Plunge Saws. TS55 or MT55.

[whiskymac]

Hi all,
I'm currently considering replacing my aging 110v Festool TS55 with a new plunge saw and new rails.
I'm looking specifically at the latest Festool TS55 or possibly the Mafell MT55, for those who've used both which have you bought/preferred and why? Any input would be welcome.
I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Also any thoughts on the Festool TSC55 18v saw as a main saw for daily use, anyone doing this?

Many thanks.

 

[MikeJhn]

I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Many thanks.

The overview guidance from HSE on construction site supplies is found in HSG150: (Any work carried out by a paid professional on any premises, those premises would be deemed to be a construction site, also see the CDM Regulations where domestic premises cannot know be excluded)

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg150.pdf

(even thought the link says "priced", it's free to download now, as are most HSE publications).

Look under "electricity" on pages 94-97.

Special locations and conditions (e.g. confined spaces) excepted, 110 V and/or cordless are highly recommended, and use of 230V tools is recommended to be "more appropriate to dry indoor sites where damage from heavy or sharp materials is unlikely."

One warning, though - if you want to read around electrical safety in construction, most HSE publications talking about this (even the newer ones) refer to a currently out-of-print HSG141 "Electrical Safety in Construction". I think the more resourceful may be able to obtain it, but if not it should be available from a library ??

This has a telling tale on page 11:

"if, having considered the hierarchy of risk control, a mains voltage (230 V) supply is selected for portable tools and equipment, additional precautions must be provided to reduce the risk to an acceptable level (see paragraph 70)."

And para 70 has a number of effective "conditions", e.g.:

-RCD must be used
-RCD operation to be checked daily with test button, and inspected weekly together with the equipment it is supplying during a formal visual inspection.
-RCD must be tested every 3 months by an electrician using appropriate test equipment.

along with other recommendations about the tools/equipment itself (e.g. must be fit for purpose, should be double insulated, etc.).

Conclusion:

HSE guidance is that 110 V RLV system should be used to "effectively eliminate" shock risks on construction sites. 230 V can be used, but only after risk assessment and suitable implementation/control measures are in place.
Mike

 

[Wuffles]

Hi all,
I'm currently considering replacing my aging 110v Festool TS55 with a new plunge saw and new rails.
I'm looking specifically at the latest Festool TS55 or possibly the Mafell MT55, for those who've used both which have you bought/preferred and why? Any input would be welcome.
I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Also any thoughts on the Festool TSC55 18v saw as a main saw for daily use, anyone doing this?

Many thanks.

Buy the Mafell.

You won't regret it and run it on your Festool rails.

 

[whiskymac]

I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Many thanks.

The overview guidance from HSE on construction site supplies is found in HSG150: (Any work carried out by a paid professional on any premises, those premises would be deemed to be a construction site, also see the CDM Regulations where domestic premises cannot know be excluded)

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg150.pdf

(even thought the link says "priced", it's free to download now, as are most HSE publications).

Look under "electricity" on pages 94-97.

Special locations and conditions (e.g. confined spaces) excepted, 110 V and/or cordless are highly recommended, and use of 230V tools is recommended to be "more appropriate to dry indoor sites where damage from heavy or sharp materials is unlikely."

One warning, though - if you want to read around electrical safety in construction, most HSE publications talking about this (even the newer ones) refer to a currently out-of-print HSG141 "Electrical Safety in Construction". I think the more resourceful may be able to obtain it, but if not it should be available from a library ??

This has a telling tale on page 11:

"if, having considered the hierarchy of risk control, a mains voltage (230 V) supply is selected for portable tools and equipment, additional precautions must be provided to reduce the risk to an acceptable level (see paragraph 70)."

And para 70 has a number of effective "conditions", e.g.:

-RCD must be used
-RCD operation to be checked daily with test button, and inspected weekly together with the equipment it is supplying during a formal visual inspection.
-RCD must be tested every 3 months by an electrician using appropriate test equipment.

along with other recommendations about the tools/equipment itself (e.g. must be fit for purpose, should be double insulated, etc.).

