.

[jeep jake]

And where the heck do you live that you will be using the TS outside? I just checked my weather station and it's om;y -21 now that the sun has come up!
[/quote]

go buy some good gloves, and a heavy pair of socks,
seriously though connecting two rails isn't a big deal I never had any issues with it. I really don't think you will regret the track saw purchase.

 

[leer]

I use my Ridgid shop vac with my TS 55 and it works great.  I bought the Bosch VAC005 hose from Amazon for $35, and it has the same fitting as the Festool hose (Amazon's picture is wrong).  It is called a 35mm hose, so basically same diameter as Festool 36mm hose.  The only reservation I have is whether this hose is just too big to use comfortably with tools like the Domino or a sander, rather than a 27mm hose.  I was planning to get a Festool CT when I get a Festool sander, but next on the wish list is a Domino.

 

[panelchat]

the domino is probably nice for cabinets, but you truly can make good cabinets quickly and effectively with screws, confirmat screws, pocket holes, or biscuits.
i use biscuits and screws together these days (no clamping needed).
you might wait on the domino until you need it for specific other types of joinery.

the track saw is great for handling sheet goods in 12x12 size space, i did it for a while and found it much better than a table saw.
another advantage is safety- table saws are in fact extremely dangerous tools and i was happy to shift away from one to the ts55 as my sheet cutting saw.
also you lift and move and handle the sheets less while using the ts vs the table saw. 3/4 inch 4x8 panels weigh 60-90 lbs depending. in a tight space you strain your back more often by tight maneuvering of heavy items.

the vac with HEPA will get you better dust collection- in terms of the super fine, low micron respiratory hazard that is really what you need to be concerned about- than most dc on table saws. the super fines blow thru the final filter elements in almost all dust collectors and ceiling mounted dust filters, and then actually stay airborne longer.

the basic efficient breakdown method is using the ts to do "long cuts" first with an 8'rail and parallel guides, then cross cuts second, with MFT, miter saw, or whatever x cut method available.
if your cabinets are all under 4' high, you can cut a 4x8 in half then use your 55" rail (or longer) with parallel guides in this same method to "long cuts" on the 4' panel rather than 8' panel. this saves you from buying that expensive long rail. if yo have one tall unit cabinet or fridge case you could use the rail connectors for those 7-8' cuts- they are crumby as a full time tool but very useful for occasional use.

after market parallel guides are good and inexpensive.

you can buy a vac later too- i did it and was fine with not having dc for a while. the exhaust port on the saw is highly directional so you can shoot chips off to one area.

in the long run, you might consider the mft. the vac, saw and mft are the prime "core tools" for me and many others. mft has as many uses as you can invent and is superb in small spaces. you can also do a ghetto mft just using the replacement top, located on a countertop run or other support. tops are around $50-150 depending on size.

i hope some of this will be useful for you- happy shopping! [big grin]

 

[JayStPeter]

Welcome, I think a lot of us have been where you are.  As you said, these are luxury items.  For sizing plywood, I don't think there is a much better solution than the Festool saw.  Just start with the saw, another 55" rail, connectors and clamps.  It's a big hit, and you may wind up wanting a panther or universal blade also for dealing with thicker solid wood and at least a Festool dust hose.  I went years with only those things and eventually purchased a long rail and a couple aftermarket helpers.
But first, get used to using it.  There are tons of inexpensive DIY solutions that allow repeatable rip/cross cuts without buying every jig Festool offers (example: one of my simple ones is here: http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-how-to/how-to-make-precise-cuts-using-the-ts55-and-the-rail-guide/msg4090/#msg4090).  After a while you can decide if the Festool or aftermarket helpers are likely to provide a sufficient level of additional luxury for operations you do most often.  A good cutting surface is a 4x8 sheet of styrofoam insulation on the ground.  For quite a while, I used sawhorses with a few 2x4s clamped to it and a sheet of rigid insulation on top.  Pulled the ply right out of the truck and onto the cutting surface.  The rigid insulation is not 100% necessary, but it makes you not have to think about where the cut is made for support and improves dust collection by not allowing dust to escape the bottom of the cut.
In all honesty, I'm not sure I get my moneys worth out of the longer rail, aftermarket parallel guides, and other bobs and baubles I've added over the years relative to those early days.  I think it's more important to develop your own process and add things thoughtfully than immediately empty your wallet and feel you have to use these things to be productive.
One example.  It does take time to connect and disconnect the two 55" rails each time you want to make a long or short cut.  So, the obvious solution is a long rail.  Sweet right.  Well, now you need to store a 9' rail.  Where are you gonna put it?  Then you have to spin and swing it into place in a small area when you need to use it.  Now you need to do the same to set it aside for the cross cut.  Time saved? ... yep.  As much as I thought? ... nope.  Same with the permanent cutting table that I have to push out of the way all the time relative to the one I only setup when I need it.  Same with the parallel guides that take longer to setup than my cheap homemade versions, but get the rail into place way more quickly when used repetitively.  All very minor improvements to get the same result slightly faster.
Hanging out here, it sometimes seems like you NEED everything to get any use out of your stuff.  But, have fun and play with what you can afford.  Remember that a significant number of the guys on this forum make money with their tools and that "slightly faster" means more to them than it does to me.  What they consider indespensible, I consider nice to have.  Just sip the green kool-aid as opposed to guzzling it  [tongue].

