Spent $400 on a Festool track saw and wish I'd bought something cheaper

Honestly, I bought into the hype after seeing everyone online rave about Festool. Dropped $400 on the TS 55 and the rail, figured it would change my whole game. But after a year of using it on job sites around Nashville, I still grab my old circular saw with a straight edge 80% of the time. The plunge mechanism is nice for sheet goods, but for framing and rough cuts it's just overkill for what I do. Anyone else feel like you can get 90% of the result with a $150 saw and a couple clamps?

2 comments

2 Comments

christophermorgan25d ago

Respectfully gotta disagree here. I use my TS 55 constantly for cabinet work and built-ins here in Nashville and the precision is night and day compared to a regular circ saw with a guide. The dust collection alone saves me from breathing in MDF all day and that's worth something. I tried the cheaper route twice and ended up fighting with blade deflection and wobbly guides on plywood. Maybe it depends what you're building but for fine work this thing earns its keep every time.

jamieh7625d ago

Night and day" is exactly right dude. I had the same junk blade deflection on my old Skilsaw with a cheap guide and it was driving me nuts on melamine. First time I ran the TS 55 I couldn't believe how clean the cut was. No tearout, no fighting it. And yeah the dust collection is a huge deal. I do a lot of kitchen cabs too and MDF dust is nasty. I used to spend 10 minutes after every job wiping down everything. Now I barely have to clean up. The upfront cost sucks but I look at it like buying a good mattress. You use it every day so it's worth spending on.