Author Topic: Festool Vac Sys 1 Value/Price (Read 2199 times)

carl124 · « **on:** March 18, 2023, 01:20 PM »

I have an opportunity to purchase a Vac-SYS 1 system and am wondering what a fair price would be for the system? Included in the sale is the pump, SYS 1 clamping table and foot release along with the associated tubing. I see prices all over the place and would appreciate any input. Thanks in advance.

4nthony · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2023, 01:31 PM »

Back in January, there was one on Recon that sold for $742.50. They're significantly higher now on eBay and other online marketplaces. Knowing that, you'd have to decide how much it is worth to you.

One option that is similar to the Vac-Sys is the Doscornio Bankmaster. Comparatively, it's more expense than the Vac-Sys was (when Vac-Sys was available at retail) but it's ~~probably~~ less expensive than what most ipeople are selling the Vac-Sys for on the used market.

https://www.doscornio.com/en/product-overview/bankmaster-vacuum-clamping-systems/#workbench-equipment

usernumber1 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2023, 02:18 PM »

there's no fair price just market price. vac-sys is unobtanium so no rules apply

carl124 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2023, 02:46 PM »

Maybe I shouldn’t have used the term “fair price” but rather “reasonable price”.

squall_line · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2023, 10:34 PM »

Quote from: carl124 on March 18, 2023, 02:46 PM

Maybe I shouldn’t have used the term “fair price” but rather “reasonable price”.

The prices I see on Facebook are unreasonable, in my opinion. Especially when I see people post "I just found this New Old Stock at a dealership, buy it now for $x,xxx!!!" where $x,xxx is a 100% or more markup over what the person JUST ADMITTED to paying.

If that person were a no-name nobody outside of the world of woodworking buying and marking up discontinued tools, fine, so be it, that's the way a free market works. When it's someone who alleges to be in kinship with a group and have an affinity for woodworking and a specific brand of tool, I have to wonder where that person's kinship really lies and whether they are really part of that group or just taking advantage of the membership.

/soapbox

Alanbach · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2023, 10:50 PM »

As per previous posts in this thread this item had a list price of $990 US when it was discontinued. Anything below $1,500 would probably be considered a good deal considering how difficult these are to get now and how many crazy high prices are seen on Ebay. I would consider anything over $2,000 to be a bit excessive but I have seen people pay more than that. Also be aware that there is a second module for this setup called SE-2 that comes with tubing and fittings that allow it to be added to the system that you are looking at. That unit originally retailed around $450 when discontinued but it will also be extremely hard to find.

carl124 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2023, 04:10 PM »

Thanks, good input.

carl124 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 19, 2023, 04:13 PM »

Quote from: 4nthony on March 18, 2023, 01:31 PM

Back in January, there was one on Recon that sold for $742.50. They're significantly higher now on eBay and other online marketplaces. Knowing that, you'd have to decide how much it is worth to you.

One option that is similar to the Vac-Sys is the Doscornio Bankmaster. Comparatively, it's more expense than the Vac-Sys was (when Vac-Sys was available at retail) but it's ~~probably~~ less expensive than what most ipeople are selling the Vac-Sys for on the used market.

https://www.doscornio.com/en/product-overview/bankmaster-vacuum-clamping-systems/#workbench-equipment

Thanks for the information, any idea how often these come up on the Recon site?

usernumber1 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 19, 2023, 04:23 PM »

how much are you being asked for it?

Cheese · « **Reply #9 on:** March 19, 2023, 04:56 PM »

Quote from: usernumber1 on March 19, 2023, 04:23 PM

how much are you being asked for it?

+1

Just throw out the number that you're being asked to pay and I'm sure a LOT of folks will weigh in.

4nthony · « **Reply #10 on:** March 19, 2023, 05:10 PM »

Quote from: carl124 on March 19, 2023, 04:13 PM

Thanks for the information, any idea how often these come up on the Recon site?

This is the data I have for the various Vac Sys SKUs on Recon for the last ~16 months.

I think the SKUs indicate the following parts:

- 201064 is the pump
- 201065 clamping module with circular pad and foot pedal
- 580062 is the clamping module with rectangular pad and no foot pedal

The Vac Sys is kinda rare on Recon.

carl124 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2023, 07:52 AM »

Quote from: usernumber1 on March 19, 2023, 04:23 PM

how much are you being asked for it?

No number was given, seller asked me to make an offer.

DynaGlide · « **Reply #12 on:** March 20, 2023, 08:08 AM »

If I were to sell mine I'd probably be in the camp of marking it up. The reason being, I really like it and if I'm going to let it go then it needs to fund something else I want more. I guess if a person just didn't care for it and wanted to offload it I could see them selling it close to retail.

The argument for selling something that is no longer available for what you paid for it when it was available doesn't really hold. Supply and demand and all that. Take a look at any desirable, no longer made hand tools and the prices are several fold higher than retail.

I suspect as the years go on and these become more and more hard to find in good shape, pricing will go even higher. The comparable systems on the market today are very expensive and the vac sys when it was available was the best deal in town.

What I don't care for are the people who obviously bought it to turn a profit. Especially evident when the listing says it's their 'spare' or second unit.

