Festol TS55 Or Good Circular Saw and Guide Rail

[engineer one]

andy would be interested to hear what you could not resolve with andrew festo fanatics, i am happy to talk to them and try and solve it if humanly possible, but remember sometimes it is a two way street :twisted:

paul :wink:

 

[andys wood shed]

andy would be interested to hear what you could not resolve with andrew festo fanatics, i am happy to talk to them and try and solve it if humanly possible, but remember sometimes it is a two way street :twisted:

paul :wink:

Hi Paul

PM'd you

Andy

 

[engineer one]

yes, works for me, and will try to address it so that everyone knows what happened and what lengths they will go to to sort it.

paul :wink:

 

[engineer one]

as posted on the Festo Fanatics i have attempted to get this issue resolved.

i think we all expect too much from internet companies. i know that onetel has not provided a proper internet service for more than 14 days, and i also know that a number of NTL customers have had problems for up to 45 days without resolution, and that is just the isp's.

i understand that the problem was the link from web address to emails within it, and we have all experienced that before.

festo fanatics have said they cannot find andy's number, but have emailed him today and offered to resolve the situation, if he contacts again.
so it's up to him.

in my experience sometimes the customer has to be a little flexible too,
to get things resolved.

paul :wink:

 

[colinc]

Hello All,

Looking for a good quality circular saw and rail system, multi tasks for use but particularly for sizing interior doors, and possibly a kitchen build ?
Not sure if to bankrupt myself and get the Festool, or can someone reccomend something a little cheaper, I was originally look at a Bosch GKS 55 and rail, or possibly the Maffel, but that Eurekazone keeps popping up, but I'm concerned about importing.

All help appreciated.

Jed

Similar dilemma and requirements.

I bought the small Mafell and flextrack after having one on loan from Jaymac for a weekend. May not be ultimately as good as the Festool but it does the job and for my budget was an excellent choice. It is small , light and easy to use. Cut is limited at 40mm but if that meets your needs then I think it's a good one.

Colin

 

[LyNx]

another good point about the festool guide rail set-up is bevelled cuts. You still use the front edge of the guide rail for registration at any angle. I don't think you will get this if it using a different saw on a different guide rail system.


I find the best bit about the saw is the power connection. I have the power lead hanging from the ceiling, easy to connect when i need it. Once finished, disconnect the extraction and power lead, the saw goes under the workbench out of the way and the power is left hanging from the ceiling ready for the next tool to use it.

 

[jedmc571]

great response from everyone, thank you all.

Now I think I'm going to go for the Festool ,sorry to you Eureka owners ,but to be honest my concerns about importing hasn't been put to bed ,so I'll stay in good old blighty where I know exactly how much I'm being ripped off for.

So again It begs the question, who's the cheapest ?

I'm in Chester, so any local knowledge would be handy.

Regards

Jed

 

[Colin C]

Hi Jed
There is on need to say sorry :shock: :wink:

I hope you are happy with your Festool
From the people that have it I think you will be.

 

[pewe]

Just to clarify 2 points in previous responses.

another good point about the festool guide rail set-up is bevelled cuts. You still use the front edge of the guide rail for registration at any angle. I don't think you will get this if it using a different saw on a different guide rail system.

The EZ system has this feature too. Not sure how the Festool accomodates it, but when you change the angle of the blade on a saw it changes the the cutting point in relation to the base. With the EZ system you have 2 anti-chip edges, one on either side of the rail, and one is set for perpendicular cuts, the other for bevels. Also, if you need to cut anything that is thick (say a 4 x 2, you can use a larger saw and simply slip out the antichip edge and insert a new one for the other saw.

I'll stay in good old blighty where I know exactly how much I'm being ripped off for.

The words 'rip off' have been used a few times and I'd just like to clarify.

The cost of a 50" EZ rail is no more than the cost of a Festool 1400. It has a much more flexible clamping system and easily removable/interchangeable anti-chip inserts for those occasions when an anti-chip edge may be accidentally damaged, or a different saw is required. For those who prefer not too use clamps it also has the option to use self-gripping suction pads to locate it.

However, cost aside, any accurate guide rail system has got to be a welcome addition to any workshop as it makes the handling and cutting of material much easier and safer in most circumstances.

Mod_Edit This comment was posted by a retailer who sells/assists sales of EZ in the UK.

 

[engineer one]

pewe, i think the point at issue is the actual landed costs of the ez system.

at least with the festo, you know your costs here,at this time the ez price can fluctuate more if you import directly with the unknowns

paul :wink:

 

[RogerS]

So again It begs the question, who's the cheapest ?

