Best package for a Festool TS55R for making kitchen/storage?

[EdK]

Hi everyone,
I have been renovating my house for a while and have got on to the kitchen and storage bit.

I was looking at buying a Festool track saw and was wondering:

Whether to get the TS55R or the 75?
I was thinking the 55.

What are the most useful rails?
I can find a fair few deals where you get the 1400mm rail but from reading around it seems best to not have to join rails so I saw a 2700mm rail for £120 (ex vat) which looked good.

What is a suitable extractor?
I bought a Domino XL in spring and would like to get an extractor that will work well with the Domino / track saw / scms (DeWalt) / router (1/2" DeWalt) etc
I've seen some deals that package the TS55R with the CTL Midi - is this good or should I go for the larger CTL 26 ?

How about other add ons?
I looked at the MFT3 but it's about £400.
I looked at the FS-PA parallel side fence and the FS-PA-VL extension which come in together at about £220 (ex vat).
At the moment I'm leaning towards getting a mate to CNC cut 20mm holes in a sheet of MDF for a top, get some kind of track and make a home made effort. I've seen others do this - how successful is it? Or is it worth just finding more money for the Festool gear?!

As you can see I have decided on a track saw but need some advice on getting a suitable package that will allow me to break down sheet goods for making a kitchen and making cupboards in bedrooms etc etc
I don't have room for a table saw so the track saw makes sense.
I'm not doing this commercially - just trying to improve the house.

Anyway, any advise would be welcome.
Thanks,
Ed

 

[Wuffles]

FWIW. I don't think you currently need a 75, the 55 will do you. Any of their vacs are good, same suction from all just more space (and more expensive bags) the bigger you go. Negate that problem with a dust collector in-between your vac and your tool and that problem goes away so you can go to the MIDI rather than the 26. BUT, check on whether you are likely to want to invest in the boom arm - or just do your research on that as the boom arm on the MIDI and the 26 (and above) are different I think. One might be made of papier mache or something, and I'd hate for you to get crushed by a cable.

Big rail is cumbersome but SO handy for breaking down sheets. Little 800 rail is handy too, and of course the 1400 tends to come in the set. I spent years with a couple of 1400s and joined them each time...until I found I had the space for the larger rail. Obviously couldn't go back.

MFT (IMO) is a bit of a rip unless you need portability. Get a top (either form Festool or have one made) and mount it somewhere solid and then get hold of some dogs. Rail dogs and a set of smaller dogs will sort you out for most cuts. You can improvise with a stop block and a clamp through the table instead of using the stopper on the proper MFT.

This is of course all my opinion and is subject to ridicule. I've been using the rails and the saws for years now and this is what works for me.

If you want a set of the parallel guide adaptors, I might sell mine as I don't use them.

Good luck.

Oh, and you shouldn't really be using a domino without extraction - messy old business - but they work perfectly with the vacs.

 

[carlb40]

If you are only going to be cutting man made boards, i would say the TS55. If you will be cutting timbers? Then get the TS75. I'm a site chippie and have the TS55, and 3 1400 rails and want an 800 for smaller pieces. I also have the midi and can highly recommend it.

If you end up going with just an mft style top, there are a couple of members on here who make/ sell them.

 

[pcb1962]

Hi everyone,
I have been renovating my house for a while and have got on to the kitchen and storage bit.

I was looking at buying a Festool track saw and was wondering:

Whether to get the TS55R or the 75?
I was thinking the 55.

The TS55 is adequate for any normal household stuff.

What are the most useful rails?
I can find a fair few deals where you get the 1400mm rail but from reading around it seems best to not have to join rails so I saw a 2700mm rail for £120 (ex vat) which looked good.

Joining rails is no problem unless time is money and you're needing to break down 8 foot sheets every day. You just need a good straight edge to place along the back of the rail, I use a level something like this one http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Professional-Spirit-Level-1-8m/p/167351. If you have the storage space and the money for a 3m rail then that's obviously the ideal, but joining 1400mm rails really isn't a big issue. The 2.7m rail is not long enough for ripping an 8ft sheet, two 1.4m rails joined are, just.

