Festool HK55 worth it for a newbie Circular saw??

[Jfw2708]

So my woodworking journey continues and im thinking to expand into a first proper power tool, a circular saw. Will mainly be used to rip down plywood, hardwood or mdf to usable sizes before hand tools take over. I have a Festool dust collector, which is awesome and have been looking at the HK55 corded as i will use it mainly inside and with a dust collector attached and ou can get them for around £320. Also looking at Makita or Dewalt corded saws that can go on a track for around £120 or so….so the age old question is whether the Festool is worth it and will I notice a real difference. Plan would be to buy a guide rail of some sort to due straight cuts. Any thoughts welcome.

P.s. I’ve thought about and wont be getting a table or band saw for the foreseeable future….

 

[HOJ]

My advice would be to hold you horses, the Festool HK55 is a circular saw, I have one, along with the FSK cross-cutting guide rail, but I use it for cutting roofs, and large section timbers, it is NOT a plunge saw, which are better suited to working with a rail, and sheet materials.

Have a deeper think about what you intend to use a circular saw for, there are cheaper options for entry level tools, whilst I wouldn't advocate buying cheap, you will gain some experience without the big investment.

 

[Sideways]

My opinion. No.
I think the Mafell and Festool PLUNGE tracksaws are the best of their type on the market, and with a track they are revolutionary tools.
If you are committed to the hobby then if you can afford the money, you won't regret buying one of those. Buy very carefully, wait for best price and your saw will retain a high secondhand value. I bought the Festool, liked it, sold it for the Mafell which I like much more.

If you want to rip thick hardwood or some need that doesn't take advantage of the track, then you can get a good and more powerful conventional circ saw for far less money. I absolutely wouldn't buy a Festool. The track, the plunge and the efficient dust extraction are the 3 reasons to buy a Festool / Mafell track saw. HK55 has none of those. Their good warranty and service policy takes a little of the sting out of premium price, but the HK55 is a me too product. Buy a good old used Metabo, Makita, whatever for under £100 instead and still find models with a deeper cut, variable speed, constant speed electronics....

 

[Ollie78]

Get a HKC 55 it is a normal battery circular saw that works on a rail as well, it also has the crosscut rail that is brilliant. Most usefull saw I have, I hardly ever use my TS55 anymore.
Or you could get the Mafell one which is nicer.

Much of what makes a saw nice to use is a sharp blade and the right blade for the job.


Ollie

 

[Jfw2708]

Thanks for the replies. I saw a video which seemed to indicate the HK had a plunge type capability but it was still a circular saw. If I’m honest I don’t really know what a plunge saw benefits are - I get they are used on rails etc but was it about the actual ‘plunge’ which makes it advantageous over a normal circular saw you can use on a track?

 

[Molynoox]

Thanks for the replies. I saw a video which seemed to indicate the HK had a plunge type capability but it was still a circular saw. If I’m honest I don’t really know what a plunge saw benefits are - I get they are used on rails etc but was it about the actual ‘plunge’ which makes it advantageous over a normal circular saw you can use on a track?

You can cut out a 'window' by plunging in the centre/ inside of workpiece rather than having to run in from the edge.
Also, setting the depth with a plunge saw is much nicer as you are moving a little 'stop' along a slide rather than the whole saw mechanism. Also more accurate depth setting, arguably. But the game changer part is probably the rail.

Having said that, the other day a client changed his mind about the media wall in his garden room and I had to cut a hole into the wall that I had just built and painstakingly cladded in acoustic battens. The aperture had to be millimetre perfect and the track + plunge capability allowed me to get the job done quickly and accurately.

 

[TheUnicorn]

from what I've gathered from the opening post you are just breaking down sheet goods so only needs moderate accuracy, you could do that with pretty much any circular saw, save your money for tools or materials where you'll see a benifit

 

[Ollie78]

Thanks for the replies. I saw a video which seemed to indicate the HK had a plunge type capability but it was still a circular saw. If I’m honest I don’t really know what a plunge saw benefits are - I get they are used on rails etc but was it about the actual ‘plunge’ which makes it advantageous over a normal circular saw you can use on a track?

A plunge saw like the TS55 is designed for use primarily with its track, the blade remains up until you push it down into the cut, it is sprung and allows easy one hand plunge cuts.
This is ideal for cutting out things in the middle of a worktop for example, the main advantage of the design is excellent dust collection because the blade is almost totally enclosed, the track prevents tearout on one side of the cut while a little pressure foot helps on the outside of the cut.

These saws are amazing at processing sheet goods with no mess but are pretty useless for other circular saw tasks.
The HKC 55 is a normal circular saw that can be used with a rail, this means it has advantages of both. The dust extraction is not as good and it doesn`t have one hand plunge. You can still plunge with it if careful as well as do all normal circular saw jobs. (I like the crosscut rail for quick trenching and stuff as well). Its not quite as clean a cut because it has no pressure foot but its much more versatile.

 

[TRITON]

If you take your tools to a job site, then go battery. If you are workshop based then stick to 240v.

