TS55 vs. TS75?

[John Broomall]

I'm one of the guys who got a TS75 in the TS55 recall. My original thought was that the TS55 would get me in the track saw league and I could use my worm drive for heavier work. The first job up after getting the TS75 involved removing a sink and widening the opening in a Corian countertop for a new sink. With the worm drive I would have had to remove the entire counter and hope it didn't break, put up with the smell of cut plastic for the rest of the day, and clean up the snowflakes of Corian that float everywhere. With the shorter TS75 and the guide rail I was able to slide the counter towards me and use the guide rail to keep the cut straight and support the saw across the old opening. The precise depth adjustment meant I didn't have to worry about cutting into the base cabinets. There just wasn't any dust. So far, I think the TS55 would have done just as well but in some areas I was cutting through 1/2" Corian and 1" plywood and in others is was 1" Corian and 1/2" ply. The TS55 might have done it but the TS75 did it without a hitch. I used the standard blade on speed setting 6.

With either saw you have to get used to the speed control that sounds like the bearings have evaporated. The TS75 is heavier but the only real disadvantage I have found is that the large systainer means you have to pick it up a few extra inches to get it on the bench.

 

[grbmds]

Another thing to consider when comparing the 55 and 75 is whether you are primarily using the saw on an MFT3 table or not. The TS75 has a bigger base which means that, to fully plunge the saw before entering the wood you just need more space. I believe this would decrease the width you can safely cut on an MFT3 or at least make it more difficult. I suppose there are other ways to cut wider pieces with self-made jigs or just with the guide rail on another flat surface, but room in the work shop can sometimes be a problem, so it's nice to be able to use the MFT3 for as many cuts as possible. For me, not really needing the saw to cut many different materials and generally not working with more that 3/4" material, the 55 was a much better choice. It just seems easier to use and more "fluid" through the cuts (but again that's just me).