What should I ask for?

Best thing for cutting up sheet goods?

  • Go with Festool, with a long guide. $640

    Votes: 30 50.8%
  • Go with EZ-smart, with a new saw. $550

    Votes: 4 6.8%
  • stick with your redline cutting guide, and your dumpy old circular saw

    Votes: 14 23.7%
  • Forget it. Doorlink will say no anyway! Pound sand! ;)

    Votes: 4 6.8%
  • What, are you crazy? You need more turning tools!

    Votes: 7 11.9%

  • Total voters
    59

Bill Lantry

Member
Messages
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Location
Inside the Beltway
Well, folks, it's that time again. I have three tool acquisition occasions per year: Birthday, Father's day, Christmas. Birthday is coming up. I've got tons of shelves and builtins to build. That means cutting up sheet goods. What should I get? Getting good data on this seems like the old tech religious wars: mac vs pc, wordperfect vs word. Help!

Thanks,

Bill
 
Bill, I voted for the Festool, in my honest opinion, the $90 difference between the Festool and the EZ with a good new saw, is not very much, over the rest of your lifetime :D

I have to again say that I think the real ace in the hole is the Festool saw itself.

I guess you could try to have the best of both worlds and get the Festool saw, and then the plate to fit the EZ rail system???

I do not know much about the EZ system, it looks good, but like I said, for me the real heart of the whole guided rail system, is the saw, and beating the Festool TS-55 is not easy thing.

Good luck with it! :wave:
 
I voted for the Festool, but:

I have the EZ, and it's a very good system. My reason for voting Festool is the 'plunge' feature on their saw, and its riving knife - features not available on other saws.

One other point: Your combined price for the EZ system seems pretty high. A 114" EZ system is $254.00. That means you're allowing $300.00 for a saw. My Makita saw was only a bit over $100. PC or DeWalt saws can be had for around $150, so the total for the EZ system should realistically be more like $400.00.
 
Bill,

I voted for the Festool. If money is not the constraint, then I believe that the Festool has a good mix of features that are not available on any other setup. The riving knife, plunge, dust collection you just will not find that in any other circular saw. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the EZ system. Until I can justify a Festool, I will be sticking with my old cutting guide, and dumpy old circular saw.

Mike
 
don't you already have a good tablesaw??

When I break down sheet goods I do one of two things: I have the store make the first cut -- cutting it wide by a 1/4" or more. Or I cut it in the garage with a jigsaw or circular saw -- again, cutting it wide. Then I do the final cuts on the tablesaw.

Sure, the festool is night, and I know it works great. But I can already get done what it does in other ways - maybe slower, maybe dustier, and maybe not even as easy, but I can still do it.

My point is that I have other things I'd rather have. Now, if I already had every possible tool, then I might go for the Festool

...art (just being contrary)
 
don't you already have a good tablesaw??

When I break down sheet goods I do one of two things: I have the store make the first cut -- cutting it wide by a 1/4" or more. Or I cut it in the garage with a jigsaw or circular saw -- again, cutting it wide. Then I do the final cuts on the tablesaw.

Sure, the festool is night, and I know it works great. But I can already get done what it does in other ways - maybe slower, maybe dustier, and maybe not even as easy, but I can still do it.

My point is that I have other things I'd rather have. Now, if I already had every possible tool, then I might go for the Festool

...art (just being contrary)

Well Art, don't you have a half decent handsaw? I mean you could dump your circular saw and jigsaw, also it makes less noise, better for your health, all that upper body work. I know it would be harder and not as accurate, but you could get it done............ right :D

Stuart (just being even MORE contrary) ;) :D

All funning aside, sure, you are correct Art, I did much the same thing for a long time, but, once I got the Festool, my personal satisfaction level working with sheet goods rose to a whole new level. I used to dread having to break down a bunch of sheets of plywood for a project, but no more, now it is a fairly easy operation and very much dust free. It is also a lot quicker, not having to cut everything twice, and more important, with half the number of cuts to be made, I have less chances to screw up the measurements :rolleyes: :D

Cheers!
 
