Carvex/Jigsaw advice

[Ellingferd]

So I am new to woodworking and recently purchased a ts55 which has me hooked on the festool system. I am currently building the MF-TB based on the plans from Tim at benchworks.be and because I am limited to my current tool set of router and saw, I am not able to easily make the templates to route out some of the features in Tim's design. The hinge recesses are no problem, but the cut outs along the sides for clamping are kind of out of the picture. I would like to make a number of these, so it makes sense for me to create some of the templates, which will involve making the kind of cuts that a bandsaw/jigsaw would be needed.

All that said, I am leaning towards the carvex (havent decided on the handle or barrel, although the handle model can also be held barrel style, so that seems to make a lot of sense) because I like the visibility of the cut line and the possibility of expanding with the accessories in the future (accuracy is very important to me, even if my skillset is somewhat limiting in this realm, I would still like to have tools that make absolute accuracy possible in the future).

Any reason I shouldn't buy the carvex? I know there are plenty of carvex reviews on here, but nothing geared towards the beginning hobbyist. I feel a little silly spending this much money on a jigsaw given my beginner status, but I know I will be disappointed in a jigsaw that doesnt cut squarely, has a lot of deflection, etc.

I am also a new homeowner, so that is factoring into my decision as I am sure there is something I will need a jigsaw for in the future of this house.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[bkharman]

• Hey there... welcome & congrats on the new home!
  
  I have the barrel Carvex and really like it.  It has some finicky bits to it and has a little learning curve on some items (proper blade setup is one) but once you get the hang of it, you generally will love it.  Having never had another jigsaw, you might not appreciate some of the features as much, but it is still a great saw.  Whether or not it is a great saw for the money is another story... being a hobbiest you may not ever recoup the money portion but being a new homeowner as you sharpen your skills, you will come to appreciate a saw that cuts true and sharp.
  
  I am not sure that this will help you but you really have 4 choices here....
  
  [list type=decimal]
• Buy a new (or better yet... used!) Carvex and learn with a great tool
• Buy a cheaper jigsaw and either love it or leave it but save a few bucks in the beginning
• Buy a Mafell P1 (http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/mafell/MAF-P1cc.html), get REAL sticker shock but have an amazing saw
• Do nothing

[/list]

keep us posted...

Cheers.  Bryan.

 

[jeh]

Looks like a Mafell may be in my future. I have the PS420 and accessory kit and have not been impressed with its cutting ability. It requires a fair amount of tweaking to get it just right and still struggles to cut a straight line. Blade wants to toe to left of the saw. Male is crazy money, but from what I can see and have heard it works better. It' my opinion that the PS420 is a step backwards from Festool's older jigsaws (Trion's).

 

[Ellingferd]

That is a bummer to hear about the Carvex. I guess that is about the opposite of what I am looking for in terms of accuracy. The Mafell is outside my range for sure, no matter what the circumstances. The Bosch JS572 is also on my list, and I have seen the comparison with the carvex here on FOG, but there is just something about the Bosch I dont like, particularly reports that getting it to cut at 90 is also a pain and that there is a good bit of deflection when cutting curves.

 

[Slartibartfass]

I feel a little silly spending this much money on a jigsaw given my beginner status, but I know I will be disappointed in a jigsaw that doesnt cut squarely, has a lot of deflection, etc.

I am also a new homeowner, so that is factoring into my decision as I am sure there is something I will need a jigsaw for in the future of this house.

Thanks for the advice!

Had to chuckle. Rest assured we are ALL silly to spend this kind of money on tools.... As a DIYer I am on the worse end of this compared to a professional but it's the system you buy into hook and sinker...... No turning back.

 

[bkharman]

That is a bummer to hear about the Carvex. I guess that is about the opposite of what I am looking for in terms of accuracy. The Mafell is outside my range for sure, no matter what the circumstances. The Bosch JS572 is also on my list, and I have seen the comparison with the carvex here on FOG, but there is just something about the Bosch I dont like, particularly reports that getting it to cut at 90 is also a pain and that there is a good bit of deflection when cutting curves.

I think the Carvex is especially a controversial tool on this forum... I personally love mine and have had excellent results (from 1/2" all the way to 3.5" in hard and soft wood).  I know quite a few preferred the previous jigsaw but I really like my 420.  In 2.5" hard maple, i had excellent 90 deg cuts and of course it needed sanding, but was a great cut with the jigsaw.  Buying the right blades are key.

Since you are just starting, the Bosch might be your best all around choice... and at 220.00 the price is about right.

Cheers.  Bryan.

 

[Wuffles]

I've had a Bosch, a Carvex 420 and a Mafell, in that order.

I should have kept the Bosch, upgrading to the Carvex was a mistake (tried one at a show and fell for the gadgetry), but by then I was almost "all in" price-wise so after selling on the Carvex at a decent price the Mafell was only another hundred quid or so.

I am however very happy with the Mafell, rock solid even with cheap blades in it.

Like all of these things, whether a seasoned DIYer or a hardcore pro we're buying things that will last and are worth repairing when they eventually give up, and some people will not understand that mindset.

Go for the Bosch, there's nothing in the Carvex that gets you into the "system" enough to be worthwhile IMO.

 

[semenza]

So I am new to woodworking and recently purchased a ts55 which has me hooked on the festool system. I am currently building the MF-TB based on the plans from Tim at benchworks.be and because I am limited to my current tool set of router and saw, I am not able to easily make the templates to route out some of the features in Tim's design. The hinge recesses are no problem, but the cut outs along the sides for clamping are kind of out of the picture. I would like to make a number of these, so it makes sense for me to create some of the templates, which will involve making the kind of cuts that a bandsaw/jigsaw would be needed.