Matt

carl124 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 20, 2023, 08:21 AM »

Quote from: DynaGlide on March 20, 2023, 08:08 AM

If I were to sell mine I'd probably be in the camp of marking it up. The reason being, I really like it and if I'm going to let it go then it needs to fund something else I want more. I guess if a person just didn't care for it and wanted to offload it I could see them selling it close to retail.

The argument for selling something that is no longer available for what you paid for it when it was available doesn't really hold. Supply and demand and all that. Take a look at any desirable, no longer made hand tools and the prices are several fold higher than retail.

I suspect as the years go on and these become more and more hard to find in good shape, pricing will go even higher. The comparable systems on the market today are very expensive and the vac sys when it was available was the best deal in town.

What I don't care for are the people who obviously bought it to turn a profit. Especially evident when the listing says it's their 'spare' or second unit.

Matt

So, given what you said, a price of $1,000 for the set would be at the low end and would go up from that point?

DynaGlide · « **Reply #14 on:** March 20, 2023, 09:17 AM »

Yes I think that's accurate

Cheese · « **Reply #15 on:** March 20, 2023, 10:15 AM »

Quote from: carl124 on March 20, 2023, 08:21 AM

So, given what you said, a price of $1,000 for the set would be at the low end and would go up from that point?

If you do purchase the unit, I'd recommend you pick up the set of multiple vac heads while they're still available. I don't use the SE 2 unit all of the time but the multiple vac heads are a high recommend and they make the system much more flexible.

https://www.festoolusa.com/accessory/495294---vac-sys-vt-sort

Richard/RMW · « **Reply #16 on:** March 20, 2023, 10:16 AM »

Much as I'm kinda disgusted with eBay's evolution from it's origins, their sold auctions strike me as a fairly good indicator of current value.

The full Monty $3,250

Set sans SE-2 $2,900

And a new looking SE-2 sold for $1,500. I'd added one to my setup before they became unavailable for $450.

Back during the height of Covid I decided to unload a mostly unused TS-75, not realizing it was unavailable new. Got bid up over $1,300 plus shipping, without the rail. I think I paid $750 for saw/75" rail about 10 years prior. Best "investment" I think I've ever made.

RMW

DynaGlide · « **Reply #17 on:** March 20, 2023, 10:38 AM »

Wow. I hadn't checked ebay. I'd be tempted to sell at those prices.

4nthony · « **Reply #18 on:** March 20, 2023, 12:55 PM »

Quote from: DynaGlide on March 20, 2023, 10:38 AM

Wow. I hadn't checked ebay. I'd be tempted to sell at those prices.

That would be my choice.

Sell high and buy an alternative. Pocket the difference and buy more kit.

I wouldn't be surprised if Festool, seeing all this renewed interest in the Vac Sys, comes out with another system in the next year or two. And they shift their marketing to put the Vac Sys closer to the center of the shop workflow, convincing people they need it rather than having it on the fringe as a luxury tool.

usernumber1 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2023, 01:22 PM »

I suspect the same as 4nthony.

Grabo is a good example of what cordless gets you. Izzy Swan made a prototype holder for it turning it into a SE-1. They have all sorts of attachments for it, official and unofficial. Now they have a high flow version for porous materials

I would think Festool is plenty inspired and probably have something in their RDC lab for over a year ? (hi festool)

DynaGlide · « **Reply #20 on:** March 20, 2023, 02:48 PM »

I just looked again at ebay completed auctions. Several of them are from the same person. Same bench in the picture. They made out very well it appears they had 5 or 6 systems, all of them went for way more than retail. Pretty shameful for a woodworker to buy that many up like that.

luvmytoolz · « **Reply #21 on:** March 20, 2023, 03:46 PM »

Quote from: DynaGlide on March 20, 2023, 02:48 PM

I just looked again at ebay completed auctions. Several of them are from the same person. Same bench in the picture. They made out very well it appears they had 5 or 6 systems, all of them went for way more than retail. Pretty shameful for a woodworker to buy that many up like that.

Not knowing where or how he came to obtain so many units I'd say it's just simple common sense business practice.

Yes it's nice when woodies do a solid and I've even given away a complete Elu flipsaw once, but there's certainly nothing wrong with selling stuff for what the market will bear in my opinion.

squall_line · « **Reply #22 on:** March 20, 2023, 04:46 PM »

Quote from: 4nthony on March 20, 2023, 12:55 PM

Quote from: DynaGlide on March 20, 2023, 10:38 AM
Wow. I hadn't checked ebay. I'd be tempted to sell at those prices.

That would be my choice.

Sell high and buy an alternative. Pocket the difference and buy more kit.

I wouldn't be surprised if Festool, seeing all this renewed interest in the Vac Sys, comes out with another system in the next year or two. And they shift their marketing to put the Vac Sys closer to the center of the shop workflow, convincing people they need it rather than having it on the fringe as a luxury tool.

I would sure hope so, given that Sedge had it at the center of his workflow for close to half of the Festool Live episodes until they announced that they were discontinued.

To me, it's a tacit acknowledgement that Festool knows how good a product it was that they a) showcased it as much as they did in Festool Live, and b) completely removed all traces of it from Festool Live after it was discontinued.

The decision to discontinue and/or shut down the assembly line was probably made before Festool Live even started, or shortly after (especially since I think Festool Live was started because of the Pandemic).