574447 XL DF 700 Domino Joiner Set

I have quite a few Festool tools: large router, large circular saw, this Domino joiner, sander, vacuum, guide rails, clamps, etc.) Some have design shortcomings ( notably the router, which I would not buy again. ) All the tools I have are high quality (and all are expensive), but this one stands out as superb. It is not doing an easy task, making deep precise oblong holes in hardwood, but it makes those mortises with astonishing ease and precision. It does softwood too, but that is less of a challenge. I debated a long time between the larger and smaller Domino but bought the larger one. I would still buy the larger tool, though I have never used the smaller one so you should read reviews of people who have. But it is crucial to hold the Domino tool fixed; the mortise will be too small if the bit side-to-side churn deep in a hardwood hole moves the machine at all. The big, sturdy Domino holds its ground (there is no provision for clamping it; it is more like a biscuit joiner in that way) , but the handles and balance are absolutely perfect. I am 69 and have had hand surgeries so I worried I could not handle such a large machine, but have absolutely no trouble. In fact, it might be easier than a small machine provided you can clamp your work firmly. It has been awesome in every case so far, but when I use the 8mm cutter on thinner wood it needed a trick to get the depth right ( how far below the reference surface the mortise gets cut. ) The minimum depth setting is 10mm, and you can't physically go below that, so I had to use a shim on top of the workpiece to get a shallower depth. You have to separately buy different size cutters, and I bought bulk tenon stock and cut the lengths I need. I could not have considered affording this beast for the first 60 years of my life, but it is a heck of a tool. It rather encourages overkill I suspect :).

It took me a while, but I finally pulled the trigger on getting a Festool Domino. I went back and forth on the 500 vs the 700 and finally decided on the XL 700. Most my work is in the mid-size range of home furnishings. But lately, i have had some larger custom work for doors and dining sets and having the option to go as small as 8 mm and as large as 14 mm when needed is great. The 8mm domino is as small as I need to go for most of our work. The weight of the 700 is not so much heavier than my old biscuit joiner (that I has since set on the back of a shelf). One thing to keep in mind is that you should connect the domino to a vac system (preferably a festool dust extractor) for best results. All that material that gets removed by the rotating bit, needs to get pulled out of the hole immediately. Thinking of buying the connectors now to save time for piece I need to ship disassembled as I currently use threaded wood inserts with furniture bolts. I am very pleased with the quality and performance of the product and now understand why they charge what they do. I would recommend that you also buy the a domi-shim from Seneca Woodworking if you work with imperial measure stock often.

Oh my it's expensive. Very expensive. But it's Festool, and it's designed and built by employees who are much better paid for their expertise than your typical Chinese built tool. The quality is almost impeccable. My only complaint so far is the adjustment nobs for the height and angle adjustment are plastic and feel like they may eventually break off. Once you own this tool, it really opens your eyes to new possibilities for building typical projects in a faster and more efficient way. I like to joke that the more I spend on tools, the less money I make on my projects. It's true, since I charge by the hour, but hopefully my lower pricing will lead to more business!

I looked really hard at both the 500 and this bigger 700 XL because the price difference isn't trivial. I decided to go big (700 XL) and then also buy the Seneca bit adapter so I can use Domino 500 bits. Ultimately I now have the full mortise range that both machines offer. Note that the 700 XL is a big and reasonably heavy machine for a hand-held tool. The pros to the weight/size are stability. The cons are also with the weight & size - it's a little more onerous if you're mainly making smaller joints (which I have to date). I think the size is a bigger pain than the weight because I'm often using narrower stock and I find myself constantly shifting the machine around to confirm I have it lined up correctly. I think I would have been happy with the 500 machine for 90% of what I'm doing. But the ability to do the bigger joints was the kicker for buying the bigger machine. Read all the other reviews about the precision and capability of both machines because they are true. That's why I still give it a 5 star review. In the end this is a quality machine that has greatly improved my ability to create quality pieces of furniture.

The only way to do the job is the right way. Now people are going to be sitting on this bench and I don't need them falling on the ground cause end grain on a 90 degree waterfall is not a strong joint. Other things like biscuits are just for alignment and dowels could be possible but a lot of work to align them for frequent builds. If you want a quality edge that flows with continues grain there really isn't another tool in the world that makes it as easy as the Domino. Buzz buzz glue set.... done, in minutes... wow.... this beautiful bench, I can't stop looking at it.

Fit and finish are terrific (as expected). Depth adjustments for the dominos are very easy. Adjusting the fence is also very easy. The motor is plenty powerful for boring even the largest dominos into hardwood at a nice steady pace. The dust pickup is incredible - I've bored about a dozen holes so far to get used to the machine and make a sample block of the various size dominos and I haven't seen any chips on the floor. The ability to make tight or loose tenons is really cool and very easy. Changing bits is really easy with the spindle lock. The front handle is very comfortable and puts your hand in a strong controlling location. Nice long detachable cord too! Festools engineers don't seem to have overlooked anything on this machine. As a home hobbyist, I think that this machine opens up a vast array of projects that people can make (and make better/stronger) that were otherwise a) tricky; b) difficult; or c) out-of-the-question without hand made mortise and tenon joints. Dream bigger and stronger folks! P.S. Get the 500 also for joining boards or when you need smaller tenons and you'll have the full arsenal.

Just wish festool would come off that price a bit. Amazing quality though!!!

Not a huge Festool fan here. I think most of their stuff is over rated and overpriced. The Domino is a unique case because Festool's patent isn't going to expire any time soon so there is no alternative brand option here. I finally broke down and bought the DF 500 and it has proven to be a valuable addition to the shop so I figured I may as well go ahead and get the 700 since I had a bunch of exterior doors to build and this thing was a real time saver. No surprise there as the Domino is known for making accurate cuts quickly. The real surprise for me was Festool's connector system for the Domino. The connectors install in a series of 3 domino mortises and make a really strong knock down furniture joint. Ikea ain't nothing on these things. They are perfect for bed frames and similar large projects. If you are looking for a super detailed description of how the Domino works there are plenty of reviews that cover that. For most of us it is really a question of is this thing really worth the hefty price. The $1500 price doesn't even include a full set of cutters. By the time you invest in those you are getting real close to $2,000. For that kind of money it is clear that Festool is targeting professional users. For production work this tool will save enough time to justify the price. It is a much tougher call for a hobbyist. There is no shortage of joinery methods that will accomplish similar results. It really comes down to how you like to spend your shop time. If you have lots of free time and/or like to tinker then you probably won't find much value in the Domino since you can make your own jigs for a fraction of the price. The hobbyist who doesn't have as much free time to spend in the shop may well see the value in a tool that will help get that project built faster. I think most hobbyists would get by just fine with the baby Domino and, for about $500 less than the 700, it is a less painful purchase. Either way you will be getting a well designed machine that seems to be built pretty well.