Festool T55 Plunge Cut Saw Deal Breakers & a Neener

charlieb · 2007-04-15T07:04:15+00:00

If you work with sheet goods the Festool T55 plunge saw, with edgeguide, seems like a great idea - albeit an expensive one. Lay theguide'szero clearance edge ON THE LINE (rather than some offset FROM your line), set the depth of cut and cut a straight line, on the line - evenifyou've got the blade over at 45 degrees. For $430 for the saw andguide that's what you get. But if you want to use the parts you cut - well there's something missing - making the line you're about to cut SQUARE to either the factory edge or the one you'd just cut. For ply cabinets you want RECTANGLES - with square corners. So here's deal breaker #1 - no square attachment for the fence. You want square - you need to buy their special table - another $400+.Now I could make some sort of thing to square the guide edge toa reference edge. But if I'm going to pay $430 I want THEM to provide that little necessity. Oh, and if you want to cut a 4x8sheet into two 24" x 96" pieces you need a guide extension -for another $60 or $70 dollars.The second deal breaker is that you have to use THEIR saw blades- at 2 to 3 times what an equivalent "normal" blade would cost.Sort if the multi-blade razors. The initial cost is maybe $12.But replacement blades are $3 or$4 a pop.Since the saw and guide system idea didn't fly - got the Dominoand the accessories along with the other bits AND a boatload of "dominos" (they don't like it when you call them biscuits). TwoSystainers are thrown in for "free".The Festool Domino is a chunk of change. However, when youcompare it to the Leigh FMT PLUS a router and you're inthe same price range. The Domino doesn't take up as muchroom when not in use and has the ease of use of a biscuitjoiner with much stronger results.Have four more bonsai tables to make this week. The Dominishould make cutting the 32 mortises per table, 124 totalgo a bit faster than using either the mortising machinewhich doesn't do end grain well - or the TREND mortiseand tenon jig. Will report back...

Apr 15, 2007 22 Replies

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charlieb 19 years ago

about that guide accessories. He assured me that there was no such thing. According to him, you have to have the Festool table to get "squaring capability". Given that the additional cost was a deal breaker, don't know why he'd lie. Guess he didn't keep up with the Festool product line and announcements.

Any idea what Festool's Angle Unit FS-KS is going for?

Too late for me - got the other guide system - with square attachment - in dovetail grooves.

charlie b

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greg kimnach 19 years ago

In article , snipped-for-privacy@accesscom.com says... So here's deal breaker #1

there is a squaring jig: Item # 491588 for $71.50.

instead of the jig alone, i purchased the guide rail accessory kit for the two 55" rail that i use with the ts55eq saw.

now, i will admit that i am a bit miffed by the cost of adding something as mundane and expected on a vac as a place/way to store the electrical cord, and even the hose. these should not be add-ons! couldn't they have just designed the vac with small semi-circular clips around its perimeter to accomodate these things? there are just some things for which i will not pay.

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russellseaton1 19 years ago

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