Do it all (most) track saw (Mafell?)

[Prizen]

Hi all

Looking for advice on a track saw.
Back into doing some woodwork again after a hiatus with getting married and becoming a father! I never invested much in the equipment and have long since sold it.

So back to it again and will start to shelve my shed, make a workbench etc. My first real project will be some speaker cabinets, from 12mm birch ply. Thereafter I'll be making a computer desk.

Having read a lot on this forum I can see many recommendations for a table saw. However I am not blessed with space in my shed, so I thought a track saw from Mafell looks like something that I could rip sheets with, along with crosscutting 2x4 so covering a table and mitre saw in one package.

Mafell appear to offer top quality, but I am unsure of the difference between their models. E.g. the MT55 and the KSS60?

Would sincerely appreciate any guidance.

Thanks

 

[Trevanion]

Peter Millard (who's here sometimes) has some of the best videos on track saw use. Really enlightened me on how much work you could do with a track saw besides the obvious ripping down of sheets etc. He also has quite a compact workspace and just looking in the background of his videos sometimes shows some clever ingenuity of storage and the like.

[youtube]VdmzQKuDWLU[/youtube]

One day I'll get a track saw myself but I'm not doing so much with sheets at the moment to justify.

 

[rbland]

Looking at the two models you mention, the MT55 is a plunge saw while the KSS60 is a fixed circular saw that you can attach to a short track (which is different to the plunge saw track). They’re analogous to the Festool TS55 and the HK55 if that helps as there’s more info/literature available on them than the Mafells. I own the Makita SD6000, but I’m not a massive fan of it - wish I’d spent extra and got the Festool.

 

[sunnybob]

Cant help with the track saw, but dont build speaker cabinets from plywood. theres way too much echo and bounce.
MDF or HDF is much better.

 

[Prizen]

so if I understand correctly, the main difference between the two types (whether Festool or Mafell) is the ability to plunge? If I am correct then I don't think I need the ability to plunge as I have a router to do that, and I will rarely need to do cutouts on a scale of sink cutout on a kitchen worktop for example.

The only other thing then is why do Mafell refer to the fixed circular saw as crosscutting saws? Could I not just buy a rail extension and rip just as good on it compared to the plunge saw on its rails?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Whichever you end up with (and you won't be disappointed with Mafell, I have the biscuit jointer), I also recommend that you make up Aiden's Sore Hoarses cutting table. Especially if you have limited space, this is a good way of supporting sheets, working outside if necessary, and packs flat when not in use. Read to the end of the thread (some of it quite recent) as there are some useful ideas for improvement on the original, good as it is itself.

 

[Prizen]

Ah Steve, great to hear from you. I am pretty sure I bought your DVD many years ago (unfortunately long since gone with moving houses and departure of my cheap tablesaw, although I am looking at a Lidl one for rough jobs and the Mafell circular/plunge/track saw for precision).

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well if you have WE1 there is a great track setting gauge on there, which will help you to rip sheets parallel and identically, time after time.
If you have lost the DVD, email me your name and address at the time. If I can find you in my records, I'll send you a link to download the material again.

 

[Prizen]

Steve thanks. Your DVDs are invaluable

 

[Nelsun]

One difference, certainly with the Festool kit, is the choice of blades. The TS has a wider variety and higher quality range of blades than the HK.

I have both saws and use the plunge saw when using tracks over the HK circular whenever possible. The blade guard on the HK can get in the way working on a bench top (the TS can be used pretty much in situ). The dust collection is better too thanks to the blade being more enclosed.

The HK with its fancypants track is great when working away from a bench (I went for the cordless version) and is a treat to use in those circumstances. Very reliable, accurate and a pleasure to use compared to the Makita I had before (depth and angle gauges that are as much guess work as anything else). I don't really rate the cordless Festool kit as I find it way overpriced compared to Makita. But the HKC is one of those tools I look forward to using. Just don't mention the cutting 2x at 45 degrees thing

I'd say, if you're wanting to make anything approaching furniture, a plunge saw would be the way to go. For sheds and framing the HKC wins hands down.

 

[Prizen]

Thanks Nelsun. Would I be correct in saying that blade availability (variety) would be the decisive factor and perhaps this might be more or less of an issue with Mafell? Thanks

 

[Farmer Giles]

I have the Mafell plunge saw, lovely bit of kit. I bought it for several reasons. Firstly I have their jigsaw, the only one that cuts perpendicular on curves and you can use it with a fence without snapping blades. Because of that I had some of their guide rail, it came with the jigsaw. They make guide rails for Bosch, they are one and the same. I found a really good deal on Bosch rails so I have two long Bosch and one short Mafell rails that all fit together nicely. I already had DeWalt 1/2" router, I modified a Bosch router rail base to fit the DeWalt router so now I can use the same track for track saw, jigsaw and router.

I have 15 sheets of 18mm birch ply to make a kitchen, once I have finished the roubo bench which should be in the next week or two, then I have an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF to make the Parf table with and I shall then be in full kitchen mode and the plunge saw will be getting a good work out.

I've used the scoring function on some veneered plywood and it worked very well. Let me know if you need anymore info.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Nelsun]

Thanks Nelsun. Would I be correct in saying that blade availability (variety) would be the decisive factor and perhaps this might be more or less of an issue with Mafell? Thanks

The answer would be "it depends" :lol: As in it depends on what you want to do. I think the HK blades only go up to 32 teeth where the TS ones go up to 48. But that's fairly minor at the end of the day as the cut quality will be pretty close. No idea about the Mafell offerings I'm afraid.

For me the decisive factor is to plunge or not to plunge. I work out of a 10x4' shed with 2 MFT type benches taking up ~90% of the long wall meaning bench ends are pretty close to the gable walls. This doesn't leave any room to have a circ saw start a long rip cut hanging out past the end of the bench. That's where the plunge saw comes in as you can start a cut anywhere over a bench if that makes any sense.

 

[chippy1970]

I've had the Festool ts55 for over 11 years but just over a year ago I bought the Mafell MT55 it is a slightly better machine and the rails join together much quicker. I don't think you'll regret paying that bit extra. I definitely wouldnt go for any other branded saw as those two are the top of the pile.

 

[Sideways]

Search for the youtube video from the Netherlands where they compare the mafell, festool, dewalt and ?? plunge tracksaws. They liked the mafell best. Quicker, easier blade changes than the others. I have the Festool but I think Mafell make top quality tools.

 

[Prizen]

Thanks all. Will go for a Mafell.

 

[Nelsun]

Just be prepared for the jiggery-pokery (extras and faffery) to make a track saw do the things a table saw doesn't blink at e.g. bevels and rips under ~180mm. I'm sure my collection of weird and wonderful bench dogs and track add-ons cost more than the saw itself. And, if you get bored of the Mafell, I claim 1st dibs