Has anyone purchased a TKS-80 ?

[Paul_HKI]

Nobody here can tell you why other people, somewhere on the internet, have had problems.  Not unless they’re the originator of whatever you’ve read elsewhere.

I can however tell you that I see lots of people in various fora complaining about ‘problems’ with all sorts of machines, electronics, hardware devices and so on that are user error at the end of the day.

So take the problems with fence alignment with a pinch of salt. 

I can attest to the condition and accuracy of my saw, purchased at the end of last year, and give first hand feedback that it’s as one would expect. 

A second saw purchased in January by my ‘discerning’ friend also arrived well adjusted out of the box.

The fences are adjustable.  The point being, even if it’s not user error on the part of whoever else you’ve read, it’s super simple to calibrate to your liking.

And respectfully as I can be on this, you should be prepared to do that if you need to, with ANY tablesaw.  So it’s a moot point in the real world.

You asked, I gave an honest answer from first hand experience. 

What some other unknown person says, I can’t say they’re right or wrong, or have the experience or not.  But mine is there to help inform your decision.

All the best.

 

[threesixright]

For some people its enough that it is FT, and thats all they need to bitch about it.

There is are no perfect tools. In the end, what counts, IMO is the way the vendor is dealing with issues.

At this price point FT would be slaughtered if all saw's being produced are inaccurate. Yes, that can happen. Then the question is how will FT solve it.

 

[ChuckS]

Snip.

I don't understand.
When there are positive and negative reviews regarding the same subject, it keeps making me doubt the precision of the cuts, and not knowing what to do.

Your concern is valid and genuine. After all, it's not a $200 cordless drill purchase.

New machines can go wrong for so many reasons that you should consider reviews with no negatives ads or promotions. Even the well-established and well-praised SawStop PCS can get a bad review once in a while because not every machine is handled by a faultless robot.

Whatever the machine, if the critical parts are user-adjustable, there is less worry because you have a choice to fix it. Woodworkers are equipped to learn and adjust things. That's one line of defence.

The next line of defence is the vendor. Deal with a reputable one which can help you. I am lucky to have a Lee Valley store here...I know they can help me with any FT or SawStop issues (none so far!).

I don't have a good impression of FT when it comes to repairs, but I trust LV and know that its customer service will look after me. So find a vendor with great customer service for your pricey purchases.

I'll pay top dollars if the above two conditions of sales are met. So far, it has worked out well for me for some 20 years.

 

[antoniomcs]

Nobody here can tell you why other people, somewhere on the internet, have had problems.  Not unless they’re the originator of whatever you’ve read elsewhere.

I can however tell you that I see lots of people in various fora complaining about ‘problems’ with all sorts of machines, electronics, hardware devices and so on that are user error at the end of the day.

So take the problems with fence alignment with a pinch of salt. 

I can attest to the condition and accuracy of my saw, purchased at the end of last year, and give first hand feedback that it’s as one would expect. 

A second saw purchased in January by my ‘discerning’ friend also arrived well adjusted out of the box.

The fences are adjustable.  The point being, even if it’s not user error on the part of whoever else you’ve read, it’s super simple to calibrate to your liking.

And respectfully as I can be on this, you should be prepared to do that if you need to, with ANY tablesaw.  So it’s a moot point in the real world.

You asked, I gave an honest answer from first hand experience. 

What some other unknown person says, I can’t say they’re right or wrong, or have the experience or not.  But mine is there to help inform your decision.

All the best.

Thank you for your testimony.
Knowing that it is possible to adjust any of the fences, if the cuts don't come out perfectly parallel or perpendicular, changes a lot in my decision.
I confess I didn't know it was possible to adjust the fences.
Thanks again.

I just don't understand why Festool didn't make t-slots on the table, to use the crosscut sled to be able to make more complex cuts.

 

[antoniomcs]

Snip.

I don't understand.
When there are positive and negative reviews regarding the same subject, it keeps making me doubt the precision of the cuts, and not knowing what to do.

Your concern is valid and genuine. After all, it's not a $200 cordless drill purchase.

New machines can go wrong for so many reasons that you should consider reviews with no negatives ads or promotions. Even the well-established and well-praised SawStop PCS can get a bad review once in a while because not every machine is handled by a faultless robot.

Whatever the machine, if the critical parts are user-adjustable, there is less worry because you have a choice to fix it. Woodworkers are equipped to learn and adjust things. That's one line of defence.

The next line of defence is the vendor. Deal with a reputable one which can help you. I am lucky to have a Lee Valley store here...I know they can help me with any FT or SawStop issues (none so far!).

I don't have a good impression of FT when it comes to repairs, but I trust LV and know that its customer service will look after me. So find a vendor with great customer service for your pricey purchases.

I'll pay top dollars if the above two conditions of sales are met. So far, it has worked out well for me for some 20 years.

True.
I hadn't thought about those points yet.

Do you think it would be better to buy from a physical shop with a reputation, rather than a reputable online shop?

So far I've been buying my Festool tools from reputable online shops, and I've never had any problems.
But I've never spent as much money as I might spend on the TKS-80.
Would it be better to buy it in a physical shop?
Will this saw give any kind of problems that would make it necessary to go to a physical shop?

The price difference is still considerable: if I buy it at Festool, it's about €600 more than if I buy it in an online shop.
Is it worth paying an extra €600 to have some sort of extra guarantee?

(note: online shops are dictum.de or mima.de, for example)

 

[ChuckS]

Reputable online shops are fine as long as they have in place reasonable policy and way of providing service or returns. If a big piece of equipment needs to be returned or serviced, you can drop it off in person at a physical store without prohibitive shipping cost unless it's borne by the merchant.

Many Festool users have had great experience buying online. So you may want to check with the potential online stores about servicing and return arrangements prior to making your big ticket purchase.

 

[antoniomcs]

My workshop space is relatively small... is it possible to disassemble it when not in use, and assemble it only when needed, without having to be tuning it every time it needs to be assembled?
Or at least disassemble the guide extension and the table extension?
I don't plan on using it very often, it will only be for very specific projects, and any space I can save is welcome

By the way, can anyone tell me how much space it takes up with all the accessories, more or less?

 

[fritter63]

Coming in way late to this.....

If the reasoning (excuse) for the CMS saw module to not be  purchased in the US was "safety"....

And the TKS-80 is a sawstop saw (very safe)....

What is the reason why the TKS-80 is NAUS?

Asking for a friend.....

 

[mino]

...
If the reasoning (excuse) for the CMS saw module to not be  purchased in the US was "safety"....
...

Eh. You, correctly, put "safety" in quotes.

There is the SAFETY as in the real meaning of the word. There pretty much all stuff Festool makes is to the point of being overly safe.

Then there is the "safety" as in safety regulations compliance.

These two things align at times, and are mutually exclusive at other times. To a point there are categories where no single tool design can be legal in Europe and US at the same time ... voltage notwithstanding.

Then there is the market.
There is the whole SawStop market which owned by TTS now and is WAY bigger than the Festool TS market could ever be.

IMO, Festool will leave the TS market to SawStop in the US.

So if anything will happen, it will be a SawStop-branded product and will not be an /exact/ clone of the TKS 80 either.