Festool TKS ..Mafell Erica

[Tazio]

Hello there I am in the market for a new table saw having decided to sell my joinery shop up and work from a smaller workshop and also on site ..
So having a collection of both mafell and festool ..mostly mafell for saws and festool for routers drills 120 mitre saw etc .. I have a foot in both camps .
Currently considering both the mafell Erica or the festool TKS .
Does anybody have either ?.. with first hand experience ! ..
the Erica tends to get great reviews where as the festool appears to have slightly mixed ones ! A first hand user’s experience would be useful though . Many thanks in advance .

 

[rocky100370]

I was in the same boat as you and decided to go with the TKS. I LOVE it. I didn't really need the SawStop feature but wanted to stick with the Festool system. A few glitches with the extension tables and the 90 degree of the blade. Ended up being my fault and a slight adjustment and back in business with perfect precision. I wouldn't go back.

 

[Tazio]

Thanks for the reply Rocky so you find the sliding table accurate? Do you find the saw pretty stable ?… as mentioned I have feet in both camp and love mafell quality but as I have the KS 120 I am not sure I need the pull facility on the Erica plus the Erica is around a grand more full spec !.

 

[squall_line]

It would help knowing where you are located (there is a setting in Profile to list this, or it can be explicitly stated in your post).

The biggest reason being that if you are in North America, procurement of a TKS is a non-trivial part of the equation that must be taken into consideration.

Also, it just helps to know where people are from when making recommendations, since voltages and expected usages are different in different areas.

 

[Tazio]

Ok fair enough England so no problem getting either ….

 

[Packard]

I was not familiar with it.  A little Google search shows what it is and that Bosch is making a knockoff.  No word on the quality though.  Bosch seems to have two different quality levels, so it could be hobby-level or pro-level. 
https://www.tool-rank.com/tool-blog...sh-pull-saw-and-do-you-want-one-201209131287/

It is available in the UK only at this time (according to the article).  250 pounds on Amazon.com.  That is $343.00  in US Dollars so clearly not the same quality as the Mafell.  The user reviews on Amazon are dreadful.  So probably not the same quality as Mafell.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Home...B07FV15N46/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bosch+push+pull+saw&qid=1635364128&qsid=259-0939175-1432159&sr=8-1&sres=B07FV15N46%2CB00FMYUIMO%2CB07T9K59D1%2CB071D5Z45W%2CB001QUOS0G%2CB089Y76L83%2CB07WTH5WW2%2CB004XCAIJO%2CB0083H521Y%2CB08GFW2M89%2CB07JPL6QZC%2CB08771NNNQ%2CB08H1ZQRPV%2CB000C79HNM%2CB07JZBFHZR%2CB07VYHVWXK%2CB07GYS721J%2CB08LVM8WCS%2CB002KHJYBM%2CB07V5T89KP&srpt=SAW

 

[squall_line]

I was not familiar with it.  A little Google search shows what it is and that Bosch is making a knockoff.  No word on the quality though.  Bosch seems to have two different quality levels, so it could be hobby-level or pro-level. 

I'm confused.  The OP asked about the Festool TKS and the Mafell Erica (sic), and the OP is in the UK, where he can get a TKS (NAINA).  How did Bosch get brought into this equation?

 

[Packard]

I looked up the Mafell Erika saw.  Then I saw that Bosch made a knock off of that saw.  It was just an observation.  Not a recommendation. 

It was like when Festool had the track saw business for themselves and the suddenly it seems that everyone has a track saw. 

If the Erika is successful, then maybe we will see Bosch, DeWalt, and others with knockoffs.

 

[DeformedTree]

If the Erika is successful, then maybe we will see Bosch, DeWalt, and others with knockoffs.

Mafell Erika has been around a very long time. Launched in 1980 from their website.

Pull saws just are not common in North America.

 

[Packard]

I've never seen or heard of them.

I do have a sliding table saw.  It is a picture framers' saw and cuts miters only.  But perfect miters each time.  Superior to any chop saw I have ever seen. 

So I am familiar with the concept.  But I had never seen a push-pull saw.

 

[Svar]

If the Erika is successful, then maybe we will see Bosch, DeWalt, and others with knockoffs.

Mafell Erika has been around a very long time. Launched in 1980 from their website.
Pull saws just are not common in North America.

