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If you’re a hobbyist or professional woodworker wondering whether the Festool Domino is worth the hefty investment—or if your trusty router and table saw are good enough—this detailed comparison will help you decide.
A classic mortise and tenon joint has long been the gold standard for strength and precision in woodworking, but the Domino promises to do it faster and easier, at a steep price. So, is the Domino worth it?
This post dives deep into the real numbers: setup time, per-joint speed, cost breakdown, and even strength comparisons. The results? Some may surprise you.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- The Domino is fast—really fast. It takes 75% less time to set up and execute each joint than traditional mortise and tenon methods.
- The average hobbyist would need 29 projects to break even on a $1,200 Domino purchase at $50/hour time value.
- Domino joints may actually be stronger than traditional mortise and tenon joints—under certain glue-up conditions.
- Flexibility vs. Convenience: The Domino is limited to preset sizes, while classic mortise and tenon can be fully customized.
- Dust collection: The Domino excels with dust control, while routers and table saws leave your shop coated.
- A free online calculator is available to plug in your own project assumptions and see if the Domino makes financial sense.
What’s the Big Deal About the Festool Domino?
The Festool Domino isn’t just another joinery tool—it’s a portable, precision mortising machine that lets you make perfect floating tenon joints with ease. In seconds, it creates consistent mortises with very little setup, unlike the traditional router or table saw method.
That convenience, though, comes at a cost—$1,200 for the smaller DF 500 model and up to $1,700 for the larger DF 700.
How Do Setup and Operation Times Compare?
To evaluate the Domino fairly, five joints were created using each method (Domino vs. mortise and tenon) and timed from a completely clean shop.
Setup Times (Average):
- Mortise and Tenon: 3 minutes, 38 seconds
- Domino: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Operation Times (Average):
- Mortise and Tenon: 6 minutes, 17 seconds
- Domino: 1 minute, 34 seconds
So per joint, you’re saving about 50 minutes per project—a notable time advantage.
How Many Projects Until the Domino Pays for Itself?
Using an average project that requires:
- 2 setups
- 12 operations for traditional mortise and tenon
- 20 operations for Domino (due to size limitations and use of multiple dominoes per joint)
Assuming you value your time at $50/hour, it would take 29 projects for the Domino to fully pay for itself.
To help others do the math, a free online calculator was created. Users can adjust hourly rates, joint counts, and more to customize the breakeven estimate for their situation.
👉 Try the Domino Justification Calculator
Which Joint is Stronger?
Surprisingly, the Domino joint held up well—sometimes even better than traditional joints.
- Domino (Poplar with two 6x20mm dominoes): Held 210 lbs before failure
- Standard Mortise & Tenon (wider, deeper): Held 380 lbs
- Mortise & Tenon, Domino-sized: Held only 189 lbs
Despite traditional wisdom, Domino joints may outperform hand-cut joints when glue-up is less than perfect. This is likely due to Domino’s grooved design, which allows for better glue distribution.
Dust Collection: A Clear Winner
When it comes to keeping your workspace clean:
- Domino (with dust extractor): Efficient and tidy
- Router/Table Saw Methods: Loud, messy, and dusty—even with shop vacs
Downsides of the Domino
- Cost: High initial investment
- Size Limitations: Domino sizes are fixed, unlike custom mortise & tenon joints
- Requires a vacuum: It clogs without one
- Not ideal for very large or oddly sized joinery
Final Verdict: Is the Domino Worth It?
If you’re a professional woodworker, the time savings and repeatability alone justify the Domino. You’ll save hours, reduce errors, and boost output.
For hobbyists, the answer depends on how often you build. If you average fewer than 5–10 projects per year, the payoff might take longer than it’s worth—unless you’re simply seeking joy, convenience, and shop envy.
Bottom line:
If you have the means, the Domino is an amazing time-saving tool. But if you’re patient, skilled with a router, and don’t mind a little extra effort, traditional mortise and tenon joinery still holds its own—especially when budget matters.