PRECISIO CS 50

[robotics]

Hello , this is my first post. Having already caught the festool addiction with the TS55, MFT 800, CTL 22(with handle/hose storage), OF 1400, RO150, GECKO DOSH-Set and the C12 with the depth stop, eccentric and angle attachments , I wanted to know if anybody has got a CS 50 trimming saw or ever used one ?
Thanks Steve 

 

[billybokay]

Not available here in the US

 

[Matthew Schenker]

robotics,
Welcome to the Forum!

As Steve said, the Precisio is not available in the US.  It looks like you are located in the UK though, so you are fortunate enough to have access to this tool.  Those of us across the Big Pond can only read about it from you and others!

Hopefully, someone can post more about this tool.

Matthew Schenker

 

[richard.selwyn]

Well I don't have the Precisio - I have the Basis (now CMS I think) table with the 55 saw insert.  It's not quite as good as the Precisio I imagine, but is more versatile as you can fit in a jig saw, router etc.  It gives the same sliding saw facility and is really very useful on site as it has fold up legs like the MFT and isn't too heavy.  Hooked up with a double hose to a Festool vac it does a pretty clean job.  I take a look at both before taking the "plunge"

 

[Forrest Anderson]

I wanted to know if anybody has got a CS 50 trimming saw or ever used one ?

Because of the limited availability of the Precisio series of saws, you may not get many replies here. I have asked about it before, but didn't get any feedback.

Before the Festool Owners Group adopted this current format, it existed as a Yahoo Group amd you should be able to find some comments about it by searching for the terms CS50, CS-50, CS70, CS-70 and Precisio.

Since the CS50 is available in Australia, you might want to browse through the archives of the Ubeut Woodwork Forum, as they have a special Festool Section 

Personally, I'd love a Precisio, as it is well-made, accurate, and extremely portable and quick to set up. For example, the legs fold up and the side tables can be quickly and accurately attached without the need for tools.

I don't know where you are located in the UK, but you may be able to find a local dealer who has one on display, or will even demonstrate it for you. The demonstration I saw at the woodworking show was laid on by Webster Power Tools of Wishaw and the people I spoke to on the stand seemed to be very knowledgable about their products.

Miles Tool & Machinery Centre of Yeovil have a large range of Festool kit, and have a large spare parts operation.

Healys of St Albans also stock the saw and are well regarded.

Forrest

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Before the Festool Owners Group adopted this current format, it existed as a Yahoo Group amd you should be able to find some comments about it by searching for the terms CS50, CS-50, CS70, CS-70 and Precisio.

Forrest, I just scanned back through the old group's discussions, and there are in fact a lot of interesting points raised there on the Precisio saws (among many other things).

I urge members who posted in the old Yahoo forum on this and other subjects to please copy some of your posts into the new forum.  I could copy/paste the text myself, but that would make it seem as though the discussions were originated by me.

Matthew

 

[Earnest]

Sorry for the late reply, I have lurked the forum on and off and must have missed this post. I have a CS-50 with all the bells and whistles. It certainly does everything it says on the box. It does have it's limitations though, the 50 mm max depth of cut can be vexing, the blades are expensive, etc etc. But really, if you need more mobility than a set of castors on a traditional tablesaw provides; it is great.

 

[martingchapman]

Robotics,
I have recently purchase a CMS with a TS75 saw and can thoroughly recommend it.
The complete kit is a leg (base) module (complete with NVR switch), the saw carrier (there is one for the TS55 and a different one for the TS75, but the only difference appears to be the riving knife and saw guard), a sliding table and a rip fence/cross cut unit combined.
You can also get a router module (which I have), a jig saw module and a belt sander module, all of which fit in the base.
To swap modules you simply release two catches and lift the module out.
The legs/saw module/sliding table and rip-crosscut fence combination make a very competent table saw replacement in a very small space (my workshop is only about 6m x 2m). The legs fold up so it can be used free standing or on a bench, and it will easily fit in a car boot. In addition with the other modules it can replace a router table, band saw (jig saw module) and belt sander.
You can crosscut over 600mm very accurately. The rip capacity is a little limited at around about 250mm  however this is ample for ripping normal timber. There is an extension table and dedicated rip fence available which extends this capacity to around 600mm but of course it then takes up more floor space. If I need to rip any sheet goods wider than 250mm I use the TS75 hand held with a guide rail (much easier and safer than on a table saw).
Depth of cut is of course related to whether you have a TS75 (70mm) or TS55 (50mm).
Fitting the saw in and out of the table is slightly involved, you have to remove the riving knife, and fit the splitter and guard (one allen key), fit the table height adjuster (one allen key) then mount the saw in the table and secure it using two captive knobs, however it does not take more than about 5 mins and always goes back into the same place so the rip scales stay aligned.
Overall I am very pleased with all aspects of the CMS.
In the UK Festool offer a bundle of the TS55 EBQ Plus Saw plus CMS legs/saw module/sliding table/rip-crosscut fence combination at a special promotional price. If you buy the individual items separately it would cost about ?200 more than the bundle so if you already have the TS55 it could work out quite expensive.
I purchased my kit from Jaycee Tools in Watford, London they run the Festool Fanatics web site and are well worth talking to (Google - Festool Fanatics) give them a call and speak to Andrew Chapman (no relation) he knows Festool kit inside out and is willing to negotiate.

