My 1st BIG Day with the Festool TS75
Hi,
OK is it safe to discuss this, to say Festool…? No EZ pleeze….
Anyway…
So far I’d only used the TS75 several times for one or 2 tasks. I bought it as I “had” an offer for some custom cabinetry but no space. Job has since been put on hold by the owner.
Today I had to cut up 3 sheets of plywood into about 35 pieces for kitchen cabinet doors.
This took me one hour from set up-a sheet of plywood on saw horses and roll out of tool-to sitting here in fron of my Mac. The dust left over (I also have the CT22) was about 2 cups,clean up was about 2 minutes.
All the cuts are dead on and I felt a lot better using the rail system as opposed to a tablesaw for the smaller cuts.
I’m now much happier that I made this purchase instead of a $1000 contractors saw. I still miss my PM66 but sisnce I don’t have the space..but even so there was nothing I couldn’t do.
The other day I made a jig and ripped 25 bdft into 1″ x 3/4″ x 48″ strips with little trouble.
Complaints:
The hose of the vacuum tended to get snagged on the board edge at inopportune times forcing me to go it one handed as I pushed it aside. The cord like to snag on the rail. They sell a little ramp but that should be included as it’s dangerous to have to look back and take a hand off despite any rail.
If your on the fence about a contractors saw or TS75 I highly recommend the TS75! If your looking more towards a cabinet saw….depending upon your intentions this is a close tie for me. A cabinet saw has ratcheted down my list after today!
PLEASE DON’T EZ THIS THREAD UP!
I just want to share my personal experience.
Thanks,
10saw
Replies
I see you voted with your dollar.
Is that hypocrisy I smell?
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer (1891)
Yup I voted AGAINST a Taiwanese tablesaw! I cast a vote towards superior made products and fired off emails to several comapnies explaining my choice. I also got a Festool sander and a router as well. The quality is spectacular! I frankly don't find any other brands even close. I don't beleive there is a currently available model of any of those tools made in USA.. OK maybe a PC router but nothing works as well with the dust collection. And still the Festool is a better machine!If I missed a $500 USA made tabesaw please let me know. I imagine you've not experienced Festool. I suggest you give it a spin! Amazing stuff..and I've been posting about it since the day I bought it. You could have really used this in the other thread if you'd done you home work!<G>Good to hear from ya DG!10saw!
You did'nt buy a tablesaw, you bought a handheld circular saw.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
"You did'nt buy a tablesaw, you bought a handheld circular saw."Right!A good table saw was closer to $900 for a Taiwan made. I wasn't overly impressed with the quality and am cramped for space. The TS75 does pretty much all I need. I use the router for dadoes but of course there are still things that can only be done with a real table saw.Did I say I cleaned up in about 2 minutes and it was about 2 cups of dust!? Frankly in the position I'm in that's about all the mess I can make for now so really no option.I had a PM66 that I lost about 1 1/2 years ago. I loved that machine and can't wait to have space for another one! I'll buy used...but I'm spoiled...A CSaw just won't cut it...See ya,10saw
About the $500 Unisaw, you should have posted a WTB ad. I sold a Unisaw a few months ago for less than that.
DJK
Regarding the hose getting caught, there is an adapter that fits on the end of the guide rail to smoothly guide the cord and hose. It works great! However, I just realized that this optional piece is not shown in the TS55 manual, but it is shown in the old ATF55 manual. Oops.
For more money, Festool also offers a boom attachment for the dust extractor. It lifts the hose and cord above the guide rail and out of the way.
I'm curious - what are you using as a setup for the sheet goods? Do you stack all the panels on top of one another over a set of sawhorses? move one sheet at a time as you make cuts?
I'm still struggling with the ideal operating height for these track systems.
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
"I'm curious - what are you using as a setup for the sheet goods?"Hi,I'm also still trying to decide on the best way but what I did seemed to work fine.2 saw horses topped with a sacrificial sheet of 3/4" plywood. I decided on the ply wood as it's light and stiffer than mdf, won't crumble like OSB and I just don't have the space nor time to make some fancier fold up table......but......I found a good idea, on another site,based upon a large "#" shaped 4 piece that will lock together. I also know glue isn't so good for saw blades. The plywood I found has a solid 1/8" veneer that I just barely go through. I was figuring OSB being more resins and glue may not be so good for the blade life but it's way cheaper ($6 v. $25) but a blade is pricey so...I'm not sure about MDF but the Festool MFT uses a thick piece of this so maybe it's ok with blades[Is it ok to post links to other forums/magazines with ideas?]But once again the simple set up worked fine. I was making 30" x 48" cuts at the largest and made sure I was close to a saw horse so there was little flex to grab the blade. It disappears at days end, plywood goes up against the wall and folding saw horses stow easy.My situation is very limited shop space which is basically a shared garage of which I have one wall. Arrangements have been made to accommodate several days of the whole space for finishing operations etc..but I need it folded up each night.Once again I'll post the link if advisable to a current discussion elsewhere if give the aok by moderator.BTW I'd still like to see a good clean discussion about repetitive cuts! I came up with a good one that needs some refining but basically you have to think in terms of making a fence for the rail with a stop for the pieces underneath....Mine worked perfectly and was only a bit slower that a TSGood Luck,10saw
Thanks for the info - go ahead and post a link, we're all here to learn.Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
Cool!Here ya go:http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33930Note the handsome devil who started it<G>The idea I like best is towards the end of page 3 with photos10saw
I use a modification of a cut table I found somewhere in FWW (can't remember exactly where- perhaps someone else can supply). Basically, the table top looks like a piece of framing- 2x4s that were jointed for flatness. Instead of nailing (I was a little paranoid about hitting a nail with my saw blade), I M&T'd the pieces together (it was the project that I used to practice making mortises by hand). The table "top" is 6' by 3'- big enough to support a 4'x8' piece of ply, with overhang. The open design makes it easy to clamp to or make hand holds. The legs are fold down legs from Rockler. This makes it easy to store out of the way when I don't need it- it hangs on the wall.You can put a piece of sacrificial ply on before cutting, but you don't need to. I have found that a piece of 4'x8'x2" styrofoam is useful, as it prevents tearing out of veneered plywood. I use the Festool AT55 with a ceiling mounted guide for the cord and dust collection hose.Just my 2p,Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
Justin
Here's a picture of my setup for cutting up sheet goods with my TS55. It's a table at 34" high, with a 4' X 8' 3/4" piece of mdf on top for support, with a 3/4" 4x8 sheet of pink polystyrene as the cap. The polystyrene is $8 at the Menards, and one lasts me 6 months before it's all hacked up. It also cushions those expensive A grade cherry sheets from getting scratched or knicked up, as I can literally drop a sheet on my cut up table without worrying about dents or damage.
