side by side comparison, Festool Kapex on Kapex UG v. DeWalt/DeWalt

[curt boyer]

The Dewalt works fine but because it is a 12' blade there is more deflection than the Kapex. I'm a carpenter that cuts a lot of crown moulding during the coarse of a year and I have only had to cut on the flat a handful of times. You can cut 6-1/2" crown in position without any problem. If you do need to cut on the flat, the Kapex will blow away the Dewalt in speed and accuracy of bevel changes.

In the picture I posted of the two saws together on the Dewalt stand, I had the Kapex hooked up to dc and just a bag to the Dewalt. I used both saws for two days trimming out a kitchen and the amount of sawdust that came from the Dewalt would have filled my vac! The only way to get remotely close to the Kapexs ability to collect dust is with a Fastcap hood and a box under it to capture the falling dust. Even doing that there is sawdust everywhere, to the point that you can't read the miter scale on the saw. I even built a plastic hood to go around the saw which was hooked up to two 4" lines to a 1-1/2hp dust collector. It worked halfway decent but the thing was the size on the Nimitz and forget about the noise!

Your not sure what the two pages are about? First of all this started out as a comparison between the Festool and Dewalt stands and saws. Perhaps if you read the two pages you would see that several people gave their options as to the pros, cons, and uses of both stands and saws.
Cheers
Curt

 

[Grasshopper]

Thanks Curt!

I think I see a Kapex in my future

;D

 

[curt boyer]

I think your making the right decision Grasshopper! Show me sand the floor! Sorry I was channeling Pat Morita! It will only hurt for your drive home and once you start using it your furrowed brow will relax as a smile breaks and confident chuckle comes from deep within.
Have Fun
Curt

 

[Grasshopper]

Yes Mr Miyagi  ;D

Thanks again for your help

(by the way, your channeling Pat Morita is spot on.  I chose the name Grasshopper with something like that in mind.  I am in awe of all of the knowledge from everyone on the FOG, and  their willingness to share with a scrub like me).

I think your making the right decision Grasshopper! Show me sand the floor! Sorry I was channeling Pat Morita! It will only hurt for your drive home and once you start using it your furrowed brow will relax as a smile breaks and confident chuckle comes from deep within.
Have Fun
Curt

 

[Grasshopper]

….so I sold the Dewalt I had sitting still in the box on Craigslist.  I threw it out there at a price that covered my cost and tax and didn't have high expectations that it would sell (and had planned to just take it back to Lowes).  To my surprise, it sold pretty fast.  So I no longer have a miter saw.  Looks like there is a Kapex in my future

 

[jacko9]

I'm currently running a Kapex in the shop for my finer cuts and the DeWALT on job sites for exterior trim. If I'm doing a high end trim job I'm for sure using the Kapex because it's so precise. I'm still debating on what sort of stand to use with the Kapex. The Ron Paulk Ultimate mitre saw stand, the UG, or a DeWALT stand. Can I get some feed back on what stand to get. I know most of you will say the UG but tell me why so I can justify spending $1000 here in Canada.  I Love my Kapex BTW. Thanks Festool, and if they release a 12" I would still opt for a 10" because of its size and portability.

Darren,

I have the DeWalt 12" slider that I have mounted on the Bosch Gravity Rise stand.  The Bosch stand is very sturdy and with large sized wheels, it's very easy to move around.  The gravity rise function works like a charm and I'm a 70 year old guy.

If I get the Kapex I'll look to see if it will mount on my Bosch stand.

Jack

 

[jacko9]

I installed an entire house of crown molding yesterday, and really had a great opportunity to compare my Kapex to the DeWalt it has replaced.

Has anyone else here ever setup the kapex side by side with another SCMS?
the differences are surprising when you do this, and I would suggest trying it if you get the chance to make some good comparisons like I did yesterday.

The mess made by the DeWalt was horrendous.  -you can't truly appreciate the effectiveness unless you experience the difference SIDE BY SIDE,  but to try to explain,  6-8 cuts on the DeWalt sprays out the same as the Kapex making 120-150 cuts of the same material.
my smartphone video didn't turn out well enough to share, so I will try this again when I have a better camera setup with a tripod...

across the board, it was really a night and day difference.  initially, I was thinking to myself that I would probably end up using one saw for initial LH cuts and the other for the TH cut,  but the comparison was akin to taking the DeWalt slider and comparing it to a Harbor Freight SCMS, and after just a few cuts, you no longer want to touch the inferior tool

-and to think I had been using the DeWalt saw/laser/Folding aluminum DeWalt "sawhorse" type stand for years all the while believing it was industry standard quality tool system :-\

another BIG thanks to Festool for the end all - be all of professional tools!  The Kapex + Kapex UG system is a priceless addition to my arsenal!

and for anyone trying to decide if Festool is really worth the price:  YES, they certainly are, and more...

