Replacing my TS-55 REQ

[Nornagest]

Think I've burnt out my 11 year old track saw for the second time. Tired of this underpowered saw,  what should I replace it with so I can rip actual lumber and not have to sweat whether the saw will burn out or not?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!! 

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Assuming the blade diameter of the TS55 was enough for you, I would go with the TS60. That gets you a smaller, more powerful, brushless motor, and a thinner kerf at the same time. Just pick up a lower tooth count blade for ripping, since the one that comes with it is way too fine for that.

 

[sancho57]

check out mafell
https://www.timberwolftools.com/mafell-mt55-18m-bl-cordless-plunge-track-saw

 

[mino]

Think I've burnt out my 11 year old track saw for the second time. Tired of this underpowered saw,  what should I replace it with so I can rip actual lumber and not have to sweat whether the saw will burn out or not?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!!

I know you did not look for this comment ... but try replacing the brushes .. even if you sell it on eventually.

CRG got it right on the recommendations.

Assuming the blade diameter of the TS55 was enough for you, I would go with the TS60. That gets you a smaller, more powerful, brushless motor, and a thinner kerf at the same time. Just pick up a lower tooth count blade for ripping, since the one that comes with it is way too fine for that.

Well, 48T (42T) are no ripping blades. Anything more than 28T for ripping is just doing it wrong. No way around that. Be it Mafell, Festool or what-not saw.

IMO Festool should probably stop shipping the fine-cut blade and just go with the (cheaper!) universal 28/24T one. That is what most folks would want to use daily anyway. Especially those who do not know better .. those who do will have a big set of blades to go along anyway.

 

[Coen]

Even the current TS 55 FEBQ is a lot faster due to the newer thin kerf blades.

Personally I am invested in the Festool rail system... not gonna swap that for a strawberry saw.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

IMO Festool should probably stop shipping the fine-cut blade and just go with the (cheaper!) universal 28/24T one. That is what most folks would want to use daily anyway. Especially those who do not know better .. those who do will have a big set of blades to go along anyway.

It does make sense to ship with the "universal" blade doesn't it? Seems more likely that the one which covers the largest variety of materials, is "the one" to have.
Maybe they are assuming that most people will be cutting plywood (veneer)? and they are trying to give the best cut surface for that, so people will be happy with their initial purchase?
Besides, if they did include the cheaper blade, they wouldn't reduce the price of the saw accordingly.  [blink]

 

[Coen]

Festool has for years included the ~48T blade with the saws in EBQ version and the 28T with the saws without.

HK85 however comes by default with the coarser blade.

I don't think it's a real issue. Eventually you need both anyway

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I don't think it's a real issue. Eventually you need both anyway

Exactly....it was a joke.
Who would buy a $800 saw and be limited to the blade that came with it.

At least it is a good blade, not like the ones that come with the typical major brand miter saws. Those are bare minimum. (disposable)

 

[mino]

Exactly....it was a joke.
Who would buy a $800 saw and be limited to the blade that came with it.
...

Many, many hobby users. And not only.

From my experience a hobby person is common to learn a wood blade does not work with laminated chipboard only from the first burned cut ... a completely different world. I have introduced the concept of different blades to oh so many people it is not funny. Half of them felt insulted by my probing questions ...

Included a couple fellas who came to our community shop "all guns blazing" stating they worked at a cabinet shop for several years. Which they did. What transpired is they were just using tools someone else setup so had zero clue on how to setup tools or even which to use when. They did bring their Mirka sanders and Boshc pro tracksaw ..

Did not know how to use a sander with a vacuum - their old shop apparently used traditional air sanders and "sanding booths" with a wind wall for dust removal. That one was a particularly painful one - I came to the shop after work and the whole air was filled with micro-dust from sanding, fellas in respirators happily sanding on .. while there were 3D printers and servers in the same hall .. ehm. The immediate cleanup took about a month ..

On FOG I see self-employed people and folks with lifelong treasures of experience. It is so easy to forget 90% people out there with a circular saw or such wouldn't know a wood blade from a laminate one .. unless printed on. Folks just avoid chipboard, considering it "for professionals", and cut MDF very slow with a wood blade "to not burn it up". I wish I was making this up.

 

[ear3]

[member=81762]Nornagest[/member] You could get the TSC55.  I rip 8/4 stock with it all the time (planed to 1 3/4 or thereabouts). 

I was similarly underwhelmed with the corded TS55 when I first got one (this was in 2015, so before the thinner kerf update), and sold it after a year once I got my hands on the cordless version.  It maintains a constant speed under load, unlike the corded model.  And I prefer being cordless as well even though I work mostly from the shop.

Think I've burnt out my 11 year old track saw for the second time. Tired of this underpowered saw,  what should I replace it with so I can rip actual lumber and not have to sweat whether the saw will burn out or not?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Many, many hobby users. And not only.

From my experience a hobby person is common to learn a wood blade does not work with laminated chipboard only from the first burned cut ... a completely different world. I have introduced the concept of different blades to oh so many people it is not funny. Half of them felt insulted by my probing questions ...

Included a couple fellas who came to our community shop "all guns blazing" stating they worked at a cabinet shop for several years. Which they did. What transpired is they were just using tools someone else setup so had zero clue on how to setup tools or even which to use when. They did bring their Mirka sanders and Boshc pro tracksaw ..

Did not know how to use a sander with a vacuum - their old shop apparently used traditional air sanders and "sanding booths" with a wind wall for dust removal. That one was a particularly painful one - I came to the shop after work and the whole air was filled with micro-dust from sanding, fellas in respirators happily sanding on .. while there were 3D printers and servers in the same hall .. ehm. The immediate cleanup took about a month ..

On FOG I see self-employed people and folks with lifelong treasures of experience. It is so easy to forget 90% people out there with a circular saw or such wouldn't know a wood blade from a laminate one .. unless printed on. Folks just avoid chipboard, considering it "for professionals", and cut MDF very slow with a wood blade "to not burn it up". I wish I was making this up.

I'm not sure if that is simply sad, or willful ignorance? That card on the bottom of the Systainer lid is there for a few reasons. One of them is simply to show the various blades that they make for the saw, with an explanation of what they are intended to cut.
Second, hopefully these guys don't run that same blade for the entire life of the saw. Sometime or another, they must be getting a replacement? Certainly that question is going to come up at that point?

I do take your point, since I do work with guys who have absolutely no clue about such things. They are like the ones you described, running something that someone else set-up. However, these guys are not buying Festool....heck, who am I kidding, they aren't buying anything. They use shop-supplied tools

 

[Coen]

I don't think it's a real issue. Eventually you need both anyway

Exactly....it was a joke.
Who would buy a $800 saw and be limited to the blade that came with it.

At least it is a good blade, not like the ones that come with the typical major brand miter saws. Those are bare minimum. (disposable)

Considering tons of people throw out perfectly good machines just because the carbon brushes wore out... I won't be surprised if many never buy another blade.