CMS Push

[Birdhunter]

I've handled the CMS many times in my local woodworking stores and admired its attributes, especially the sliding table.

I have a big router table that's solid, has a great lift system and a fair fence. Dust collection is poor and power is adequate. Bit changing is easy and above the table.

I already have a 1400 Festool router in addition to the 2200 and 1010 so wouldn't have to buy a router.

With all that said, I just can't push myself into buying the CMS and a dedicated Festool vac.

 

[Theshipstore]

I can say I have used the CMS from the star and it has replaced my 1 1/2 hp shaper table for all my rails and stiles. It is fantastic just for the fact there is not dust to be concerned about as opposed to the shaper table chip maker.

Is it worth the push yes indeed,  I have it hooked up,to my Midi and Clearvu Cyclone and it is a great setup.

I would say go for it if you can and you will not be disappointed at all

Sal

 

[Kev]

If space was never an issue I'd still have every item I've ever owned ... a museum of my consumer life [big grin]

I'd personally be hesitant until I could put the OF 2200 in the CMS like we can in Oz and Europe. It's got to happen soon I'd imagine.

The OF1400 will spin a big bit, but it'd be effortless for the 2200.

To Sal's point, it's a different world with Festool DC ... I decided to pull out the Hitachi circular saw yesterday to make four cuts outside, that laziness cost me over half an hour in cleanup [crying] ... and scared the dog too.

 

[tjbnwi]

I really like my CMS. I preordered it 3 years before it became available here.

Tom

 

[sancho57]

I had a big cast iron router table with a sliding table and a PC7518 router mounted in it. But It was such a pain to roll out hook the dust collector up, reach under the table to adj the bit height etc. So I got the CMS its light easy to use, great dust collection and can fold away and give me room in my small shop. Also like Mark the woodwhisper says in his review Its made for thefestool routers and inter acts with the rest of the festool system, rather then a generic router table made for a multitude of routers.

Its a tough decsion when you look at the cost. But if you look at like I did, it has a integrated router raiser, thats a additional $350 to a generic router table, a sliding table, which most generic router tables dont have, great dust collection and the abiity to use the MFT 3 as a in/out feed table

 

[Sparktrician]

I've had a small router table for decades, and although it has served me well, it's been a pain to use and has spread dust far and wide, necessitating using it outside or in a garage, and NEVER on a customer site.  The CMS, although spendy, has eliminated dust as an issue, and the ease of use and safety make it such a pleasure to use.  The original power switch is an issue when using both infeed and outfeed tables in that one must reach under the CMS and grope for the switch; not a good idea to be groping for a switch if something goes to worms, and especially if it puts one's face in proximity with a bit spinning at 22,000 RPM.  I devised a better switch arrangement for mine that sits above the table where it's readily available, and which will handle a full 20 amp current draw, and which has a 20 amp circuit breaker built in for better safety.  I could not be happier with the choice to buy the CMS vs. any other table/top/lift/router. 

 

[Birdhunter]

The big router table I built partially from a Kreg commercially sold base and top has a front mounted power switch. I run power through a foot operated switch before it gets to the router switch.

If something goes wrong, I just back away, my foot comes off the switch and the router stops. The table mounted switch gets switched off before I change bits or make an adjustment. This way, two switches have to be turned on before the bit turns.

I really don't feel safe with the Festool power switch arrangement. If I buy the CMS, I'll find a way to use a foot switch.

 

[sancho57]

I used that foot switch method with my old router table. It would be easy to plug in a foot switch on the CMS

 

[Sparktrician]

The big router table I built partially from a Kreg commercially sold base and top has a front mounted power switch. I run power through a foot operated switch before it gets to the router switch.

If something goes wrong, I just back away, my foot comes off the switch and the router stops. The table mounted switch gets switched off before I change bits or make an adjustment. This way, two switches have to be turned on before the bit turns.

I really don't feel safe with the Festool power switch arrangement. If I buy the CMS, I'll find a way to use a foot switch.

Just be absolutely sure that the foot switch is rated to 20 amps for anything other than the OF 1400 and OF 1010.  [wink]

 

[Birdhunter]

The circuit breaker is a 15amp breaker so I should be OK.

Your comment "Just be absolutely sure that the foot switch is rated to 20 amps for anything other than the OF 1400 and OF 1010." is a wise one, but brings to mind another concern about the CMS. I think the 1400 is adequate for the CMS work I'm likely to do, but I'd hate to buy the CMS now and then have Festool announce 2200 compatibility for the new models, but not for the older models.

The videos I've watched make changing bits difficult from the top of the table. Is this a real problem?

