Festool Domino DF 500 Joiner Review
Personal Experience
I have been using the Festool Domino DF 500 for the past 3 years and it has become my favorite tool and the best investment I have made for my workshop. The Festool Domino DF 500 is hands down the fastest, strongest, and most accurate joinery machine available on the market. Originally I was hesitant to spend the money on the Festool Domino joiner but was looking for a huge time saver and to increase my woodworking capabilities. In my personal review below I outline my personal experience and will help you decide if the Festool Domino DF 500 is the right tool for your workshop.
Affiliate links are used on this page. See my disclosure page for info on affiliate programs. The links do not cost anything extra to you! I receive a small percentage from the businesses you purchase from which help support creating content and reviews like this one!
Pros
Fast Loose Mortise & Tenon Joinery
Precise & Strong Joinery
Multiple Applications
High Quality
Cons
Expensive
Requires Dust Extractor
Requires Proprietary Domino Tenons
Specifications
Cutter Spindle Speed: 24,300 RPM
Domino Slot Cutter Diameter: 5, 6, 8, 10 mm
Routing Depth Stops: 12, 15, 20, 25, 28 mm
Weight: 7 lbs. (3.2 kg)
Power Consumption: 420 watts
What’s Included
When you buy the Festool Domino DF500 Q-Set it comes with most of the accessories that you're going to need to get started right out of the box. The first item you get with the Domino is the systainer that it comes in which is synonymous with the Festool products making it easy to transport and keep organized. The Domino comes preinstalled with a 5mm Domino cutter which is the correct size for 3/4 inch material and is what I use the most. The tool also comes with a trim stop attachment that helps set the center of the mortise on smaller pieces. The trim stop provides simple indexing features with adjustable sides that hold workpieces tight for a repeatable mortise. I personally use the trim stop when I need to make mortises on the end grain of face frames. The Q set also comes with two cross stops that attached to both sides of the Domino 500. The cross stops have adjustable pins that fit into mortises or the edge of a board and act as stop positions for the next mortise in a series along a workpiece. The cross stops allow you to mark the precise positioning of the initial domino tenon and then make repetitive cuts based on that initial location saving time. The Domino also comes with a support bracket that provides additional support below the joiner, and it also has integrated retractable stops which is useful for narrow workpieces.
Festool Domino Joining System
The Festool Domino System is a revolutionary time savings solution to traditional mortise and tenon joinery. History has proven that loose mortise and tenon joinery is able to create strong joints that last. Festool has developed a patented mortising technique combining the functionality of a biscuit jointer and a router to cut flawless mortises in the form of a hand-held tool. The Domino Joiner saves an incredible amount of time and effort taking a traditionally difficult process of creating mortises with a stationary mortiser and tenons using a table saw. Festool has simplified the process into a simple plunge of the Domino and inserting a floating tenon to create a very strong mortise and tenon joint.
Domino DF 500 Features
Cutter Selection
The Festool Domino DF 500 is capable of using 5 different cutters, each designed for a specific thickness of wood. The DF 500 is able to use a 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10mm cutter which can be used with the corresponding mm domino. The rule of thumb in choosing the correct thickness of your loose tenons is they should be 1/3rd the thickness of the material. The Domino comes preinstalled with a 5mm cutter which is typically used for 3/4 inch material, yet I would highly recommend buying a full set of the different cutters. I find myself using the 4mm cutter to quickly align panels for glue ups like you would with your average biscuit joiner. I also tend to use the larger 8 and 10 mm cutters for large projects or heavy furniture where I am using thicker material and need a strong joint. The process to swap out the cutters is very simple and quick, the domino machine has a release lever you lift up with the included wrench and releases the front of the domino allowing access to the cutter. Then you push the locking button to stop the bit from spinning and simply unscrew the cutter and attach the new sized cutter, with the entire process only taking a minute or less.
