My disappointments with my new TS 55 tracksaw

[jeh]

I bought the TS 55 sight unseen based on the many positive things I have heard about it. And it has some good points, for sure.

But I have two fairly substantial complaints.

1 - The plug-it cord is heavier and has a different attachment profile (not sure what to call it) than the other plug-it cords I have gotten with other Festool tools. Okay, understandable for a tool that draws more power, but one of the selling points for me was that I could use one cord, keep it with my dust extractor, and then just attach it to whatever Festool tool I end up using--sander, domino, and now TS 55. And when one dies, I would have a bunch of others waiting in the wings. Not so much any more.

Ye, I can use this cord with my other tools, but none of the other plug-it cords I have will work with the TS 55. So when this cord dies, I can't just pull out another plug-it cord from my collection.

2 - This  might be even worse. The attachment point on the saw is very awkward to get at. Getting a quarter turn on the plug-it cord takes multiple, uncomfortable motions.  My hand is impeded by the very tight space and I can only turn the cord a tiny bit at a time. Yeah, I have aged a bit over the years, but there are a ton of things that I do on a regular basis that require strength, hand grip, etc. and I have no problem. This seems like a ridiculous design choice. I have another Festol tool that also has a somewhat awkward location for the plug-it attachment, but nothing like this.

Dang, am I really getting that feeble, or have any of you experienced this?

So I guess I am starting to see the validity of various critiques that I have read in the past year. The tools are expensive and are sold as being well designed and expertly manufactured. Issues such as these seem like unforced errors.

After having issues with my Makita track saw and rails, I pretty much feel like this was the way to go, but these issues put a serious dent in my appreciation of the Festool system.

Sorry for venting.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of the Festool track saws except for the cords which suck, but this is true of all of their cords. Though fixed Mafell tools power cords are vastly better with no memory. When I switched to the Mafell tracksaw I thought not having a cord that could be disconnected would be an issue, but it is not. Just get splitter for your vacuum and you only have to move the hose.

Your other complaint is just the nature of having a plug-it. There are lots of inputs on the design of any tool and some tradeoffs are due to space or manufacturing costs. Nothing is arbitrary.

The Festool is a great saw. Just use it.

 

[ChuckM]

After reading all these comments, I know I made the right decision not to have too many Festool machines!!!  [tongue]

I use the same cord for my DF500 and Pro 5 sanders. My CT15 and Kapex their own fixed cords.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I hesitate to add that my older Festool tracksaw (and Rotex 150) does(do) not have removable cords.   So I have to do the wrappy-wrap when they go back into their respective Systainers. I otherwise do not keep cords "with" the tools and have an old, repurposed Classic Systainer sitting up high with all the "extra" cords coiled individually inside.