Conclusion:

HSE guidance is that 110 V RLV system should be used to "effectively eliminate" shock risks on construction sites. 230 V can be used, but only after risk assessment and suitable implementation/control measures are in place.
Mike

 

[whiskymac]

Hi all,
I'm currently considering replacing my aging 110v Festool TS55 with a new plunge saw and new rails.
I'm looking specifically at the latest Festool TS55 or possibly the Mafell MT55, for those who've used both which have you bought/preferred and why? Any input would be welcome.
I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Also any thoughts on the Festool TSC55 18v saw as a main saw for daily use, anyone doing this?

Many thanks.

Buy the Mafell.

You won't regret it and run it on your Festool rails.

Read that a lot on the web, must admit though I've yet to see the Mafell in the 'wild'. Sounds like the Mafell solves a couple of the minor issues the TS55 has.

 

[Wuffles]

Hi all,
I'm currently considering replacing my aging 110v Festool TS55 with a new plunge saw and new rails.
I'm looking specifically at the latest Festool TS55 or possibly the Mafell MT55, for those who've used both which have you bought/preferred and why? Any input would be welcome.
I'm going to buy 240v this time as all of my work these days is residential and I'm fed up with a heavy transformer.

Also any thoughts on the Festool TSC55 18v saw as a main saw for daily use, anyone doing this?

Many thanks.

Buy the Mafell.

You won't regret it and run it on your Festool rails.

Read that a lot on the web, must admit though I've yet to see the Mafell in the 'wild'. Sounds like the Mafell solves a couple of the minor issues the TS55 has.

Where are you based? Come and have a go on mine.

 

[whiskymac]

Where are you based? Come and have a go on mine.[/quote]

That's very good of you mate, I'm up in Cumbria though so bit of a trek unfortunately.

 

[Wuffles]

Do you have a lot of Festy rails already?

I moved from a TS55 to a TS75 (dust collection was so poor I moved it on) and decided to go with the Mafell as I already had the jigsaw.

 

[AJB Temple]

I went through this exact debate recently and having tried the TS55 I ended up buying the Mafell MT55 (though it was bought for a good price in Germany). Both brands are obviously very good but I think the Mafell kit tends to be better made and more robust. Very easy blade change. Quite a good review of both saws here: http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/track-saw-review/

 

[whiskymac]

I went through this exact debate recently and having tried the TS55 I ended up buying the Mafell MT55 (though it was bought for a good price in Germany). Both brands are obviously very good but I think the Mafell kit tends to be better made and more robust. Very easy blade change. Quite a good review of both saws here: http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/track-saw-review/

Nice review thanks.
Surprisingly ...If anything it suggests the TS55 has the better dust collection over the MT55. Other comments I've seen online suggest the Mafell has better extraction with its different blade cover design.

 

[Wuffles]

I went through this exact debate recently and having tried the TS55 I ended up buying the Mafell MT55 (though it was bought for a good price in Germany). Both brands are obviously very good but I think the Mafell kit tends to be better made and more robust. Very easy blade change. Quite a good review of both saws here: http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/track-saw-review/

Nice review thanks.
Surprisingly ...If anything it suggests the TS55 has the better dust collection over the MT55. Other comments I've seen online suggest the Mafell has better extraction with its different blade cover design.

It is better dust extraction, nominally, hard to really tell as they're both good. My real-world comparison was against the TS75, which is poor.

 

[chippy1970]

The thing that's tempted me to the mafell is that sometimes my 110v ts55r runs slow and struggles on thicker stuff. Apparently the mafell feels more powerful. Regards dust the ts55r is fine for dust collection well mine is anyway

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[No skills]

I was ripping some 45mm oak last weekend with the TS55, I have the rip blade and made reasonable progress with the cuts - I'm pretty impatient normally and tend cut a bit quicker than most - I think the saw would of bogged down if I had tried that.
It would of been a painful process if I had been using one of the finer blades.
I think if I were a site chippy I would go for the Mafell over the festool, I'm a bit heavy handed and I think I would kill the ts55 at work pace.

 

[whiskymac]

Has anyone used the cordless Festool, the TSC55?
How does it perform, can it really replace a mains powered saw?
FWIW I would use it sometimes with an extractor and probably less often with just the dust bag, the lack of power cord could be nice though and the ability to be mobile if I was without power.