Mortise Depth
The DF 500 have preset stops for the depth of the mortise making it very easy to set with a quick flip of a thumb lever. The DF 500 joiner has depth stops of 12, 15, 20, 25, and 28mm that allow up to a 50mm domino tenon. I found that in most cases I don't require deep mortises and have the depth setting at 20 or 25mm. I have found the depth settings to be very easy to adjust and highly accurate with no risk of error. The depth of mortise that you choose will depend on a few factors. If you are using the domino like a biscuit joiner for panel alignment the depth is not very important and typically I use the smallest domino available with a 12 or 15mm depth setting. If your are creating a structural joint for large furniture with thick pieces you would want to use the longest domino for extra strength requiring a deeper mortise of 25 or 28mm, which also depends on the thickness of the work piece. If your joining pieces of wood at a 90 degree angle, the depth setting of the mortise will depend on the thickness of the board that requires a mortise on the face. I have in the past used two different depth settings to join panels at a 90 degree angle with no issues.
Mortise Width
The Festool DF 500 has a simple dial to adjust the width of the mortise with 3 settings. The dial provides a quick adjustment of the domino that can easily be done in between mortises. The 3 settings are designed for various purposes with the smallest setting creating a mortise that is a snug fir for the dominos which requires perfect alignment and marking while the other two settings allow for human error and adjustments. The second setting is 6mm wider than the loose tenon or domino allowing the center of the mortise to not be perfect and allow you to align the joint during glue up. The third setting or largest mortise width is is 10mm wider than the domino tenons, which is used primarily for alignment of panels rather than creating a structural joint. I typically use the largest setting when gluing panels or table tops so that I can quickly use the domino without having to worry about lining up the domino exactly on the markings saving time. By having mortise width adjustments on the Festool Domino it allows you to save time bypassing the precision of the tool and replacing the functionality of a biscuit joiner.
Dominos
The key to the Domino Joining System is the use of Dominos which are Festool's proprietary loose tenons. The Domino's are precisely milled to fit perfectly into the mortises created by the DF500 or DF700. The Dominos are created with ribs down the rounded sides and glue pockets on the face of the tenons which allow for strong joints. The DF500 is able to use 6 different sized dominos which are outlined in the table. This range of dominos are able to handle joining workpieces as thin as 5/16 of an inch with 4x20mm Dominos, while also being able to handle larger material with the 10x50mm tenons. Festool also offers some options when it comes to buying Dominos. They sell both a dense beech tenon as well as their sipo mahogany tenons which are designed for outdoor use. Festool also offers a new variety of connectors that allow for knockdown applications. When looking at all the domino sizes available the DF500 is somewhat limited in what it can use. The DF700 which is the larger version of the Domino Joiner can drill long mortises for more large-scale joinery. If you work with large slabs or industrial sized furniture you may want to read this article where I outline the differences between the Festool Domino XL DF700 and the DF500.
Positioning
The Festool Domino DF 500 has multiple ways to position the tool to create perfect mortises. The Domino has a pivoting fence that allows you to make mortises on various angles from 0 to 90 degrees. The fence has positive stops at 22.5, 45, and 67.5 degrees making things easier. I've used the pivoting fence for a few projects and the function is the same the only thing you need to watch is that you don't apply too much pressure holding it down that it shifts. The Domino also has an adjustable height fence with a stepped height stop. The fence has 7 positive stops for the fence height adjustment making it very simple to get the mortise in the center of the workpiece. The Domino Joiner DF 500 also has 2 retractable stop pins that are integrated into the fence. This makes creating mortises very easy by quickly indexing the domino off of the edge of a workpiece. The Domino has countless features to help you quickly position the tool to create the perfect mortises and save you time in your joinery while still using true floating tenons. I personally never read the instruction manual for any tools but for the Domino Joiner I read the whole thing and highly recommend it to fully understand the tool.