 

[panelchat]

I agree with Jay here- The track saw is a thing that takes a little while to get your head around, and then all sorts of methods, and ideas for homebrew accessories, come up. for instance: since so many kitchen cabinet carcass parts are the same depth, you can easily use a few sets of dedicated sticks with tabs as parallel guides to set the guide rail for those cuts. or a factory panel edge (that you have verified to be straight) as a cut guide to get through a few 8' cuts, not using the rail at all. home made cross cut jigs are esp easy to make with your table saw and some scraps... torsion box worktops, systainer stacks as sawhorses, or supports for installing upper cabinets alone, etc.

i got to know the saw from the point of view of doing the most with the least $$$, and it was engaging and fun. i only forked over for additional parts of the system when the deposits for bigger jobs started coming in and i knew which areas of the work flow i wanted to speed up or simplify.

 

[rst]

In regards to the negative views of joining shorter rails, I do commercial plastics fabrication, cutting various S/S sizes up to 72" x 120".  I utilize the 32, 42, 55,  and 75 inch rails to suit whatever I am cutting.  I use an 8' or shorter piece of 8020 anodized aluminum extrusion clamped to my rails to ensure straightness.  I also use the 8020 extrusions to make whatever size cutting platform necessary.  I use two 8' 15 series locked onto sawhorses with 48 and 60 inch cross-rails attached to the long rails with 2" x 2" angle and clamping knobs for crosscutting.  for ripping I have four 8" extrusions attached to the cross-rails with clamping knobs.  The whole system can be setup quickly and can be torn down and stored in a corner.  Until I bought the Festool cutting system, I had been lusting for a Safety Speed cut $3500.00 vertical panel saw (really wanted a Streibeg Campact; $26,000 was a lot of overhead).  Since using my TS75, 470. AGE plastics blade, and rails it is apparent that until I need to make hundreds (make that thousands) of pieces per day, I don't need the vertical saw.  P.S. the Festool actually leaves me with a better edge than my $3200.00 sliding table saw.

 

[semenza]

If you only get one guide rail be sure to upsize it to the 75"  to cut the 5' x 5' panels. If you buy a second rail get the 75" for the same reason. If you get two 55" rails  you will have to  use / maneuver  the full 110"  to cut the 5' x 5' panels.

Seth

 

[AofD]

Based on the work you plan to do, I would not fret too much about the purchase.  I did the same justification process as you did for a loooong time too before I finally bought the TS55, extra 1400 mm and connectors.  No regrets here.  In fact, I was so impressed with the quality that I bought the CT26 a week later.  I still qualified for the 10% cause the subsequent purchase was  within the 30 day of the TS55 purchase.  Yes, you can absolutely live without the high priced Festools, but for me, life is too short to let poor tools sap the joy out of woodworking. [smile]

 

[ccarrolladams]

I think I'm back on track. I just can't wait to get started. Being responsible is for the birds.

Seems like the TS55REQ and a 1900 rail is my goal. In a just world, that would be about $655+tax (if I don't order from another source). That puts me about on track for a late February purchase.

Sounds like such a deal.

My experience has been that using the 75" (1900mm) guide rail is a royal PIA for cross cuts shorter than 48"  My suggestion to you is to save for a 55" (1400mm) Holy guide rail. When coupled to the 75" rail that becomes more than long enough to make 8' cuts. Later, the holes in the 55" rail will become part of the LR32 system.

 

[wrightwoodwork]

I know it does add cost but a selection of different rail sizes is worth building up over time don't need to get all in one shot

 

[ccarrolladams]

Sounds like such a deal.

My experience has been that using the 75" (1900mm) guide rail is a royal PIA for cross cuts shorter than 48"  My suggestion to you is to save for a 55" (1400mm) Holy guide rail. When coupled to the 75" rail that becomes more than long enough to make 8' cuts. Later, the holes in the 55" rail will become part of the LR32 system.

That would be indeed the plan. Then if at that point I'm not satisfied with joining rails I could always wait a couple of weeks and grab the long rail.

I do actually have a plan to store all my rails when I get them - I am opening up my crappy 1/4" ply ceiling and will store them along the joists.

There is a very small difference in price between the 2700mm (106") and the 3000mm (118") rails. When ripping 8' it is less frustrating using a TS55/R  with the 3000mm. The 2700mm rail is too short to work making the 8' rip with a TS75.

I do own a single 2700mm rail which I bought because years ago one of my work rooms was not long enough I could walk around the 3000mm rail. but I already owned a 3000mm rail. I own a custom cabinet shop. Way back when for a couple of years I routinely coupled 2 55" rails for doing the ripping. I had originally bought 3 of the 55" rails. I kept one for ensuring the coupled was straight. Then I could keep the coupled pair together and use the extra rail for doing the cross-cutting.

 

[Paul G]

I think I'm back on track. I just can't wait to get started. Being responsible is for the birds.

Seems like the TS55REQ and a 1900 rail is my goal. In a just world, that would be about $655+tax (if I don't order from another source). That puts me about on track for a late February purchase.

Highly recommend getting a pair of rail clamps also to avoid any slipping.

 

[semenza]

I really think you are going to be quite happy with  TS55, good move on the 1900 rail.

Seth

 

[truck90278]

One advantage to Festools that no one has mentioned is the opportunity for training.  Festool offers classes that typically run 2 days. You get to touch all the tools with really great trainers.  It is a little hard to get in because they only take 6 people at a time. Prices are reasonable. the interesting thing is that most of the students are hobbyist.