The missing link / Holy Grail of the Festool line up, IMO.

DavidNH

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Apr 4, 2011
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Nothing is faster than a table saw to trim or half a board length wise.
Yes its a dust bagger!
Yes its a very cheap contractors saw, but it is always on hand at the flick of a switch.
Its belt driven, so it's much quieter than almost all other portable saws, especially with a vibe free blade, (it whispers).
Super light weight!
Suspended by steel dowels on the left and right side, its work surface is flush with the side tables for extra work support if needed.
Occupies little to no more room than any average chop station dealing with lengthy stock.

 
True- there are definitely some jobs for which a table saw is still the best option. I still hate taking mine out, though- for no other reason than the dust/mess. Some day I'll buy a portable dust collector, or cobble together a way to attach my Midi to it's dust port....

 
I have the Dewalt 745 and have it connected to a 2 1/2" line that goes to my dust deputy!  Barely any mess whatsoever. I always have my saw at hand...its small enough that it stays out of the way and I built a small base to set it on that brings it to MFT height so I can double it as an outfeed table. I would love to see the CMS or Precisio but until then...

I also turned one of my MFT 800's into a router table!  I was bored and wanted to consume as little space as possible in my garage/shop!

Good times!

Double B
 
builderbob said:
I have the Dewalt 745 and have it connected to a 2 1/2" line that goes to my dust deputy!  Barely any mess whatsoever. I always have my saw at hand...its small enough that it stays out of the way and I built a small base to set it on that brings it to MFT height so I can double it as an outfeed table. I would love to see the CMS or Precisio but until then...

I also turned one of my MFT 800's into a router table!  I was bored and wanted to consume as little space as possible in my garage/shop!

Good times!

Double B
Almost did the same thing one day but the beer got the better of me, so I chose to spend the day organizing my shop on wheels.
I'm still looking for the perfect table saw to replace this one, with dust collection.
I own two 10" Bosch table saws with folding wheeled stands. Those have dust collection but there no fun to carry up three flights of stairs. In-fact, they're not any fun lifting off the tailgate of the truck for that matter.
DNH
 
It's called a CMS and it's just missing in North America.

Most people on the FOG have battered the subject to death but to no avail! 

 
even with the CMS you are taking the TS55 or 75 and turning it upside down and then you have it installed there, what if you need it on the guide rail to cut sheet goods?

I would rather use a table saw when a table saw is need and the track saws when they are needed.    I wouldn't buy the CMS even if it was in North america.  it's stupid to buy a circular saw for  500 dollars and then have it put into a portable little table with a small top only useable for small rips.

the table saw has been around forever and festool doesn't have one because they know they really can't break new ground and make one that is so much better than anything out there already.  I love my bosch 4000 table saw, sure it's heavy but that's life,  it's work,  if it was too light, it would be flimsy and break often.

that's a nice setup there.  how is it attached to the mft tables?

 
Actually Dan, they do have a table saw.  Of course we can't get it though.

I see the advantage of not having to drag around a table saw with the CMS.

I am afraid it will cost more then my PM 66 though. [big grin]
 
Hey DavidNH,
Great idea suspending the TS between two mft's!  I'm thinking of trying something like that with my Lee Valley steel router table.

I can't agree though, with Apgar Construction's view that
"the table saw has been around forever and festool doesn't have one because they know they really can't break new ground and make one that is so much better than anything out there already. "

How about Festool level dust control?  How about precision in a footprint smaller than half a garage?  Maybe precise angle-setting?  Precise depth of cut setting?

My ideal tablesaw would be that you 'punch in' the width of the rip and depth of cut and feed the board in.  No dust, no kickback, no fiddling with shims and dial indicators to get the fence parallel to the blade, no need for huge jigs to make simple cuts, etc.

I can't believe that some good Engineering, German or otherwise, couldn't solve this problem. 

I think the root cause is that most tool manufacturers aren't interested in innovation, just how to make it cheaper and we still buy their stuff.