 

[Jake]

These saws are amazing at processing sheet goods with no mess but are pretty useless for other circular saw tasks.

That's really not true. I've broken down quite a few waney edged slabs (biggest were 3" oak) with a plunge saw - true the plunge isn't a requirement and the rail makes most of the convenience, but it's no hindrance either.

 

[poshpaws]

Thanks for the replies. I saw a video which seemed to indicate the HK had a plunge type capability but it was still a circular saw. If I’m honest I don’t really know what a plunge saw benefits are - I get they are used on rails etc but was it about the actual ‘plunge’ which makes it advantageous over a normal circular saw you can use on a track?

Peter Millard’s video
Could help with whats a plunge saw

 

[Doug71]

Plunge saws are great on a track but not so great to use without a track, I bought the parallel guide fence for my TS55 about 15 years ago and have used it only twice.

I'm planning on hopefully getting a HKC55 soon as it is a great allrounder but to get the most from it you really need a FSK rail which is another £200 on top.

I don't normally advocate buying budget tools but for your £320 you could get a cheap track saw and circular saw plus a few blades for different scenarios (and still have change) and see how you get on.

 

[fleyh]

Will mainly be used to rip down plywood, hardwood or mdf to usable sizes before hand tools take over.

You may want to consider a battery-powered circular saw (any budget one will suffice). It will cover the scenarios you mentioned and also allow you to break down sheet goods before loading them into your car (especially useful if you don't have a van to deliver sheet materials yourself).

Both a regular circular saw and a track saw are valuable tools to own, especially in the absence of a bandsaw and tablesaw.

If your budget allows, I would advise avoiding the budget track saws. More often than not, you may not enjoy using them and might end up buying a proper one later on anyway.

If you're interested in a budget track saw and can collect from the Basingstoke area, I could sell you my Aldi track saw for £15 It's been collecting dust and taking up space in my 'workshop' for the last four years

 

[Ollie78]

That's really not true. I've broken down quite a few waney edged slabs (biggest were 3" oak) with a plunge saw - true the plunge isn't a requirement and the rail makes most of the convenience, but it's no hindrance either.

I also use my plunge saw for this type of thing but really this is still breaking down a sheet in a way.
I was more trying to explain to the OP that it is not ideal for using with a fence or much use for cross cutting etc. Because the blade cannot be fixed in position, the act of plunging it requires a downwards force which can be very awkward and it's tricky to use on anything that is not as wide as the rail. Just saying it's not as versatile as an hkc55 so if you are only buying one saw maybe that's a better option.

Ollie

 

[HamsterJam]

Several years ago I got a small bonus at work and used it to buy a TS55 and rail. It has served me well ever since and is still a pleasure to use.
Up to then, I had two cheap circular saws, one running on a homemade plywood guide. Since then one circular saw died and hasn’t been replaced and the other gets very little use (mostly rough cutting in the garden).

 

[Stevekane]

I guess you already have a cordless drill ( I wouldnt want to be without one) and if so why not buy the cordless circ saw that goes with it? I have Makita and the circular saw is great to use, lasts ages even on old batteries, light weight and a delight to use, simple tracks can be made for cutting sheet materials and away you go, all the other good brands will be much the same. I also have the Impact Driver,,,didnt think it would be much use,,,wouldnt be without it now,,,mind you Im not Mr Chipendale!

 

[flying haggis]

this guy seems to rate the bosch 12v track saw so perhaps consider that

 

[Jfw2708]

You may want to consider a battery-powered circular saw (any budget one will suffice). It will cover the scenarios you mentioned and also allow you to break down sheet goods before loading them into your car (especially useful if you don't have a van to deliver sheet materials yourself).

Both a regular circular saw and a track saw are valuable tools to own, especially in the absence of a bandsaw and tablesaw.

If your budget allows, I would advise avoiding the budget track saws. More often than not, you may not enjoy using them and might end up buying a proper one later on anyway.

If you're interested in a budget track saw and can collect from the Basingstoke area, I could sell you my Aldi track saw for £15 It's been collecting dust and taking up space in my 'workshop' for the last four years

Hey, I haven’t been to Basingstoke for about 20 years, not particularly handy from North Yorkshire but thx for the offer!

 

[Jfw2708]

I guess you already have a cordless drill ( I wouldnt want to be without one) and if so why not buy the cordless circ saw that goes with it? I have Makita and the circular saw is great to use, lasts ages even on old batteries, light weight and a delight to use, simple tracks can be made for cutting sheet materials and away you go, all the other good brands will be much the same. I also have the Impact Driver,,,didnt think it would be much use,,,wouldnt be without it now,,,mind you Im not Mr Chipendale!

I have a Dewalt, had it about as year to replace an older Dewalt that died. One question would be van you use 2 amp batteries (of which I have two) on a Dewalt cordless circular saw? Other point i have is that i will pretty much always use it on a dust extractor so the cordless not ideal.

 

[Sideways]

2Ah battery is seriously underpowered for a cordless saw.