Festool HK55 worth it for a newbie Circular saw??

[Spectric]

2Ah battery on a saw, the power will drop off like a lead balloon. When buying tools you soon realise that buying cheap just gets you cheap and you end up soon replacing it so buy decent and save in the long term.

For your first track saw you will not go wrong with the corded Makita, @Molynoox has shown you it's capabilities in post 6 and it is a solid workhorse at a fair price. If you want to spend more then maybe look at the Bosch or if you really want to push the boat out then the Mafell, as @Sideways found it is a better tool than the Festool.

The other thing that soon clicks is that you pay more for cordless and are tied in by the battery but if using any extraction hose then any benefit of going cordless is really lost.

 

[petermillard]

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

*That* guy It’s a great little trim saw, but not what the OP needs.

 

[accipiter]

Some time last year I posted for others advice for getting the Evolution circular saw with track bundle - because of price - OR a plunge saw... I was going to have to cur down a number of ply sheets.

Received plenty of advice and went back to re-watch those YouTube videos from @petermillard . I'd DEFINITELY advice you do the same. Peter is quite an advocate for plunge saws.

If just starting out with power tools then consider less expensive kit to learn from.

I've recently (some time since my post) purchased the Erbauer plunge saw (ERB690CSW) from Screwfix - around £180. 48tpi blade, 2 x 700 tracks, decent clamps, carry bag for the tracks etc. 3 year warranty. Sometime today I'll receive the 2800 (2 x 1400) track from Evolution (Amazon price £81.99 - Evolution price £89.99).

Only complaint would be 'dust' collection using the provided bag - the exit route from saw to bag has plastic 'ribs' (for want of a better description) reinforcement which the waste got caught up against.

 

[Sheptonphil]

Buy once, cry once.
I now only buy really decent brands for regular use tools, and yes that includes Festool.
As an avid DIYer I now have a collection to match many pros, all paid for themselves by the work they’ve allowed me to do.
Cheap for some tools is OK, but where accuracy and finish are any consideration, cheap rarely matches the premium lines.
You can smile every time you use a nice piece of equipment instead of cursing the limitations of a budget buy only to spend twice and get the proper tool later.
Nobody ever said ‘I wish my tools weren’t so good’

 

[BarbaraT]

Some time last year I posted for others advice for getting the Evolution circular saw with track bundle - because of price - OR a plunge saw... I was going to have to cur down a number of ply sheets.

I've got the evolution tracksaw EVOLUTION R185CCSX+

It's a great saw, but I use the blade that came with it when I'm cutting something with nails, plastic alu or firewood.
It's not great if you want a clean cut on wood. I definitely haven't done the blade any favours.

I bought a festool track and fine wood blade with about 80 teeth. The idea of short bits of track seems very wrong.

 

[webbier]

my 2c:
- If it's exclusively for breaking down sheet timber go with a plunge saw, especially inside as they have better dust extraction
- If you want versatility go for a circular saw that can go on rails (I have a cordless bosch and the FSN rails and it's pretty good other than the dust!)
- Add the cost of rails to your purchase, Festool starts looking expensive at that point (obviously)


I don't regret my bosch purchase as I bought it with my best knowledge at the time but I feel like I went for max versatility in a single tool and now have 1 tool when 2 would have been better. I should have bought a corded plunge saw for breaking down sheets for making things indoors and a budget battery circular saw for 'stuff round the house' like garden fence posts and the like.


I have considered buying a plunge saw but the only ones compatible with my FSN rails are Mafell or the Bosch GKT, both of which are a bit expensive when I have the circular saw that does a very similar thing as it runs on the rails.

 

[BarbaraT]

Buy once, cry once.

Your more likely to say, this job would be so much easier if i just had a...... Also how far do you go, Is everything you own mafell and festool?

With tools like 4 1/2 grinders I would rather have 3 cheaper bosch grinders, one with a grinding blade, one with cut off and one with a soft pad..

It also depends how much you are going to use it, I bought a big draper breaker and a big water cooled evolution disc cutter it was cheaper than hiring it for 2 weeks.

