Thread: TS55 vs TS75?

The Festool circular saws are best used in combination with a rail. Therefore a real difference in handling when sawing in combination with a rail is almost not noticable. The weight to lift the machine is sure different but that is in my opinion the only difference in handling.

The only real question is are you going to saw deeper than 50mm (people tend to forget the thickness of the rail) in material that needs to be sawn exact and with a fine cut. I know for example that standard doors might be thicker than 50mm. Or when you're glueing uop table tops which are thicker than 50mm.

Furthermore there is still no module for the new basis set that is able to hold the TS75. If I heared/read somewhere that there might be coming one. But that is only hearsay. Might also be an important decision point for you.

Having used the 55 briefly and owning the 75 i'd say go the 55 if you are looking mainly at sheetwork.. I thought the extra 20mm would be handy and am sure it will be but on reflction think It may not have been the best buy for me (I was thinking table legs but then discovered I like my legs to be around 80-100 mm not the 70 that you get with the rail) another thing is the 55has a better balance when cutting mitres/angles...

Having said all that I still love my TS75 and am in no rush to trade down.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew. You have confirmed my thoughts. I would use a table saw for solid timber. I am interested in accurate sheet work. However I am also contemplating a sliding panel table saw, so this may make the Festo redundant. (My options were a cabinet saw & the Festo or a more expensive panel saw)

Ross

Hi Ross,

Unless you really need the 70mm depth of cut on the guide rail, I suggest a TS55 for the following reasons:

• Lighter weight and excellent balance make it so easy to use for both short and long working sessions.
• Comes with a FINE tooth blade for excellent quality of cut on solid timber, ply and melamine. The TS75 comes with a universal blade.
  
• Less expensive. If you wanted to go down the path of a CMS (Compact Module System) then it comes in the kit at a pretty good price.

TS55 v Table Saw.... Personally, I prefer to cut large sheets and large workpiece sections with the TS55 than the table saw.

Hi Zuma - there is a TS 75 module available, came out late last year. See here http://www.idealtools.com.au/prod5503.htm and http://www.idealtools.com.au/prod5498.htm

Girls use the 55, real men use the 75. The choice is yours

Now, where did I put me blouse?

Hey Lignum, real men don't use those wee little 10 inch table saws either?

Only if their wearing high heels and suspenders

I'm sure I could start a heated discussion by saying that real men use a mallet & mortice chisel, girls use a Domino, (so I wont)

On that note, 'nite all!

Originally Posted by Lignum

Girls use the 55, real men use the 75. The choice is yours

I was just gonna add I am going to purchase a 55 as well since I own the 75 but for some job sites I figure the 55 will be a bit lighter after working all day with the 75. But I will just shut up and say the 75 makes my forearms only stronger, lol...

Originally Posted by Lignum

Girls use the 55, real men use the 75. The choice is yours

I have a TS55, and I even bought the matching handbag to carry the 140 and 80 mm rails

Lucky for me the ts 75 didn't exist yet when I bought mine (our atf55 broke down, and we couldn't do without it) I don't regret missing the extra capacity, and I like not having to carry a heavier machine. Another advantage of the 55 over the 75: price of sawblades. I mostly cut sheetgoods and doors, sometimes the raisin stuff (in Holland called "trespa", after a brandname), sometimes the transparent plastic channel stuff (Think it's called polycarbonate) . Bladechange is easy on the TS's, and the special blades to cut other materials can get pricey.

I own the 55 and I've never wished for the extra 20mm in cutting capacity. Granted, the 75 wasn't available when I bought my 55 though.

The one thing that I always think about is the electrical requirements of the 75. Its obviously different for everyone outside of the US though. Over here we're using 120 volt and most outlets are only 15 amps. The saw is 13 amp (max) and the vac is (???)... I just wonder if its ever a problem with tripping circuit breakers? I've never seen anyone complain about it, but I imagine it could be an issue. Probably doesn't make a bit of difference for all of you that are running on 220v though.

That's wat the softstart is for. We do a lot of remodeling, and years ago whenever we used a bit more powerful tools, like a >2000 W circular saw or 230mm angle grinder there was a pretty big chance it would trip a circuitbreaker. But since we use angle grinders with softstart function (Bosch J series) we don't have that problem anymore. Something to do with a tool requiring peak demands of current at startup (I am not an electrician, just speaking from experience).

I don't really pay much attention to the amps of a tool, when curious I mostly just check the Wattage, but I do know that most circuitbreakers in Holland (where we work most of the time) are 16 Ampère. (And I never had any trouble using my CS70 table saw together with the CT22 vac)

Lou, I have not tripped any breakers yet on any job sites I have been on and most homes here are 100-125 amp services and as you said 15 amp breakers in most panels. I know since this TS75 is soft start the lock rotor is not over the 15 amp top...