Changing from saw stop to Festool, what do I need

I started in a small shop, hence my garage of festools.

Get the TS75. People whine about a little more weight, but it rides on a track and hence weighs nothing when you're pushing it. It has more power and cuts thicker wood. The first time you have to cut thick wood, you'll regret the TS55. I own both. I don't both because I started with the TS55. I wish I'd just bought the 75.

Sanders. Get the 6" system and plan to get the RO90. Those two can do it all. I bought the RO150 because it does everything. Bigger, yes. Then I added the 150/3 for super fine finish work. It's a luxury...  Consider the new brushless system @ 6" size.

Pick the vac that fits your budget. You'll never need to upgrade unless you buy that tiny thing that fits in a systainer, which is advise against. It's for tradesmen going into homes.

Corded saws and sanders. Cordless drills.
 
Once I stepped on the slippery slope, i went into the camp of "no table saw needed"  After several years I decided to get a portabe (DW jobsite saw) to handle short rips and repetitive cuts, rip and cross cut, on small projects.  I had found I could do anything with my TS 55 and MFT (I have three) that I could do with my TS55 and my SCMS.  Once i moved back to my little tale saw, small projects just went a little faster. 

I still  use my TS 55 with guide rail and Rip  Dogs and rip dog guides for long cuts.  I have ripped as  long as 16 feet.  I can go longer as I have enough guide rails to do a little over 20 foot cuts.

I have made rip cuts with my TS 55 , even using the combo blade, in 6/4 soft maple maple.  Also 7/4 red oak.  5/4 hard maple and white oak.  With quarer saw white oak and cutting a little of the depth at a time, I have cut quarter sawn white oak as deep as the blade would go (I think that is just a little over 7/4 thick.)

When trying bevel cuts with the TS55, that can be a problem.  you must hold the saw plate to the guide rail, or he saw will tip.

I use my saw as a jointer. no problem with combo blade that is sharp.

Tinker
 
I was also in the no table saw needed camp. I can do everything with my TS and guide rail that I can with a table saw. It just takes a little longer maybe changing your set up on your MFT .

But since I moved to the UK and got me a CMS module for a TS75 . Along with a side extension and CS 50 rip fence, went through the pains of adj it. I really do see the advantage of having a small table saw for thin quick cuts. Would I go back to my stationary tools? No other then my 6" jet jointer I won't need any stationary equipment and can do everything with my festools that I can with my stationary tools.
 
jobsworth said:
I was also in the no table saw needed camp. I can do everything with my TS and guide rail that I can with a table saw. It just takes a little longer maybe changing your set up on your MFT .

But since I moved to the UK and got me a CMS module for a TS75 . Along with a side extension and CS 50 rip fence, went through the pains of adj it. I really do see the advantage of having a small table saw for thin quick cuts. Would I go back to my stationary tools? No other then my 6" jet jointer I won't need any stationary equipment and can do everything with my festools that I can with my stationary tools.

I would not be without my bandsaw.

Tinker
 
Funny, I just went the other way. After a couple years of being space limited and having an MFT and TS55, I just added a Sawstop. I was able to get a lot done with that setup but knew eventually I wanted the flexibility of a table saw. The most trouble I had was making accurately measured rip cuts on hardwood regularly and repetitively. Plus, the amount of time I was spending getting setup drove me nuts. My hat is off to those who can get all things done without a table saw altogether. I, however, am glad I cleared out some junk and was able to make room in my garage for a table saw.
 
I am not sure how much smaller and MFT is than a sawstop, but an MFT with the rail for the cross cutting takes up some room...
It does fold up though.
 
another vote for the corded TS55 and a (fold away) BOSCH REAXX table saw for those smaller repetitive cuts everyone is talking about.
Find a corner for a bandsaw on a mobile base.
CT-26 with the ONEIDA dust deputy on top keeps your shop clean with varibale speed for your sanders and AUTO on-off
Hans
 
Holmz said:
I am not sure how much smaller and MFT is than a sawstop, but an MFT with the rail for the cross cutting takes up some room...
It does fold up though.

