track saw sound level ? : ts 55, ts 60, tsc 55 k..

[toa-dk]

Hi, does anyone have any experience with the sound level-acoustic feel of the different festool track saws?. obviously track saws are noisy tools and require ear protection, but there seem to be a difference between them.

From what i can understand the classic ts55 have the usual "brushed" motor sound (a bit rough/"grungy" sounding to my ears) - so loud but not unpleasant. (i´m used to the bosch track saw btw).

I tried the tsc 55 at a festool roadshow recently (activated the saw with the blade retracted) and was astounded by the high sound level and especially that sounded like a higher "whiny" pitch that sounded unpleasant to me. I´m curious if anyone else finds this to be an issue during practical use, and if it is different to the other festool saws ?.

I have not tried the ts60 and are curious about the sound compared to the tsc 55 (this would be my secondary choice, and overall the saw seems more "nimble" to me). on paper, the sound level of the ts60 should be more akin to the ts55, where the tsc55 as a few db higher.

Does anyone have any experience with the above ?. Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks!

 

[Packard]

I don’t think you can discuss sound levels of saws, independent of the material they are cutting.

In the 1970s, I was selling deep throat (60”) band saws designed to cut the end gables on aluminum awnings. 

The saw passed all the OSHA tests until they decided to test it while sawing the aluminum sheets. 

The saw was nearly silent.  But the saw with the aluminum was too loud to pass.  We ended up selling the saws with ear muffs (noise attenuators).

My experience is that the saw is louder when sawing 1/4” thick plywood, than when sawing other materials.  I do have a decibel reader.  The next time I use the saw, I will take some readings.

 

[woodferret]

It's the same brushless motor as the TSC, so the pitch is up there....
=427s

Because everybody has different freq tolerances, some owners won't notice.  Since you're talking about it, I take it you're that % that can hear it.  The video above has it running and you can tell the high pitch still makes it through the casing.

 

[toa-dk]

Hi

Good point on the material being cut.

Also thanks for the video. I believe you are correct about some being more sensitive in some frequencies. I would say that the demo saw i tried was much worse than the video (although i would need to do a side-by-side comparison in real life to be sure). .

I´ve read-viewed quite a bit of review and almost none mentions the sound level of the track saws (apart from the tsc55 perhaps being a bit louder than the ts55) so i guess its probably not an issue for most.

I´m curious if any other existing tsc55/ts60 owners have any experience regarding this ?.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I don't know that I would say that there is a big difference in the volume of the sound, between the TS55 and TS60, but they are quite different. I am not offended by either and never wear ear muffs. (I'm in a huge space, that already has considerable background noise)
The one that is objectionable to me is the TSC55. It's not necessarily the volume, but the pitch.
For the most part, I cut sheet goods, which is not a particularly challenging cut. The sound really doesn't change much during the cut, it's mostly just the motor itself.
Corain does make a bit of a difference, but I don't have to cut that with a track saw often.
The most challenging cuts are done with the TS75. I cut thicker hardwood with that, mantles, columns, etc.
It does produce a bit of a grunt, while doing that.

 

[toa-dk]

Awesome, thanks for the reply - I was looking for info like this.

 

[Coen]

[...]

From what i can understand the classic ts55 have the usual "brushed" motor sound (a bit rough/"grungy" sounding to my ears) - so loud but not unpleasant. (i´m used to the bosch track saw btw).
[...]

That is because of the constant-rpm electronics changing the power level all the time and the slack in the gears.

As explained in the extended owners manual. (Download here :https://www.festoolusa.com/-/media/...nuals/festool-ts55req-supplemental-manual.pdf )

A Note About Motor Sound
Most circular saws do not have variable speed electronic
controls like the TS55 has. For this reason, many new saw
owners aren’t accustomed to the slight “growling” sound
of the motor’s gears when they first operate the saw. This
sound is normal and not an indication that something is
wrong with the tool.
The sound is the result of the gears interacting with the
electronic speed control. The electronic controller in the
motor controls the motor speed by turning it On and Off
very rapidly. This form of speed control is called “Pulse
Width Modulation (PWM), and is common in most power
tools with a variable speed control. When there is little or
no load on the sawblade, the pulsations of the motor cause
the gears to rapidly engage and disengage (called lash), and
this is the sound you are hearing.

 

[Kevison]

I haven’t used the TSC 55, but I’ve heard the higher-pitched sound can get pretty annoying, especially during long cuts. I’ve worked with the TS55, and while it has that classic grungy sound, I find it tolerable for extended use. If you’re looking for something quieter, the TS60 might be worth considering since it's supposed to have a smoother sound. Just make sure to wear ear protection no matter which one you choose, but if you can, try to get your hands on a demo to see how they feel in action.

 

[toa-dk]

Hi thanks for the tech explanation - that´s nice to know. I always thought it as related to the brushed motor more than anything. That might also explain why the sound changes a bit (at least to me) when the saw is in use/up to speed.

I´ll try to get a demo of the ts60 and hear it for reference.

thanks again.