Just to be clear on the side by side comparison, did you use a dust extractor while cutting with the DeWalt?  I have the DeWalt 12" slider and I hooked it up to my Festool CT22 and I was not at all impressed with the dust collection.

Jack

 

[Grasshopper]

Curt,

I now have a kapex and plan to mount it to my Dewalt stand. Did you have to do anything to the dewalt brackets to get it to mount up like that?

You mean like this! This is mainly about the differences in the two saw stands but I'll try to answer both. The Dewalt stand setup similar to what I have is cheap and sturdy. The UG stand is expensive and isn't  big enough to be practical for me doing site work. Also moving finished materials across metal tables increases the chance of damage. The wings in the picture are 5', I also have an 8' set that is drilled like an MFT which is really handy for job site work. I'd spend the money in the saw and build yourself a nice solid bench for it if it's going to mainly stay in the shop.

I was doing a kitchen cabinet installation with a two piece crown and this is what I used. The first piece was a L-shaped backer that was too big to cut with the Kapex. I have a Forrest blade on the Dewalt and it cuts great for a 12" saw. If you are going to be doing mainly finish work then it's the Kapex all day long! Lighter, lasers, easy bevel adjustment, dust collection, and smaller foot print. If you doing general carpentry then the Dewalt will get the job done. I can't speak for the current Dewalt as mine was the first gen model. If you plan on moving or bevels on the Dewalt forget about it. It's heavy and cumbersome to quickly and repeatedly change bevels.
Cheers
Curt[attachimg=1]

 

[Jwtoolpig]

I have several miter saws. 12" dewalt dual bevel slider with laser. 12" Makita dual bevel slider. 10" Makita dual bevel slider with laser. 12" dewalt dual bevel non slider. My newest saw is the Kapex. It is by far my favorite. my second favorite is the 10" Makita. But I like all of them for different reasons. I may sell one or 2 when I can get around to deciding which one.
I will not be just using the Kapex on every job. Where I can set up inside with dust extractors, I will only use the Kapex. But if it's outside or I have extra help, that may not treat my tools with care, its going to be Dewalt or Makita.
The Dewalt saws have the greatest capacity the non slider can handle the largest material standing against the fence. The slider has the greatest crosscut capacity. They are solid and not too noisy. Their fences are really good. The belt drive is nice, much nicer than the original 12" Dewalt compound miter saw with direct drive motor. The blade guards are the nicest ones to use of any miter saw. The dust extraction is terrible on the Dewalts. It doesn't matter what kind of vacuum you hook up to.
The Makita saws are a lot more refined than the Dewalt saws. They have smoother running, smoother sliding, smoother swinging tables as well as plunging action. They have slightly less capacity but just as much power. The fences are not as nice to use as the Yellow saws. They also have better dust collection. The soft start motors are a nice plus too.
I will probably sell either the 12" Makita or the Dewalt slider but I'm not 100% sure on that.
The Kapex is a great tool but it's not perfect and it's not the end all be all saw. There are other very capable and very good saws. No one should feel bad about their current saw just because the Kapex exists. A few pieces of trim were cut in the world before it came out.

 

[Gary in Texas]

Jwtoolpig,  first off,  [welcome] to the FOG.

Yes, the Kapex is a nice tool, but, for most of my cuts I don't need a sliding CMS (I have a radial arm saw if I need a wide cut.  As much as I would like to purchase the Kapex, I think I will stick with my RAS and my DeWalt miter saw for the time being....  For precise cuts when I'm building a project (furniture, boxes, etc..l.) I think the DeWalt offers more precision because it isn't a slider, by design it is more ridgid, less flex, suits my needs.  If I get the need to have a Kapex, that will be driven by the need to have a saw that I could use on site / in the house where dust extraction drives that need.

 

[Birdhunter]

My "scientific" comparison between my old miter saw and my Kapex.

Old.... Use outdoors only, sweep, vacuum, frown.

Kapex..... Use indoors, smile.