I probably should have hired the breaker as it only just lasted the job and now leaks oil.. The disc cutter has been great. Even if it only gets used once every 6 months..
I doesn't make sense to spend £1600 on the Husqvarna K540i

Tools that are so cheap they are going to break the first time they are used should be banned from being sold, tied to bricks and thrown through the company directors front window..

Core tools that you are going to use regularly should be the best you can afford.

Tools used occasionally can be mid-range..

 

[BarbaraT]

I have considered buying a plunge saw but the only ones compatible with my FSN rails are Mafell or the Bosch GKT, both of which are a bit expensive when I have the circular saw that does a very similar thing as it runs on the rails.

I wouldn't bother if your circ saw runs on a track.. A good blade will make a massive difference

The only advantage that I can see is the dust collection is alot better.. I don't ever use the plunge feature.

 

[Adam W.]

I'm not a fan of plunge saws, I have a Festool battery powered circular saw which can be used with a track.

Nice saw with 5ah batteries, pricy but I'm a tool tart and wouldn't be seen with anything less than a German offering.

 

[webbier]

I wouldn't bother if your circ saw runs on a track.. A good blade will make a massive difference

The only advantage that I can see is the dust collection is alot better.. I don't ever use the plunge feature.

Yeah, it's more of a lust than a need thing. I like the idea of the plunge and the finer control over the depth and the dust collection is a big one for me but they're all nice to have and it's not worth paying £300-400 for nice to haves. I am planning to upgrade the blade I have to something finer before I start my next project though.

 

[niall Y]

The OP's question could be answered in many ways. The obvious one, is that, if you can afford it, and want it, then go for it.

If the question had been asked : " I've just passed my driving test, should I go out and buy a top of the range vehicle?" The obvious answer could well still be the same, although another more nuanced response would be : " You should go for something a bit more mid -range".

The cult of Festool seems to have turned the head of many an otherwise sensible woodworker. And, I'm sure , in time, it will be replaced by another "must have" brand.

Does owning a power tool from the Festool range, make one a better woodworker? It might well give one added pleasure but I'm sure Mr Chippendale managed quite nicely without a single Festool item in his workshop.

 

[Spectric]

With tools like 4 1/2 grinders I would rather have 3 cheaper bosch grinders,

Nothing cheap about Bosch grinders, a good tool and if you get the 110 volt version it is cheaper.

 

[AndyMc]

The OP's question could be answered in many ways. The obvious one, is that, if you can afford it, and want it, then go for it.

If the question had been asked : " I've just passed my driving test, should I go out and buy a top of the range vehicle?" The obvious answer could well still be the same, although another more nuanced response would be : " You should go for something a bit more mid -range".

The cult of Festool seems to have turned the head of many an otherwise sensible woodworker. And, I'm sure , in time, it will be replaced by another "must have" brand.

Does owning a power tool from the Festool range, make one a better woodworker? It might well give one added pleasure but I; sure Mr Chippendale managed quite nicely without a single Festool item in his workshop.

Perhaps another way of looking at the same question ("I've just passed my driving test, should I go out and buy a top of the range vehicle?") would be to answer "No - buy the safest vehicle you can afford". This might lead you to a different answer re: Festool - if the higher quality of the tool leads you to fewer mistakes or makes it less likely to injure yourself you should definitely consider it.

Disclaimer - I did buy a Festool track saw and one of the main reasons was the anti-kickback mechanism in the saw, rather than the clumsy track-lock mechanisms used in other brands. I do derive a lot of enjoyment from using a well engineered tool that gives consistent, repeatable cuts - and I still have all my fingers, so still happy with the decision.

 

[Jfw2708]

So one thing im sure someone will rapidly put me right on….on the Festool HK55 it has a plunge function….so in theory if i want to cross cut say a 70mm piece of walnut hardwood i can use the Festool like a mitre saw…i.e. put it on the walnut then just plunge it straight down and it will cut it straight….and voila you have a circular saw, track saw if you buy a rail and a mitre saw for smaller cuts all in one tool…..or am i missing something very very obvious?

