New TSC 55 K saw and TPC 18 drill

[JEKL]

Amateur performance TPC 18/4

 

[Brian Livingstone]

Does anyone know when the new TS55 may be available in NA, specifically Canada ?  I bought a new TS55 two days ago.  The saw is obviously a joy to use, and can easily handle the work I use it for (cabinetry). 

Thank you.

Brian

 

[Coen]

Hmmm, looks like I will be keeping my older model saws. I don't have kickback problems. But the riving knife has done it's job helping prevent the kerf closing up so that I could keep cutting ( ripping solid wood) many times.

On the other hand I like that feature on the drill. That would be a great wrist saver with hole saws.

Seth

Same for me. No riving knife = no buy, sensor or no sensor.

 

[Cheese]

it's kinda funny, when I was shopping track saws, I nearly went Mafell, but went with Festool, in part because of the riving knife.  Now it looks like Festool is saying Mafell was right, so in some ways, the new saws are an advertisement for Mafell.

I've debated buying a newer TS55 and switching parts over to make one metric, but just see it as a waste just to solve the tilt lock issues.

Just purchase the Mafell and you can dispense with switching out parts to make it metric.  [smile]

I do like the thinner kerf blades for use on the Mafell, I just need to measure the kerf width versus the plate width to see how well they'll work with the splinter strip.

Also Interesting that Festool brought back the aluminum blade to the US. I now wonder why they originally took it off of the US market...maybe a couple of nervous and very vocal lawyers jumping the gun?

Also from the US website:

Can the TS 55 R and TSC 55 guide wedge be retrofitted so that the new saw blades (1.8 mm cutting width) can be used?

That is not possible for approval-related reasons.

 

[six-point socket II]

What I'm really curious about is what users transferring from the "old" TS/TSC to the new saws will think about the thinner blades and potential deflection issues, already known & voiced by some of the Mafell/Bosch users.

Otherwise, my TSC 55 is in great shape and working fantastic for me - no need to change.

But I might get the TPC for comparison's sake.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[DeformedTree]

I've debated buying a newer TS55 and switching parts over to make one metric, but just see it as a waste just to solve the tilt lock issues.

Just purchase the Mafell and you can dispense with switching out parts to make it metric.  [smile]

I regret going festool on the saw a good bit, but now I have it.  When/if it gets replaced some day, it will be the mafell.  I basically look elsewhere for stuff where the "americafication" of tools comes in.  So things like sanders are fine, but routers are the issue, as there isn't much to go to.  The other reason for the TS was getting the festool rails, for the LR32 stuff, but now I have a DDF40, so that no longer matters.  Of course Festool has 3meter rails, so that is a bonus there.  So either way, I'd still probably se the festool rails.

 

[Cheese]

Ya, the funny thing is I've had several kickbacks with the TS 55 & TSC 55 while being used on rails. Nothing severe, but definitely attention getters.  [smile]

I've yet to have a kickback with the Mafell. Was it because of the previous TS kickbacks that I became more careful when using the Mafell? Possibly.

When I first used the TS 55 maybe I was just more used to using a traditional circular saw and was using the TS in that manner? Probably.

On another note, this is from the Festool USA website.
https://www.festoolusa.com/campaigns/landing-page/circular-saw-blades#Performancefeatures

[attachimg=1]

 

[DynaGlide]

I've been happy with the TS55 for its intended purpose, mainly cabinetry. I was considering a TSC 55 and not sure if I should get the 2.2mm current gen when it inevitably gets discontinued and goes on sale. I do like the riving knife.

 

[DeformedTree]

tooth count changes to blades.  Will the blades cost less because of the reduction of 6 teeth  [tongue]

I'm kind surprised that if they aren't interchangeable, that they didn't change the arbor size or something like that.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Seems like it’s closing in for me to get a TS 55 F later this spring.
Thanks for the chart Cheese! - Now a TS 55 and my HKC can share blades - I suspected that they would, reading about the latest revision of the TS

Kinda strange that the TSC was the only receiving the sensor.
Any idea if this was to keep the compatibility towards the CMS module?
I’d like to think so... cause you exchange the riving knife when putting the TS 55 upside down into the module.

 

[DeformedTree]

Well, CMS is dead, so I doubt that was a factor.

Do the TS and TSC use the same motor?  I wonder if that came into play for the controls.

 

[Cheese]

Deformed...I tried to check out the prices of the new blades but they're not yet listed on Festool website, neither is the new saw.  [sad]

Dyna...if you like the riving knife, nothing preventing you from purchasing the older TSC when or if it goes on sale and then grinding the knife to the proper thickness. For me I've always cursed the riving knife when changing blades, it's always in the way. Consequently blade changes on the Festool saws were minimal for me and that also included the frequency of blade cleaning. The first thing I noticed with the Mafell was how quick blade changes were without the riving knife.  [smile]

However, I'm not so sure the old TSC saws will be closed out at fire sale pricing with this Covid thing. All tools are in short supply and slashing pricing is probably not in the immediate future unfortunately. [sad]

 

[JEKL]

Well, CMS is dead, so I doubt that was a factor.

