Anyone switching to Mafell MT55?

[jeh]

FWIW - when I replace the splinter strips on my rails I take a minute to abrade the AL with some fine grit paper after cleaning it with lacquer thinner, then clean it again after sanding. I don't think any of the replaced strips have come off the way the factory installed ones to. Have to check this to verify my impressions though. YMMV

RMW

Agree on this. The replacement Festool cutting strips are nowhere near as adhesive as the factory installed ones. It's probably a combination of the age of the strips and that they are distributed coiled up. I have tried every trick to get the replacements to stay with the only fix being to do exactly this. I'd also recommend laying the strip out for a few days to make sure it is good and flat. A hairdryer can help with the flattening process. The Mafell design is substantially better as is their rail connector.

 

[jeh]

The lack of a riving knife on the Mafell is one thing that concerns me...I never really heard a satisfactory explanation for why they didn't go with one.

I have not had a problem with the lack of a riving knife.

 

[jeh]

I have sold a few Festool items (TS55, Domino, and Jig Saw (Carvex and PSB)) after picking up the Mafell equivalents (MT55cc, DD-40 Duo-Doweller, P1cc Jig Saw).

The track saws nearly equivalent with each having it's own differences (riving knife versus scoring). The Mafell feels more powerful and it has been my experience that it is less likely to bog down. The power level is somewhere between the TS55 and TS75. Cutting depth is the same as the TS-55. The rails have a better design (connector and splinter guard), but they are not as heavy duty as the Festool rails. The connector is a differentiator. Also, the Position Indicator accessory is nice as is the Aerofix clamping system. Blade changing is easier on the Mafell, but it cannot get as close to a wall as the TS55 when cutting up against an object like a wall.

The jigsaw is better than the Carvex and PS models. This was the reason I tried out Mafell.

DuoDoweller is an equivalent replacement for the Domino. I had the Domino, but sold it after using the Mafell for a few weeks. I don't see any difference in the strength of the joints. The advantage of the Mafell is the template guides that allow for placements of dowels anywhere without fear of misalignment. The same template guides can also be used for shelf holes.

Two other points:

• The cords on the Mafells are permanently mounted which is a minus, but they are infinitely more flexible than the Festool cords.
• The tracksaw can use Festool rails, but you will need to replace the splinter strip. The jigsaw in combination with a parallel guide.

For someone who is switching I don't expect for earth shattering improvements/differences. The advantage is the rail system and the scoring capability is nice.

 

[GhostFist]

agree with above

 

[bobfog]

I believed the reasons stated by Mafell and Bosch for lack of riving knife  are a) there are some clever electronics that control the motor and b) it has a more powerful and faster rpm of 6300 vs 5200rpm on the Festool which means it powers through binding situations where the Festool would bind.

I have sold a few Festool items (TS55, Domino, and Jig Saw (Carvex and PSB)) after picking up the Mafell equivalents (MT55cc, DD-40 Duo-Doweller, P1cc Jig Saw).

The track saws nearly equivalent with each having it's own differences (riving knife versus scoring). The Mafell feels more powerful and it has been my experience that it is less likely to bog down. The power level is somewhere between the TS55 and TS75. Cutting depth is the same as the TS-55. The rails have a better design (connector and splinter guard), but they are not as heavy duty as the Festool rails. The connector is a differentiator. Also, the Position Indicator accessory is nice as is the Aerofix clamping system. Blade changing is easier on the Mafell, but it cannot get as close to a wall as the TS55 when cutting up against an object like a wall.

The jigsaw is better than the Carvex and PS models. This was the reason I tried out Mafell.

DuoDoweller is an equivalent replacement for the Domino. I had the Domino, but sold it after using the Mafell for a few weeks. I don't see any difference in the strength of the joints. The advantage of the Mafell is the template guides that allow for placements of dowels anywhere without fear of misalignment. The same template guides can also be used for shelf holes.

Two other points:

• The cords on the Mafells are permanently mounted which is a minus, but they are infinitely more flexible than the Festool cords.
  The tracksaw can use Festool rails, but you will need to replace the splinter strip. The jigsaw in combination with a parallel guide.

For someone who is switching I don't expect for earth shattering improvements/differences. The advantage is the rail system and the scoring capability is nice.

 

[fidelfs]

The reason I switched to Mafell was exactly the binding problem.  I agree that is my error (user error), but I don’t feel the riving knife or the TS55 protected me.  The saw bind and jumped above the rail and keep running across the rail (it had a riving knife, that it was supposed to prevent the binding).  I have the scratches on the rail.  I kept the rail to remind me of this problem.

I have also seen pictures in youtube and also here in the forum were they have the same scratches in the rails.  So, I am not the only one that that has happen.

I bought the Mafell  MT55 and I tried harder to make the binding happen (I took precautions to protect me).  The saw prevented any problem and there is no need for the riving knife.

 

[promark747]

So the Mafell has extra power (and/or extra electronics) in lieu of a riving knife?  I am open to that explanation, but if that's the case, wouldn't that same philosophy work on a table saw?  (The Erika appears to have a riving knife.)

 

[fidelfs]

In my opinion the table saw is different.  The table saw has a fence where the binding can occur in a more severe way that with a handheld saw.

The MT55 detected that the binding was happening and it slowed down to protect me.  The TS55 just jumped across the rail.

