New Festool HKC 55 regular circular saw

[Deansocial]

Yep I've being using the mafell kss saws for 3 years and when it has come to roofs and floors it has being one of those tools I wish I'd discovered a lot sooner. When doing the likes of a roof once you know the pitch the angle can easily be set adjust then reset. It is far easier to take a kss or the new festool system up a scaffold than to take a chopsaw and stand up to to top of the scaffold and set it up. Plus once you've cut the rafters. You can then take the saw off the cross cut track. Then use the saw with the tracks to cut sheets for the roof. Which certainly can't be done with a chop saw

I see the uses for a roof but i would never use a chop saw for roofs anyway

 

[muski]

I am thinking about purchasing a Forrest Ply Veneer Worker blade for my HKC 55. It's 160mm with a 20mm bore and 60 teeth. It's advertised as being a blade for a Festool Plunge Cut saw (ie. TS 55).

The HKC 55 manual says that the max blade thickness is 2.2mm (same blades as TS). This Forrest blade is 3/32" or 2.3813mm. Would anyone expect this extra 0.1813mm to damage the HKC 55? Does anyone have experience putting non-Festool blades on the HKC 55?

(I would expect it would take a tiny bit more out of the splinterguard, but that's ok for me).

Cheers,
muski
http://www.sliversmill.com/product_...eer_Worker_for_Festool_PlungeCut_Saw_20m.html

 

[Jamestoolie]

I am thinking about purchasing a Forrest Ply Veneer Worker blade for my HKC 55. It's 160mm with a 20mm bore and 60 teeth. It's advertised as being a blade for a Festool Plunge Cut saw (ie. TS 55).

The HKC 55 manual says that the max blade thickness is 2.2mm (same blades as TS). This Forrest blade is 3/32" or 2.3813mm. Would anyone expect this extra 0.1813mm to damage the HKC 55? Does anyone have experience putting non-Festool blades on the HKC 55?

(I would expect it would take a tiny bit more out of the splinterguard, but that's ok for me).

Cheers,
muski
http://www.sliversmill.com/product_...eer_Worker_for_Festool_PlungeCut_Saw_20m.html

I am thinking along the lines of saw performance considerations as apposed to will the blade fit.  The stock blade is an 1.8 kerf 18T blade.  I use the fine cut 32T blade which works for me as I am cutting porch and house trim 1 by pine.  A wider kerf and more teeth will probably impact run time and work flow. 

 

[muski]

Thanks. If it just affects battery life, I can live with that.

 

[Jamestoolie]

I can't speak to what long term impacts the the wider kerf Forrest blade will have on the saw.  Use at your own risk so to speak. 

 

[muski]

I can't speak to what long term impacts the the wider kerf Forrest blade will have on the saw.  Use at your own risk so to speak.

Of course. The Forrest PVW blade arrived yesterday. It fits fine and cuts beautifully. Despite the extra weight and rotational inertia, it doesn't feel like it's putting any extra strain on the motor. While the 18T blade that comes with the HKC 55 does a nice job, the 60T Forrest is a cut above, so to speak. See this example belowFestool bottom, Forrest on top.
[attachimg=1]

 

[Holmz]

I can't speak to what long term impacts the the wider kerf Forrest blade will have on the saw.  Use at your own risk so to speak.

Of course. The Forrest PVW blade arrived yesterday. It fits fine and cuts beautifully. Despite the extra weight and rotational inertia, it doesn't feel like it's putting any extra strain on the motor. While the 18T blade that comes with the HKC 55 does a nice job, the 60T Forrest is a cut above, so to speak. See this example below—Festool bottom, Forrest on top.
[attachimg=1]

One looks better than the other.

 

[bmikiten]

Here are a few shots of my HKC-55. I imported it to Texas from Italy and simply purchased another charger for US use. I really like the track system, rarely use a plunge cut and felt like the need for a powerful and portable solution to my cutting needs fit right into the HKC-55 design's capabilities. The saw is light enough to be used on a regular basis and yet has enough power to produce reliable cuts without the need to constantly change batteries. The track system is SUPER easy to use and the locking/indexing on both the saw and the track make it able to produce reliable cuts even in harder woods. No issues with stability on the rail or vacuum efficiency. I like it!

Brian

 

[muski]

I imported it to Texas from Italy and simply purchased another charger for US use.

I did the same. I bought my HKC 55 and FSK 250 track from Amazon.co.uk.  Super easy, and it uses all the same login and payment info from Amazon US. Just be sure to pick Amazon as the seller as not all merchants ship to the US.

Amazon UK had the Basic model available, so I bought batteries, a US charger, an FS 1400 track and the dust collection bag from a US site.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I imported it to Texas from Italy and simply purchased another charger for US use.

I did the same. I bought my HKC 55 and FSK 250 track from Amazon.co.uk.  Super easy, and it uses all the same login and payment info from Amazon US. Just be sure to pick Amazon as the seller as not all merchants ship to the US.

Amazon UK had the Basic model available, so I bought batteries, a US charger, an FS 1400 track and the dust collection bag from a US site.

Can I ask what the shipping was?

 

[muski]

Shipping was £40/$60 for the order of an HKC 55 Basic and the FSK250 rail. The saw was £236 and the rail was £96. So all in it was £372/$560. Not inexpensive, but not exorbitant relative to US pricing of the TSC 55.

