Festool Precisio CS 70 Review

Alright so it seems you really want to get into this so here's my stance. You are entitled. Your entire stance has been that you feel festool should send you a new fence "because you say so". Well guess what I wouldn't believe a word you say either without seeing the product. If you had been the least bit flexible and taken the saw to them they may have already fixed the situation but instead you came here to complain in an effort to force them to cater to you so their wouldn't be bad publicity. That is a dirty way of acting and I wouldn't fix your saw on pure principle of you acting so entitled.

Luckily for you festool has a lot more couth (sp?) than I do because Id have told you to shove that fence. So to reiterate Im not trying to defend a company or belittle a problem you may have with a product. I'm merely stating that the way you went about it was lazy, entitled and laughably ineffective. Precisely the kind of person I wouldn't do business with.
 
Please let's keep this civil or don't post.

Peter Halle - Moderator
 
rizzoa13 said:
Alright so it seems you really want to get into this so here's my stance. You are entitled. Your entire stance has been that you feel festool should send you a new fence "because you say so". Well guess what I wouldn't believe a word you say either without seeing the product. If you had been the least bit flexible and taken the saw to them they may have already fixed the situation but instead you came here to complain in an effort to force them to cater to you so their wouldn't be bad publicity. That is a dirty way of acting and I wouldn't fix your saw on pure principle of you acting so entitled.

Luckily for you festool has a lot more couth (sp?) than I do because Id have told you to shove that fence. So to reiterate Im not trying to defend a company or belittle a problem you may have with a product. I'm merely stating that the way you went about it was lazy, entitled and laughably ineffective. Precisely the kind of person I wouldn't do business with.
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I have already responded to these perceptions. I have no interest in arguing about it any further--that's not worthy of my time. You are not saying anything worthy of conversation. You are wasting your time.
 
lollog said:
I can some one say me in metric size the dimension of the mitre slot?
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There is no mitre slot on the cs70, the T-slot in the table is for clamping with the festool rail clamps, and isn't open at the front. Aproximate measurements (no calipers, just cheap ruler) bottomwidth 12 mm top opening 8.5 mm depth from top 10mm heigth inside T slot 7 mm
 
Is there anything in particular you would like to know?

I have had both - at the same time - but since joining a larger workshop with a LARGE format saw I just kept the CS50.

They are similar yet quite different. The CS50 is very portable but that portability and lack of weight _can_be a problem for some ripping tasks. The CS70 is heavier and with all the bells & whistles it isn't exactly "portable" in my book. It does everything a little bit better I think but all in all the CS50 is a great little machine for ripping small stuff, cutting flooring and trim to size. I don't use it as often nowadays but the cut quality and accuracy is great. Blade brake is great to have. The sliding mechanism on the CS50 is a bit easier but it isn't bad at all on the CS70.

The CS50 is too small to handle sheet goods very well - even with the add on tables. The CS70 does a better job with sheet goods but you would appreciate a hand when feeding them sheets through the machine.

Dust extraction is pretty good on both - except for ripping without the shroud in place where it is still good. They are fairly quiet (at least the CS50) and I find that once they are set up properly the repeatability is excellent even when removing add ons and putting them back on.

All in all the CS70 is not really comparable to a larger format saw but would serve most well as a "do it all" saw in a smaller workshop whereas the CS50 would be to limited I think - even when paired with a plunge saw with rails.

Compared to the brand new digital fence Felder Format saw we have in the workshop the CS70 is still severely limited in capacity and accuracy. I decided to keep the little one as it does a really good job on smaller jobs on site and is easy on the back but to be honest I sometimes miss the CS70 with parallel fence (LA) and one "side extension" on site.

For stability and capacity the CS70 is a "better" saw as in stronger and more stable and with all the add ons I could do most stuff with it - but with all the add ons the foot print was quite large in my small shop and removing extensions was a bit tedious in the long run. I am quite happy with the CS50 and I find the smaller footprint an advantage and coupled with a few other saws I wouldn't be without anyway (Kapex, Mafell rail saw) I find the CS50 worthwhile.

If you are working with mdf or any thicker stock on a regular basis I don't think a CS50 is the ticket but if you can find the space and £££ $$$ for a CS70 set up you have a whole lot of option that rival the CS70 in capacity.

Confusing or helping you? I don't know. Just typing from the top of my head. Have you any specific questions - ask away. :)
 
I decided not to get the CS70 because of its bulk and the fact that even collapsed, all the pieces add up to a lot of space ... I went CMS and I'm short significantly of the table saw outcome I desired. When space permits I will get a permanent slider (but that's still a time away).

To my thinking, the CS70 is not something you'll want to be continually packing up at the end of the day! That's the quick to deploy contractor saw market that Festool isn't currently addressing.

In this space I would also look at Mafell. I'm not a fan of the company by a long shot, but they do make some decent tools and their potable table saw offerings are more modern than the aging CS70 design (notice I say "aging" - certainly not obsolete).
 
Kealevans said:
the motor is 2200w so should work well squaring up timber before running through the thicknesseser.
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I also have the CS70, and I find the 2200 W motor not as strong as expected. It is an induction motor, and those do not deliver as much power per watt as conventional electric motors.

