FESTOOL circular saws

[Scott Felicetti]

How is this system? I watched the videos on the website for the TS75 and TS55 and was very impressed. The saws seem safe to me and very effective. However, I didn't see any simple mechanism for squaring up the rail to make sure you are cutting a straight line. The rail simply winds up on the cutting surface and the actor/woodworker cuts away.

The EZ smart system is also impressive and obviously does a whole lot more. The ez smart cuts look cleaner. However, the plunging circular saw and dust collection system looks very good.

Any first hand reports on this system? If all I'm going to do is make repeated cross cuts and rips and need accuracy and cleanliness (plus I'm up for a new circular saw) would this be a good choice? As always, thank you for your responses in advance. I'm always put on the right track here.
Scott

[Jim Becker]

Many 'Creekers, including myself, own and use the Festool saws. The guide goes "right on the line", so as long as you marked your workpiece "square", the cut will be the same. The dust collection is excellent as is the cut quality. Do keep in mind that the Festool saws are not "construction" type tools, so if you really need to do that with one tool in addition to cabinetry and furniture, than the EZ system with a regular circular saw may be a better choice. I have an old B&D circular saw I use for construction/home improvement, for example, and the Festool is reserved for shop and installation work.

[Dixon Peer]

No question in my mind, the Festool 55 and 75 are great saws, and the guide rail is superb. We have two 55's and one 75. I go for the 55 first as it's a lot lighter, but when you have to cut the bottom of a 2 1/4" door, the 75 is the one.

As far a cut quality, there's none better, and with the newer saws there's a little plastic foot that attaches to the outside of the saw that prevents tear-out on the side of the work opposite the guide rail.

I don't know about the EZ system, except that I have read on one of the forums that it raises the bottom of the saw further off the work than the Festool rail does, so the effective depth of cut of your saw is less.

[Michael Schwartz]

As far a cut quality, there's none better, and with the newer saws there's a little plastic foot that attaches to the outside of the saw that prevents tear-out on the side of the work opposite the guide rail.

I don't know about the EZ system, except that I have read on one of the forums that it raises the bottom of the saw further off the work than the Festool rail does, so the effective depth of cut of your saw is less.

A fine homebuilding review rated the EZ Smart system as having the best anti chip protection in a review that included the Fesstool System.

The Fesstool and EZ systems are the only systems that have anti chip protection on both sides of the blade with no offset.

As far as the Cut depth is concerned with the EZ system, it is less, but is enough to cut in up to 1-3/4" with a Hilti 267 and servile other 7-1/4" saws. The saw can be used off the rail for an even greater cut depth. I can cut doors and countertops on the guide-rail with my Hilti 267, and off the rail using it as a strait edge with my other saw.

The Fesstool is a fine system, and the MFT table is a great addition. I too looked very closely at it before I bought my EZ smart gear. I feel the EZ smart system is a more comprehensive solution.

[Greg Funk]

I use the TS55 mainly to break down sheet goods and then do the final cutting on the tablesaw. This makes it easier to get consistent dimensions without having to measure and mark each piece. If you want to make square cuts with the saw and guide you would need to get one of the MFT tables as well.

Greg

[Dixon Peer]

I use the TS55 mainly to break down sheet goods and then do the final cutting on the tablesaw. This makes it easier to get consistent dimensions without having to measure and mark each piece. If you want to make square cuts with the saw and guide you would need to get one of the MFT tables as well.

Greg

You don't need to get the MFT to make square cuts. It's helpful, but for example, how does one make square cuts in a piece of plywood sheathing for a house? You use a square! Draw a line with the square on the plywood and cut to it! Well, you do the same thing with a Festool guide rail; measure in the same distance from one factory cut end, make marks, put the rail on the marks and make your cut.

[Greg Funk]

You don't need to get the MFT to make square cuts. It's helpful, but for example, how does one make square cuts in a piece of plywood sheathing for a house? You use a square! Draw a line with the square on the plywood and cut to it! Well, you do the same thing with a Festool guide rail; measure in the same distance from one factory cut end, make marks, put the rail on the marks and make your cut.

That will get you close if the factory edge is square. But measuring and marking with a pencil and then setting the guide on the marks opens up too many opportunities for errors. I prefer to get it close and then use a crosscut sled.

Greg

[Burt Waddell]

That will get you close if the factory edge is square. But measuring and marking with a pencil and then setting the guide on the marks opens up too many opportunities for errors. I prefer to get it close and then use a crosscut sled.

Greg

Greg and Dixon,

This is where the EZ Smart really excels. The repeaters make it possible to make very accurate cuts of the same width. You just set the repeaters and cut. For shorter cuts, use the cabinet maker. That is a combination of the square and one repeater. We use it for our cross cutting when making cabinets. Right now, we use the large bridge to rip and then use the repeater to cross cut. Using this system, we have reduced cut out time for a kitchen about 30% when compared to using two unisaws - one with an excaliber sliding table.

Also this gets us back to basics in one area - the Festool guide system was designed to use to supplement a table saw. The EZ System was designed to replace a table saw.