Don't hold your breath! Festool prices are almost universally identical. Having said that you may be able to negotiate a slightly better price if you speak to or visit a supplier. Especially if you're buying other stuff at the same time.

From time to time you do get some bundled prices that give an effective discount..All a matter of luck and timing.

 

[Matt_S]

If it helps I've ordered an EZ plus extras direct from them and it should arrive next week. Shipping was $80 about £41 at time of purchase and if your only concern with EZ is the worry of buying from abroad I can post the duty once I know it - I presume there will be some but I wanted the EZ system so am happy to pay. Hope it's not going to be loads now

 

[engineer one]

don't forget the vat element on the agents' fees sometimes yes sometimes no.

paul :wink:

 

[Jake]

As a rule of thumb, multiply the purchase cost and shipping cost at a credit card exchange rate by 1.2 and you'll not be far wrong.

Import duty is arcane as all hell.

 

[Christian A.]

Just to clarify 2 points in previous responses.

another good point about the festool guide rail set-up is bevelled cuts. You still use the front edge of the guide rail for registration at any angle. I don't think you will get this if it using a different saw on a different guide rail system.

The EZ system has this feature too. Not sure how the Festool accomodates it, but when you change the angle of the blade on a saw it changes the the cutting point in relation to the base. With the EZ system you have 2 anti-chip edges, one on either side of the rail, and one is set for perpendicular cuts, the other for bevels.

I'm not sure I really understood how this works.
One splinter guard is used for perpendicular cuts. Ok, that's clear to me. The second one is used for bevelled cuts.
As the cutting point "moves" when you change the angle of the blade, any bevelled cut between 0° and 45° has its own cutting line, so to speak.
In other words, the cutting point of a 28° cut is different from that of a 45° cut. As a consequence, it requires its own splinter guard, doesn't it?

As for the Festool saw, I don't know how Festool technically addresses this issue but the cutting point doesn't move. Changing the angle of the blade doesn't change the cutting line.

Thanks in advance,

Christian

 

[LyNx]

Festool technically addresses this issue but the cutting point doesn't move. Changing the angle of the blade doesn't change the cutting line.

it's the same line all the time with the festool set-up.

 

[Christian A.]

it's the same line all the time with the festool set-up.

Yes, as the proud owner of a TS 55 I already discovered that. I simply don't know what Festool did in order to create this (patented, I think) feature.

Have a nice day,

Christian

 

[Jake]

At a guess, the motor/blade housing pivot must arc rather than just twist around a static point, so a small amount of lateral movement of the actual pivot point also occurs when the angle is changed.

 

[nickson71]

I've come on this thread rather late

But I've got an EZ rail with a few extras and I'm very happy with it ...... a great bit of kit

In term of the antichip for bevelled cuts etc I find it no problem using the other antichip strip on the EZ rail .... all I have to do is turn my rail round if I just been doing straight cuts. I'm sure that it would be nice to not have to do this but it not exactly a hard or time consuming thing to do ....

 

[engineer one]

since i had mentioned the mafell, and did not know , i went today and checked some things about the festo and rail.

was lucky enough to meet the london area manager, and posed some questions, so in my aim to become a smart arse on festo here are a couple of things i learnt.

i mentioned the complaint about getting joined rails straight and in line.
he suggested the following. first clean the joining edges to make sure there are no bits of rubbish there, for instance if the rail has been lying in sawdust, it might affect the join.
next if you are using a sheet of mdf etc, then place the straight edge upside down on one of the straight (manufactured )edges then pull the other one along it, and use the connectors, and tighten them whilst it is upside down. this should ensure it follows the line of the board you are attempting to cut. then turn the guide onto the board, and tighten the top joiner screws. next when you mount the saw remember to use the green buttons to ensure it is tight and aligned within the rail.

that may well be more difficult than on the ez system, but may answer some of the questions that have been previously posted.

second i asked about the angle cutting adapter, and was told that there is a central screw which should be tightened to provide the correct angle.

finally i asked about whether they had anythinglike the ez repeater.
no but. what they do have is a system for allowing you to use the rails and offset a router from the edge accurately to make holes for shelf supports.
the bits of this are available seperately, and may be a little narrow, but i think could be adapted to allow up to 6 inch depth.

look at part numbers 583160, and the parts of that set 485758, since they fit the guide rail, would work with the saw too.

anyway enough polishing their reputation,if they need it, but it might be useful to some of you.

paul :wink: