I don't get the hype about Festool track saws after using one for a week

I borrowed my buddy's Festool TS 55 for a kitchen job last month over in Akron. Everyone online acts like it will change your life and cut perfectly every time. But honestly, after using it for five days straight, I still prefer my old Makita with a homemade guide. The Festool dust collection is good, I'll give it that, but the setup felt finicky and the plunge mechanism stuck twice on me. I also didn't like that the splinter guard wore down after just two plywood sheets. For $650, I expected something that felt more solid, not like a toy you have to baby. Am I missing something or has anyone else felt the same way after trying one out?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamhenderson5d ago

Totally disagree man, been running a TS 55 for like 3 years now and its way better than my old Makita. Sounds like maybe the splinter guard wasnt seated right or you got a dud on the plunge, never had that issue once. The Makita with a homemade guide works fine for rough stuff but the repeatability and dust control on the Festool is a whole different level, especially if you ever do melamine or laminate where tear out matters. Maybe give it another shot with a fresh blade and a proper test cut on some real hardwood, cause I think its more about the system than just one saw.

wells.christopher5d ago

Yeah, I get what @williamhenderson is saying about the system thing. I clean houses for a living and I've seen way too many DIY guys trying to use a sawzall on a countertop and wondering why it looks like junk. You gotta have the right setup to get clean cuts, especially on melamine. If your track saw isn't cutting straight, first thing I'd check is if the blade is parallel to the track. I've had that issue pop up even on nice saws after a few months. Usually just loosening the rail mounts and adjusting it a hair fixes it.

murray.robert5d ago

Funny enough my old neighbor used his Festool to cut tiles once. Took years off that saw.