 

[HOJ]

It does have the versatility you outlined, but in practice it is challenging to use, and not without introducing risk.

Your example of using it as a mitre saw is questionable, if you intend to cut narrow pieces, (presume you mean 70mm wide, not thick) I would be very careful in the way you are thinking that it has a greater functionality than its intended purpose.

 

[Jfw2708]

It does have the versatility you outlined, but in practice it is challenging to use, and not without introducing risk.

Your example of using it as a mitre saw is questionable, if you intend to cut narrow pieces, (presume you mean 70mm wide, not thick) I would be very careful in the way you are thinking that it has a greater functionality than its intended purpose.

Thx, im a big fan of safety first then safety first again tbh.

 

[pe2dave]

If just starting out with power tools then consider less expensive kit to learn from.

I can't see the logic of this. 'Wasting' £100 ish to learn to use an inferior tracksaw?
Buy the better one and get the advantages of it? Then hope for the longer life of the tool.
Just take care when learning.

 

[accipiter]

I can't see the logic of this. 'Wasting' £100 ish to learn to use an inferior tracksaw?
Buy the better one and get the advantages of it? Then hope for the longer life of the tool.
Just take care when learning.

... you seem to have made some assumptions about 'me' and the *suggestion* I put forward to the OP...
At 72, 73 next month, I don't have the £300~£400 + to spend on a tool *I* will not be using in a business - but in a Hobby/DIYer use. Also... if just starting with a *power* tool - as I understood the OP to be doing - it doesn't make sense to me to spend such a sum on a *better* tool at such a stage. It's not *wasting* £100'ish (actually nearly £280+ in total) on an "inferior" *plunge* saw. IF such inferior plunge/tracksaws are good enough for a certain member to keep and demonstrate then such are good enough for me to use when required . And I *always* take care when learning a new tool - as well as using all my tools... power or hand. Thankfully I still have all my digits at 72+ and doing woodworking since 9 years old

 

[accipiter]

I've got the evolution tracksaw EVOLUTION R185CCSX+

It's a great saw, but I use the blade that came with it when I'm cutting something with nails, plastic alu or firewood.
It's not great if you want a clean cut on wood. I definitely haven't done the blade any favours.

I bought a festool track and fine wood blade with about 80 teeth. The idea of short bits of track seems very wrong.

Yes... all that was covered in the replies I got when I made my post for 'guidance/assistance' to help me in the direction I took - if I did buy one or the other . The R185CCSX wouldn't do for "fine" woodworking. Being 'multipurpose' saw blade did have some appeal.

The Erbauer has shown to be capable... hopefully the Evolution 1400 x2 tracks will add to the capability for cutting the 8ft boards down the length as the 2x 700 track that came with it is limiting .

 

[BarbaraT]

The R185CCSX wouldn't do for "fine" woodworking. Being 'multipurpose' saw blade did have some appeal.

The Erbauer has shown to be capable...

Having designed circular saws and tested about 50, I can promise you that 95% of the cut quality is down to the blade and the rubber strip on your track.. Nothing else comes into contact with the wood... (excluding something where the blade has more run-out than a drag-along cart)

I promise that if you stick a cheap blade on your festool with 12 teeth and something like a Sweedex blade on the Evolution with 90T, I can promise you that I will get a cleaner cut with the evolution.

What you are paying for is how it feels to use the saw, the balance of the saw, the shape of the handle and the over moulded rubber on the touch points, The sound it makes when you turn it on.. Quality control and factory setup will be better for a tool that costs £500. You might find you have to spend 30 minutes setting the blade to 90 degrees and adjusting the base so the blade runs parallel to the track...

Safety-wise, I'm not convinced having the blade stop slightly quicker or an anti-kickback feature on the track is going to stop me doing something stupid. I personally hated the anti-kick back feature where it stops the saw sliding backwards on the track. I often slide the saw forwards and backwards when setting up the cut. (with the saw off)