Company history

How it all began 

The company Festo was founded by company partners Albert Fezer and Gottlieb Stoll. They initially concentrate on repairing wood processing machinery and making structural modifications to these machines by converting plain bearings to ball bearings. 

First company logo and tool for carpenters

The first tools for carpentry were developed under the first company logo "Fezer & Stoll".

Mobile chainsaw 

More mobile: The first transportable chainsaw carries out heavy, previously manual work on site.

SB 126 portable circular saw 

The idea of the first mobile circular saw: With the SB 126 portable circular saw, you can avoid the tedium of transporting heavy material to stationary tools by simply taking the tool to the material instead.

ZUM 140 chain mortiser

Precise and versatile – ZUM 140: For routing slots. For drilling holes. And for routing grooves on stair stringers with the aid of an additional device.

Active in social matters

Berta Stoll, wife of Gottlieb Stoll and company partner, focusses her attention on the employees. This includes visiting those off sick, organising company functions and excursions and arranging children's Christmas celebrations.

Modified logo

The first logo of the Festo brand.

BD 125 portable circular saw

The BD 125 portable circular saw from the year 1938 was popular amongst carpenters and joinery firms alike.

Build good things and spread the word

Festo soon discovered that trade fairs were an ideal platform for exhibiting and demonstrating Festo products.

MTD and KTD disc sanders

Bestsellers throughout the 1930s and 1940s: The MTD and KTD disc sanders. The Festo disc sander was also the first sander with patented independent extraction.

First new building 

When space on Olgastrasse in Esslingen became too cramped for the continuously growing company, Gottlieb Stoll began planning the first new building on Ulmer Straße in 1938. A few years later, this address became the company's modern, new home.

The second generation of Festo

A snapshot of the second generation of Festo. From left to right: Harald Kneile, Gerda Maier-Stoll, Heinz Attinger, Dr. Wilfried Stoll.

AE 85 pendulum cover saw 

The company set its sights on the timber construction industry from the very start, as demonstrated here by the AE 85 pendulum cover saw from 1946.

AD 85 portable circular saw

The AD 85 portable circular saw offered its users six significant advantages: Exterior run-back protection for
greater safety, cutting depth adjustment without changing the motor's centre of gravity, slanted saw position at the scribe pointer level, gauge marker, shavings ejector and saw table contact surface.

RTE orbital sander 

Legendary to this day: The RTE orbital sander replaced the hand sanding block, which was unpopular and considered time-consuming among painters, carpenters and automotive paint shops, and therefore paved the way for fine machine sanding.

New location in Neidlingen

Neidlingen – renowned for its cherry blossom and, since 1951, for outstanding power tools. By 1950, it had become clear that the Ulmerstraße site in Esslingen would once again be too small in the medium term. In Neidlingen, Gottlieb Stoll found the perfect site to continue building tools for the toughest demands.

SÄGEHEXE AAU 50 portable circular saw 

One hand to work with, the other for increased safety: The SÄGEHEXE was the first one-handed circular saw with 500-watt cutting power at a cutting depth of 50 mm. It allowed carpenters to hold on to the roof with one hand while sawing with the other – something they had never been able to do before.

Patent: 843300 height adjustment

AU 50/65 portable circular saw

Safety outside the box: The patented, integrated sliding clutch prevented the motor from overloading and protected the user from accidents. The AU 50/65 with cutting depth adjustment and slanted positioning replaced the SÄGEHEXE.

Patent 1958: 1089148 sliding clutch

New company logo 

In 1962, the Festo logo is redesigned for a more modern look. 1983 saw a further modification when the logo was turned blue.

The first guide rail

In 1962, the first generation of guide rails is brought to market. This is replaced by the new aluminium version in 1980. From 2003 onwards, the FS/2 guide rail is produced in a number of different variants. This second generation of guide rails has a second groove for additional accessories and a sliding strip to facilitate guiding the machine.

In the image on the right, Gottlieb Stoll demonstrates use of the first portable circular saw with guide rail at the beginning of 1960.

RTT-S orbital sander 

Sanding goes dust-free: The RTT-S was the world's first orbital sander with a dust extraction connection. Dust accrued while sanding and hazardous dust from 2K filler compound in particular was safely vacuumed by the extraction.

Patent 1969: 19 38 350 extraction connection 

Focus on power tools

In 1975, the executive board decided to abandon the stationary machine market in favour of concentrating exclusively on the design and construction of power and air tools.

WST 150 eccentric sander

Greater material removal capacity than ever before: The first eccentric sander with integrated extraction was brought to market.