Hope this helps - Martin.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Martin, some pictures would be great.

 

[martingchapman]

Brice,
I will see what I can come up with - Martin.

 

[johnrichardson]

Hi All I just  purchased cs 50 this week its  very good so far.. still cant write too much as i m no good at this software and it keeps deleting pics or they  too big wrong format etc heres a pic as a tester

 

[johnrichardson]

wow it  posted ;D and the pic too!

Ill try upload another...I bought this saw on weds last week. This  saw is very smooth, accurate and very quiet- much less noise than ts55..

Dust extraction is superb,dust is collected from above blade and below too.
The quality of the cut is excellent.

Below some more pix of  cs50 set , which includes rear extension table    extension table right side which increases the ripping capacity to approx 570mm , sliding table on left with angle stop.

I have been using the Mft3 with ts 55 but this setup is much smoother and quieter.

It took a while to set up the table it needs adjusting for square /flatness which is done using Allen keys provided and the usual- shame
skimpy Festool Manual   please,please Festool write a comprehensive and informative guide before you  translate it into 25 languages..
Manual   C-       could do better..     same applies for every  festool I have bought so far..

Any way back to the saw.. which is superbly manufactured and 17 kg just the  basic weight without legs..you will need to do two trips to van to get  all the bits and pieces in, all in weight about 40kg

The saw can be used with the blade in a fixed position as traditional table saw or can be used in pull saw mode which means
the spinning blade can be pulled forward through the workpiece, something like an upside down sliding mitre saw- travel about 300mm.

Bottom pic shows controls for executing this pull through action- a kind of golf club shaped handle with green buttons for on/ off  , hold  ,  Red button for Off and small green thumb wheel for  blade speed. Very well thought out.
useful for crosscutting floorboards/battening/trimming...

The parallel fence with the side table extension means you can rip up to about 570mm width panels.
It also has a useful micro adjustable feature so you can move the fence to a precise point.

The sliding table is very smooth and comes with an angle stop which is the same as the one supplied with the mft3 .
This means you can cross cut wide pieces safely.
The angle stop can be positioned at many positions around the table set up.
The centre table also has grooves cut into it to accept festool clamps  so workpieces can be safely held in position.

The saw blade cuts lovely precise smooth  cuts on both sides and uses a splinterguard system as Ts saws only difference is you need to
cut a separate splinterguard for bevel cuts and change splinterguards when reverting to upright/vertical cuts easy enough though due to usual festool toolless system

I'm  not sure if the Mft will join onto the precisio as the CMS does,  Ill have to try it once i get my Mft3 off site. It seems to be about the same height 900m ish ....

I cant seem to find any video on you tube with this saw so  Ill post one when I get a bit of practice with the new saw.

I think it will take me a while to explore all the possibilities of this machine.
I have just noticed the side table can be attached on the left side too...
mmm this is another Pukka and versatile tool from Festool !!

Click on images below to enlarge.

Greetings from London!!
 
Update
Below added a few more pics with the cs50 and mft as a feed off table same height. Doesnt seem festool do  a set of connector pieces though?

Having used the the Cs for a few days I wouldnt recommend it for breaking down large  sheet material eg 4x8ft mdf /ply ( cumbersome and heavy to weild!) and I fear it  might tip over the whole table.. Better to use the ts55/75 to break the  sheet into more manageable pieces on mft. The cs then  excells in trimming them to finished sizes. The angle attachment fence ( same as supplied with mft but short 300mm ish mitred ends fence )  seems to cut  very nice mitres,  attached  a quick  example made from a scrap of cherry.

The cutout seems to work when the blade becomes trapped ie turning it on when engaged with incorrect splinterguard, or when a workpiece
is touching the blade before the the blade has  commenced spinning. The power is cutoff straightaway it takes about 30 secs to reset and then you can continue. I havent used it to rip  a large  quantity of long thick stock yet so I have yet to see it overheat.
There is a riving knife which retracts with the saw blade and can be raised a notch so the blade guard knob doesnt catch on the workpiece
on its way through.

All in all very satisfied with this mini table saw  

 

[Forrest Anderson]

Hi All I just  purchased cs 50 this week its  very good so far.. still cant write too much as i m no good at this software and it keeps deleting pics or they  too big wrong format etc heres a pic as a tester

Congratulations on getting your CS50 - the complete set too! Not many FOG members have one as it's not available in North America (NAINA). I fell in love with the sliding table when I saw it at a trade show - it was so smooth.

If you find that the saw doesn't return to the rear under its own accord, check for friction between the removable green splinter guard and the removable aluminium insert plate.

Also remember that the sliding table can be adjusted in height so that the clearance between the bottom of the mitre fence and the table can be changed.

One past criticism of the CS50 is that the thermal protection on the motor it is very sensitive and it can refuse to start if it thinks the motor is too hot. Machines with this problem can take several minutes to cool down enough for them to start again, and the temptation is therefore to leave it running between cuts which isn't very safe. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with ripping a lot of thick stock - it could be that Festool have fixed the problem in current machines.

Forrest