 

[KRKWW]

I have sold a few Festool items (TS55, Domino, and Jig Saw (Carvex and PSB)) after picking up the Mafell equivalents (MT55cc, DD-40 Duo-Doweller, P1cc Jig Saw).

The track saws nearly equivalent with each having it's own differences (riving knife versus scoring). The Mafell feels more powerful and it has been my experience that it is less likely to bog down. The power level is somewhere between the TS55 and TS75. Cutting depth is the same as the TS-55. The rails have a better design (connector and splinter guard), but they are not as heavy duty as the Festool rails. The connector is a differentiator. Also, the Position Indicator accessory is nice as is the Aerofix clamping system. Blade changing is easier on the Mafell, but it cannot get as close to a wall as the TS55 when cutting up against an object like a wall.

The jigsaw is better than the Carvex and PS models. This was the reason I tried out Mafell.

DuoDoweller is an equivalent replacement for the Domino. I had the Domino, but sold it after using the Mafell for a few weeks. I don't see any difference in the strength of the joints. The advantage of the Mafell is the template guides that allow for placements of dowels anywhere without fear of misalignment. The same template guides can also be used for shelf holes.

Two other points:

• The cords on the Mafells are permanently mounted which is a minus, but they are infinitely more flexible than the Festool cords.
  The tracksaw can use Festool rails, but you will need to replace the splinter strip. The jigsaw in combination with a parallel guide.

For someone who is switching I don't expect for earth shattering improvements/differences. The advantage is the rail system and the scoring capability is nice.

That's a well written and balanced comparison [member=652]JimH2[/member], thank you!

I did not "switch" to the Mafell MT55, it was my first track saw purchase. I do have a collection of other Festool items that I love. My research and the many reviews I read led me to the MT55. I am very happy with it though I have not put it through its paces as it is a new purchase. I can vouch for the ease and accuracy of joining the rails. And as a qualifier, I do not own any Festool rails.

 

[GhostFist]

I was just ripping some springy soaking wet softwood with mine the other day. Anytime the kerf closed enough to create a bind, the saw shut off. No kickback or even a slight jolt. Restarting the saw, you have to retract the plunge and restart the cut by plunging in, effectively widening the kerf at the bind. didn't miss the riving knife at all. Funny, this is the only mafell saw without a riving knife but I don't miss it at all

 

[RKA]

Just to clarify, I don't think the power was their solution to prevent the binding as was suggested above.  I think that's addressed with the electronics monitoring for the rapid change in load.  It happens to have more power for those situations that require it, and it has a narrower kerf (I think it's 1.8 vs. 2.2?).  Nice summary [member=652]JimH2[/member]!

 

[Laminator]

A while back I had to make plunge cuts with the atf55, which does not have a retractable riving knife.  I had to remove it for that series of cuts and seem to have misplaced it.  I have used it for years without a riving knife and (fortunately) have never had any trouble.
The spring loaded one on the ts55 has never given any problems with plunge cuts so I see it as an improvement over the atf55.  I don't think I'll miss having one on the mt55cc.  I think the mt55cc cord is placed better than either on of my festool saws as it seem to have less snags. 
The scoring feature works pretty good but I found it takes a little practice to get acceptable cuts. 

 

[Svar]

I was just ripping some springy soaking wet softwood with mine the other day. Anytime the kerf closed enough to create a bind, the saw shut off. No kickback or even a slight jolt. Restarting the saw, you have to retract the plunge and restart the cut by plunging in, effectively widening the kerf at the bind.

This is very interesting. So the saw detects (sudden?) increase in load and shuts off. How does it differentiate that from other high load situations such as knots, dense material, dull blade, etc.? I guess the difference is that the saw tends to "unplunge" during binding, while it "digs in" when encountering a knot, for example. But that would require some kind of pressure sensor to detect.

 

[GhostFist]

I've experienced no jolt whatsoever when there was a bind, no kicking out of the plunge or any movement at all other than the saw stopping during a bind. the saw will keep running and power through knots as I've noticed but during a bind it's just jut off. This is from tapering wet 13' 2x6 with a dull pitch caked standard blade. Pushing the saw through was slow well because the wood was wet and I was knowingly using a crap blade for the job but a riving knife wouldn't have helped any really

 

[Holmz]

As they passed some sort of Eu OSHA type approval with the saw, so I assume it does it have an issue with kick backs.
A riving knife also works.

However the Protools that I had for a while kicked back and destroyed the bearing, and it had a riving knife.
The MT55 does not have a riving knife and I have not had a kick-back, but I usually do not have kick-back situations.

Or it seems like not buying a car with 4 lug nuts because the only other cars one has used have had 5 or 6 lug nuts.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

I sold my TS55 a long time ago and have used various Mafell track saws since, with no regrets.

I must be one of the few users that have managed to get a kick back with the MT55cc. I was kind of surprised but I think I know my error. I was going to rip a counter top, oak, lengthwise and as I was approaching the lead/starting edge I was still plunging down and it kicked back on me when the saw bit into the edge - and quite hard too! Maybe my mind was drifting but it did wake me up for sure. For the next attempt I had the saw plunged when cutting into the oak - no problems this time.

In this case the lack of a riving knife didn't make a difference at all - the blade had just bit into the material and I guess I was plunging and sliding in too fast.

Very happy with the Mafell track saws and rails. 

 

[GhostFist]

I could see that happening [eek] ya riving knife won't help In those situations