New circular saw - plunge or "normal"?

[petermillard]

I found exactly the same and recently bought one of these with some extra guide rails http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Mafe ... 807319.htm it's a lot of cash but it's just so good it makes you smile every time you use it!

Aidan

Now that is an unusual looking bit of kit. It's on youtube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Jng09z3YQ - the flexible guide comes on at about 2 minutes.

Mafell make superb kit - just be aware that particular saw has a 40mm max. depth of cut, vs 50mm for most other plunge saws on guide-rails. For cutting sheet material this won't matter at all, but if you ever need to cut thicker stock e.g. trimming exterior doors or fire doors, then you'll give yourself a headache if you're restricted to 40mm. Just saying...

Pete

 

[TheTiddles]

I found exactly the same and recently bought one of these with some extra guide rails http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Mafe ... 807319.htm it's a lot of cash but it's just so good it makes you smile every time you use it!

Aidan

Now that is an unusual looking bit of kit. It's on youtube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Jng09z3YQ - the flexible guide comes on at about 2 minutes.

Mafell make superb kit - just be aware that particular saw has a 40mm max. depth of cut, vs 50mm for most other plunge saws on guide-rails. For cutting sheet material this won't matter at all, but if you ever need to cut thicker stock e.g. trimming exterior doors or fire doors, then you'll give yourself a headache if you're restricted to 40mm. Just saying...

Pete

That's very true. I was at the Nuneaton Axminster branch when the Mafell demonstrator was there, he was pushing the TS55 but it was just too much cash, I think he was having a slow day as I got a great deal on the baby version, expecially as I kept running back and forwards between him and Festool Land to compare with the products. My recently operated on dad needed the exercise...

Here's some pictures...

It is small, very handy infact, no shortage of power and the 40mm cut depth will still do kitchen worktops. My need is pretty straight forward, I need to break down sheets of MDF etc... very accurately and quickly, not because it's my job, precisely the opposite, I have so little time I can't make a mess of it and have to faff with planing all the edges every time I get a spare 30mins to do something fun.

The Mafell clamps are an eye-watering £40 a pair, twice the Festool I think, and they are the same I beleive, somewhen I will make some but for the moment I can still reach with some cheap ones and miss the motor.

One thing to note, the flexi-rail is 1.4m long and there isn't a longer one, this annoyed me a bit as I need to break down 8x4 sheets, you could get another one and join them together, but I went for the really expensive option and bought guide-rails too. The flexi rail may not look accurate and I didn't beleive it would be but those folded tabs are plenty enough to grab a hold of the saw and keep it dead on line.

The guide rails are costly an that joiner is a laser-cut piece of steel so costs £45, however, compare it with Festool and it's much faster and more accurate than their joiners, as it should be at that price!

The finish left by this little guy is amazing, on 18mm veneered MDF I can score the top layer about 1mm deep, come back then cut full depth leaving a finish better than I've got on a router before, it's that good.

When I bought this I was fully intending to buy the Festool TS55, I'm very critical and completely honestly, I think Mafell is better then Festool on this occasion, oh yeah, they're more expensive too. This little saw is less capable than the Festool TS55 and Mafell TS55 but for my limited use it's great, also it will cut floorboards, shadow gaps in skirting and so on

If you want to try before you buy let me know

Aidan

 

[Anonymous]

If you're willing to consider something slightly cheaper than the Festool saw then, Makita's plunge saw has been on special offer for a while. I don't know how it compares to the Festool and others (I imagine it's somewhere on a par with DeWalt and the other 'competitors' to the TS55) but Makita stuff is generally very well made and built to last.

I have used both, and i have to say the festool feels far superior smoother action etc etc, easier to set the depth stop on it also. But they both do exactly the same job (well the festool had a finer anti-chip blade on it, so the cut was finer)

I prefer the festool but the makita is half the price.

 

[chippy1970]

What you will find is that the Festool has a spring loaded riving knife which I dont think any of the others have so you can plunge into a board at any position ie you can do sink and hob cut outs in minutes and very neatly and with no worry of the blade binding in the cut because of the knife.

Aidan,

Im surprised you can cut 40mm kitchen worktops with that saw if the depth of cut is only 40mm surely you need at least 45mm ?