A table saw by itself takes up far less space than even the smallest MFT by itself.  However,
whatever you do with that table saw, you must double,tripple or quadruple the space need to make any cut where the  piece you are cutting is large than the table saw top.  You need space for feeding and space for outfeeding. cross cutting you need all kinds of space to the side.  With MFT and rail saw, you only need space to lay your work on the top and bring saw to table and cut away.  The only extra space needed is space to move around.  I  quite skinny, so that extra space can be whittled down to almost nothing. ::)
Tinker
 
Is anyone using the MFT and tracksaw for all your crosscuts, and a bandsaw for rip cuts. 

I use my MFT now for all my crosscuts and it really is the best tool for the job.  Much better than my sled on the tablesaw where it's harder to handle large pieces compared to the MFT.

But the rip cuts take time and accuracy isn't guaranteed with whatever Festool or aftermarket parallel guide system you are using.  So I would still want a tablesaw, or maybe someone is relying on their bandsaw for this.

 
air19 said:
Is anyone using the MFT and tracksaw for all your crosscuts, and a bandsaw for rip cuts. 

I use my MFT now for all my crosscuts and it really is the best tool for the job.  Much better than my sled on the tablesaw where it's harder to handle large pieces compared to the MFT.

But the rip cuts take time and accuracy isn't guaranteed with whatever Festool or aftermarket parallel guide system you are using.  So I would still want a tablesaw, or maybe someone is relying on their bandsaw for this.

I use the TS55/MFT for about 99% of my crosscuts and my jobsite saw for almost all of my rips. I find that the bandsaw leaves to rough an edge to use it to rip instead of the tablesaw. While I still joint all my ripped edges I get much more accuracy on the tablesaw. I think the parallel guides are great for ripping really long pieces that would be difficult to handle on the tablesaw, but I almost never do that.
 
I still use my mft/TS55 for almost everything that does not fit within my small table saw.  If I am ripping anything longer that a couple of feet it gets ripped on the MFT.  I can work with quite a lot of overhang at each end of the MFT.  I just use the Festoy clamps to clamp rail to wood.  I use the DW table saw for ripping and sometimes crosscutting short repetitive pieces.  The table saw also gets used for short pieces where i have to make several different operations on small projects.  I have the MFT/TS55 set up for one cut and the table saw set up for a second cut.  I can set up for series of cuts without making changes.

I seldom make a finish cut on anything with my bandsaw.  I originally bought the cheapest BS I could find and have been kicking myself ever since.  Any cut that I cannot do with either TS55 or table saw gets done with the BS.  I am always amazed with the versatility of that saw.  I do rips on warked and twited boards with no fear of wood flying in any direction.  I resaw to get bookend matches or just to make two boards out of one.  I buy all my hardwood lumber rough cut to at least 5/4.  Often 6/4 and even 8/4.  I don't really have space for all that ripping, but somehow manage to move everything out of the way and set up infeed and out feed horses/rollers and have the bandsaw on wheels. I can make do and do not have to worry about kickbacks or other problems noted with a table saw.  Oh yeah, when cutting thin strips before the days of rip-dogs, I have sent misiles across the shop when ripping thin strips on short pieces with my TS55.  hose pieces are flying away from me, but on one occasion, I sent a piece thru the wall on other side of shop.  Pieces have never gone airborne from my BS table.  The blade sometimes binds.  That either stalls the saw or the blade becomes stationary while the drive wheel just burns the tyre until I can shut down and put a wedge into the kerf.  There are any number of cuts that can be done with the bandsaw that cannot be done with any other power saw.  I do someimes need to rearrange practically my entire shop to make the cut, but the cuts can be made safly.

There are times when a ut needs to be made on very tiny pieces much too small for TS or table saw. it is ether to small to possibly set up or too dangerous to make the cut. Too small to even set up a jig saw. Bandsaw to the rescue.  I could go on and on, but by now, y'all are probably already sleepin'.  [unsure] :o
Tinker 
 
The more comfortable I became with my TS 55, the more I replaced my table saw.  I did use my (8" Makita) tablesaw to rip a 10' 2x4 last weekend, definitely not something I would've used the TS 55 for, mostly because I just have one 55" rail.

I have started using a TS 75 on the job, and it is a different animal than the 55.  It is much more powerful, but i find the dust collection lacking in comparison to the 55.  I am mostly cutting through nine foot long sandwiches of laid-up ply and cedar that are about 3" thick.  I have used the 75 to cut 20' long narrow strips of LVL.  The joined rails require a lot of policing to make sure they are straight.

You need a Festool vacuum.  Everyone does.  For shop use, I think the 26 on up is a must.
 
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