If you're a would-be Festool owner but find their high prices too much to swallow, check out their newly-launched website: Festool Recon, which sells their "gently used" tools at a discount. Because the company has a 30-day return policy, they've got an inventory of like-new tools that owners either returned because they didn't like them, or that were defective and have now been reconditioned. They also sell discontinued tools.

"All tools meet Festool's high performance and quality standards," the company writes. "However, you should expect them to have visual blemishes."

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Be aware that the stock is constantly rotating; at press time there was only one model of tool on offer, their TS 55 Tracksaw--selling for $420, versus the usual price of $560. "Shit goes fast," writes Randy, the buddy of mine who told me about the site. "They load up a random item every day, send out an email, and depending on the product they are gone within hours."

"It will not be transparent what tool will be for sale next," Festool states, with German frankness. "You will only learn of new offers through the official announcement sent out with the recon newsletter posting. Once it expires, the next offer will become available."

You can sign up here.

Lastly, Randy just texted me this: "Tell [Core77 readers] that I asked you not to write about the site, so I would not be competing with everyone else to pick up the tools I want." Sorry, Randy, that's what you get for befriending a blogger.