Tips and feedback on first time purchase

sofa_king_rad

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Mar 26, 2016
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I started using systainers about 2 years ago and picked up a dust extractor also. I've been drooling over getting some power tools for awhile now. I'm a Low Voltage scontractor with little need for many woodworking tools, however have been wanting to upgrade my entry level power tools and saws to get something nice and try to start making things.

I have some need for a Kapex in my work and once in awhile a track saw and not often but occasiaonally a jig saw.

We haven't been able to find a bed for my daughter that we like, so I've found some plans and think it's a great project to tackle and gives me the justification I need to finally spend the coin to get some stuff.

That said, I'm looking for feedback or thoughts on whether my choices are quite the best choice or if there are some crucial accessories that I'm not Including.

So I'm about to pull the trigger and get some tools. I have a coupe, fairly basic projects to tackle first, hoping to develop some moderate skills. .

Looking at the the Kapex, the TS 55 REQ, Carvex PS 420 with accessory kit, a 75" guide rail, and a ETS EC brushless 125/3 sander. The sander is on thing I'm really not familiar with all the different variations.

Should I pick up a Router first or a Jigsaw first? I'm stating to think a router may be more beneficial.

It's a lot, but I sort of feel like if I'm gonna do it, I need to buy a nice set so that I can actually start using the stuff.

Thoughts?
 
[welcome]

Nothing wrong with your choices, but personally I'd be inclined to get an MFT/3 over the KAPEX based on the combo you're looking at. If you can include the MFT/3 in your bulk desire .. even better.

Any of the ETS sanders will do you proud ... a lot depends of the finish you want to achieve.

Not wanting to destroy your wallet, but such tools as a Domino and the OF1400 router could be great additions in light of your initial projects [big grin]

Get onto youtube and watch some tool demos before you commit ...  [wink]
 
sofa_king_rad said:
... I'm a Low Voltage scontractor ...

...
Looking at the the Kapex...
...
the TS 55 REQ
...
Carvex PS 420 with accessory kit, a 75" guide rail
...
ETS EC brushless 125/3 sander.
...

I am assuming low voltage subcontractor means "in the UK"?
You may also consider a vacuum...
In the UK there FT and also Airbo, Starmix, Bosch, etc. The FT vacuums are good, and in the US they do a deal on a sander+vacuum. Or TS+vacuum.

Firs off I have a variety of tools, including Mafell and Mirka in addition to some Festools.
I am sure what follows will be generally unloved insight...  :-\

Kapex: There are a lot of Kapex posts...http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/the-life-span/
The new Metabo is another option.
I will probably get an Erika-85.

Carvex: People either love them or hate them.http://festoolownersgroup.com/festo...0-is-now-worse-than-ever/msg442988/#msg442988
I have a p1cc and many use Bosch, which are good value. The p1cc is not that much more expensive by the time one factors in the accessories (IMO), but it is not cheap in any sense. Depends on how much a jig saw is used. There a model of Bosch that is much loved.

Track Saw:
The FT rails are the not as good as the Bosch rails.
If you want to have 3x 1600-mm rails and hook them together for rips and take them apart (all day long) then it is a concern, however If you are in a shop and use a 3M rail for rips and a shorter rail for cross cuts then it is not a great concern... And more of an academic discussion.
If you get the Holey rail when you get the saw they charge a bit more but worth it if you end up wanting to do 32-mm holes with a router.
For Bosch rail... then for a tracksaw it is either a Bosch or Mafell track saw. Mafell makes their track saw to fit both Bosch and one can put a MT55 on a FT rail... The other way around and I may have gotten a TS55 and Bosch rail, but that is not possible.
Also the B & M jig saws fit on Bosch rails.
The FT rail concerns are only an issue for cost, or if you are moving the rails to the work. In a shop it is easier as a 3M rail stay in one place. I still managed to spend ~700 $Au on 3 rails, a bag, some clamps, etc. One does not need to try hard to have a spectacular spend up.

I used an ETS EC for a few minutes. I would probably get the 150/5, but I have the sander it was based off of.
It was instantly apparent it is good sander, and if you are leaning that way, then it is only size-n-stroke... One can argue it either way, but a 150/5 makes some sense.