Burt

[John Lucas]

Greg and Dixon,

This is where the EZ Smart really excels. The repeaters make it possible to make very accurate cuts of the same width. You just set the repeaters and cut. For shorter cuts, use the cabinet maker. That is a combination of the square and one repeater. We use it for our cross cutting when making cabinets. Right now, we use the large bridge to rip and then use the repeater to cross cut. Using this system, we have reduced cut out time for a kitchen about 30% when compared to using two unisaws - one with an excaliber sliding table.

Also this gets us back to basics in one area - the Festool guide system was designed to use to supplement a table saw. The EZ System was designed to replace a table saw.


Burt

Burt, oh Burt, where did you get that bit of fancy "The Festool guide system was designed to use to supplement a table saw." In my opinion, you couldnt be further from the truth. I can't speak to the EZ System but I will tell you that I have a Unisaw with sliding table and I do not use it any more for panel work. The Festool guide rail system gives me accurate and clean cuts...as good or better than the table saw. I do not use a pencil to mark where I want the cut. I use a razor blade and bring the guide rail to the blade. When the Festool system uses the guide rail so accurately, my cuts are within the thickness of the razor blade.
Burt, do you make up your "facts" as you go?

[Burt Waddell]

Burt, oh Burt, where did you get that bit of fancy "The Festool guide system was designed to use to supplement a table saw." In my opinion, you couldnt be further from the truth. I can't speak to the EZ System but I will tell you that I have a Unisaw with sliding table and I do not use it any more for panel work. The Festool guide rail system gives me accurate and clean cuts...as good or better than the table saw. I do not use a pencil to mark where I want the cut. I use a razor blade and bring the guide rail to the blade. When the Festool system uses the guide rail so accurately, my cuts are within the thickness of the razor blade.
Burt, do you make up your "facts" as you go?

John,

A couple of basic facts:

EZ Smart makes repeaters.

Festool does not make a device such as the repeater for repeat cuts.

Festool has recently started making table saws.

Burt

[Rafael Carias]

John,

A couple of basic facts:

EZ Smart makes repeaters.

Festool does not make a device such as the repeater for repeat cuts.

Festool has recently started making table saws.

Burt

Burt, I have the repeaters, cabinetmaker and so forth. i'll give you points in my opinion that for fast rips on soft core ply the EZ beats the cabinet saw hands down but not every body runs or want to run a production cabinet shop and not every body is cutting soft core material at maximum 6/4 thickness. the EZ just isn't the best solution in every scenario and the current reality is that for the most part, Guided saw system like the EZ, festool and mafell are still table saw complimentary aids to those who have other uses for their cabinet saws.

[Rafael Carias]

... The EZ System was designed to replace a table saw.


Burt

Burt, can you be more specific? phase out the table, how so? you mean for sheet goods dimensioning? if you mean for sheet goods i'd sat definitely in combination with an appropriately engineered circular saw. (maybe not for tradesman who proces hard sheets like plyboo or higher quality euro ply).

Even if the EZ may have been designed to replace the table saw it never will. In my personal experience of 10 year working with cabinet saws and even after experiencing the use of a true format slider i would never get rid of the cabinet saw.

[Burt Waddell]

Burt, can you be more specific? phase out the table, how so? you mean for sheet goods dimensioning? if you mean for sheet goods i'd sat definitely in combination with an appropriately engineered circular saw. (maybe not for tradesman who proces hard sheets like plyboo or higher quality euro ply).

Even if the EZ may have been designed to replace the table saw it never will. In my personal experience of 10 year working with cabinet saws and even after experiencing the use of a true format slider i would never get rid of the cabinet saw.

Rafel,

As I stated, the EZ Smart system is designed to replace the table saw - By this I mean to eliminate the table saw from the hobby shops and in many but not all situations eliminate them from industrial situations. As I implement the EZ Smart more and more in my shop, I find that accuracy is better, speed is equal to or better, and at the end of the day, I feel much better because I have done less handling of heavy materials.

One function that the table saw does in my shop is the basic ripping of hard woods - I use a unisaw with a stock feeder. At this time, there is nothing in the EZ System that Is as efficient as a stock feeder and cabinet saw combo. Who knows about tomorrow.

I also find the bridge system to be a gaint step. It makes cutting easier, faster, and at the same time increases safety.

Much to my surprise, I have found that the EZ is also great with the little stuff. I often rip a 5/16" wide board into two pieces and my fingers get no where near the saw blade.

In my shop, the table saw is being used less and less. The portable table saw is no longer taken to the job site. The EZ tools have assumed all of the duties of the miter saw except installing crown molding.

The guided saw system , in my opinion, is the tool of the future. It is geathering more acceptance as people come to understand it really is a easier, safer way to do woodworking.


Burt

[Greg Funk]

Also this gets us back to basics in one area - the Festool guide system was designed to use to supplement a table saw. The EZ System was designed to replace a table saw.
Burt

Burt,

That's not a problem for me as I already have a tablesaw and can't really see getting rid of it. I like the advantages a 3 HP motor provides and there are still many functions that can't be accomplished with a circular saw no matter how good the guiding system is.

Greg

[Burt Waddell]

Some people seem to question why we want to replace table saws with safer systems. This video is rather graphic - The title - Aftermath of a Tablesaw Kickback. Michael Schwartz found the video and posted it on the EZ Forum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEU2qQuhjJg



Burt