Metabo had a pull-push saw UK290 and UK333. Then there was Elektra Beckum.

 

[Packard]

Are the imported to the USA?  I never heard of any of these.

 

[Cheese]

Checkout Timberwolf Tools.
https://www.timberwolftools.com/mafell-erika-70ec-pull-push-saw

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Tazio,

I do not have experience with the TKS saw, but I'd suggest you take a look at the ERIKA 70 or 85, and I'd add the Festool Precisio 50 or 70 to the mix as well. If you're looking for ultra-portable, then the Festool CS50 may be the tool for you. If you're looking for more power and capacity, then I'd steer you towards the ERIKA 85.

I own a ERIKA 70 and have been using it on-site for the last six years for processing millwork, between the ERIKA 70 and a KSS40 there's not much I can't cut. Taller crown moulding is easily cut "on the flat".

The appeal of the Pull-Push saw is that they offer a VERY precise crosscut, in my experience much more precise than a portable miter saw. The reason is, with a miter saw you can induce deflection to the head (you are essentially grabbing a two foot lever arm). With the Pull-Push saws, the saw carriage slides on rails underneath the table, and it's next to impossible to impart deflection.

If my van were to get hit by a comet overnight I'd order a ERIKA 85 in a heartbeat. I am of the understanding that the Festool CS50 and CS70 Precisio saws are very nice machines at a more approachable price point.

 

[Packard]

I think the real reason it makes such tight miters, is that it relies on complimentary angles. So if one side measures 45.25 degrees, the other side will measure 44.75 degrees. That is also the reason my sliding table saw is so accurate. It is not that the cut is so precise, but that no matter what that included angle will equal 90 degrees.

 

[ScotF]

Big proponent of the Erika. It also takes 30mm Arbor blades and I believe some Festival version are proprietary and hard to source in North America.

Tom outlines many of the benefits. I would add the saw is easily configurable to the task at hand. Cutting long base/trim/millwork and crown is easy, precise cross cuts with wide capacity, ability to add a sliding table for even more capacity if needed and the list goes on. It is also vibration free...passes the nickel test for start and stop and the blade has a brake which is nice. plenty of power to cut 8/4 hardwood without issue.

I too would buy another if something happened to mine.

 

[Tazio]

Thanks for the input so far there does seem a lot of love for the mafell on the fog forum . To be fair though I think when it comes to saws and particularly track saws the mafell track is so much better …
Festool though do make some great tools routers etc …
Just interesting that there is always plenty of positive feedback on the Erica but less so for the festool table saws .
I am definitely leaning towards the Erica certainly my experience of mafell saws has been nothing but positive apart from my kss300 which for some reason can’t keep the manual guard lifter connected !.
Also for me the saw stop is not a deal breaker because as good as it is sensible and correct use of the saw should mean your fingers are never close to the blade …. I had my joinery with 4 joiners for 23 years with no accidents and no saw stop !.

 

[Cheese]

Just interesting that there is always plenty of positive feedback on the Erica but less so for the festool table saws .

I think that's because of the lack of availability of Festool saws in the US. You can't like what you can't get.  [sad]

 

[DeformedTree]

Just interesting that there is always plenty of positive feedback on the Erica but less so for the festool table saws .

I think that's because of the lack of availability of Festool saws in the US. You can't like what you can't get.  [sad]

Yup.  Having to sneak stuff into the country is a roadblock. 

The plus side with the Festool is also there is just a lot more global presence/information out there, but Mafell operates all most in secret.  Even if you actively know about the Erika, finding information on it is hard. There is a demo at a trade show video, and one guy someplace in Europe messing with one in his shed, that's about it.

Shame the CS50/70 are not sold in the US. I think they would be very popular if they were.

 

[Packard]

The price seems to be a significant barrier.  You would have to convince people that it replaces their table saw and their miter saw and it still would cost more.  It becomes a very hard sell in the USA.

It appears that many in Europe don’t use table saws, but rather have track saws and track routers.  That allows for a transportable or storable workshop.  In the USA we have basements and large garages and table saws and stationary equipment is fairly common. 

It would take a new woodworker starting out using track saws to go in the direction of these transportable saws.  It is really hard to justify an “upgrade” when my existing equipment can do everything that this saw can except travel.