Festol TS55 Or Good Circular Saw and Guide Rail

[RogerS]

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.

Not sure I follow this one. There is a large knurled knob that you tighten up once you have got the angle that you want. BUT..a big but...as you tighten it, you can't stop the two halves moving a smidgeon and bang...there goes your 90 degrees. And then when you try to position it + guide rail on your workpiece, there is so much leverage on this knob that it goes out of whack while you are busily trying to move the lot into the right place. Even with a piece of sandpaper as a washer (as suggested on another site) it still is pretty ropey.

Having faffed around today with it, I'm wondering...can the EZ be used with a TS55 (asuming that the right angle attachment on the EZ is all that it's cracked up to be) ?

 

[pewe]

can the EZ be used with a TS55

The answer is yes.

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

 

[engineer one]

roger from what i could see there is actually a screw fixing in the bit that attaches to the track, not just your big knob on the top, but maybe i misunderstood :?

Paul :wink:

 

[RogerS]

roger from what i could see there is actually a screw fixing in the bit that attaches to the track, not just your big knob on the top, but maybe i misunderstood :?

Paul :wink:

Possibly :wink:

We're talking about this?

There are two parts. One has two black sliding plastic lugs that fit the track in the guide rail perfectly. The second piece has an aluminium extrusion that locates against your reference edge. The design defect (shock..horror...it's Festool after all!) is that black plastic knob that is supposed to hold the two pieces together at the required angle (and which for 99% of the time) needs to be 90 degrees. Not 90.1 or 89.9 but 90.0.

There is no fixed detent in the 90 degree position. There is not enough friction at the interface between the two pieces of metal/plastic shims for the knob to securely fasten them and to resist the leverage exerted by the long guide rail as you move the guide rail into position on your board.

Even the act of tightening the black knob can nudge the 90 degree out. This has been picked up on a US forum and their suggestion was fine emery paper to act as friction washers. Well, it does make an improvement but not enough to get over the leverage from the guide rail.

So...Festool....forget the fancy degrees. Just give us a solid lump of accurately machined aluminium that is 90.00degrees. Please.

 

[engineer one]

ok roger you are right about which bit, and i must confess i did not try the central knob, but will pass the comments back, and see what else i can find

paul :wink:

 

[jedmc571]

Hello Everyone ,

Just a quick update ,

I've thrown down the gauntlet to some of the bigger suppliers for a TS55 all singing an extra 1400 rail 2 x connectors and a rail bag, the festool promotion is currently 2 quick grip rail clamps so I'm expecting that out of the quote.

Just out of interest ,I noticed a TS75 ex display on ebay for £388 from West Skelston Services

Any thoughts

Jed

 

[houtslager]

If you are ever going to be trimming doors then GRAB IT !

 

[pewe]

Just give us a solid lump of accurately machined aluminium that is 90.00degrees. Please.

Roger.

Can you post or PM me a close up picture of the underside of the rail and showing how the rail clamps fit.

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

 

[RogerS]

pewe

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The FS1?

 

[pewe]

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The FS1?

Possibly, but there may be other solutions. I'll have a better idea once I see the FS rail profile.

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

 

[ByronBlack]

Just to throw my two pence in. I did a lot of research, read a ton of reviews, spoke to Dino himself and a couple of ex-sellers of his products, and also spoke to some Festo guys

In the end I went for the festo for a number of reasons: Warrenty and Support, would much prefer to deal with a uk based agent than a US based one-man band.

The saw itself is amazingly good.

I like how the whole system intergrates, from the boxes, the extractors, etc. etc. Makes working with it so much easier and nicer.

It's faultless in it's job. Without it my workshop build would have been a lot more difficult. It really is the business.

Thats it.

 

[RogerS]

I have to agree with you BB but have you tried the combination bevel? How do you cut your panels square....simply and easily?

 

[ByronBlack]

Roger

I cut my panels square by accurate marking. A good roofers square and accurate alignment of the rail gives me very good results. I believe the addage: measure twice cut once is key here. I've not so far found the need for another widget to help me cut square.

 

[RogerS]

Roger

I cut my panels square by accurate marking. A good roofers square and accurate alignment of the rail gives me very good results. I believe the addage: measure twice cut once is key here. I've not so far found the need for another widget to help me cut square.

I agree but it takes a long time to fiddle about getting it right each time.

 

[Colin C]

BB

The EZ square does make it much quicker to cross cut panels as you only have to measure once and then cut to that line.

If you are making a lot of units it does make a difference

 

[ByronBlack]

Aye, i'm sure the EZ makes it easier, horses for courses at the end of the day. I just wanted to post my reasons for choosing and i'm not getting drawn into the whole ez vs festo thing again.

 

[Colin C]

I just wanted to post my reasons for choosing and i'm not getting drawn into the whole ez vs festo thing again.

I was doing the same as you by pointing out why a good square can help that is all :wink:
Both systems have they merits and I dont knock one for the other

 

[jedmc571]

The latest................

spoke To Andrew at Festool Fanatics again ,still waiting for all quotes to come in ,and a few problems like a massive dental bill ,and my dining room ceiling falling in have made me review what I can afford ,anyway forget all that "Gimme Tools"

Firstly Jaycee Tools were reccomended to me and I have no affiliation to them whatsoever ,but what I will say is before you make your next tool purchase give them a ring ,Andrew is the actual "Festool Fanatic" and he is dedicated. what he brought to the table for me personally was he was one of only a few shops open on a Saturday afternoon he was friendly courteous and not in the slightest bit pushy ,and most of all competitive ,in times where customer service is something forgotten it was nice to be treated like I was important.

So I'll let you know how things go, here's a thought, "isn't Festool expensive"

Jed

 

[engineer one]

nah jed, festo ain't expensive, the **** that other companies now produce is too expensive.

i understand that festo expect about 0.75% returns whilst i am sure with many chinese made products the return rate is nearer 30%, and if it's you who has to return things what about your time and travelling costs???

but then i am biased, i like companies selling decent tools not trying to sell volume tools, and devaluing an old well liked brand.

paul :wink:

 

[andys wood shed]

Firstly Jaycee Tools were reccomended to me and I have no affiliation to them whatsoever ,but what I will say is before you make your next tool purchase give them a ring ,Andrew is the actual "Festool Fanatic" and he is dedicated. what he brought to the table for me personally was he was one of only a few shops open on a Saturday afternoon he was friendly courteous and not in the slightest bit pushy ,and most of all competitive ,in times where customer service is something forgotten it was nice to be treated like I was important.
Jed

Ordered a TS55 from Jaycee after speaking to Andrew
Would also recommend anybody after Festool to give them a ring

Mine arrives tomorrow


Andy