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The Festool's major strength is helping break down large sheets of plywood , mdf, etc. Bringing the saw to the work for that application is far easier then to bring sheetgoods to a table saw.


Dave C.

calver wrote:The Festool's major strength is helping break down large sheets of plywood , mdf, etc. Bringing the saw to the work for that application is far easier then to bring sheetgoods to a table saw.


Dave C.

Dave
I agree and the older I get the less I like wrestling a 4x8 on a table saw. But another huge factor I see in the Festool is near perfect cut and almost total dust collection. Again as I get older I'm learning to appreciate air that doesn't have dust in it.

Almost daily we are being bombarded with alerts about harmful products found in woods and man made materials. (just today I got an alert for a wood being imported from Asia that has been soaking in human waste and those dust has the potential to make you very sick). Dust control is not longer a luxury of the high dollar shop it is becoming manditory. I don't know of another way to cut wood with as excellent dust collection as the Festool offers.

Even though I'm a greenhorn to woodworking, at 65 I want to make this new adventure as enjoyable as possible. Everytime I cut something with the FT I marvel at the cut. Just did a 3/4 4x8 rip and the cut is like a knife did it, and there wasn't enough sawdust to put in the palm of your hand. With my limited space and wife that wants everything spic and span, this system works really well for me. I also have the SS vacuum and it also does a great job. We sealed up the garage a couple of years ago and the guys doing it really were happy I had the SS vacuum at that time. When they started there was sawdust everywhere (Feb construction) and once I convinced them that the vacuum could more than do the job even though it was a Makita chop saw, they were happy campers.

putttn wrote:Even though I'm a greenhorn to woodworking, at 65 I want to make this new adventure as enjoyable as possible. Everytime I cut something with the FT I marvel at the cut. Just did a 3/4 4x8 rip and the cut is like a knife did it, and there wasn't enough sawdust to put in the palm of your hand. With my limited space and wife that wants everything spic and span, this system works really well for me. I also have the SS vacuum and it also does a great job. We sealed up the garage a couple of years ago and the guys doing it really were happy I had the SS vacuum at that time. When they started there was sawdust everywhere (Feb construction) and once I convinced them that the vacuum could more than do the job even though it was a Makita chop saw, they were happy campers.

When did SS make a vacuum? Sure glad they switched to a dust collector!

Dust collector?? No wonder it worked so well!! Between it and the FT vacuum, I've kept peace in my marriage and am able to cut and sand just about anything I want in the garage. I envy you guys with dedicated shops.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Dave
I agree and the older I get the less I like wrestling a 4x8 on a table saw.

I agree with you. My alternative is to get the sheets cut when I purchase them. It makes it easier for me to load and unload, especially when it's up to me to do it.

At least with the SS you can set up a configuration to make cutting less burdensome.

BPR

I have owned a 1984 shopsmith since the early '90s and I have had my eye on the 520 upgrade for a long time but have been getting by with the small 500 table system which was inadequate for my wants. Finally I decided it was less expensive to buy a table saw than it was to upgrade the SS (about half). I am very happy with the decision. I'm sure I could have gotten good results upgrading the SS but after fully tuning my TS it makes excellent, square cuts on large or small stock. I still use the SS a lot but not for table sawing, and I of course have the room.

With the roll around availability of the SS, I'm able to utilize the table saw, band saw and put my little Rigid planer on the other side. So far no big complications and all those in a very small area. If I need to cut some big stuff I'll probably have to move one of the three, but so far it's very convenient.

I have a plan in my head and a drawing around here "someplace" for a rolling table with about 8" wheels on it. It has two straight wheels (with brakes) on one end and a caster pair on the other. The top is moved up and down with a jack and scissor lift and the upper extreme is higher than the table saw top (or a SS table). The top pivots to one side to almost vertical.
With it in the vertical position it is rolled out any walk door and up to the back of your truck, trailer or van where it is pivoted to the flat setting and the height is low enough to slide heavy sheets out of the vehicle onto the table which will hold up to maybe 10 sheets of 1/2" material (or just one if that is all you need). A fence of sorts mounts along the edge that lowers when vertical. The top is then pivoted to almost vertical with the material resting on the fence and it is all rolled back into the shop through the walk door. Once in the shop you pivot it back to a flat table, roll it over to the saw and... Well you get the picture.
* At least that is how this old geezer plans to get out of the sheet goods lifting business...
I saw something similar somewhere.

All this ripping discussion of ripping reminds me I have to readjust the mounting for my Rip-Strate for the 520 fence. There are very few things I will rip without that tool/