held work router is the Ridgid R2930 ($129.00 HD) set, my Hitachi M12VC ($69.00 at Lowe's with Veterans discount) I keep attached to my sign making pantograph, I also have a Ridgid 2401 Trim router ($99.00 HD) I wouldn't take a thousand dollars for if it were the last one in the world and a non-working Porter Cable 895 combo kit I paid $50.00 for at a flea market and sells for $232.00 on Amazon. The Milwaukee was my most expensive at $179.00 off Amazon. The point I'm trying to make is a $500.00 router to my way of thinking isn't any better than a $100.00 to $200.00 router.


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## garycurtis (Sep 17, 2007)

To qualify myself before saying anything, put men together in a room with sexy power tools and reason can fly out the door. I know the affliction well.

Among my 4 routers, I'll admit to owning the Festool OF 1400. Why, I'm not sure. It won't easily adapt to a router table configuration. It is overpriced. And, there are probably other downsides.

I wouldn't have been able to justify it except for one application I often use. Not wanting to cut Dados on a tablesaw, I bought Festool's MFT worktable and guide rail. Having that already, the OF1400 mated to it perfectly and is easy-peasy at cutting Dados in conjunction with the table. 

For all others, the biggest two advantages are incredible dust collection. Nothing like it in the handheld router realm. And, the way it works with the guide rail. Single wrench bit changing might quality as another plus. But truly costly when other routers will equal or surpass it.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

I, too, will qualify myself as a Festool owner. I've had an OF1400 and whilst it was a nice enough router I felt that it suffered from sitting between two stools - too large for trimming and small profile work (for that the OF1010 is much handier), not powerful enough to be a "main" router for a working carpenter and joiner (I use DW625s). And as others have said a very expensive piece of kit - even if you take into consideration its' superior construction.

Were I a beginner again I'd consider going for a lower cost plunge router rather than the Festool

Regards

Phil


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## TomE (Dec 17, 2010)

Yep, I have one too and agree with Phil P as it being not quite there for the heavy stuff and the 1010 being a better fit all around hand work.

It is a nice piece of gear, expensive but "overpriced" is a relative term, to what do you compare it too? What you're paying for is feature set, accuracy and dependability over the long haul of serious usage. 

Take the same bucket of money for the 1400 and perhaps buy a decent combo kit and put the rest of the dough toward table hardware or a jig that might be more useful for your work.

Could even buy two routers, one dedicated to the table and the other for free hand.


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## giltic (Sep 27, 2010)

If you want to see how Festool 1400 router looks from inside here is the link:
Look Inside a Festool Router
If you are a beginner I would advise you to buy a decent 100$ router and start working. Soon you will find out what you need and then you can buy some serious router to work with.


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## giltic (Sep 27, 2010)

If you want to see how Festool 1400 router looks from inside here is the link:
Look Inside a Festool Router
If you are a beginner I would advise you to buy a decent 100$ router and start working. Soon you will find out what you need and then you can buy some serious router to work with.


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## repjr55 (Oct 26, 2011)

*Thanks for the advice*

Being new to the forum, I didn't know if anyone would actually answer my question. Thanks guy's, I'll start shopping around to see what works best.


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