I have a MFT, which I like but not 100% sold on in general.
pros:
- It works and is convienient.
-One can move it and set it up quickly
- Clamping
- cross cutting
cons:
- Cost
- It does not work for long rips
- If one is in a shop doing big stuff then a large dog-holed table makes more sense.

So for me it works, and I used it a the Mrs office doing mouldings etc and it was perfect. If you have a hand plane it is not the ideal of a 'bench'. For subcontractor work it can make sense if the work is small. I did some 45s on it with a tracksaw... so it is not as fast a Kapex, nor can it do complex stuff as easily... But it does do them and the Haus-Boss seemed happy. [unsure]

Any way you go it will be lovely to do that project for your daughter. I did the same for mine many moons ago.
And if she is old enough she can help finish it. We laquered our maple ones, and then she put some unicorn stickers on it, or something like that. At that point she owned it...  [wink]
 
Hi there.

We are in a very similar position. I too have just recently started purchasing Festool tools. I started off with the CT26 and a TS55 with a 1400 rail. With that, and an ETS150/3 that followed me home I replaced both front doors in the house. I would reccomend the track saw with rail and a few clamps to start off with.

Dust free sanding is a revelation. Being able to sand on site without dust everywhere is a godsend.

The next tool that I picked up was the DF500 Domino with the domino systainer. It will be used in the next few weeks to do some jobs.

One thing not on your list that I would look at is a Rotex sander. The RO90 gets a good plug here, but if you match your Rotex to the ETS sander pad size it will save you some coin.

Maybe also put a CXS/TXS on your list.

Whatever you do, this is a very helpful forum and I am sure you will get good advice from here.
 
TS 55, extractor and guiderails, that setup makes a huge difference to speed, accuracy and time spent cleaning up afterwards.
Plus sites are starting to get right on the case regarding extraction.

Plus the extractor is dead handy for pushing the T-Loc boxes around on [wink]
 
Good luck with your purchases.

You might want to search on the forum for reviews of the Carvex Accessory Kit.  Some have felt (myself included) that it was one of the more worthless purchases they have made.  That won't necessarily be the case if you regularly jigsaw a wide array of materials, but since you mentioned only occasional use for the  jigsaw (and I assume the main application would be wood), the money might be better spent elsewhere.

As someone already noted, you might want to reflect on sanding needs for determining the pad size you end up going with for the sander.  The 125/3 will not be as fast as the 150/5, due to the smaller stroke and pad size.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great all around sander, but all things being equal I would only choose it over the 150/5 if I anticipated a lot of narrow  boards and overhead sanding work, or operating at very high grits.  The 150/5, on the other hand, is a lightning fast sander, and really takes the drudgery out of sanding out a stack of boards or case pieces.  The advantage of going with the 150 pad size is also that if you did develop a need for high grit sanding (400grit+), you can later add the 150/3 to your kit.  While the 125 is easier to use on narrow boards and edges than the 150, the 150 is stable enough to do this work as well if needed.  Ideally, though, it's best to pair an ROS with the DTS/RTS 400 or the Rotex 90 to do edge and corner work.

On the rail, you say you're thinking about a 75" model -- were you going to buy it separate from the TS55, since this saw only comes with the 55" rail?  I've heard of some dealers allowing you to simply pay the difference if you upsize the rail with the saw purchase, but I'd definitely want to check on this.  If, on the other hand, you were thinking about buying a 75" rail in addition to the 55" so you could join rails for long pieces, I would think about whether it might make more sense to invest in the 3000mm rail instead (which is only $145 more than the 75").  For the TS55, the 75" rail doesn't really add that much more capacity as a stand alone, since the standard 55" rail already allows you to do crosscuts on 4x8 sheets.  If you have the storage capabilities the 3000mm rail is a huge time saver when doing sheet work.

As someone has already mentioned, though, if you do go with the 55" rail, see if you can get the "holey" version, so that you can later add in the LR32 if you ever get a Festool router.
 
Lots of great info. Here are some more details.

I'm a low voltage contractor in the US, not sure why that matters?

