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TS55 or ???

M

MattS

Nordic Pine
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So I am going to buy a new saw and rail system. With the amount of wood working planned in our new house I can justify upgrading my Skill saw and EZ rail system. I've hankered after the Festool for some time but there seems to be alternatives that I hadn't necessarily seen before. The two I've looked at are Bosch and Scheppach. Now the most critical thing for me is accuracy of cut - I could never get the old system to work perfectly and it always annoyed me! I'm only a hobby user so if there is another system which gives accuracy but is cheaper as its not rated or such high usage would be fine for me.

Or should I just get the Festool?!
 
If I have a lot of accurate stuff to do and I could envisage using it over many years I would not hesitate. IMHO there is a reason why the pros use what they use.

For the limited stuff I do a self made cutting board and a B&D saw have managed fine.
 
From what I've read, Mafell and Makita are other makes to consider too, though if you hanker after a Festool you probably won't go wrong.
I don't cut up boards or sheets regularly but like others, I got by over many years with my B&D circular saw and various straight edges.

Rod
 
TheTS55 was my first festool purchase, It was a a big step for me parting with that amount money for a tool, but five years later on and I've acquired quite a bit of festool equipment.
I've had home made rails and the trend guide rail clamps, but I could never get the accuracy I wanted.
I was lucky at the time, my local tool shop let me have a trail of the makita and festool to see which I preferred, the TS55 was by far the superior system.
I dare say you'd get the same accuracy from Bosch,makita or scheppach, but I think you've answered your own question saying you've hankered after festool

Harvey
 
I never got on with the DeWalt track saw, never tried the Makita, Mafell tend to be more expensive than Festool.
Plus points of the TS55 is easy of use, compatible with a MFT table & the track can be used with their router, very useful if you need that kind of thing, plus usual stuff same power lead, extractor hose fits most Festool power tools etc.
 
I use the TS55 track system which I've been very pleased with. The best accessory in my very 'umble opinion to go with the track saw is either a Festool MFT table or one of the versions from Axminster or even to make your own as I did using Peter Parfitt's UJK kit. Super accurate, dead easy to make and it means that tables saws for the cutting of sheet materials etc are a thing of the past - Rob
 
I have had a TS55 for a few years now used in conjunction with the table MFT3 only one cockup todate set the saw blade on the wrong slider. Unfortunately the MTF3 is to large for my shop setting up then stowing away, so I downgraded to the UJK insert mounted on my bench, the accuracy cant be faulted equally as good as the MFT3 with less messing about. Thats why I'm disposing of the MFT3.
You wont regret the TS55 setup.
Richard
 
You can see the table I made on the Ax Knowledge page. I used a removable top so it both doubles as an gluing up/mucky bench and a Power Tool table when the cover's removed - Rob
 
justaskin":1u6o25ax said:
...You wont regret the TS55 setup...
Richard
Click to expand...

Unless you need to cut 60mm… :eusa-whistle:

That's why I went for the TS75, not that much more expensive but that extra inch is worth it… :shock: :lol:

Cheers
Mark
 
TrimTheKing":j3g8jn5o said:
justaskin":j3g8jn5o said:
...You wont regret the TS55 setup...
Richard
Click to expand...

Unless you need to cut 60mm… :eusa-whistle:

That's why I went for the TS75, not that much more expensive but that extra inch is worth it… :shock: :lol:

Cheers
Mark
Click to expand...
Did the lady in the queue at the Co-op appreciate the extra inch? :lol: :lol: - Rob
 
Woodbloke":2ksk5qzg said:
You can see the table I made on the Ax Knowledge page. I used a removable top so it both doubles as an gluing up/mucky bench and a Power Tool table when the cover's removed - Rob
Click to expand...

Thanks Rob, already spotted this and it looks excellent.
 
Wouldn't touch Scheppach.

The Bosch isn't far off the price of the Festool.

I had the Makita, it's a nice saw and works off the Festool tracks. It has a rail tip-lock which stops it from (hands free) falling off the rail when cantered over for angle cuts.

One fault with the Makita was the anti-friction strips on the rails are grooved and these cut into the saw base casting, potentially knocking it's accuracy off.

I eventually sold the Makita and bought the Festool... it's had a jolly good hammering, more than the Makita did.The dust extraction on it is very good as you can push the little window/chip breaker (MKII) flush to the workpiece.

There's the DeWalt too...And Mafell (£££'s)

HTH,

Jim
 
I have had the T75 for 10 years. It has been hammered, on site and in the workshop. I have a selection of blades to deal with everything from Corian fabrication to ripping down 60mm Oak so I can get it on the table saw (I buy in boules and the planks get a bit heavy at 4 meters). I also have a small makita and a monster Hitachi, but out and about the Festool is my go to rip snorter.
The festools can really take a beating, it amuses me seeing videos online of people in perfect clean workshops with the toys when you know they are really built for a fair amount of industrial stick.
They are great, quick to change the blade and accurate with the guide rail, changing from doing something rough and nasty to dropping it onto a guide rail with a different blade is brilliant. The T75 is great for fire doors as well.
 
The extractors are good too, but the cable always gets tangled with the hose when I'm using the sander
 
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