 

[matt]

This is what I've always used (shown on the "short" guide here):

And here's the 8ft guide:

Never had any problems with cut quality of accuracy. Some people make the mistake of just using a straight edge and then messing with the position of the edge in relation to the baseplate of the saw in relation to the position of the blade - that's where inaccuracy creeps in. The above guides are dead easy to make 100% accurate. Fix a guide on a wider plank, run the saw along to trim to size.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

This is what I've always used (shown on the "short" guide here):

Never had any problems with cut quality of accuracy. Some people make the mistake of just using a straight edge and then messing with the position of the edge in relation to the baseplate of the saw in relation to the position of the blade - that's where inaccuracy creeps in. The above guides are dead easy to make 100% accurate. Fix a guide on a wider plank, run the saw along to trim to size.

Those were the guides I made for my Elu. The two problems I had were saw dust (too much) and the tendency for the saw to wander away from the guide unless I was super careful.

Both problems were solved with my Festool TS55 no wandering and better than 95% reduction in sawdust

 

[Windy*miller]

Some people make the mistake of just using a straight edge and then messing with the position of the edge in relation to the baseplate of the saw in relation to the position of the blade - that's where inaccuracy creeps in.

That'll be me then :roll:

 

[matt]

Some people make the mistake of just using a straight edge and then messing with the position of the edge in relation to the baseplate of the saw in relation to the position of the blade - that's where inaccuracy creeps in.

That'll be me then :roll:

And me before I got my act together and made the above... :wink:

Use a reasonably wide section of melamine board for the guide and it should be/stay nice and straight as you fix it to a baseboard.

 

[Shane]

I've still got to get my act together and make a rail like that. A good mod would be to alter the saw fence so it hooks over the melamine section

 

[Windy*miller]

Many thanks for all the replies, fellas. Most helpful.

I'm going to make what seems to be a popular choice on this forum and get a Festool TS55 & guide rail package. The choice seems to be between the Q and the EBQ with the EBQ being about £80 more expensive but have electronics and a fast acting brake. I can't really convince myself that I need those two features, but people who already own one may disabuse of that opinion??

 

[chippy1970]

I have the EQ version but that is only because its 110v and they dont do braked versions in 110v. If I was you I would get the EBQ if you are buying a 240v version if you're spending that sort of money its worth just buying the top one.

I dont think the brake is that important as I say I dont have it and it still stops quickly enough but you should have the E (electronic) as this will help if the saw starts to struggle. The electronics make the saw sound very rough when starting up and you may think OH GOD what have I bought but this is normal. You can read more about the control system on the saw over at www.festoolownersgroup.com you can pick up lots of tips over there as well.

Where in the country are you based maybe I can recommend a dealer to you and also make sure you get the special offer that they are doing at the moment which is in the pdf below.

http://www.festool.co.uk/Campaigns/spri ... _small.pdf

 

[Windy*miller]

Thanks, Chippy.

I'm just outside Hungerford in Berkshire. I'm not sure there's a good dealer anywhere near us, but the best online deal I've found so far is this one: www.toolfest.co.uk/festool-portable-circular-saws which seems to include the freebies in your link.

Thanks also for the FOG link - I posted the same question there and the opinion is split more or less equally!

 

[petermillard]

I have the EBQ (more by luck than judgment tbh) and have to agree that while the electronics are important, the braking's probably less so; with a plunge saw that's 'un-plunged' the blade's contained while the motor spins down, so it's much safer by design.

That said, I think I'd agree with Chippy1970 - go for the top model if you're spending that kind of cash, otherwise you'll always be wondering what you're missing!

HTH, Pete.

 

[chippy1970]

Isaac lords in High Wycombe isnt far from you.

Toolfest are pretty good the guy who owns it is called Warren the shop is Bunnys bolts they also sell Mafell, Lamello etc etc I ve bought a few bits and pieces from them , they are very cheap for empty systainer cases.

 

[big soft moose]

tool post at didcot are pretty close but i dont think he caries circular saws.

there is a machine mart in swindon, and a screwfix - and a toolstation at oxford.

plus if you are going up to wycome i'd avoid isaac lord and head straight to axminster.

 

[chippy1970]

plus if you are going up to wycome i'd avoid isaac lord and head straight to axminster.

I forgot Axminster are there now they have a good Festool display there I think Isaac lords do too

 

[Tim Nott]

I use the same system as Matt, with a rebated guide made of ply that you just line up on the cut. Cheap, and not limited in length. Used it a lot on site with a 10" Makita to cut a load of 25mm MDF for cupboard carcasses, and use it in the workshop to put a straight edge on sawn wany edge boards. Up to 70mm thick oak!. The Makita (with a Makita blade) actually cuts faster than the 10" table saw (with a CMT blade).

 

[Benchwayze]

For details of how to make a similar guide to Matt's go here:

http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodvision/ ... 1442789968

Unless Matt wants to do a WIP!

Regards
John