ROTEX RO 1 

Simply switch over and get started: The option to switch from coarse to fine sanding made it easier for the tradesman to switch between working steps. From this point onwards, a machine could be used both for tougher coarse sanding and ultra-fine sanding. Today, the ROTEX is still considered the high-performance all-rounder for carpenters, painters and automotive paint shops.

Patent: 2938704, application in 1979

AXF 45 plunge-cut saw 

Plunge and saw more reliably: The AXF 45 was the first in a series of successful Festo – and later Festool – plunge-cut saws. From this point on, together with the guide rail, cuts could be made with an unprecedented level of precision.

Patent 1980: 3007310

AT 55 E portable circular saw

Precise cuts: Users are thrilled by the combination of portable circular saw and guide rail. The first guide rail featuring a rubber lip as splinterguard, designed to create a splinter-free cutting edge and easy to position on the scribe mark. The guide rail and plunge-cut saw became indispensable to carpenters. 

Patent 1980: 3007310 
Patent 1982: Splinterguard 3243564

Festo turns blue 

1983 saw a further modification when the logo was turned blue.

PS1 pendulum jigsaw

Leading in precision: The adjustable guidance jaws in the table made it possible to cut right-angles even in very thick pieces of wood. The jigsaw therefore became a precision tool for the discerning carpenter.

Neidlingen plant

Recipient of multiple awards for "Factory of the year" and long-standing birthplace of tools for the toughest demands.

Expanded company logo

The FESTO logo was expanded at the start of the 1990s to include the term "TOOLTECHNIC" – in order to disassociate the company from FESTO Pneumatic.

Festo SYSTAINER SYS Classic

The most beautiful "toolbox" in the world: The SYSTAINER – winner of the Innovation Award and other product design awards – guarantees that tools are well-organised and protected, and since its launch has won the hearts of ambitious tradesmen all over the world.

CDD 12 cordless drill

Compact, robust, powerful: The CDD 12 cordless drill.

New Festool brand

Festo Tooltechnic becomes the independent Festool brand and confirms loyalty to specialist shops.

Festool officially launches in USA

Festool officially comes to the US, opening an office in Santa Barbara, California.

Relocation to Wendlingen

In 2000, we celebrated our 75th anniversary at the new site in Wendlingen.

PS 300 pendulum jigsaw 

Triple saw blade guide – tool-free saw blade changing: Precise work could be refined even further using the PS 300, which could also be combined with a tool-free saw blade changing system. The jigsaw is the carpenter's most commonly used tool.

RS 100 Q gear-driven sander  

Well-balanced centre of gravity for perfect results and non-tiring work.

TS 55 plunge-cut saw 

The living legend: The first plunge-cut saw with attachable splinterguard and a saw blade changing system with a safety lock for increased safety. It has long been synonymous with ultra-precise sawing.

OF 1400 router 

Rocker and ratchet principle for convenient cutter changes – as fast as it gets.

RO 150 EQ geared eccentric sander

Three sander functions combined in one tool: Coarse sanding, fine sanding, polishing.

DF 500 DOMINO jointer 

Significantly more stable and faster: For carpenters everywhere, the DF 500 DOMINO jointer redefined easy and rapid timber joining. The prefabricated, rotationally fixed dowel facilitates the easy and rapid production of edges and corner joints using high precision.

Festool North America moves to Lebanon, Indiana

KAPEX KS 120 compound miter saw

CTL 36 E mobile dust extractor

LHS 225 EQ long-reach sander

Two lengths, one machine – extend or reduce in a few simple hand movements. Two-speed gears for efficient, rapid material removal on walls and ceilings

Close. Open. Connect. With a single turn. SYSTAINER SYS T-LOC – This is how intelligent organisation can be.

PSC 420 EB pendulum jigsaw

Outstanding curve control with triple saw blade guide and torsion-resistant lifting rod.

CONTURO KA 65 edge bander 

The system for the perfect edge. For furniture edging that is worthy of being called "perfect": Developed for the perfect edge finish. For classic furniture edging or manufacturing complex shaped parts with convex or concave curves. For all wood, melamine or plastic edging. 

VECTURO OS 400 oscillating tool

Precise cuts along the scribe mark with the positioning aid, defined cuts with depth stop that can be adjusted without the need for a tool or flush cuts to the wall with a sliding shoe that can also be mounted without a tool. Powerful 400-watt motor with electronic speed control for a consistent work progress speed.

90 years of Festool

The family company Festool celebrates its 90th anniversary.
The image on the right shows Barbara Austel, company partner and granddaughter of Berta and Gottlieb Stoll.