Carvex or trion

[Nikko]

Thinking about getting a new jigsaw had a look at the carvex today but was a bit disappointed with the fact that it did not come with the angle base which is an extra £85 on its own and it also seemed to be quite unstable at 45deg is the carvex a lot more refined than the trion is there any reason not to buy a trion ???

 

[Paul G]

I recently picked up a Carvex D-handle plus the accessory kit, so far I'm very pleased but haven't ventured to the angle base yet. Was notching some 2x6 lumber tonight and love the square cuts, I didn't come close to bogging down the power, and the light is really helpful I personally preferred the strobe. Dust extraction was about what I expected, better than nothing but certainly not dust free and the chip guard did a good job of keeping bits from getting near my eyes. I have my concerns about the angle base though as mentioned in some earlier threads, some tests await

 

[barnowl]

Not to be a party pooper here for Festool, as I'm a huge fan and have thousands of $$$ worth of their tools.

That being said, though I was looking forward to selling my Trion and upgrading to a Carvex, the lack an adjustable base,

and the fact that the angle base is a seperate purchase, was a deal killer.

Not to mention that the Carvex angle base, being hinged, has only about 1/2 the footprint of the Trion base.

I'm thinking that stability would be an issue.

I'm keeping the Trion.

Posted with the best of intentions, with the spirit that Festool wants to know of their customer's feedback.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I have both and like them for different reasons (which is why I have them both).  I actually also have the Bosch JS572 saw (which I believe has a different model number in Europe).  For me the perpendicular cuts and ease of base changes is awesome.  Yes, certain angle cuts are not as convenient with the Carvex which is why I kept the other saws -- in fact, I think that the Bosch angle adjustment is the fastest and easiest to use for scribing cuts.  But, the Carvex base allows you to do other angled cuts easier.  Also, the circle cutter is hands don the best I have seen or used and for me, that alone was worth the cost of the saw and accessories.  Large circle cuts for table tops is a breeze and not having to muscle large slabs on a bandsaw or use a router that is slow and noisy is a huge plus.  The cuts are amazing and I like the stroboscopic lights and the weight of the tool -- it actually feels like an extension of my hand and I have been able to make very accurate joinery cuts with mine.  Blade visibility is also great and not so great on the Trion.  I think that the Trion excels when using a guide rail as the guide rail attachment has no slop in the rail and you do not need to see the blade when cutting in this manner anyway.  And, the cuts are perpendicular too.  If I could only have one saw, then the Carvex comes out on top of the three and edges out the Bosch for overall cut quality.  The Bosch comes in second and the Trion comes in third -- at least for my uses.

Scot

 

[Kev]

I'm of the same mindset as Scot, but if the cost of the angle base is a great concern then I'm guessing multiple jigsaws would be a greater concern.

I can see Festool offering a variation of the CARVEX base or some form of base extension (it is just an accessory after all) as there's been quite a few comments on it's limited utility.

 

[K119Phil]

I have both and like them for different reasons (which is why I have them both).  I actually also have the Bosch JS572 saw (which I believe has a different model number in Europe).  For me the perpendicular cuts and ease of base changes is awesome.  Yes, certain angle cuts are not as convenient with the Carvex which is why I kept the other saws -- in fact, I think that the Bosch angle adjustment is the fastest and easiest to use for scribing cuts.  But, the Carvex base allows you to do other angled cuts easier.  Also, the circle cutter is hands don the best I have seen or used and for me, that alone was worth the cost of the saw and accessories.  Large circle cuts for table tops is a breeze and not having to muscle large slabs on a bandsaw or use a router that is slow and noisy is a huge plus.  The cuts are amazing and I like the stroboscopic lights and the weight of the tool -- it actually feels like an extension of my hand and I have been able to make very accurate joinery cuts with mine.  Blade visibility is also great and not so great on the Trion.  I think that the Trion excels when using a guide rail as the guide rail attachment has no slop in the rail and you do not need to see the blade when cutting in this manner anyway.  And, the cuts are perpendicular too.  If I could only have one saw, then the Carvex comes out on top of the three and edges out the Bosch for overall cut quality.  The Bosch comes in second and the Trion comes in third -- at least for my uses.

Scot

Very spot on review!  I'll add a little more to it.  One of the main complaints against the Carvex is being a "fixed-base" jigsaw out of the box (without accessories kit).  There is a simple reason for that:  that fixed base is ALWAYS at 90-degrees!  Take any other jigsaw (yup, including the Trion), do a bevel, and bring it back to 90.  There's going to be some play in it, and it'll take a bit more tinkering and wiggling to get perfectly square again.  Carvex?  Just pop off the angle-base and drop back in the fixed 90.  Done.  (C'mon now, ya'll got to have a lil more faith in Festool Engineers!)

With concerns of stability with the angle-base, I'd strongly suggest going into your local dealer and asking to get a little hands-on demo with the saw.  Test-drive tells all, it's simple as that.  It's rather unanimous at our shop that clients very quickly find the angle base quite comfortable to cut with (especially with added visibility of large viewing window and strobe lights.)

Weight is a very notable improvement, the Carvex being significantly lighter than the Trion.  Strobe light + incredible visibility is huge.  Circle-Cutter is a must.  Carbide guides and Splinterguard + Guide Rail Integration options all add value to your Festool collection.

I wish I could say true perpendicular cuts is a Festool exclusive thing, secret being in the blades, but it's a universal T-shank, thus if you wanted to try to cut cleaner with your Bosch, try plugging in Festool Trion/Carvex blades and give it a go. 

Hope this helps