The Festool 493490 Domino DF 500 Cutter, 5mm is a carbide-tipped DOMINO cutter made for the Festool DF 500 joining system. This is a DOMINO cutter designed for cutting clean mortises for 5 mm DOMINO tenons in woodworking and joinery applications. Model Number: 493490. If you use a DF 500 for cabinet work, furniture building, or precise panel joinery, this is the cutter that gives you the correct mortise size for Festool 5 mm tenons.

What matters here is fit and repeatability. This cutter is built specifically to create the proper mortise width for Festool 5 mm tenons, so your joints go together the way they should without fighting loose fit or forcing parts together. The 5 mm cutting diameter and 20 mm cutter length are matched to this application, which is why using the correct cutter size matters when you want accurate alignment and dependable glue-up results.

Festool uses a carbide-tipped cutting edge and spiral flutes on this bit. In real use, that means cleaner cutting in wood and more consistent mortise quality over a long run of joints. The spiral flute design helps clear material as it cuts, which supports clean mortise walls and helps the machine work smoothly in repeated plunge cuts. Festool also notes a service life of roughly 5,000 to 14,000 joints depending on the material, which tells you this cutter is meant for serious shop work and jobsite joinery, not occasional light-duty use only.

The design is straightforward in the best way. It is internally threaded for quick, easy bit changes, so moving between tenon sizes on the DF 500 is faster and less of a hassle. That matters when you are bouncing between different stock thicknesses or changing joint sizes during a build. Instead of trying to make one cutter do every job, you can set the machine up correctly and keep the work accurate.

This cutter is for wood-cutting joinery work and is intended for the Festool DOMINO DF 500 platform. It is not a general-purpose router bit and not a cross-platform accessory for random joiners. It is purpose-built for one system, and that is exactly why it works so well when paired with the right machine and matching 5 mm tenons.

If you are a cabinet installer, furniture builder, finish carpenter, or serious DIY woodworker already using the DF 500, this is the right accessory when your project calls for smaller DOMINO joinery. It makes the most sense for precise alignment work, face frames, cabinet parts, shelving, and furniture components where a 5 mm tenon is the right fit. Bottom line: if you own the DF 500 and want clean, consistent 3/16" (5 mm) mortises without compromise, this is the cutter you buy.

The right cutter for smaller DF 500 joinery

The Festool 493490 Domino DF 500 Cutter, 5mm is a simple accessory, but it is one of those parts that makes the whole system work the way it should.

• Who it's for: DF 500 owners doing cabinet parts, furniture work, shelving, and other joinery where a 5 mm tenon is the right call.
• Why it stands out: It is purpose-built for the DF 500, cuts the correct mortise for 5 mm tenons, and uses a carbide-tipped, spiral-flute design for clean results and long service life.
• Worth knowing: This is a dedicated system accessory, so it makes sense only if you already run a Festool DOMINO DF 500 and need the 3/16" (5 mm) setup.

• What machine does this cutter fit? It is designed for the Festool DOMINO DF 500 joining machine.
• What size tenons is it made for? This cutter is made for Festool 5 mm DOMINO tenons.
• What material is it intended to cut? Wood is the intended material.
• Is the cutter carbide-tipped? Yes. Festool specifies a carbide-tipped cutter design.