Performance
The performance, capability, and functionality of the Festool Domino is in my opinion is unparalleled. In my experience the joiner lives up to its reputation and can create precise and easy mortises in both plywood and solid hardwood faster than any other joinery power tool. I have been able to quickly make furniture like small end tables, stools for my kids, and even a large dinning room table in a record amount of time. I have been able to expand my capabilities as a woodworker with the Domino as it makes complex joinery easy without having to use multiple tools and techniques to create mortise and tenon joinery. I was able to quickly create breadboard ends using the Domino that have held up perfectly over the past few years that would have required a ton of efforts without the tool. Also, I find myself using the Domino as a biscuit joiner when gluing panels for table tops or furniture as I always get a perfectly aligned panel that only needs minimal sanding. I honestly believe the Festool Domino has saved me days in the shop by how fast I have been able to build projects and get them finished. Over the past 3 years I personably have had no issues with my DF 500 Q Set and the tool looks and runs like new. The Domino is a tool that does everything very well and when things don't go right it's human error.
Dust Collection
One of the downsides of the Festool Domino is that it requires dust extraction to operate properly. The DF 500 comes with a 1 1/16 inch or 27mm dust port that is designed to work with Festool's dust extractors. If you don’t already have a dust extractor I have written a full comparison of the different Festool models to help you decide which is best. If you have another vacuum there are adapters available to fit most brands. What is impressive is the domino joiner's dust port extracts nearly all the wood chips and saw dust produced from cutting the mortise. The dust collection is so good that I never have to clean up my workspace saving time and making the shop a lot cleaner. In comparison, most other joinery techniques use drill bits or stationary tools with inadequate dust collection.
Warranty & Support
When you buy a Festool product you not only get a well designed tool but also some of the best customer service in the industry. Festool tools come with a 1 month money back guarantee and a 3 year comprehensive warranty. What's great is that the warranty also covers wear and tear which is almost unheard of with other woodworking tools. They also offer free shipping for 3 years to and from the service department in the case you do need your joining machine repaired. I you do need to send it it to Festool, they have a standard 2 day turnaround time on where they conduct a full analysis, repair and testing. On top of that Festool also guarantees that replacement parts will be available for 10 years, ensuring that you will have years of use out of the Domino.
Is It Worth The Money?
Yes, the Festool Domino is worth the money when you consider the time savings, capability, precision, quality and longevity. Buying the Domino Joiner has been the best investment I have made in tools since starting woodworking. If you read the product reviews on commerce sites nearly everyone else will say the same exact thing. However, I see that for some woodworkers it may not worth the money if they don't require hidden joinery and the level of precision built into the tool.
Should You Buy It……
Yes if……
If you are looking to save an incredible amount of time in the shop and looking to quickly improve your joinery capabilities the Domino DF 500 is the perfect tool. The Festool Domino is not just another tool but it is an investment into your future projects, productivity, and quality of your woodworking. The alternative is to spend years to hone your craft creating traditional mortise and tenon joinery using numerous tools and methods.
No if……
If you are just starting out woodworking or on a budget, I don't recommend the Festool Domino. Once you have built out a full woodshop with all the necessary tools then you should look at the Festool Domino. If you are on a budget, there are alternatives to the Festool Domino, however they will not have the same capability and will be more time consuming. I have another article here that outlines the various alternatives if you are interested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Domino DF 500 vs XL DF 700?
Before I purchased my DF 500 I wrestled with the question of whether or not I needed the larger XL DF 700. After researching it more, the tools are very similar in nature but are designed for very different purposes. If your questioning it yourself go check out this article here were I detail the difference between the two models.
What Are The Best Alternatives?
The Festool Domino is a big investment for a home workshop and is a great tool but there are some suitable alternatives with a lower cost. Most of the alternatives to the Domino are more time consuming, frustrating to use, and have very limited applications. If you are interesting in some good alternatives I outline the best for each application as well as give you my top picks in this article.
Even though I receive compensation for posts or advertisements, I will always give honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences in this review. The opinions and views expressed in this review are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
If you have any questions, comment below.
Let’s talk about it!
