Help me spend 4k

[Wooden Skye]

When I started, I didn't know about festool, so I bought other tools and now wish I wouldn't have made some of those purchases.  What led me to festool was working with a portable table saw and struggling to manage sheet goods, and a few close calls because of this.  The other thing was when I got done with a project, I was blowing dust out my nose for days, started to think this was going to be bad thing.  I have a Ridgid Portable table saw, and I do enjoy using still, but more for ripping boards, like a 1x4, 2x6, etc.  My first Festool was the TS55 and 2 55" guide rails.  I used with a shop vac for awhile but I would forget to turn on.  So I then bought an MFT/3 and CT26, but not as a package (big mistake) Domino, RO90, ETS 150/3, CXS and OF1400. Like you I have limited space.

If I had to do it over, this is the order I would go

TS 55
MFT/3
CT 26 (as a combo package)
CXS (I find I use more than my Makita, would buy C series drill if didn't have Makita)
OF1400
ETS 150/3
RO 90
Domino

 

[wh500special]

I don’t own a Domino, but I do lust for one. I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

I do have a Kapex and like just about everything about it.  For me, the feature that was worth the premium price was the dust collection since I work in my basement.  Everything else was secondary.

If it wasnt for the DC, I might have chosen a different saw.  But I have zero regrets about this one.  My point is, it’s not a game changer to me and if it blows the budget there are other alternatives.  Perhaps if my skill level were higher, I’d better utilize its other superior features to fully realize where it sits on the SCMS spectrum.

I know you’re not crazy about the idea of a used table saw, but here’s another idea that you can take for what it’s worth:  A used Shopsmith.

Yes, a Shopsmith.

The professional woodworkers reading this are laughing right now, but for a hobbyist these things work very nicely.

If you get one that’s reasonably new and has the more modern table (known as a 510 or 520) they are a pretty good machine.  Not nearly as precise as a Powermatic of course, but if you’re fussy about your setups you will get great results and have ample power despite being “only” 1.125 hp.  And, they offer other functions beside the table saw for drilling, turning, etc.  The 12” planer is an awesome planer.

I bought a nice $500 model 510 that included a bandsaw and jointer since I wanted an entry level lathe and nice drill press.  I already have a tablesaw and a complement of Festool stuff, but  I’ve been surprised to find that I use the sucker on every single project for one task or another since it is just so handy and versatile…and changeovers are fast from one setup to another. 

I repeat, changeover is easy and fast so that’s not the inconvenience many assume it to be, especially if the machine plays assistant to your Festool stuff.  If you buy generic 2.25” dust collection hoses from Rockler, Woodcraft, or Shopsmith, you’ll be able to unite your CT/dust deputy with the SS without any additional adapters.  And resale is easy since there is a band of guys who swear by these things, collect them, restore them, etc.

Again, a Shopsmith isn’t exactly a parallel to an Incra-equipped Powermatic or Unisaw, but they are pretty nice machines and are highly updatable.  I think the Incra fence is still available for them as well, as are the riving knife, a wide range of blades, and other versatile accessories.  The current design has been on the market since 1954 or so, but still works well and Shopsmith still supports  them quite well with parts, accessories, tooling, and such.  When you move, you can dump the base unit and keep whatever accessories you think might be hard to replace.  Finding another used base unit is pretty darn easy.

Just a thought.

I love spending other people’s money!

 

[skids]

I don’t own a Domino, but I do lust for one. I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

I do have a Kapex and like just about everything about it.  For me, the feature that was worth the premium price was the dust collection since I work in my basement.  Everything else was secondary.

If it wasn’t for the DC, I might have chosen a different saw.  But I have zero regrets about this one.  My point is, it’s not a game changer to me and if it blows the budget there are other alternatives.  Perhaps if my skill level were higher, I’d better utilize its other superior features to fully realize where it sits on the SCMS spectrum.

Let's not forget lasers on both sides of the blade, included angle finder that works WITH the lasers, soft start, lighter than ANY other saw on the market, smaller footprint, and a blade you don't have to throw out when take it out of the box..And as you mentioned, and I consider the icing on the cake, dust collection. Oh, and I did mention the bevel function? It's on an island of it's own in a sea of saws with crappy bevel settings. To me, this is the greatest part of the Kapex, where it REALLY shines and changes the game.

