Festool Symmetric SYM 70 Mitre Saw

[dinkjs]

So other then the typical "UL issues" excuse can someone tell me why Festool feels this would not be a good option in the USA area?  As a person who enjoys doing baseboards and chair rails I believe this item would be very beneficial



http://www.festool.com/EN/Products/Pages/Product-Detail.aspx?pid=561160&name=Compound-mitre-saw-SYMMETRIC-SYM-70-E

 

[Holzhacker]

My guess is because in our market you can buy cheap chinese versions of that saw at the big box stores from time to time when a pallet comes in. Considering Festool pricing it might be seen as a cheaper alternative to the Kapex and could cut into sales.
I used to have one of those cheap versions. Might have actually been a Ryobi. Great little tool to do some odds and ends trim piece repairs or additions

 

[dinkjs]

If that was a valid excuse then Festool would not be in the US market because you can find cheaper alternatives to all there tools minus probably the Domino

 

[AlexThePalex]

The Sym 70 saw is even here in Europe a VERY rare item. I think Festool doesn't convert it to 120 volts because they don't expect enough sales to warrant the investment in redesigning it.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

For a portable mitre saw, this has the exactly right weight.. It is on my list, sort of...

I think this comibined with the CMS with the TS 75 with sliding fence and the mitre from the MFT could do quite well with certain workflows, baseboards, small pieces in kitchen installs, smaller frames, sound studio outfitting. With a metal capapable blade could be used for framing with metal studs..

I'd like a kapex but for portability its not the lightest option.. I think a small mitre saw with a twist like the SYM 70 could be great...

Maybe the Kapex is the shop based solution and the Sym 70 could be used in a lot of situations where you don't need the capacity or compound mitres..

With the CMS with sliding fence and mitre fence you could do the larger diametre pieces. Save on weight save on space..

 

[AlexThePalex]

PrefferablyWood, it is not a standard mitre saw as you're used to. It is a specialist for skirting board only.

The saw itself does not move, only the two fence pieces move, and they're linked so they always move together, but in opposite directions. This way the angle from left and right are always the same so you can cut both pieces quickly.

The Sym 70 can not do what a normal mitre saw can.

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]

 

[Pixel]

completely useless tool, can only cut about 3" x 3" so in europe that means you can not cut plinths or architraves so what exactly is it used for

 

[semenza]

completely useless tool, can only cut about 3" x 3" so in europe that means you can not cut plinths or architraves so what exactly is it used for

Seems like a specialist. If you do what it is intended to be used for all day long , it is probably very useful.

Seth

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I am just fascinated by the concept, I like the lightweight. If it fit into for example a kitchen installers, finishing carpenters, fine frame makers workflows, it could have merit.

I assited building a soundstudio over several years, much of what we did could have used a saw like this..

You can set it up to cut straight 90° angles  or whatever angle you want, so It can do whatever a non mitresaw can do, plus it's sysmmetric trick..

How about having a series of series of templates made up for making hex, oct, twelve sided frames, honeycomb structures in a latticework.. Small boxs, drawer faces.. Dainty delicate work, for the ladies jewelery!

Don't rule out any tool, it's been designed and built by festool, it's anything but useless..

 

[neeleman]

The Symmetric is actually not a Festool design. They only changed some parts of the original.

When Festool took over HolzHer in 2000, the heritage of many products also came with it.
They were divided between Protool and Festool.
HolzHer did some genius designs in the late 80's of all kind of electrical hand tools.
Like the Symmetric 2141.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

The Symmetric is actually not a Festool design. They only changed some parts of the original.

When Festool took over HolzHer in 2000, the heritage of many products also came with it.
They were divided between Protool and Festool.
HolzHer did some genius designs in the late 80's of all kind of electrical hand tools.
Like the Symmetric 2141.

Thanks for the background info,  HolzHer, that was a while ago...

 

[Pixel]

completely useless tool, can only cut about 3" x 3" so in europe that means you can not cut plinths or architraves so what exactly is it used for

Seems like a specialist. If you do what it is intended to be used for all day long , it is probably very useful.