BTW, please excuse the cutting boards on top, it's the only photo I have of my table.
Jeff
Did you consider the TS55 at all? The reason I ask is because I had been thinking about a Festool circular saw for dealing with sheet goods, so the extra cutting capacity of the TS75 might be wasted for me, unless there's a another reason for choosing the larger of the two.
I've been using a bandsaw for powered sawing. My shop is small enough that I had to make a choice between bandsaw and tablesaw, and I went with bandsaw.
If you're only going to process sheet goods, then the TS 55 is all you need. If you'll be ripping 8/4 solid lumber, then you'll want the larger saw. I think it's a simple as that. I opted for the TS55, because I only process sheet goods with it. I have a 5 hp PM 66 for solid stock.
Jeff
Hi,Ya know I actually bought the TS55 first and before I used it I went ahead and got the TS75.The only reason I did is on occation I need to trim a solid 8/4 HW door and with my luck it would happen the day after I could no longer opt for the TS75.At that point it became only $130 for the TS75! Which to me sounded like an ok deal.But understand I have no tablesaw. My "shop" for the forseeable future needs to be quite compact. I use the TS75 for ALL my straight cuts. So far pretty much all sheet goods and things that could be done with the TS55 but I have plans on some work that would strain the TS55.They are great tools! I'd suggest getting the TS75 if the budget allows, if not you'll be perfectly happy with the TS55. Festool affers a 30 day money back deal so you can always try it out and if buying locally the dealers are usually set up to let you try them and give further advice.HTH10saw
Have used alot of matstool products, but seeing as I have a panel saw I don't have much use for their system...but I've found all of their products to be darn good, especially the battery powered drill with r and l and offset applications...outstanding....kinda funky grip though...Jimmy
Edited 1/5/2007 9:19 pm ET by Jimmy
That was quite helpful. Like you, I don't have a tablesaw. Unlike you, I had a hard time thinking of a straight cut through thick wood that would be hard or unwieldy to do on my bandsaw.* Certainly trimming a door might be one of them, although I assume that it's a full size entryway door you're talking about.Given that I think that it might be rare that I would need to do that particular cut, can you (or anyone else) help me think of any other straight cuts that would be difficult to do with a bandsaw that might require the extra cutting capacity of the TS75?* I think my brain has shut down this evening.
"Given that I think that it might be rare that I would need to do that particular cut, can you (or anyone else) help me think of any other straight cuts that would be difficult to do with a bandsaw that might require the extra cutting capacity of the TS75?"Well...You can get rails pretty much any length. They come with a 55"er and easily mulled together and I beleive they even sell a one piece 16 footer! for boat builders.if you have a jointer, a band saw will be ok for most work. Myself, I can't get a true straight cut with a band saw but I guess it depends on what you do next and how long you need the board.I just read a cool procedure for using the TS75 or 55 for jointing boards: Basically you cut both boards straight with the rail. Then you set the boards together and the rail so it cuts 1/2 the kerf in to each board, and run the saw down them. Should be a perfect fit!10saw
To break down sheet goods I usually keep a few 2x4's on hand, lay one on the floor under each side of the cut, two to support outside edges of sheet goods, clamp saw guide as needed and crawl across top as I cut with circular saw. Since I'm only 5'2" this is easier for me than lifting sheet onto table and reaching across to make the cut. I attach shop vac hose to dust port on saw and position a box fan with funace filter so my face won' t end up between the fan and the souce of dust. I think permanently mounted shop air cleaners will end up pulling the dusty air into your breathing space before it gets to the air cleaner.
Happy Girl I can tell. I have the 55 and use it for my sheet stock also. I tend to cut those close to the open garage door and don't mind the small dust that gets away from the shop vac. It is one sweet setup. Did you buy a long guide or just the 5' guide? I have a 5 and 4 and connnect them for long cuts. One of the best tools I have ever used. You will enjoy this for many years.
I load my ply into the pickup, back it up to the garage and off load onto the table, and at 6'2 I can reach across the table.... you are smart to work down at the ground and not fight it!
AZMO <!----><!----><!---->
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