Gee, I guess this has turned into a rant. [embarassed]  As you can probably tell, I have a love/hate relationship with my tablesaw (Unisaw with Bessy fence and upgraded dc and about 100 cubic feet of jigs, accessories, etc.). [unsure] [tongue]

But yes, something like a tablesaw (easy one-time set up for ripping, versatile, production work without lifting the tool and lifting/replacing the fence each time) would be the 'holy grail' for Festool. 

Sorry for the rant.  I'll go sit in the corner...
 
ApgarConstruction said:
even with the CMS you are taking the TS55 or 75 and turning it upside down and then you have it installed there, what if you need it on the guide rail to cut sheet goods?

I would rather use a table saw when a table saw is need and the track saws when they are needed.    I wouldn't buy the CMS even if it was in North america.  it's stupid to buy a circular saw for  500 dollars and then have it put into a portable little table with a small top only useable for small rips.

the table saw has been around forever and festool doesn't have one because they know they really can't break new ground and make one that is so much better than anything out there already.   I love my bosch 4000 table saw, sure it's heavy but that's life,  it's work,  if it was too light, it would be flimsy and break often.

that's a nice setup there.   how is it attached to the mft tables?

This cheap/awesome ultra light table saw came with side extension capabilities, I used those rod holes, (1/2" dia.).  I drilled the proper hole diameter thru the sides of the twin 800's to secure it between the two tables.
 
ApgarConstruction said:
the table saw has been around forever and festool doesn't have one because they know they really can't break new ground and make one that is so much better than anything out there already. 

Uhm, not trying to be a smartarse here, but you might want to reconsider those words.  ::)
 
DavidNH said:
Nothing is faster than a table saw to trim or half a board length wise.
Yes its a dust bagger!
Yes its a very cheap contractors saw, but it is always on hand at the flick of a switch.
Its belt driven, so it's much quieter than almost all other portable saws, especially with a vibe free blade, (it whispers).
Super light weight!
Suspended by steel dowels on the left and right side, its work surface is flush with the side tables for extra work support if needed.
Occupies little to no more room than any average chop station dealing with lengthy stock.

they already make a pretty nice one. We cant get it here …..yet

http://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Pages/Product-Competence.aspx?foc=ol_precisio_1769
 
sancho57 said:
DavidNH said:
Nothing is faster than a table saw to trim or half a board length wise.
Yes its a dust bagger!
Yes its a very cheap contractors saw, but it is always on hand at the flick of a switch.
Its belt driven, so it's much quieter than almost all other portable saws, especially with a vibe free blade, (it whispers).
Super light weight!
Suspended by steel dowels on the left and right side, its work surface is flush with the side tables for extra work support if needed.
Occupies little to no more room than any average chop station dealing with lengthy stock.

they already make a pretty nice one. We can get it here …..yet

http://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Pages/Product-Competence.aspx?foc=ol_precisio_1769

I know it exist!
Read about it a couple years ago, maybe more!
Not sure it's what I would purchase even if it was here.
That thing is fine, set up in a small shop but to tote that delicate 145 lb. complex setup from job-site to job-site looks to be even more work than dragging my 109 lb. Bosch table saw up three flight of stairs.
That table saw in my pics weights around 40 lb. and is incorporated within the foot print of the chop saw setup. I would pay $1200 for the same TS with dust collection, titanium table top (for strength and weight), belt driven blade via. induction motor (for silence).
Cheers!
 
I use my TS in the shop.

That FT trimmer would be great for me.

Fold it up and put it away give me lotsa room and very little dust to clean up.

The major downside for me is it is very pricey.

I can understand why you wouldnt want to haul to a jobsite everyday.
 
For the Bosch tablesaw owners here - very easy to make a router insert that fits inbetween the main and extension tables:
http://www.juliantracy.com/Bosch%20Tablesaw/

No so possible with the Dewalt - it'd require a fair amount of engineering and support to make it work.  With the Bosch, it's as simple as a 3/4" plywood sub-table that accepts a router insert (or simply mount router to the plywood table) and the whole assembly rests on a couple of Oak 1x2's that are slightly rabbeted to slip into the Bosch fence front and rear extrusions.

Lifts in and out in a second and doesn't inhibit the use of the tablesaw.

JT
 
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