We do morotized shades and have to cut aluminum fascia's, that's the need for the Kapex, or a new miter. I drive a ford transit connect, so the compact size of the Kapex with cart is attractive.

Beyond that I probably only use the other tools less than 5 times a year each in my work. I need them for when I do, but it's rare,

They will get more use from me as a novice, hobbyist wanting to build things.

I would love a domino, but I can't justify that cost just yet. Sort of need to proof I can make some stuff first? I've worked with rough wood and am comfortable with Tools, but know very little about finish carpentry or building something worth keeping in my house. :)
 
sofa_king_rad said:
Lots of great info. Here are some more details.

I'm a low voltage contractor in the US, not sure why that matters?
...

So low voltage as in 12V or 24V or some voltage that is sub-lethal?
And not a UK carpenter required to use a lower voltage than the standard in the UK.
Only matters as the tools need power and where one is at and regulations determine a lot.

I cut a bunch of Idea extrusions with the jig saw (
 
Lower as in non-lethal. We mostly do Audio/Video. Data networks and Control systems for smart home type systems.
 
Should I be looking at getting a Router First instead of a Carvex Jigsaw?

I have a CT Mini.

For the Sander, i'll get the either 6" Random Orbit Sander ETS EC150/3 OR  6" Random Orbit Sander ETS EC150/5

I'm leaning toward the 150/3
 
I have the 150/3 and would recommend.  As a hobbyist, I don't mind that it takes slightly longer than the /5 would on lower grits, plus it gives me the shorter stroke for the higher grits if desired.

I would recommend that you take a look at the plans for the bed you are going to make, and purchase the tools required to build it.  Make your initial purchases based on need vs want.  You will use the tools in a more timely fashion and not waste money on something you may not need. 
 
That's sound advice, but the bed I'm looking at is very simple and I could probably do it all with just the track saw, of which i have an old cheap one, I'm just ready to upgrade.

I"m trying to get enough tools to make me feel better about taking on these projects. I have some cabient/bookshelfs type units I want to build also, one of the reason a router would be nice, but again, not necessary.

Hell I even have an old small hand sander, but i'm definitely ready to start using my Mini for more than just cleaning up drywall dust after cutting a hole for a speaker :)
 
Hey Cory!  Good to see you here.  I'll offer again - you're more than welcome to come over and test drive some of my tools!
 
You said you had some entry level tools.  What do you have?  Do you have a router?
 
travisj said:
I have the 150/3 and would recommend.  As a hobbyist, I don't mind that it takes slightly longer than the /5 would on lower grits, plus it gives me the shorter stroke for the higher grits if desired.

I would recommend that you take a look at the plans for the bed you are going to make, and purchase the tools required to build it.  Make your initial purchases based on need vs want.  You will use the tools in a more timely fashion and not waste money on something you may not need.

Generally sound reasoning (I like /5).

travisj said:
You said you had some entry level tools.  What do you have?  Do you have a router?

We must be channeling the same spirits. I was thinking the same thing.

either a router and 1/4 round, or a jig saw and then a router with a 1/4 round.
 
If you're wanting to get into woodworking I highly suggest getting a router. Honestly I would skip the Kapex and get a OF 1010 or OF1400 with an MFT/3. You could get either router with the MFT/3 and be under the price of the Kapex. You could actually get a really nice Bosch miter saw asome well and be at or around the price of a Kapex.

As someone else said, a domino would be nice too. That's a true game changer of a tool. Also, you could pass on the ETS EC and get the "regular" ETS and save yourself some coin to use elsewhere.

I wouldn't recommend the Carvex or the added accessory kit. If you don't use a jigsaw much then the kit is overkill and frankly I believe there is a better jigsaw out there for less money. Bosch JS572EBL and it fits seamlessly into the Festool vac system. Far better dust collection as well.
 
Thanks for feedback. P2P I was actually going to call you this week!

I actually NEED a miter saw for other work that I'm doing, the kind where I make money. The draw of the Kapex for me is the the compact size when used on the cart. While I don't mind spending money for quality tools. I also realize I need a lot of stuff, soon there's that.

I'm already not going to worry about a jigsaw right now. Also not going to get the extra track. So considering the MFT3 and the 1010 router.

