Makita cordless plunge saw expensive or Festool a bargain?

[Doug71]

I have a Festool ts55 which I have had for years, it runs fine but the base is really worn and needs replacing. Think a new base is about £70 then I would have to fit it which sounds a bit fiddly.

I thought maybe it was time to go cordless and was going to get the Festool tsc55 as I have a few batteries so could get the bare unit, it costs about £400.

I saw Makita had launched a cordless plunge saw in America so thought I would wait and see how much that was when it got here as I also have a few Makita batteries, just seen a few places now stock it and it is £400 same as the Festool!

The Festool comes in a proper Systainer not a Makpac and you can use the Festool with just one battery but there is no mention of this with the Makita.

Am I missing something, I was holding out for the Makita thinking it would be a fair bit cheaper?

Doug

 

[MikeJhn]

Yep Makita have caught the delusion of grandeur bug from Festool. LOL

Mike

 

[Phil Pascoe]

http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/s ... 600_banner

You're right, there.

 

[Beau]

This is all presuming the Festool is the better saw. Is it?

 

[Doug71]

This is all presuming the Festool is the better saw. Is it?

I Should have worded the title differently, I am just used to Makita being cheaper, I am sure they will both be excellent saws and they do both get good reviews.

Looks like in America the Makita is over $100 cheaper then the Festool.

I am going to a show in a couple of weeks so will hopefully have a play with them both and decide then

Just noticed the Festool comes with a dust bag, don't think the Makita does.

Doug

 

[Eric The Viking]

Get the baseplate. Fit it (or get a local specialist to do it). Be happy that you haven't been taken in.

Honestly...

... I've got an SP6000K and I like it a lot. But with two exceptions, (1.) that the Makita has an anti-tilt function, and (2.) it also has 2.5mm greater depth of cut, the TS55 is definitely the better saw. But at the time I bought my Makita, that meant about 300 quid better! It wasn't worth that much!

Similarly, how much do you want to go cordless? You could, of course, do the baseplate, and sell that saw on, to offset the cost of the cordless one, but it will still be rather a lot (I'd guess).

I'm not saying you're daft to consider it - I have a growing collection of Bosch 10.8V tools (just got their jigsaw), and they are extremely handy. For me it would be too expensive, but you know your work better than anyone else. If having mains power available is just too awkward, then cordless may be sensible... I guess it's something we can't answer for you.

E.

PS: If you DIY the baseplate replacement, I think you do have to re-align the saw, too. I've seen instructions on the net for how to do this (US Festool owners' group, I think). Not hard, but you must do it to keep the cut quality - IIRC you toe-in the blade by the thickness of a piece of 80g A4 paper.

 

[Bodgers]

I have a Festool ts55 which I have had for years, it runs fine but the base is really worn and needs replacing. Think a new base is about £70 then I would have to fit it which sounds a bit fiddly.

I thought maybe it was time to go cordless and was going to get the Festool tsc55 as I have a few batteries so could get the bare unit, it costs about £400.

I saw Makita had launched a cordless plunge saw in America so thought I would wait and see how much that was when it got here as I also have a few Makita batteries, just seen a few places now stock it and it is £400 same as the Festool!

The Festool comes in a proper Systainer not a Makpac and you can use the Festool with just one battery but there is no mention of this with the Makita.

Am I missing something, I was holding out for the Makita thinking it would be a fair bit cheaper?

Doug

In all fairness the Festool tracksaw is probably their most competitively priced tool. All the other major manufacturers plungesaws are around the same price point, so it isn't just Makita.

Consider the Dewalt btw, it has a riving knife unlike the Makita, dust collection is great.

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