 

[Sparktrician]

The circuit breaker is a 15amp breaker so I should be OK.

Your comment "Just be absolutely sure that the foot switch is rated to 20 amps for anything other than the OF 1400 and OF 1010." is a wise one, but brings to mind another concern about the CMS. I think the 1400 is adequate for the CMS work I'm likely to do, but I'd hate to buy the CMS now and then have Festool announce 2200 compatibility for the new models, but not for the older models.

The videos I've watched make changing bits difficult from the top of the table. Is this a real problem?

As I understand it, the reason for the CMS to NOT be approved for the OF 2200 (in NA) is the CMS switch which is rated to 13.5 amps.  This is quite adequate for the OF 1400 and OF 1010, but not for the OF 2200 which can draw 20 amps at 110 volts or 17.6 amps at 125 volts.  If you were to buy a CMS now and Festool subsequently releases a switch capable of handling 20 amps, the only thing you'd have to do is buy the 20 amp switch to be capable of using the OF 2200.  The CMS itself (hardware) is already capable of mounting the OF 2200.  The only limitation is the switch that is currently available. 

Changing bits from the top is not a problem.  It is a bit awkward to reach the spindle lock under the CMS, but the OF 1400 (and OF 2200) have a ratcheting collet which makes things pretty easy.  An offset collet wrench would make things even easier. 

 

[peter halle]

I have had my CMS since Christmas, and although I haven't used it as much as so many of you have, I'm kinda weird and when I have a chance I step thru procedures that others would have used it for so that I can try to commit things to memory and help someone out in the future.

My take:

Yes the price is high.  But it is a very well designed, functional-out-of-the-box-don't-need-to-buy-other-manufacturers'-supplied-things table that integrates with the Festool routers.  The  fact that the 2200 isn't supported here was a downer on my part but with a tall board attached to the fence you can achieve a raised panel with vertical bits.

The safety and feather board aspects I would have never incorporated into a table built from scratch, so that is a plus.  The ease of adding or removing the router is a definite plus and if you ever want a really large base to use on a router sled to surface a wide slab - well heck that is only two screws and two half turns away.  Granted you will not be able to se the bit.  But dust collection to some degree is built in.

I saw this table in 2009 and am so glad it finally made it.  It meets my needs and also offers an ability to customize to some degree.

Peter

 

[Wonderwino]

I'd have to concur with Peter;  I've only had mine for a few months and have not used it extensively, but when I was looking at upgrading from an old Jesada router table, the decision was easy.  By the time you buy or build a decent table, add a router lift, feather boards, fence, guards and a sliding table, you'd have close to the price of the CMS invested.  Then you'd have to make all that stuff from different makers work together and you still wouldn't have Festool dust control.  As Sparktrician said, the hardware to mount a 2200 is included; for now you have to bypass the switch.

Just do it.

 

[jimbo51]

"As I understand it, the reason for the CMS to NOT be approved for the OF 2200 (in NA) is the CMS switch which is rated to 13.5 amps.  This is quite adequate for the OF 1400 and OF 1010, but not for the OF 2200 which can draw 20 amps at 110 volts or 17.6 amps at 125 volts."

I may be wrong, but I think that this is cart before the horse thinking. Someone previously noted that UL may not have approved the OF 2200 in the CMS in part because it can draw 20 amps, eg it is too powerful for the CMS. I think Festool put the smaller switch to show good faith with UL that the CMS could not be used with the OF 2200 be simply getting one part (a retaining ring?). If the quote above is correct, it would imply that the Festool engineers do not understand their own product.

 

[peter halle]

I don't believe that Festool has ever stated (and suspect that they never will) why no 2200.

Peter

 

[Birdhunter]

I looked at the CMS again yesterday and decided against buying it right now for the following reasons.

The fence is rudimentary at best. There isn't a fine adjust for the fence as I would expect with an up-price tool from Festool.

My router table has a scale showing the centerline of the router bit and graduations plus and minus the centerline. I didn't see that on the Festool. I rely on this scale for much of my work.

The power switch isn't easily assessable in case of an emergency ( I can fix this with the foot switch ).

The table isn't as stable as I would expect.

Bit changing from the top isn't as easy as I would expect from Festool.

My guess is that most of these issues will be addressed in "CMS Phase 2".

If I didn't already have a good router table or if I had to have a mobile router table, I'd snap up the CMS in a heart beat.

Who knows, I may get so tired of cleaning up after using my existing router table that I'll cave and buy the CMS anyway.

 

[tjbnwi]

Changing the bit from the top is no worse than any other table. Also it takes very little effort to remove the plate.

Tom