Mafell Erika - own one or ever use one?

[Prizen]

A little known small table saw / push pull saw, the Mafell Erika 85. Even in Europe there isn't much info available on them.

Of course they're expensive, but perhaps they fill the gap between the standard job site saw and the nice but super expensive panel saws.

Anyone have one?

 

[Lincoln]

Fair bit of info over at the Mafell Users Forum.

 

[DeformedTree]

Not that small, looks small in pictures,  but look at the dimensions.

As you say, there is not much info out there. Forum doesn't have very much. There are some videos out there mainly by one guy using one.

 

[TinyShop]

Look again. Mafell recently produced a slew of videos on the updated Erika. Do a video search but only for the last year or last month and you'll find some more recent videos.

 

[Lincoln]

Yes, there are some good videos out there. Also, don't discount the German language ones, still worth watching if you're interested in an Erika.

 

[nclemmons]

[member=2726]Tom Gensmer[/member] on FOG has an Erika and is a frequent contributor here and on the Erika User Forum. 

He speaks very highly of the saw.  It is expensive - about $4200 starting before you add extensions and other options, but the videos do look compelling.  I don't know how well they would perform for cutting large sheet goods but for joinery, furniture, and trim, they have some great features.

 

[Svar]

These are the most through reviews of Erika 85 in existence:

 

[Prizen]

Thanks all. Interesting that there is no experience from the average Joe call isn't trying to sell or endorse a product

 

[Euclid]

If setting up a new, small workshop from scratch (and not for full-time, time-pressured professional work), do you think the Erika could sensibly take the place of both a small table saw and a sliding mitre saw?
(I can see there may be some inconveniences compared to having both items, but it's a very attractive machine.)

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

I’ve used the 85 many times as a chap who works for me owns one. I’ve also hankered after one myself for quite some time, and almost buying a few times, as recent as a week ago but, I was wrestling whether I wanted to pay the £3,000 plus for it.

They are a truly superb piece of kit, like most things Mafell. If used with in feed and out feed tables, you could negate the general need for a track saw, and mitre saw.
They’re built to such a tight tolerance for real accuracy. The motor is very powerful even with thick hardwoods.

The only niggles I hear are the price, the blade height doesn’t lock when in pull/push mode. Some say the depth alters after prolonged pull/push use but, I have to say, one time I spent a whole morning cutting this way, and the blade depth didn’t alter. The owner of the saw also said he’d not suffered this as of yet, and he’s owned the saw for two or three years.
There are also no mitre fence channels on the table top, so a sled can’t be used but, because it has pull/push, it’s not a big deal.
The latest model has a few little updates, including an LED light in the blade cover.
It’s a great saw, and if you can afford one, I’d recommend buying. It’s only a matter of time before I give in and buy one, or if my pal no longer lets me use his.

Great in a workshop, or mobile use.

 

[bertv]

Thanks all. Interesting that there is no experience from the average Joe call isn't trying to sell or endorse a product

The Erika’s have been around for decades. In their home market so many are in use that a tablesaw is often called ‘Erika’. As for its internet presence: considering it has been a staple tool before the advent of the world wide web, those early reviews and reports may have been done on paper and in forums (remember when you had to phone in to a bulletin board server — that kind of forum).

If I were to add a tablesaw to my shop (not very high on the shortlist) — I would consider an Erika for sure. It is in the same price range of the TKS80 Festool has announced, but has a proven track record.

EDIT: Just saw the first price listing for the TKS80 and it is cheaper than a comparable Erika. At least the basic kit is. So…

 

[Euclid]

Thank you for your comments, Bert and Jiggy; very interesting.

I’m still looking for a space for a 'non-home-based’ shop, but it won’t be large as I'm in London. The idea of something of that quality and accuracy, which can be folded and moved out of the way is appealing. I suppose the way to think of the high price is to compare it to the combined cost of a good table saw and a Kapex… then it’s slightly less frightening.

(My inclination is to spend more on nice, versatile kit rather than on renting a larger space!)

I can’t imagine cutting down from 8 x 4 sheets on the Erika, but I have TS55 for that. I hadn’t thought about of the lack of fence channels, but as you say it has other ways of working around that. (I have a very basic mitre saw with limited capacity and poor DC and no table saw.)

Quite an investment then (well, not really an investment at all in my case - just an expenditure!), but very tempting. If I take the plunge I will, of course, report back here…

(Trouble is, I have also been dreaming about a Bridge City Jointmaker Pro… My mother was quite a keen woodworker years ago and left me a few handtools and a little bit of money - I think she would have approved of buying the JMP more than ‘some fancy power tool’; I love the idea of it, but I don’t know if I’d have the projects do it justice.)

