Adding a csc 50 to my lineup - basic questions

[captainjeremy]

Hello everyone. First post!

Im relatively new to the Festool lineup, I discovered the brand with the sanders and haven't looked back. I have the es 125, tk60, 1400 router, delta 400, domino 500, and all the rails, attachments bits and bobs to go with. I also just got a ct36 (ac). Once I find something I like I stop messing around and go all in. So Im a serious hobbyist, but also do some commission work (small furniture pieces and stuff). Ive made it this far in my journey without a table saw - Ive always been wary of those noisy dangerous beasts. I use a bandsaw for most of my stock prep. But moving into a new house with tons of projects and furniture to build means Im ready to get one. So, I just ordered the csc. I figure the ts60 will do for breaking down the big stock and I can move it over to the tables for final dimensioning, Building outdoor teak furniture, end tables, chess boards small boxes etc seems to be within the scope of this machine, as well as basic home improvement stuff (trim, laminate flooring, and whatever else comes along). My question is just for an opinion on if my new machine is adequate? I really don't want a cabinet saw, and if I got anything else than the csc it would without question be a SawStop. I just thought the smaller SawStop offering wasn't in the same league as the Festool. That and I wanted to introduce myself to the board.

 

[captainjeremy]

One other thought - this is my first cordless festool product, will I be happy with the battery turning on the dust extractor, or should I get the remote?

 

[luvmytoolz]

It sounds like your situation is very similar to mine. I don't have room at the moment for a cabinet saw, and actually sold the one i had as I didn't really use it. I plan to get one at some point but it's not an urgent thing for me with the mainly smaller stuff I tend to do.

I spent ages deliberating on getting the SYS 50, and bit the bullet and simultaneously finally bought into the Festool battery platform.

I couldn't be happier with it, it's far exceeded my expectations and performs admirably. I did adjust the fixed fence a tiny bit so it's a slightly more snug hold, but it's a super handy machine. And the sliding fence is just unbelievable and was a major part of the reason I bought it, I absolutely love it. It fits into my workflow beautifully doing charcuterie boards, ripping stock, machining rebates, etc, etc.

The only negative I would say is the dust collection leaves a bit to be desired. Because of the ribs internally it tends to fill up with dust. So always make sure you stand it front side up when storing it so dust falls to the rear.

The battery life is surprisingly good, the 5.2ah batteries are ok for ad-hoc or minimal use, but I use the 8ah's instead and get quite a lot of machining out of them before they need to be charged.

Overall, I don't regret getting it one bit, and have found it invaluable. So far as the remote, I'd simply leave it to the battery to turn the CT on/off.

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

One other thought - this is my first cordless festool product, will I be happy with the battery turning on the dust extractor, or should I get the remote?

The battery turning on the extractor works flawlessly. I use it a surprising amount, even with the cordless drills.

Whether to get the remote is a completely separate question, in my opinion. You definitely won’t need it to turn on the extractor for the saw, but I like having it to use for general cleanup.

 

[AndrewZetts]

Get the remote. Its the nicest feature of the vac. You'll hate how much you enjoy it, and you'll wind up getting one for each hose. it will save you a million little trips to the switch, which add up.