Do the TS and TSC use the same motor?  I wonder if that came into play for the controls.

No, the TSC 55 has an EC-TEC brushless motor. TS 55 has a motor with brushes.

 

[DeformedTree]

Well, CMS is dead, so I doubt that was a factor.

Do the TS and TSC use the same motor?  I wonder if that came into play for the controls.

No, the TSC 55 has an EC-TEC brushless motor. TS 55 has a motor with brushes.

Which may be where the issue is, they might not be able to do the new system on a brushed motor, and redoing the TS55 to brushless motor was too much work for this minor revision.

 

[Coen]

Ya, the funny thing is I've had several kickbacks with the TS 55 & TSC 55 while being used on rails. Nothing severe, but definitely attention getters.  [smile]

I've yet to have a kickback with the Mafell. Was it because of the previous TS kickbacks that I became more careful when using the Mafell? Possibly.

When I first used the TS 55 maybe I was just more used to using a traditional circular saw and was using the TS in that manner? Probably.

On another note, this is from the Festool USA website.
https://www.festoolusa.com/campaigns/landing-page/circular-saw-blades#Performancefeatures

[attachimg=1]

The 496306 is wrongly named "TF48" in that table. The 496306 is TF52.

 

[JEKL]

Well, CMS is dead, so I doubt that was a factor.

Do the TS and TSC use the same motor?  I wonder if that came into play for the controls.

No, the TSC 55 has an EC-TEC brushless motor. TS 55 has a motor with brushes.

Which may be where the issue is, they might not be able to do the new system on a brushed motor, and redoing the TS55 to brushless motor was too much work for this minor revision.

Yes exactly. But in the future, every new machine was supposed to be with a brushless motor. We'll see ...

 

[FestitaMakool]

Well, CMS is dead, so I doubt that was a factor.

Do the TS and TSC use the same motor?  I wonder if that came into play for the controls.

I don’t think Festool would ignore that there’s a lot of CMS modules in use out there, those who have a module for their existing TS 55 I’m sure would be happy that their new one would be usable, not rendering the CMS useless. CMS are not forbidden to use, they were stopped by new regulations. Used correctly, they are as safe as a new portable table saw, if hooked correctly to a NVR switch provided with the CMS tables. Keeping compatibility is important to Festool. It even shows on the new drill. I’m sure this falls very good in favour of pro customer brand loyalty.

 

[Chainring]

Hello all,

New user, new Festool owner, and in the market for a track saw. I've been monitoring this thread since I'm looking at the TSC 55 and deciding between it and the newly announced TSC 55 K. Interestingly, the TSC 55 K kits were on the Festool US site yesterday and now they're gone. Seems the page may have been put up prematurely, at least for the US market.

TSC 55 KEBI-F-Plus-FS, 577008
https://www.festoolusa.com/products/sawing/track-saws/577008---tsc-55-kebi-plus-f-fs-us

 

[Paul_HKI]

I've been happy with the TS55 for its intended purpose, mainly cabinetry. I was considering a TSC 55 and not sure if I should get the 2.2mm current gen when it inevitably gets discontinued and goes on sale. I do like the riving knife.

I sold my 2016 TS55 REBQ and picked up a massively discounted TS55 REBQ-Plus-FS two weeks ago when I saw the price drop down to €499.  €50 to change, all new including the warranty.  Happy days.  That price has gone up by €100 here since the new model was released, and they're sold out.

Then I saw a few TSC 55 REBI-Plus-SCA up for just €599 the next day, so I jumped on that right away.  Airstream charger, 2 x 5.2Ah ASI batteries etc.  What a great deal.  The price today is back up to €849 and only one in stock.

The point is, unless there's an excess of stock sitting around somewhere, I wouldn't count on much clearance discounting going on.  Both the saws I've picked up this month were manufactured in the tail end of last year, November/December.  There doesn't appear to be a lot of inventory sitting around over here and from everything I've experienced trying to find some specific tools over the past 6 months, I think it's the same everywhere.

So if you want a TSC with the riving knife, I'd find one now or accept that you might not be able to get a new one for much longer, unless something moves in the supply/distribution chain. 

 

[Cheese]

There was some discussion on this thread about a mechanical riving knife vs an electronic riving knife, here's Mafell's response:

"These Mafell plunge cut saws essentially have an electronic riving knife—an auto-stop feature to protect the user when jammed.  Mafell wanted this feature to make plunge cuts easier, and they received special approval from their government to do so.  Most users agree this is an advantage over other track saws, some of which have had recall issues with their riving knife in the past."