festool gear again!

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by russ295, Nov 3, 2007.

  1. russ295

    russ295 New Member

    Is the jigsaw any good seems a bit steep in price.

    tried it first time today,

    it seems very small and light,
    i have a makita which is fine, i also have a bosch gst2000 which i dont rate (blade change is a pain and when using downcutters it still chips)

    as said its prob not that far ahead of the best of the rest but the box and the interchangable lead is a gods send, it seems to cut square and straight and has odles of grunt!

    russ
     
  2. Bonzo

    Bonzo New Member

    Maybe I'm getting old lads but the festool stuff is just too expensive. I've had DeWalt n Makita for years and it still seems to get the job done. Mind you Elu was better. Am I on my own when I feel the skills are being taking away from what we do. I'd be interested in hearing from people who were TradesMen before the young fellas started.
     
  3. lamello

    lamello New Member

    Totally agree that elu was the nuts I still have an elu chopsaw and it is a proper workhorse. I also have a fair bit of makita kit and its good stuff. Dewalt sorry but I dont rate it at all. I'm no mug and will only buy Festool kit when I really feel the premium is worth it. The TS55 for example is worth every penny of the £380 odd I payed for it. Same with the 2700 rail at £180odd. When you are cutting up a fair few sheets a week it makes a real difference time wise and stress wise to be able to cut a sheet up bang on in a minute or two. I dont really get what you are saying about skills getting taken away because it takes skill to be able to work well with power tools and I still do plenty of bits by hand. A lot of festool kit is ie the kapex is alot of money for a chopsaw but it is premium kit with a premium price tag. Sure I can do the same job with my old skil saw as I can with by rails and TS55 but not as clean a cut and as accurately as quickly as I can with the festool. In essence you get the same job done just a lot faster.
     
  4. russ295

    russ295 New Member

    just an update on the router,

    used for the first time today, have been using a dewalt for a while and found the handles were at a funny angle making me bend at the knees when using it, the festool i am up straight, the controls etc are a pleasure, buy the end of the day it was second nature, it took me months to get used to the dw, joints were spot on but were with the dw aswell.

    over all i am a happy chappy, but have less in the bank!!

    russ
     
  5. Joelp1

    Joelp1 New Member

    what does the ts55 replace in your toolbox? It looks like a normal circular saw to me. With one, do you not need a table saw too? Cant see the use in it myself. Certainly not for 380.
     
  6. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    it saves something that you can buy TIME. It saves it every time you use it and is more accurate in 1 pass than a regular saw is when used in conjuction with an electric planer. If you work on a day rate then dont bother but on price it will make you more money.
     
  7. lamello

    lamello New Member

    It just a step forward in terms of circular saws. I made back my investment on one fit. Use one and you'll see why. You wont be leaving any ragged edged shelves if you had one joel. I would pay double what i did for it now. next to no dust, spot on accuracy at speed, fantastic quality of cut. Its a professionals tool so maybe its a step too far for you joel. Its like saying that a bentley and a trabant are just both cars. No more measuring offsets and clamping straight edges. Just lay the track down and cut. premium tools attract a premium price. For example why bother paying £220 for a big makita router when you can buy and power pro for £50. Because the makitas better machined and engineered. I've used loads of circs and the festool is in another league. Saves me hours on every fit.
     
  8. Joelp1

    Joelp1 New Member

    can it be safely used to cut sinks and hobs out? Im trying to see where id use it. Since i have a dewalt flip saw, its often out and im sure a table saw is easier to use and faster for cutting panels etc. I only use a circular saw for rough cutting worktops to size, so no time to be saved there. Would be a lot faster fro sinks and hobs than a jigsaw, provided you can be sure it wont chip or run off backwards down the worktop!
     
  9. lamello

    lamello New Member

    you can plunge cut sinks and hobs no trouble and its much better than a flipsaw for cutting infills as its as easy to cut a tapered infill as it is to cut a parallel one. Dont worry about finding a use for it. You will find plenty of things to use it for.
     
  10. lamello

    lamello New Member

    Bang on straight sink cutouts with square edges just finish off in the corners with a jigsaw. No more sink clips missing the edges due to wndering jigsaw cuts
     
  11. lamello

    lamello New Member

    It is so much quicker than a flipsaw for cutting infills
     
  12. Joelp1

    Joelp1 New Member

    assuming it does sinks etc well, it must save a lot of time. Cant see the difference with fillers etc thought, i do most free hand so it takes moments. Cheers for the pointers!
     
  13. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    lets get this right. the ts55 is NOT a circular saw as far as i am concerned. I cant do as much as a circular saw it just does 1 area of work really well in fact better tan anything. But it cant do more than a conventional circular it does less as it can't be used to cut roofs or anything like that
     
  14. lamello

    lamello New Member

    the Ts55 is just a circular saw but the reason why it works so well is the way it has been designed and the way it interacts with the rails. joel it is a hell of a lot quicker to cut an infill my way than by hand it takes perhaps 10secs from measure to cut.
     
  15. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    have to disagree. it is not just a circular saw because it cant do half the things that a regular circular saw can as it makes these things unsafe or very slow clamping the guide on to cross cut timber. It could be classed as a second fix circular saw i guess because it is super for stuff like that but not as an all round circular
     
  16. lamello

    lamello New Member

    You use different circular saws for different jobs depending on blade size etc. It is a circular saw just a very good one. I use mine for ripping(with a 12tooth blade on and for mitring high skirtings. Perhaps your definition of circular saw differs to mine but last time I opened my systainer there was a circular saw in there albeit an exspensive and refined one with only a 55mm capacity on it
     
  17. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    ok it is a circular saw but a different type of circular. The [plunge action on it closes many doors to what it can do but at the same time opens many or makes jobs safer. I have the ts75 as the 55 is under powered in my opinion
     
  18. makita49

    makita49 New Member

    I have just sold my ts55 and swapped for ts75 i too agree the ts55 is underpowered i found it struggled really when cutting worktops and after cutting them with the ts75 you can really feel the difference.
     
  19. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    i think quite a bit of the festool stuff is underpowered to do what is stated as a max cut etc. I preffer a heavytool that does the job quickly that a light 1 that does it slow. Thats why alot of people carry 2 of alot of tools
     
  20. lamello

    lamello New Member

    you shouldnt have a problem with worktops with a ts55. I cut them day in day out. How often do you send your blades to the doctor. Never had a problem with mine ever.
     

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