Festool Kapex chop saw or another??

[NYC Tiny Shop]

OK, here's an unpopular opinion on this website, FineWoodWorking just did a comparison on chop saws and recommended the Bosch CM12 for $330 dollars.  Unless you "need" all of the features of the Kapex, save your money and buy the Bosch chop saw and a Festool Domino DF700 Joiner and you will be much happier.

Jack

... and throw away the standard blade [wink]

Kev, for hardwoods I the Forrest Signature, but for softwoods and framing the Kapex stock blade works great. 

 

[Kev]

OK, here's an unpopular opinion on this website, FineWoodWorking just did a comparison on chop saws and recommended the Bosch CM12 for $330 dollars.  Unless you "need" all of the features of the Kapex, save your money and buy the Bosch chop saw and a Festool Domino DF700 Joiner and you will be much happier.

Jack

... and throw away the standard blade [wink]

Kev, for hardwoods I the Forrest Signature, but for softwoods and framing the Kapex stock blade works great. 

Hah [big grin] ... I meant throw away the blade that comes with the cheap Bosch (personally I'd throw away the blade with the saw still connected - but I'm not a fan of noise and choking!) Yes, I am a bit negative about the CM12, but in Oz it's also a stupid price for what it is!

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

OK, here's an unpopular opinion on this website, FineWoodWorking just did a comparison on chop saws and recommended the Bosch CM12 for $330 dollars.  Unless you "need" all of the features of the Kapex, save your money and buy the Bosch chop saw and a Festool Domino DF700 Joiner and you will be much happier.

Jack

... and throw away the standard blade [wink]

Kev, for hardwoods I the Forrest Signature, but for softwoods and framing the Kapex stock blade works great. 

Hah [big grin] ... I meant throw away the blade that comes with the cheap Bosch (personally I'd throw away the blade with the saw still connected - but I'm not a fan of noise and choking!) Yes, I am a bit negative about the CM12, but in Oz it's also a stupid price for what it is!

Got ya, Kev. I misunderstood. Maybe I should drink my coffee?
Yes, everyone says that the Bosch blade is poor. I am surprised because their jigsaw blades are good.  Agreed. The Kapex price is out of this world. Now, I'm contemplating buying the UG set-up for $858 USA! I really don't get why it costs so much when the Rigid stand, which is stronger, costs less than half. But the UG will fit in my tool cabinet, whereas the Rigid will not.

 

[Neathawk Designs]

You will be setting the saw up in the kitchen where you are doing the cabinets... Assuming you already have an extractor.  Its quite the time saver and you will not be tracking dirt in and out of the house.

 

[jackandhenry]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

 

[greg mann]

I'm always surprised at the angle of query when it comes to professionals considering Festool.

Let's leave aside health and professional appearance for a moment ...

The worth of a tool is in what it does for you over a given time - enabling your earnings. This also means that you need to assume that you have a consistent earning potential.

Regarding the KAPEX, assuming it does exactly the same job as "brand X", if it's dust collection ability alone only saved you 5 minutes a day, this would pay for the price premium of the KAPEX full setup in time saved in less than 2 years.

* This is based on a simple principle that if you earn $100,000 in a year, 5 minutes of every working day is worth about $1,000 over the year.

Obviously this is distorted if you do things like getting your apprentice to clean up and you pay them a very small fixed salary, etc. So it is important to consider relative cost and benefit.

For those that argue against premium power tools just because of their price, I'd remind them that handsaws and axes were used long before electricity was discovered.

      Very well said KEV. I've always analyzed my purchases for tools in this fashion. Over the course of time if any tool will save me time and money 99% of the time I will buy it. I can't tell you how many times the track saw has saved me hours if time. The sanders as well. That's one of the main reasons I buy festool products!  That and just we'll thought out machines. After all I'd rather be riding on the vintage motorcycles on a twisty country road!!  I do enjoy my line of work however.

These tools make my job easier and also cleaner at my sites. I'll prob end up eventually buying the kapex.

Look at it this way: The money you save by using your other Festools will, at the very least, subsidize your Kapex purchase. Then, even if you don't see a benefit from it large enough to offet its cost you will still be enjoying the benefits it does bring to the table, like DC and ergonomics. I use mine in a stationary set up but I do agree its great portability may be the feature overlooked the most. When it came out there was a lot of complaint about it being too lightly built but no one complained that it was too heavy. My experience is that it is built heavily enough to hold its settings while being light enough to make it the portability champ. Just the right combination, IMO.

 

[semenza]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

    3 15/32" at 12" wide

Seth

 

[Paul G]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

    3 15/32" at 12" wide

Seth

That spec means it can't chop a typical 4x4 (3.5x3.5) but some Kapex users here told me they can do it fine..which makes me wonder if the depth capacity is the same throughout the slider length.

 

[semenza]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

    3 15/32" at 12" wide

Seth

That spec means it can't chop a typical 4x4 (3.5x3.5) but some Kapex users here told me they can do it fine..which makes me wonder if the depth capacity is the same throughout the slider length.

Well the spec is a 1/32 short, but with a 4" x 4 " that will depend on how wet or dry they are.

Seth

 

[leakyroof]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

    3 15/32" at 12" wide

Seth

That spec means it can't chop a typical 4x4 (3.5x3.5) but some Kapex users here told me they can do it fine..which makes me wonder if the depth capacity is the same throughout the slider length.

. Paul , it's simple really. They turn their saws to 11 on the speed control.. [wink]

 

[semenza]

The main thing I'm looking for is efficiency, clean site, fast and accurate. Sounds like the kapex may be the saw. Probably the last miter saw I buy.

How deep boards can the kapex cut??

    3 15/32" at 12" wide

Seth

That spec means it can't chop a typical 4x4 (3.5x3.5) but some Kapex users here told me they can do it fine..which makes me wonder if the depth capacity is the same throughout the slider length.

. Paul , it's simple really. They turn their saws to 11 on the speed control.. [wink]

No, no, don't touch it.  OK, stop, don't even point at it.  [laughing]

Seth

 

[City Properties Inc]

you can cut 4x4'x (3.5x3.5) all day. I'll throw everything at mine from hemp, pt, df, cedar and ipe. Even use regular 10" blades bored to fit and they still cut but with a very slight drag on the arbor on the pt 4x4.