Seth

Spon on Seth, specialist, not for baseboards as people are saying it is for, unless of coarse you build Wendy Houses with 3" plinth. My comment useless refers to the fact that it can not cut baseboards and architraves and at €850 it is one hell of a price for its limitations.

Peter

 

[AlexThePalex]

specialist, not for baseboards as people are saying it is for, unless of coarse you build Wendy Houses with 3" plinth.

Uhm, those people who say that are Festool themselves. If they don't even know what their tools are for, who do you got to believe?  [huh]

Check their website.

 

[Pixel]

specialist, not for baseboards as people are saying it is for, unless of coarse you build Wendy Houses with 3" plinth.

Uhm, those people who say that are Festool themselves. If they don't even know what their tools are for, who do you got to believe?  [huh]

Check their website.

Yes but come on Alex, when was the last time, if ever, you fitted a 3" high baseboard, if Festool actually said what it was for, glass beads and small trims people would say €800 for a trim cutter, I can buy a Kapex for that!

 

[AlexThePalex]

Yes but come on Alex, when was the last time, if ever, you fitted a 3" high baseboard, if Festool actually said what it was for, glass beads and small trims people would say €800 for a trim cutter, I can buy a Kapex for that!

Are you "bantering" again or trying to be serious? I can't tell anymore.

Actually most of my house is lined with 8 cm high hollow baseboard. This stuff is still very popular around here. And plenty of other types of baseboard are available, some bigger than 3", other smaller. It is not one or the other.

Now I would never buy a Sym 70, and I doubt many other people would. I don't know for sure of course, but I think it has been years since Festool ran a production line for this saw and are still hoping to sell off their old stock. It is a very rarely seen saw.

And then sometimes someone like PrefferablyWood comes along who thinks this saw might suit his needs. If he can use it for what he wants to do, what's the problem?

Maybe he actually wants to make "glass beads".

 

[Pixel]

Yes but come on Alex, when was the last time, if ever, you fitted a 3" high baseboard, if Festool actually said what it was for, glass beads and small trims people would say €800 for a trim cutter, I can buy a Kapex for that!

Are you "bantering" again or trying to be serious? I can't tell anymore.

Actually most of my house is lined with 8 cm high hollow baseboard. This stuff is still very popular around here. And plenty of other types of baseboard are available, some bigger than 3", other smaller. It is not one or the other.

Now I would never buy a Sym 70, and I doubt many other people would. I don't know for sure of course, but I think it has been years since Festool ran a production line for this saw and are still hoping to sell off their old stock. It is a very rarely seen saw.

And then sometimes someone like PrefferablyWood comes along who thinks this saw might suit his needs. If he can use it for what he wants to do, what's the problem?

Maybe he actually wants to make "glass beads".

No not bantering just putting across my experiences, Festool FR brought me one of these saws as a solution to my problem regarding glazing beads, nothing in my property is square, the windows are 2m high x 1.2m wide and in the some cases are 100mm out of square. I needed something that can cut varied angles as changing left to right on each cut with a Kapex for example was very time consuming; I have 38 windows in total and each window has 6 panes totalling over 1800 mitres. The saw was excellent but at the same time useless, no laser guide or point of reference for cutting to exact length and angle so cutting was very time consuming rendering the thing of no use to me.

 

[Phil Beckley]

Hi
The Sym 70 is a specialist saw for acute angles and as Alex points out both fences will move in unison to cut exact angles. It is also bought by other trades such as those who work with Aluminium profiles and plastics as the blade choices will cover these areas.
  We had this on a demonstration area at the flooring show in Harrogate earlier this year and it got a lot of attention - small, portable and accurate for mouldings.
RG
Phil

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I'm mostly attracted to the weight of the SYM 70 as I cart my tools around to smaller jobs around the city center

I can see that a Kapex 120 with stand is probably the solution.. at some point. Before then I'll make do with my carvex. For more precise mitre's an old stytle hand mitre saw is probably the most portable solution..

If the Price of the SYM 70 came down by say 30% it still might be of interest, I saw a used one recently for that..

 

[R.W_Carpentry]

I had one of these, it didn't seem to like being moved about on site, eventually the guide fences became completely misaligned and then one stopped moving altogether. I had it repaired and sold on, nice concept and I'd probably make more use of it now in the workshop but can't say I desire another.