Festool MFT 1080 vs 3 (TS 55 EQ saw)

[Mike Holbrook]

So my old chop saw has just about had it and I was thinking about buying a new one. It started getting expensive for a slider with some wort of mobile base for it....

I am a Festool fan for many years. I have not found my MFT table and TS 55 saw that great for simple cross cuts on 2x4, 2x6 type construction lumber though. I have heard about Qwas Dogs and I see Veritas is making 20 mm dogs for Festool tables as well. I called Bob Marino up to check on compatibility of the MFT table I have with the newer tables and accessories. It seems that the new tables are a different height and use a different accessory attachment system. I was thinking about buying a second table, hoping I could clamp them together for cutting sheet goods etc. I live on 12 acres and work in two different buildings that are not easy to move items between manually. I constantly deal with the issue of moving tools between the two locations in our truck.

It occured to me that I might save a good deal of trouble by buying a second Basic MFT Table and locating it at the work location/building. I do mostly construction work at the work building and woodworking at the house. I am disappointed that there is apparently no easy way to make the two Festool tables compatible, but at the same time I'm not sure I need the two tables to be compatible? If all I have to do is move the saw and saw guides back & forth I may be able to work at both locations with the one set of guides & saw, using Qwas Dogs and Rail Dogs or Veritas dogs to set up the guides?

[Edward P. Surowiec]

You are right Mike setting up a table in each shop is easier and faster. In regard to cross cutting the short Festool guide rail ( $83) has good reviews it is easy to use on the table ( no clamps because it is 32" long) with two sacrificial strips the same thickness as the stock being cut. I have set of both Qwas and Veritas dogs and use the Veritas more frequently but in my limited experience cross cutting stock with the Festool system is not as fast as a chop saw that is set up and ready for work. Would you be required to move a chop saw between your two shop tos??? If you must relocate the saw perhaps going off the deep end and building a Paulk bench with a new Kapex is the way to go ......LOL.
Ed