When I think game changer I think of it two ways. How it changes your workflow, or where the tool fits in the market place of SCMS. In this case, the overall SCMS market presents ZERO alternatives that offer all of what the Kapex does. Quite frankly I wish there was then the Kapex would have some competition. In terms of how it changes the game for someone on a personal level, thats a whole different conversation. In the end, only the buyer can decide if it's worth it. In terms of what other manfacturers offer for SCMS, the Kapex has no alternative IMO.

To the OP, I would urge you to use a Kapex..Not at the store with one cut, I mean take it home and do a job with it, then see if you can go back and use a Bosch or Dewalt. It's not until I jump on my old saw, or a friends I realize how much I love the Kapex and how truly EXECELLENT it is.

 

[Jmaichel]

I don’t own a Domino, but I do lust for one. I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

I do have a Kapex and like just about everything about it.  For me, the feature that was worth the premium price was the dust collection since I work in my basement.  Everything else was secondary.

If it wasn’t for the DC, I might have chosen a different saw.  But I have zero regrets about this one.  My point is, it’s not a game changer to me and if it blows the budget there are other alternatives.  Perhaps if my skill level were higher, I’d better utilize its other superior features to fully realize where it sits on the SCMS spectrum.

Let's not forget lasers on both sides of the blade, included angle finder that works WITH the lasers, soft start, lighter than ANY other saw on the market, smaller footprint, and a blade you don't have to throw out when take it out of the box..And as you mentioned, and I consider the icing on the cake, dust collection. Oh, and I did mention the bevel function? It's on an island of it's own in a sea of saws with crappy bevel settings. To me, this is the greatest part of the Kapex, where it REALLY shines and changes the game.

When I think game changer I think of it two ways. How it changes your workflow, or where the tool fits in the market place of SCMS. In this case, the overall SCMS market presents ZERO alternatives that offer all of what the Kapex does. Quite frankly I wish there was then the Kapex would have some competition. In terms of how it changes the game for someone on a personal level, thats a whole different conversation. In the end, only the buyer can decide if it's worth it. In terms of what other manfacturers offer for SCMS, the Kapex has no alternative IMO.

To the OP, I would urge you to use a Kapex..Not at the store with one cut, I mean take it home and do a job with it, then see if you can go back and use a Bosch or Dewalt. It's not until I jump on my old saw, or a friends I realize how much I love the Kapex and how truly EXECELLENT it is.

There is no doubt that the Kapex is in a class of its own when it comes CSMS, I just don't think it needs to be that high on my tool list. I would get table saw before I got a Kapex.

 

[semenza]

Welcome to the FOG , R. Beverly  [smile]

Great way to start  [thumbs up]

Seth

 

[Jmaichel]

Was just at my festool dealer having a hard time sort through all of this. Took a very hard look at a saw stop CNS but had to go eat lunch to ponder everything before I decide

 

[Timtool]

I also don't think the Kapex is a crucial tool, it's "just" a very good miter saw, but you can't tell the difference between a workpiece cut on it, and one cut on a cheaper brand.

Heres my list in order of importance based on your info:

1- CT midi-mini: for a non professional anything bigger is luxury
2- TS55: theres no portable alternative for this
3- Of1010 router: because it's the cheapest and it's a little gem. And 1010 watts isn't actually weak.
4- domino 500 set: again no portable alternative for this
5- ETS 150/5: if i only got to keep one, this would be it
6- Trion/carvex jigsaw, because you need a jigsaw!
7- T15 drill, because you need a drill!

 

[Jmaichel]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

 

[semenza]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

You will be in good shape with that list. The TS75 won't have any trouble ripping hard wood for face frames edgeing or what ever else.  Which ETS didi you get /3 or /5?

Seth

 

[Jmaichel]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

You will be in good shape with that list. The TS75 won't have any trouble ripping hard wood for face frames edgeing or what ever else.  Which ETS didi you get /3 or /5?

Seth

/3

 

[Guilliaume woodworks]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

very nice...I'm sure your in garage checking out your tools right now...great purchase. I'm curious to hear what your opinion is on domino, try it get familiar with it & please post  if you think it's a game changer or not.

 

[Jmaichel]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

very nice...I'm sure your in garage checking out your tools right now...great purchase. I'm curious to hear what your opinion is on domino, try it get familiar with it & please post  if you think it's a game changer or not.

