Kreg Edge Loose Tenon Tool

[roy_okc]

While watching this, I spotted what I think is a dust extractor port on the Edge, take a look at 6:22 and 7:57 in the video. I also thought it was missing from this as they focused so much on the "not needed" design.

[RFGuy]

Roy,

Yeah it has a dust port, but I do wonder how well it works or not. Only reason I say that is they designed it with those holes on the bottom to allow for dust/chips being expelled when NOT using dust extraction. I don't see an easy way to close that off, so I assume they intend for you to use the dust port while keeping those open, which would mean more dust escapes into the shop even while using dust extraction with the Kreg Edge. This is actually one of the things the Festool Domino is well known for is that it does a really, really good job of dust capture leaving both the mortise and your shop relatively dust free. In recent years, I have grown to appreciate more and more tools that have really good dust capture - meaning very little dust escapes from the tool or work surface while in use.

[RFGuy]

Anyone looking for feedback from someone who actually got hands-on with the new Kreg Edge, I am posting this video from Marc. Apparently, a few woodworking media influencers got to use it at a Woodcraft show. Not a lot new compared to our discussion already on this thread. You can skip forward to about the 9 minute mark if you want to only listen to his hands-on review of the Kreg Edge. Kind of funny watching him Marc-splain why the Kreg Edge mortises were looser than he expected - starts at around the 11 minute mark and he spends almost 2 minutes trying to explain why a Kreg Edge mortise might be looser than it should be.

[roy_okc]

We have a good Edge "in the wild" review from a long term Domino woodworking pro user. Sounds like the Edge is a solid option for the hobbyist crowd.

https://youtu.be/43Y_wUfgTG8?is=JHuDYRQfujVAjoLX.

I'm surprised that it's mid summer and we still haven't seen any other machines announced.

[RFGuy]

We have a good Edge "in the wild" review from a long term Domino woodworking pro user. Sounds like the Edge is a solid option for the hobbyist crowd.

https://youtu.be/43Y_wUfgTG8?is=JHuDYRQfujVAjoLX.

I'm surprised that it's mid summer and we still haven't seen any other machines announced.

Roy,

I don't know...I saw several negatives regarding the Kreg during his review. Some he points out, some he glosses over. Ignoring cost as a deciding factor, I would never purchase this Kreg tool. Too many issues with it, as a tool, that I see. In fairness though, this is because I already own a Festool df500 so I would be going backwards to downgrade to this. Don't know if I can truly be impartial since I have already experienced the Festool Domino. I can't put rabbit back in the hat, so-to-speak, and Kreg isn't sending me their tool to compare them side by side in my tiny shop. Okay, now considering cost. I spoke on this before and it was a splurge when I bought my Festool Domino. I don't remember my purchase price, but it sold in the $900-$1000 price range a few years ago when I bought it. I don't know when the price of it jumped to $1350, maybe after King Oompa Loompa's multiple rounds of tariffs on other countries??? Bottomline, at $1350 I would have a real hard time justifying it again today, especially since I am just a hobbyist. However, a pro who uses it everyday to make their living might still be able to justify a Festool purchase, even over the Kreg, for what they do. I am still struck by how much larger they made the Kreg over the Festool df500 (pics below show them side by side). Why does it need to be this big and bulky? I don't think it is just parallax, as I have seen it now in several different videos on YT. The Kreg looks like a closer match to the Festool df700, but it only does df500 mortise sizes?!?!? This Kreg tool really is a beast.

So, after all of this, I have a suggestion for anyone considering this new tool from Kreg. IF at all possible get your hands on it prior to purchase to see what you like/dislike. Forget the Festool Domino exists. At today's prices, it really is astronomical and unobtainable for most of us. Treat it like a car purchase so consider the Festool to be like a Ferrari - would you comparison shop cars you want to buy against a Ferrari? Compare it ONLY to other methods to do loose tenons, ignoring the Festool, e.g. palm routers, dowel jigs, Mark V, etc., etc. I really don't think it is constructive to compare these two tools (Festool<->Kreg) anymore. Fit, finish, efficacy, efficiency, everything is IMHO better on the Festool, but the price is exorbitant unfortunately. The Kreg likely produces good enough results for most everyone reading this forum, so just compare it to similar, non-Festool, options out there.

KREGDomino.jpg (164.17 KiB) Viewed 120 times

KREGDomino2.jpg (115.66 KiB) Viewed 120 times

[RFGuy]

Here's another YT review of the Kreg...this one done by Johnny Brooke of Crafted Workshop YT channel. So, the reference line sight glass on the Kreg has to be aligned before first use, i.e. it isn't aligned right out of the box. It looked really annoying trying to get it perfect, but once it is aligned it should never need aligning again. Shouldn't this have been dialed in from the factory??? Also, it looks like the loose tenons that Kreg sells are a perfect match for the mortises the Kreg cuts, BUT these are slightly different size from the Festool ones. What does this mean? It means you can't put a Festool domino (loose tenon) into a Kreg mortise. Irritating, because even if you don't buy Festool brand loose tenons, there are several 3rd party brands for this and they are all sized according to the dimensions of what Festool sells for theirs. It looks like Kreg wants owners to ONLY buy loose tenons from them. A calculated move, for sure.

[HopefulSSer]

Just in terms of size and mass, it's probably a fairer comparison to pit the Kreg against the new Festool cordless DF500. I think the Kreg would fare slightly better in that comparison. In terms of price, the cordless Festool is like $100 less than the corded (albeit without batteries. Add about $200 to that if you don't already have Festool batteries). Still roughly 3x the price of the Kreg...