Skipping just Festool. I need clamps and probably a few hand tools, like flush cut saw. Is this a good place to get suggestions for those things as well?
 
sofa_king_rad said:
I'm already not going to worry about a jigsaw right now. Also not going to get the extra track. So considering the MFT3 and the 1010 router.

Skipping just Festool. I need clamps and probably a few hand tools, like flush cut saw. Is this a good place to get suggestions for those things as well?

I love the 1010, it's my only router and it packs a big punch. Especially in a small size.

This is a great place for hand tool suggestions. Plenty of incredibly knowledgable and experienced people on the forum.
 
Staniam said:
If you're wanting to get into woodworking I highly suggest getting a router. Honestly I would skip the Kapex and get a OF 1010 or OF1400 with an MFT/3. You could get either router with the MFT/3 and be under the price of the Kapex. You could actually get a really nice Bosch miter saw asome well and be at or around the price of a Kapex.

As someone else said, a domino would be nice too. That's a true game changer of a tool. Also, you could pass on the ETS EC and get the "regular" ETS and save yourself some coin to use elsewhere.

I wouldn't recommend the Carvex or the added accessory kit. If you don't use a jigsaw much then the kit is overkill and frankly I believe there is a better jigsaw out there for less money. Bosch JS572EBL and it fits seamlessly into the Festool vac system. Far better dust collection as well.

Back to [member=53578]travisj[/member] previous suggestion... (Get what is needed, when it is needed)

- Would the Kapex even be used for a bed? ... I cannot imagine how.
(i.e. I'm 'on-board' with your router suggestion)

- The Domino could potentially be useful for a bed, but I used some brackets 20+ years ago that worked great and they were inset into the pieces as a couple of stainless castings I think. I used a router and a chisel.

- personally the ETC EC 150/5 seems too nice to pass up, and a sander gets used almost as much as a vacuum.

- that leaves the saw...

If one was doing the bottom side of the bed's side-rails with a fancy profile, then a jig saw could also be used for the top. Yeah one would need to run a plane across it, or a file/rasp, or a router.
Or one could use a tracksaw or just get the boards thicknessed and cut where one gets the lumber.

If the OP is planning on a lot of sheet goods then the tracksaw makes sense and the domino makes little sense.
Another stunning thing for sheet goods is a Lamello Zeta P2 and the Clampex.
I could picture a lot of projects where one can use this, but it depends if those projects are the ones that the OP is doing.

So for a bed...
Option-1) a chisel, hand plane & rasp, sander, vacuum, probably a table, bench, or MFT... And have the wood cut.
Option-2) a chisel, router, sander, vacuum, probably a table, bench, or MFT... And have the wood cut.
Option-3) tracksaw+rails, vacuum, MFT, sander
Option-4) jig saw+rails, vacuum, MFT, sander
Option-5) saw+rails, router, vacuum, sander

If the jig saw is a Bosch, and the OP wants it on a rail, then we are back to Bosch rails, which puts one back onto a Bosch tracksaw or MT55 tracksaw.

I would suggest option #1 - that is still probably $2k-2500, but you get the bed started and done, and all those tools are handy and fit in with most all later projects. It also give time to work out the jig saw and track saw.
Depending on the daughter's age and interest a small drill and sanding block and little set overalls and safety glasses could be a good investment.

Option 2 also has some nuance in that the router will need to fit onto a future rail... But that would also be an easy option to choose.
 
I think I have the big stuff figured out. I have a CT Mini. I will get:

* ETS 150/3 (unless there is a better reason to get the 150/5, but this will be my only sander)

* MFT3 Work Table

* TS 55 REQ

* OF 1010 Router

* 2 Festool quick clamps

* Kapex - again this isn't so much of this project, but something I'm in need for some work projects

I have drills and drivers...no counter sink drill bits. But what other things am I needed, for example I know I'll need sand paper, some router bits, probably more clamps, some larger cabinet clamps (not sure what they are called for clamping cabinets while glueing), What about the little stopper clamp things for the MFT table.

Any tips on some of the most commonly used consumables and other accessory type tools that I should get or at least plan to get. Suggestions on where to buy from is also appreciated.

 
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