All that said, I am leaning towards the carvex (havent decided on the handle or barrel, although the handle model can also be held barrel style, so that seems to make a lot of sense) because I like the visibility of the cut line and the possibility of expanding with the accessories in the future (accuracy is very important to me, even if my skillset is somewhat limiting in this realm, I would still like to have tools that make absolute accuracy possible in the future).

Any reason I shouldn't buy the carvex? I know there are plenty of carvex reviews on here, but nothing geared towards the beginning hobbyist. I feel a little silly spending this much money on a jigsaw given my beginner status, but I know I will be disappointed in a jigsaw that doesnt cut squarely, has a lot of deflection, etc.

I am also a new homeowner, so that is factoring into my decision as I am sure there is something I will need a jigsaw for in the future of this house.

Thanks for the advice!

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

  I have both Carvex and Trion. I like both - (barrel grip Carvex and D-handle Trion).  The Trion is a nice smooth, solid accurate jigsaw. I find the Carvex to be that also. Nothing at all wrong with the Trion in comparison to the Carvex. I think it is more of a standard versus features choice.

Seth

 

[orm8426]

Looks like a Mafell may be in my future. I have the PS420 and accessory kit and have not been impressed with its cutting ability. It requires a fair amount of tweaking to get it just right and still struggles to cut a straight line. Blade wants to toe to left of the saw. Male is crazy money, but from what I can see and have heard it works better. It' my opinion that the PS420 is a step backwards from Festool's older jigsaws (Trion's).

This is worrying. I am not a Festool fanboy but a few of their tools I am a fan of and to my perception were worth the premium over competitors. The Carvex range was one such line I was considering purchasing, but these mixed reviews are worrying.

I see the PS300 is still a current item so maybe that would be a better (and cheaper) option?

 

[Ellingferd]

A lot of what pushes me to the Carvex is the experience I have had with the TS55. It totally blew me away and my assumption is that all festool tools will do something similar. Also, the fact that it comes in a systainer is a big draw, but I could always get a systainer to put the Bosch in (feels like sacrilege!).  I am not interested in the LBOXX system as I already have a ts55 and the clamping kit, and I am totally sold on the organization system it offers, and I know I will be picking up more festool in the future (def. sanders, domino). But, the fact remains that the Carvex is only comparable to the bosch if you spring for the $200 accessory kit. Then it likely becomes better, but is it really almost $300 better?

I am leaning towards the bosch in this instance. Maybe Ill get a non-festool systainer to put it in and use the rest of the cash for a new hand plane. I am also trying to figure out if a festool drill is in the cards, but the drills seem like another festool area where the expense is hard to justify (although the right angle chuck is really appealing).

 

[Cheese]

I have both the Trion and the Carvex. Actually I think the Carvex is just a jazzed up Trion with LED's, a bit less weight and a brushless motor.

I'd suggest you look seriously at the Trion and save some money. The Trion costs $275 but that includes a $65 Systainer. Thus you're getting an excellent jigsaw for $210. That's in the ballpark with Bosch. Plus, you can purchase a guide stop (490 031) for the Trion and use it with your TS55 rail.

Saw just today, someone offering a Trion that was used 3 times for $200 in the FOG classified section. Don't know if it's in a classic or T-Loc systainer.
Nice to have options.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have both he Bosch and the Carvex. Both are very good tools, but I reach for the Carvex every time. It just seems to handle better and I like the dust collection. I can do more work rather than sweep up dust.

 

[Paul G]

I moved up from a Dewalt to the Carvex D-handle and it is a huge improvement. The light is very helpful, splinter guard works well, dust extraction is better than nothing but not awesome, but most importantly it cuts square, I've done many many cuts through 2x4s and no deflection, just nice, usable square cuts the way I expect a jigsaw to work. My dissapointment with the saw is the lack of a regular angle base, the new fangled angle base has its uses but there are times it falls short and a regular base would be much better.

My thought is buy the Carvex, try it out and return it if it doesn't satisfy.

 

[jeh]

I agree that the angular base for the PS420 is a let down.

 

[DB10]

  Reading other peoples opions on here will never give you the same certenty as trying the tool out for yourself. You guys over there are very fortunate to have the 30 day money back guarantee. Use it, I know I would if I could,  you've got nothing to lose in giving the Carvex a good work out, a couple of hours using it and you'll soon know if you made the right decision or not.

 

[Cheese]

I agree that the angular base for the PS420 is a let down.

That's the reason I own both saws. I'll just keep both until they come up with a "normal angle base" for the Carvex. Then I'll put the Trion down the road.

 

[orm8426]

I agree that the angular base for the PS420 is a let down.

That's the reason I own both saws. I'll just keep both until they come up with a "normal angle base" for the Carvex. Then I'll put the Trion down the road.

Is this likely to be in the pipeline?

 

[charley1968]

In your case, i'd go with the Trion because you like systainers. Then i'd get knowledgeable about the saw-blades. I once thought i had a bad tool because i simply used the wrong blade for the job.

 

[elfick]

I agree that the angular base for the PS420 is a let down.

That's the reason I own both saws. I'll just keep both until they come up with a "normal angle base" for the Carvex. Then I'll put the Trion down the road.

Is this likely to be in the pipeline?

If Festool doesn't, someone else will. I'm surprised Seneca or one of the other aftermarket manufacturers hasn't already.
I just got my Carvex this week but I'm already looking at how to fabricate a standard tilt base for it.

 

[Paul G]

I agree that the angular base for the PS420 is a let down.

That's the reason I own both saws. I'll just keep both until they come up with a "normal angle base" for the Carvex. Then I'll put the Trion down the road.

Is this likely to be in the pipeline?

Festool has said nothing about it that I recall and probably won't until such time as they actually release such a thing....if ever.