A Circular saw, or a Miter/Chop Saw or a ?

[Phil Winn]

My wife wants to buy me a circular saw - Festool TS55 or a TS75; or a Compound/Multi-Bevel/Sliding/etc/etc Miter Saw; or a Fein Multi-Tool; or a _________________? (A combination birthday and holiday 2005 & 2006 gift!)
In the past, I didn't buy a chop/miter and/or circular saw because I alrady own a SawStop table-saw with Jessem Slider, Jessem Miter Gauge, etc., and really try to make exact cuts - and didn't thjink that the chop/miter saw and/or a cicular saw would be "accurate" enough for me. But this weekend, I started building eight chairs which required multiple cuts - I was showing a fellow woodworker my SawStop ( they had a Powermatic but were thinking about buying a SawStop) so I was cutting some of the stock, and they said - " well a chop saw would make life a lot easier....". I also have been using more veneer and therefore more sheets of plywood - which is difficult for a single person to cut on my table-saw. (Let me add that I do predominantly make furniture, but occsionally do some home repairs
such as installing skylights, replacing cedar sliding, installing wood flooring --- just to confusing this post...). Then, my wife and I saw a television ad for
the Fein Multi-tool, and was “wowed” by it, but - it is more expensive than I thought it was going to be-and the blades etc are very expensive. I already own some Festool-vac, sander, drill, router-what about the TS55/TS75 - which size? - I worry about the cutting guide bending when lengthening/combining them; the approximately 8 foot length guide is so expensive. The PC Mag 324 with a guide? What about the miter saws—which sized blade? Compound? Sliding? etc-which options? Which Makes and Models?
Any thoughts, suggestions, a different tool perhaps? Do I need all of them, or in which order? Thanks so much,
Phil

[Marion Rood]

First you are blessed by having such a wonderful wife. As far as the tools go, I have a bosch 10" slide. I can cut up to an eleven inch board. Baseboard, casing and crown are all done well on slide.
The multitool is great. You can trim door jams and cut baseboard on the wall to add build-ins. The tool just keeps giving. It is even a good sander. I added a drawer in kitchen cabinet by cutting it apart in place with my fein saw. I get blades on ebay and I won't loan tool to someone on jobsite.
The whole guided saw thing I won't get into. Yes I have the EZ guide, I might have bought the Festool but in the end for what I do with it I'm happy with the EZ. I don't like the idea of holding down the saw for the entire cut on the Festool. And I wish that the EZ beveled right on the line like the Festool. They are both good systems. If you already have right bladed saw(not cheap brand-x saw), the money you save on entry EZ guide will buy fein saw.
Good luck

[Dave Falkenstein]

I cut sheet goods on a table saw for a long time, before I discovered the Guided Circular Saw System (GCSS) method. Now I use a Festool ATF55 and a home-made cutting platform, and my back thanks me. I'm 68, and can off load sheets from my pickup to the cutting platform by myself. I can cut the sheets down to size, making the first cut the final cut on each piece. I chose the 55 model, because I use the saw primarily for cutting sheet goods. The same system is also useful for ripping a straight edge on lumber and hardwoods. If you intend to use it for that purpose, then the 75 would be a wise choice.

I have never heard of a Festool user bending the rails. Admittedly the joint between two rails is a weak spot, but handling the rails with normal caution is not an issue. I do not have any problems with the joined rails. Start with joined rails, and if you see the need, add a longer rail in the future.

I have all three saws in my home shop - cabinet saw, Festool GCSS and a sliding compound miter saw. There is a place for each, IMHO. I certainly could manage without three, and the cabinet saw equipped as yours is can make all the cuts a SCMS makes. In a home shop, what price are you willing to pay for convenience???

The Festool saw set up on a Festool Multifunction table will do the same job as a SCMS for square crosscuts. However, the SCMS will be much easier for accurate angles for miter cuts or compound miter cuts. The Festool setup can do that job, but the angle setting is far more tedious.

With the Saw Stop and accessories you already have, my advice would be to look into the Festool or other GCSS options first.

[Dewayne Reding]

Phil

I'm a noob to WW, but have done a fair amount or home improvement so take this FWIW. With your current tool collection, I wouldn't drop the cash for a slider unless you really have money you don't need. From what I have read, you really need to buy a highend slider for LONGTERM accuracy. Non-sliders are another story. Even a pretty cheap one can give very accurate cuts. Buy a decent one and you can just about will it to your children. My old Delta has cut miles of construction lumber, even PVC pipe, and metal cutting (not recommended). It still does pretty nice trimwork 15 years later. I just bought a Dewalt 12" non-slider for the added capacity. Bosch and Hitachi get great reviews as well.

If you are wanting to do frequent 10 or 12" crosscuts then please disregard my ramble, a fixed miter won't do that of course.