 

[I0NZEU5]

Does Festool make their saws/accessories interchangeable? I'm wondering about the use of the this saw on the rail system that is used with the TSC & vice/versa.
Thanks, I'm totally new to all this by the way.

 

[muski]

The Festool track for the TSC 55 works with the HKC 55. (I bought the an FS1400/ 55" inch rail to use with the HKC 55 and it works great). However, the crosscutting guide for the HKC 55 does NOT work with the TSC 55.

And the 2.2mm thick blades for the TSC 55 work on the HKC 55. But the 1.8mm blades from the HKC 55 don't work on the TSC 55 (the TSC 55 riving knife is thicker).

Make sense?

muski

 

[I0NZEU5]

The Festool track for the TSC 55 works with the HKC 55. (I bought the an FS1400/ 55" inch rail to use with the HKC 55 and it works great). However, the crosscutting guide for the HKC 55 does NOT work with the TSC 55.

And the 2.2mm thick blades for the TSC 55 work on the HKC 55. But the 1.8mm blades from the HKC 55 don't work on the TSC 55 (the TSC 55 riving knife is thicker).

Make sense?

muski

Yes. Perfect sense. Thank you. Perhaps off topic; as a newbie to woodworking is there a resource I could look at that might explain which saw would better fit my needs? (or which saw is more appropriate for which type of use).

At the moment my projects include re-doing my kitchen cabinets, building a wood palette wall for my bedroom, building custom sized bookshelves & comic boxes. Sorry if this is the wrong thread for such a question. I will post my question as a new topic if necessary.
Thank you!

 

[Holmz]

@Ion

...
...Perhaps off topic; as a newbie to woodworking is there a resource I could look at that might explain which saw would better fit my needs? (or which saw is more appropriate for which type of use).

At the moment my projects include re-doing my kitchen cabinets, building a wood palette wall for my bedroom, building custom sized bookshelves & comic boxes. Sorry if this is the wrong thread for such a question. I will post my question as a new topic if necessary.
Thank you!

Probably a Ts55, but which country do you live in?

 

[I0NZEU5]

@Ion

...
...Perhaps off topic; as a newbie to woodworking is there a resource I could look at that might explain which saw would better fit my needs? (or which saw is more appropriate for which type of use).

At the moment my projects include re-doing my kitchen cabinets, building a wood palette wall for my bedroom, building custom sized bookshelves & comic boxes. Sorry if this is the wrong thread for such a question. I will post my question as a new topic if necessary.
Thank you!

Probably a Ts55, but which country do you live in?

I'm in the U.S. I know the HKC isn't available here yet but I saw that people had been importing it. Anyway, I just want to try to get the more appropriate tool for my projects especially seeing as the cost is substantial.

 

[cpap]

I imported it to Texas from Italy and simply purchased another charger for US use.

I did the same. I bought my HKC 55 and FSK 250 track from Amazon.co.uk.  Super easy, and it uses all the same login and payment info from Amazon US. Just be sure to pick Amazon as the seller as not all merchants ship to the US.

Amazon UK had the Basic model available, so I bought batteries, a US charger, an FS 1400 track and the dust collection bag from a US site.

Thanks for the Amazon tips. Doesn't seem to be available in the us now. Just tried to purchase. Hopefully it will be available soon!

 

[Staniam]

I imported it to Texas from Italy and simply purchased another charger for US use.

I did the same. I bought my HKC 55 and FSK 250 track from Amazon.co.uk.  Super easy, and it uses all the same login and payment info from Amazon US. Just be sure to pick Amazon as the seller as not all merchants ship to the US.

Amazon UK had the Basic model available, so I bought batteries, a US charger, an FS 1400 track and the dust collection bag from a US site.

Thanks for the Amazon tips. Doesn't seem to be available in the us now. Just tried to purchase. Hopefully it will be available soon!

Try choosing a different "offer". Since it was mentioned to use amazon.co.UK here I've purchased some Bosch items and have just gone to an item then chose a provider who shipped internationally.

 

[Holmz]

@Ion

...
...Perhaps off topic; as a newbie to woodworking is there a resource I could look at that might explain which saw would better fit my needs? (or which saw is more appropriate for which type of use).

At the moment my projects include re-doing my kitchen cabinets, building a wood palette wall for my bedroom, building custom sized bookshelves & comic boxes. Sorry if this is the wrong thread for such a question. I will post my question as a new topic if necessary.
Thank you!

Probably a Ts55, but which country do you live in?

I'm in the U.S. I know the HKC isn't available here yet but I saw that people had been importing it. Anyway, I just want to try to get the more appropriate tool for my projects especially seeing as the cost is substantial.

The Mafell version (which has been out a few years) makes the HKC look like it is on sale.

But I don't think it is the as useful for you given what you said you would be cutting... Hence the track/plunge saw.
The TruePosition puck light jig may be something that also works for those projects... Maybe start a new thread...

 

[I0NZEU5]

I read an article on Toolguyd about the HKC 55 that confused me. The article states:

"Unlike Festool’s other saws, this one(HKC 55) is not a plunge saw. Plunge cuts are made with the track, and won’t be as easily done"

Sorry for being such a newbie but how is the HKC's plunge-cut operation different from the TSC-55's?

I understand the HKC is not "normally used" as a plumge cut saw but in the videos I've seen I do not understand exactly how the 2 saws differ in terms of their abilities to make effective/safe plunge cuts etc.