As long as you stay with soft wood you're okay at full cut capacity, but with hardwood over 40 mm mine starts to struggle. The thicker you go with hardwood the slower you have to feed it which can result in burn marks.

Kealevans said:
I know the saw is suppose to be rather heavy but I'm used to lugging heavy tools 100 yards to site, it does seem to fold quite compact which is a plus because carrying something heavy is far easier than carrying something half the weight but a awkward size. Or am I wrong did you use it on site much or was it mainly used at your workshop ?
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Don't underestimate its weight. With 33 kg it is heavy and pretty big, so it is not that easy to carry. I always use a foldable cart when I have to take it somewhere. Walking 100 yards with the CS70 in your hands is a real workout. If you bring all accessories of the full kit, you have to walk 3 times. But with my cart I can take it all easily at once. Going up a stairwell is also less fun.

Kev said:
To my thinking, the CS70 is not something you'll want to be continually packing up at the end of the day! That's the quick to deploy contractor saw market that Festool isn't currently addressing.
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Setting it up and packing it in is a 5 minute operation. Peanuts for a full days' work. But not something you want to do multiple times a day.

Kev said:
than the aging CS70 design (notice I say "aging" - certainly not obsolete).
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Correct, not obsolete, but certainly aging. The design is over 25 years old and could use a few tweaks here and there.
 
You could look into a Mafell Erica 70 or 85 (higher price point) or Bosch GTS 10 XC (lower price point). Perhaps those fit your needs more!
 
GhostFist said:
I just got an erika 70 and I couldn't be happier
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WOW - just looked and those are over $3K here in NA.  Not bashing the price, just hadn't checked them out entirely.

Peter
 
Peter Halle said:
GhostFist said:
I just got an erika 70 and I couldn't be happier
Click to expand...

WOW - just looked and those are over $3K here in NA.  Not bashing the price, just hadn't checked them out entirely.

Peter
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I always get nervous spending (and being reliant)  on something expensive with motors, electronics, etc without easy access to service and support. On paper the Erika 85 would have been a good option for me ... but not in Oz.

 
Kealevans said:
Thanks all giving me s lot to think about maybe the cs70 just isn't right for me
Maybe I should hold my breath and wait for a new model to come out
I have thought about the cms paired with my ts75 but again the capacity seems much more limiting to the cs70
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CMS with the TS75?

Don't do it. That's how I started out, with the TS75, parallel fence and side extension on the CMS. You get a powerful saw with a very flimsy table and no way to handle sheet goods properly. Set up is a nuisance and mounting and dismounting the saw too.  The TS75 is a fantastic saw on the rails - not so much on the CMS. Of all your options it would be the "worst". The power to weight ratio is not in proportion and I can honestly not recommend it.

I have used the CS70 for quite some time and I agree that 40mm Oak will bog it down unless you fit a Panther blade but apart from thick hardwood I find the CS70 a great "compromise" of a saw.

You should also know that the CS70 has a motor intake filter and fares better in very dusty condition and the CS50 does not.

The Erika saws? Great! I have only used an older model on site, not mine though, I think it was the Erika 60. Pricey, but sturdy. :)

 
Henrik R / Pingvinlakrits said:
Kealevans said:
Thanks all giving me s lot to think about maybe the cs70 just isn't right for me
Maybe I should hold my breath and wait for a new model to come out
I have thought about the cms paired with my ts75 but again the capacity seems much more limiting to the cs70
Click to expand...

CMS with the TS75?

Don't do it. That's how I started out, with the TS75, parallel fence and side extension on the CMS. You get a powerful saw with a very flimsy table and no way to handle sheet goods properly. Set up is a nuisance and mounting and dismounting the saw too.  The TS75 is a fantastic saw on the rails - not so much on the CMS. Of all your options it would be the "worst". The power to weight ratio is not in proportion and I can honestly not recommend it.

I have used the CS70 for quite some time and I agree that 40mm Oak will bog it down unless you fit a Panther blade but apart from thick hardwood I find the CS70 a great "compromise" of a saw.

You should also know that the CS70 has a motor intake filter and fares better in very dusty condition and the CS50 does not.

The Erika saws? Great! I have only used an older model on site, not mine though, I think it was the Erika 60. Pricey, but sturdy. :)
Click to expand...

I have a full CMS TS75 setup and agree .. not a friend of sheet goods and annoying when you want to go off 900 !! Height adjustment is easy though. It's ok for cross-cutting 1.5~2m pieces and ripping ~3m. If I cross-cut bigger stuff I'll switch the module out of the GE and into the VL where the MFT/3 aids support (annoying amount of effort .. think I've don't it twice).

Fortunately I've dedicated a TS75 to the module, so I don't suffer the "in again out again" waltz!

I feel like a broken record when I drone on about wanting space for a slider ... but I DOOO!!! [crying] [sad]
 
[member=13058]Kev[/member] The Erika 85 is ~600 (shipping) landed into a proper shipping port and collected from there.
 
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