If I was planning to do a lot of sheet good cutting, I'd want some type of good guided rail system. I'll be an odd man out though...I voted for the EZ system. I've not used either, so I'm not biased, but it seems with the EZ system Bill could have more options when it comes to adding a router to the setup. (Especially if he already owns a good one.) The Festool system is second to none I'm sure, but their router prices seem to be about double that of comparable routers.
 
$570 for the Freedom package a 114" rail system with one rail 50" the other 64" a router guide & circle maker + smart square & a smart table to use to put sheet goods on for cutting & a saw with base & dust port, all set up ready to go to work. The 114" rail allows enough overhang to allow the saw to get well past the end of a 96" sheet good. With the guide taken apart you have a 64" guide to cross cut a 4' wide sheet good with the same overhang on each side as the full rail. With the square you can square a end to a side or visa versa. The saw is a refurbished Hitachi C7BD2 looks new & works great. I have all of the above.

A friend has the same EZ package but uses a different saw. He also has Festools system with Vac that cost around $800.00

Can you buy just a Festool saw & guide rail? I tried to find where you could & just use your own Vac. (I am sure you can) I know that the saw costs $440. Also you don't get the router system with it & then what about a blade can you just go down town & buy something like the a Freud Diablo 40 tooth blade $ 17-19. I understand that the blade is proprietary to Festool meaning if you don't buy one of their blades it won't fit the saw. so you should have a spare on hand, what do they cost? Also will this blade fit on your local sharpeners system? This is the main reason I didn't buy Festool & after having used both I don't see any difference in the cut. Another thing about the plunge saw I understand it isn't necessarily easy to hold the plunge saw down if your over extended.

There are many other additions you can get in time for the EZ system & it keeps evolving.

I voted for the EZ system.

Few people stop at just one addition to the EZ system why because it is less expensive to add to what you already have.

Just some of my thoughts.
 
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I voted Festool because the saw is great. I am quite sure that other rails are as good, but the Festool plunge circular saw is fabulous. In particular , I like the the riving knife and the plunge capability.

By the way, there will be a price increase at the end of this month.

One thing to warn you of however. If you get the Festool saw, it is likely to cost you a great deal more than $640 in the long run. Few people stop at having just one Festool tool.
 
Knowing that you are a man of unlimited funds.:rofl: This is what I would go for Powermatic 511- 62" Panel Saw.
I haven't tried either one. I to cheap to spend the jing on a tool that can be easily made in my shop.
 
Knowing that you are a man of unlimited funds.:rofl: This is what I would go for Powermatic 511- 62" Panel Saw.
I haven't tried either one. I to cheap to spend the jing on a tool that can be easily made in my shop.

Hey Chuck I'll bet you can't make either one of these guided saw systems in your shop. That is unless you have an aluminum extrusion factory.


Oh you can make a plywood strip but I'm here to tell you it ain't the same.

The other thing is a panel-saw takes up more room & in a small shop room sometime isn't to be had. I know I have an older DeWalt panel-saw its now disassembled & stored away & I have the EZ system.

Bill I recommend you go do some serious reading up on the EZ system both on the EZ forum & here http://www.eurekazone.com/ as well as watxch a few clips of it in use on Utube.
 
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Festool, No question about it.
It is like getting a quality tool for free.
However, once it pays for itself,
it just keeps on working and working and working.....

DT
 
Hey Chuck I'll bet you can't make either one of these guided saw systems in your shop. That is unless you have an aluminum extrusion factory.

No need for the factory, aluminum shapes are right on the shelf. have a nice piece out there for 20' boards. Might not be as hight tech as the others but works well. And on the flip side if you need a straight piece of aluminum for another project just cut it up into what ever you need tig it up and voila radiator support for the race car.
 
Hey Chuck I'll bet you can't make either one of these guided saw systems in your shop. That is unless you have an aluminum extrusion factory.

No need for the factory, aluminum shapes are right on the shelf. have a nice piece out there for 20' boards. Might not be as hight tech as the others but works well. And on the flip side if you need a straight piece of aluminum for another project just cut it up into what ever you need tig it up and voila radiator support for the race car.

Sheesh talent you just can't beat it not even with a big stick!!!!!!:doh::eek::):D:wave::rofl:
 
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