I will let you know, hopefully it is a game changer! I almost got a Sawstop CNS instead of a domino but I knew I could not have both the Domino and CNS, so I went with the domino.

James

 

[Gneyenhuis]

I got a Domino DF 500 for Christmas! It's still Christmas! Christmas didn't even last this long when I drank alcohol!
Gary

 

[skids]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

very nice...I'm sure your in garage checking out your tools right now...great purchase. I'm curious to hear what your opinion is on domino, try it get familiar with it & please post  if you think it's a game changer or not.

I will let you know, hopefully it is a game changer! I almost got a Sawstop CNS instead of a domino but I knew I could not have both the Domino and CNS, so I went with the domino.

James

Congrats! Enjoy!

 

[CharlesWilson]

I sure hope you have some money left to buy materials. Might I suggest some Honduras Mahogany, if you can find it..

Enjoy!

 

[rdesigns]

Well this is what I ended up with:
CT 26
DF 500
Domino assortment sys
ETS 150
CXS

Tomorrow I am picking up a TS 75 and OF 1400

Thanks for everyone for your help
James

You won't be sorry--that's a good selection.
The next thing ought to be an MFT/3--you won't believe how much more useful all your other tools become when they're used along with it.

 

[matalin]

This is a great topic, very helpful for someone in a similar situation.

interesting final purchases, the one I struggle with the most right now is KAPEX and DOMINO XL or D 500. Having less than 4k to spend I'm trying to do similar..

So far I went:

CXS set (new, 184 pounds/US$280)
C15 Set (used, excelent condition, 110 pound/US$169!!!)

items I want next:
CTL26 trying to find a great used deal
TS55 or TS55R
OF1010/OF1400 used, good deal
ro150 used, good deal

Then it gets tricky..

deciding between kapex/domino xl/domino 500 if I can even afford them..

the DOM XL would be a budget breaker, and is probably the one I've been thinking of the most - about to start a complete interior build/fitout from scratch and keep thinking about building all the doors, furniture, more etc.

I have an inkling the d500 might not be enough for what I have in mind..

Any further help in the same spirit as this great discussion would be awesome!

Matalin

 

[hhh]

All these folks get close to $4K, but I have a suggestion for that exact amount...  Now if I give you a mailing address....

 

[RC]

Matalin, I would definitely move the CT-vac up as a must have purchase regardless which of the dust generating tools you decide to buy next. For example you are not supposed to even use a Domino without active DC - it will just get blocked and pretty much same goes for the routers. 

Don't know are you already set with a work table, but if not and you are planning on doing a renovation moving from room to room, I would have a hard look at getting an MFT/3 to go with you when move to the next space.

With regards to the Dominoes I have the 500 model and its the more versatile one of the two. You can stack the dominoes for added glue surface if needed and HalfInchShy has a series of videos on Youtube on how to make your own wider dominoes with a 500 for larger projects (done before the XL was announced, I think).

I pondered between the XL and my 500 for a while and I'm happy that I chose the 500 since the amount of doors/gates that I'll be doing with this are still going to be less frequent than smaller joinery tasks around building garden furniture and later book cases. For those applications the XL doesn't currently go small enough (cough, aftermarket small blades anyone, cough [tongue] [tongue])

I built a storage box out with a 2x4 frame last summer with my domino and it seems to be holding together well enough out in the rain, sleet and snow at the moment and all I did was plunge two 10x50 dominoes in each 2x4 joint with some TB III glue.

I'm also sure that a Kapex would be more than nice, but in all honesty I'm still very happy with my current Bosch GCM10s in all other regards but weight. Its price is right at about 1/3 of a Kapex and the build quality of it is solid. I have it attached to the Bosch GTA3800 stand and its a breeze to use and move about. Just as an idea of saving a few bob somewhere... [wink]

Someone here posted a while back a cheap mod to one of these (or was is a yellow one, can't remember) where they had ordered the Kapex rubber dust catcher sleeve from ekat and installed in on another makes saw to make vac assisted DC on it a lot better than default for like £20.

 

[semenza]

Matalin,

The Domino 500 should be able to build what you want. If need be tenons can be doubled up in various ways.  But if you get the XL it will not be able to do the smaller things and many assemblies that are associated with furniture. 

Seth