What is a suitable extractor?
I bought a Domino XL in spring and would like to get an extractor that will work well with the Domino / track saw / scms (DeWalt) / router (1/2" DeWalt) etc
I've seen some deals that package the TS55R with the CTL Midi - is this good or should I go for the larger CTL 26 ?

CTL Midi is perfectly adequate with the TS55 and the domino

How about other add ons?
I looked at the MFT3 but it's about £400.
I looked at the FS-PA parallel side fence and the FS-PA-VL extension which come in together at about £220 (ex vat).
At the moment I'm leaning towards getting a mate to CNC cut 20mm holes in a sheet of MDF for a top, get some kind of track and make a home made effort. I've seen others do this - how successful is it? Or is it worth just finding more money for the Festool gear?!

If you don't have a regular workbench and you need to pack everything up at the end of the day then the MFT/3 is ideal. I'm surprised if you've seen it for 400 quid, 500 is the norm. You can add about 150 quid to that for some very lovely Festool clamps that you'll be needing, and you'll also want a set of parf dogs form Axminster.
If you already have a bench then get stu_2 to make you MFT style top and save yourself 400 quid: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/mft-style-work-surfaces-t77255.html. Then all you need in addition to teh TS55 outfit is the parf dogs, some clamps, and an 800mm rail.

As you can see I have decided on a track saw but need some advice on getting a suitable package that will allow me to break down sheet goods for making a kitchen and making cupboards in bedrooms etc etc
I don't have room for a table saw so the track saw makes sense.
I'm not doing this commercially - just trying to improve the house.

My recommendation, feel free to ignore it: TS55 kit with 2 x 1400mm rails, an MFT top from stu_2, an 800mm rail, a set of parf dogs, and some lovely buy very pricey Festool clamps (488030 and 491594).

 

[EdK]

Saw bought. Thanks for all the advice.

Went with a kit with the TS55 with 2x1400mm rails / connectors / CTL Midi extractor
Also got 1x800mm rail and 2xlever clamps (FS-HZ 160mm)

Pretty darn excited (and now skint for a while....came in at £760 ex-VAT ).

Thanks!
Ed

 

[Stu_2]

If you already have a bench then get stu_2 to make you MFT style top and save yourself 400 quid: "https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/mft-style-work-surfaces-t77255.html".

Thanks Peter, but this is the link to the quick n dirty repeat method for knocking-up non-accurate bench tops for use as rough clamping tables.

This is the link I think you meant to post: topic79021.html

I looked at the FS-PA parallel side fence and the FS-PA-VL extension which come in together at about £220 (ex vat).

Evening Ed

The parallel guides are excellent. I use the full set, and rarely use my table saw any more.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Stu

 

[EdK]

Thanks Stu - good info and I will check out the linked post.

Balls! The company I ordered from changed the postage from £18 to £99... so I cancelled with them.
Back to the drawing board.... will see if there is a local dealer - stuff here locally is normally alot higher but I'm hoping with Festool the prices will be comparable.

 

[KevM]

Saw bought. Thanks for all the advice.

Went with a kit with the TS55 with 2x1400mm rails / connectors / CTL Midi extractor
Also got 1x800mm rail and 2xlever clamps (FS-HZ 160mm)

Pretty darn excited (and now skint for a while....came in at £760 ex-VAT ).

Thanks!
Ed

I don't know where you were looking, a similar package from Nuts & Bolts (minus the 1800 rail, but plus the cleaning kit and rail bag) is £760 inc VAT - might be worth giving them a call regarding delivery.

No connection with N&B other than a satisfied customer.

 

[EdK]

Got a good deal with the local agent - nice!

Just need to get a MFT top cut from a local shop with CNC, buy some parf dogs and get on with it all.

Thanks for the help