TSC 55 vs TS 55 pros and cons?

[spetka]

So my local hardwood store carries the full line of Festool products.  They also carry Kreg.  If they had Mafell I would perhaps look, but I most likely am going to buy what they carry.  I'm not aware of anywhere near me that carries Mafell products.

 

[Chainring]

I'm not aware of anywhere near me that carries Mafell products.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's one whole place in the US carrying Mafell products. And they're even more expensive than Festool.

 

[Sam Murdoch]

Expensive yes  [eek] I was intrigued enough to go look and consider but the $$s scared me off. If I had another 20 or 30 years ahead of me in this business I would be more amenable but at my time in life, an 8 or 10 year upgrade with Festool will make me happy enough.  [smile]

 

[Cheese]

1. Neither does the TS55 as long as you don't let it lift off the rail while doing bevelcuts.

But this is something the Mafell fancrowd mentions all the time. The reality is rather different; the Mafell cuts in a different spot when doing bevelcuts while the Festool cuts on the same line as always, bevel or not.

2. Looks to me a PITA to put the rail on the right spot..

1. Well then maybe my TSC is off because here's a photo of it beveled at 45º. You can see it rubbing against the splinter strip. Well looking at this again after the post, this actually appears to be the HKC, however it's still the same problem.

[attachimg=1]

2. Not really, I believe it cuts 1 mm off the splinter strip so if I want to place it exactly, I just make 2 marks at 1 mm and replace the rail accordingly.

[attachimg=2]

 

[Coen]

1. Neither does the TS55 as long as you don't let it lift off the rail while doing bevelcuts.

But this is something the Mafell fancrowd mentions all the time. The reality is rather different; the Mafell cuts in a different spot when doing bevelcuts while the Festool cuts on the same line as always, bevel or not.

2. Looks to me a PITA to put the rail on the right spot..

1. Well then maybe my TSC is off because here's a photo of it beveled at 45º. You can see it rubbing against the splinter strip. Well looking at this again after the post, this actually appears to be the HKC, however it's still the same problem.

[attachimg=1]

2. Not really, I believe it cuts 1 mm off the splinter strip so if I want to place it exactly, I just make 2 marks at 1 mm and replace the rail accordingly.

[attachimg=2]

I can't say based on that photo if it touches the strip or not... but going from your text; yours is off. My TS55 cuts perfectly fine along the strip without cutting the strip when doing bevelcuts.

Or you have too much junk on the rail making it ride higher.

 

[Michael Kellough]

1. Neither does the TS55 as long as you don't let it lift off the rail while doing bevelcuts.

But this is something the Mafell fancrowd mentions all the time. The reality is rather different; the Mafell cuts in a different spot when doing bevelcuts while the Festool cuts on the same line as always, bevel or not.

2. Looks to me a PITA to put the rail on the right spot..

1. Well then maybe my TSC is off because here's a photo of it beveled at 45º. You can see it rubbing against the splinter strip. Well looking at this again after the post, this actually appears to be the HKC, however it's still the same problem.

[attachimg=1]

2. Not really, I believe it cuts 1 mm off the splinter strip so if I want to place it exactly, I just make 2 marks at 1 mm and replace the rail accordingly.

[attachimg=2]

I can't say based on that photo if it touches the strip or not... but going from your text; yours is off. My TS55 cuts perfectly fine along the strip without cutting the strip when doing bevelcuts.

Or you have too much junk on the rail making it ride higher.

That's the way it ought to be in IMO it's a flaw that the Mafell cuts beyond the splinter guard when beveling. On the other hand, maybe Mafell users want to avoid the need to replace the strip since you can't simply move it outboard when it wears like you can with Festool and Makita.

Also, it's good operational hygiene to make the most critical/difficult cut first and measure off that. In that case where exactly the blade touches wood isn't so important.

 

[Coen]

I wouldn't "move" a Festool splinterstrip either.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I wouldn't "move" a Festool splinterstrip either.

Why not? Do you replace the whole strip when a half mm wears off?

Fidelity between the splinter guard and where the blade cuts is one of the best features if not the best.

 

[Coen]

If I peel it off... it doesn't stay put after that..

 

[Michael Kellough]

If I peel it off... it doesn't stay put after that..

Have you tried reactivating the adhesive with heat? I’m still using the black strips and they really stick. I use a heat gun (on both sides of the rail) to get the adhesive to relax it’s grip and then lift and move a little of the strip at a time. Then I press it down (with a roller if one is nearby) and heat it up again then cover with a strip of wood and clamp. A lot of spring clamps if it’s a thin strip of wood and a several real clamps if it’s thick.

 

[ScotF]

I like all the saws mentioned in this thread (well I do not have a cordless Mafell, but do have the corded MT55). They all perform well. The TSC is a bit more powerful than the TS55 and love the blade brake. The Mafell is awesome in so many regards. While I have a complete set of Mafell and Bosch rails, in all sizes and they are easier to put together, more durable rubber strip and they have a clamping channel right next to the cut strip, I do not like the metal on metal contact of the rail and saw base. The bottom of the rails is not as grippy as the Festool rails either. They are thinner so the saw motor can hit rail dogs if  you use that to square your rail to dog holes. You can use the Mafell on Festool rails, so that is nice. The corded MT55 is 1,650 watts now - 13.5 Amps - so on par with the TS75, which is nice. It also uses thin kerf blades. No riving knife means any kerf blade will work.

 

[slavi.yordanov]

No riving knife means any kerf blade will work.

My TSC55 works with a thin kerf 6 1/2" blade, without any modifications. Of course the riving does not do anything in that case.

 

[Coen]

If I peel it off... it doesn't stay put after that..

Have you tried reactivating the adhesive with heat? I’m still using the black strips and they really stick. I use a heat gun (on both sides of the rail) to get the adhesive to relax it’s grip and then lift and move a little of the strip at a time. Then I press it down (with a roller if one is nearby) and heat it up again then cover with a strip of wood and clamp. A lot of spring clamps if it’s a thin strip of wood and a several real clamps if it’s thick.

No. I did replace a transparent antisplinterstrip on a 1400/2 rail that wouldn't stay put and replaced it with an old stock black one. The adhesive of that one failed and that was fixed with some very thing dualsided tape.

The strip lasts pretty long in my opinion. Although maybe I should replace some of the older ones.

The bigger thing that annoys me however is that my 800/2 rail requires adjusting the saw compared to the 1400 rails (3 of those) I own. In the sense the guiding is too loose on the 800.