HK 55, Yes or No ?

[bdiemer]

Hi Fog! First off I'm not a carpenter. I'm an amature cabinet and furniture maker. This summer my son and I will be building a large deck for family use. I don't own a chop saw so the HK55 would be a God send.
    All my crosscuts are done on a table saw with a sled or an incra miter gauge with a stop. There are times my table saw is tied up with a dado or rip blade so it would be nice to have another quick cross cut option. I don't have the room for a chop saw. Does anyone use an HK55 in a small wood shop. Will the HK55 find work in my small shop or is it strictly a carpenter's tool??

 

[awil66]

Sounds like the ideal saw for you. You could get a regular circular saw, but where is the fun in that?

 

[Boone32]

I am a full time carpenter and find that my HKC 55 gets much more use in my shop as opposed to out on the job site.  I find myself reaching for it over my other cordless circulars and even my miter saw. Easy to use and comes with a small footprint.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I'm going to go against the grain on this one.  I think you might be better served with a miter saw.  I have the HKC, and it's a nice saw, but it really is a construction first, and general woodworking saw second.  I think you could get a fairly inexpensive miter saw, and have more funds to go towards your next Festool purchase.

 

[charley1968]

Hobbyist here, as well..i think the HK and its Mafell equivalent KSS 400 , are the most versatile saws in the whole wide world. It's not the saw for cabinet making but for small-scale construction well-nigh unbeatable. Haven't used my mitre-saw since i bought the KSS. That said: can't really use it for small stuff, obviously..

 

[charley1968]

Sorry, forget it. I didn't read your post correctly. My bad!

 

[hemlock]

Brice raises excellent points.  Given the constraints you list however (no room for chop saw) my answer to your question is yes.  The HK55 is a great saw.  I have a Bosch SCMS, old craftsman table saw and TS55/MFT/3 and I just bought an HK55 for some framing and decking work, and breaking down hardwoods for furniture. It's a nice tool and addition to my semi-hobbyist, semi "work" shop.  If you pull the trigger, give some thought to size of FSK rail for what u need though.  The 250 is smaller and easier to maneuver if you are working with smaller (