Festool HK55

[transatlantic]

So these have been out for a while now. When I first saw it, I thought wow! ... what a game changer! ... but I haven't really seen them being used anywhere other than reviews. Which I am surprised by, as to me, it's all the benefits of a track saw, plus the ability of a sliding mitre saw/crossing cutting saw. So if you were really short of space, it could perhaps fill the part of a Tablesaw and Mitre saw. As for a jobsite saw, looks damn near perfect?

I think it can be a bit unstable with smaller pieces as you're referencing the piece itself for your cross cuts. So a simple sled would make it more accurate for those cases.

I don't plan on buying one anytime soon, but will be keeping my eye out for the other brands to come out with a cheaper alternative. But yes, surprised that I am not seeing it more in videos and online articles. Perhaps it's not the game changer I thought it was. Thoughts?

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

It's a track saw! What are you seeing that any other brand of track we won't do? I crosscut with mine all the time. What am I missing?

Mike.

 

[transatlantic]

Hello,

It's a track saw! What are you seeing that any other brand of track we won't do? I crosscut with mine all the time. What am I missing?

Mike.

Oh sure, I know you can crosscut with any other track saw, but this is setup up more conviently for the task, with how the track stays attached to the saw and the built in angle stops.

 

[Doug71]

I looked at the HK55 to replace my old TS55 but ended up sticking with my TS55.

I would say the HK is more suited for cross cuts on its fixed rail. It doesn't plunge and return like other track saws, you set the plunge depth before you make the cut. The dust extraction is not as good on the HK55, you get the feeling it was designed to be used outside without dust extraction.

If you mainly cut sheet material the TS55 is the way to go.

If you mainly do 1st fix carpentry the HK would be great, the HKC even better.

There is a slight crossover between them but they are really designed for different tasks.

Doug

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

So a SCMS and a track saw is still the way to go. One optimised for cross cutting and solid timber, the other optimised for man-made boards.

You can get protractor fences for track saws to facilitate square, angled and compound angles cross cuts. And don't forget an MFT table and parf dogs. I think the saw staying attached to the track is somewhat irrelevant, unless you are very forgetful!

Mike.

 

[transatlantic]

I think the saw staying attached to the track is somewhat irrelevant, unless you are very forgetful!.

It's a convinience I suppose, being able to lift the whole kit one handed is probably really useful on a job site. As you say, you can easily cut using a normal track saw, but I see a lot of benefits with the HK55 that just make it that much easier to use. Maybe not for the DIYer, but for the trades person, I think it would pay for itself several times over.