 

[Cheese]

Here's a series of 7 videos on the Erika.
https://www.timberwolftools.com/mafell-erika-85ec-pull-push-saw

 

[Michael Kellough]

To the “average Joe” the Erika works in a weird and unfamiliar way and it costs way more than an “regular tablesaw”. The people who buy an Erika generally aren’t the people who run to Facebook/Instagram/YouTube to gloat about the new kit.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

[member=5467]Bert Vanderveen[/member] Bear in mind though, the Festool TKS80 does have the SawStop tech and safety but, it is not a pull/push saw.
This is one of the features that has always drawn me to the Erika 85.

 

[jeh]

Thanks all. Interesting that there is no experience from the average Joe call isn't trying to sell or endorse a product

The Erika’s have been around for decades. In their home market so many are in use that a tablesaw is often called ‘Erika’. As for its internet presence: considering it has been a staple tool before the advent of the world wide web, those early reviews and reports may have been done on paper and in forums (remember when you had to phone in to a bulletin board server — that kind of forum).

If I were to add a tablesaw to my shop (not very high on the shortlist) — I would consider an Erika for sure. It is in the same price range of the TKS80 Festool has announced, but has a proven track record.

EDIT: Just saw the first price listing for the TKS80 and it is cheaper than a comparable Erika. At least the basic kit is. So…

Initial price might be, but I don't think it is after the accessories for either are purchased.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

[member=2726]Tom Gensmer[/member] on FOG has an Erika and is a frequent contributor here and on the Erika User Forum. 

He speaks very highly of the saw.  It is expensive - about $4200 starting before you add extensions and other options, but the videos do look compelling.  I don't know how well they would perform for cutting large sheet goods but for joinery, furniture, and trim, they have some great features.

I have a 120V Erika 70 and just adore it. It completely replaced my miter saw (I sold my Kapex to go towards the Erika) and portable table saw. Plenty of power for ripping, variable speed makes working with aluminum much nicer. VERY precise. I like that I can use it in its "stock" configuration as a compact cutting station, or I can expand the ripping width and add the sliding table. Saw folds up compactly and since it replaces a miter saw and table saw, it frees up space in the van and/or shop, and has a small footprint when working on-site.

With the table extensions, you can rip ~30". Depending on how you set up the sliding table, I think you can cross cut something like ~32".

Plenty of provisions for dust collection, including a passive cardboard box you can use in lieu of a dust extractor. I generally use the collection box when working on-site, as it does a good job of collecting most of the chips, it reduces the load on the electrical circuit (fewer blown breakers), and it frees up my dust extractor for other tasks.

When combined with the TSO TPG parallel guide system, the Erika is a very efficient tool for breaking down sheets, and it's quite fast to convert from a crosscutting platform to a ripping station.

Long term, I'm saving up for a KF-700 so the Erika can just live in the van, but in the mean time it performs shop work just fine.

At ~$4k, these saws are not inexpensive, but on the other hand if you add up the cost of a good miter saw, a good table saw, and all of the associated stands, fences, etc.... the price delta decreases, and the quality of the Erika speaks for itself.

As [member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] noted, most guys who buy Erikas are doing so to accomplish work, and are generally less interested in filming, editing, posting, and curating videos online.

 

[Luzzy]

I too have an Erika 70 but a European 240v that I use a simple transformer on. What Tom said! Mine stay predominantly in my shop but it is a dream to use any configuration. Expensive  but well worth it.

 

[simonh]

Decisions!

Erika 85 lots of praise for it's accuracy. Hard to find demo's of the machine. Or, the Festool CS70, part of the Festool system so things like the MW1000 extension table should hook up, or the Kapex wings for cross-cut... Don't know about comparable accuracy between the machines. Both are push/pull so possibly no need for a mitre saw. Track saw for larger sheet materials provides better results of bringing the tool to the workpiece.

TKS80 is marketed as a table saw on the UK site, no push-pull, probably envisaged in-conjunction with a mitre saw and a track saw for large stuff.

TKS80 has saw stop... but would be probably used in conjunction with other tools such as mitre saw / track saw which don't have any such technology.

So I guess the question is then whether a table saw is any more dangerous than a mitre saw for finger related accidents if you use things like push sticks and feather-boards / Jessem clear-cut stock guides (maybe a Microjig thingy if you use the table saw for joinery cuts rather than router table)... and use the hold down on the mitre saw or Fastcap 10 million dollar stick.

 

[AlexThePalex]

So I guess the question is then whether a table saw is any more dangerous than a mitre saw for finger related accidents

It is more dangerous, because you have to push the wood into the blade. That makes all the difference.