I’m a complete novice but quite handy with tools and I’m going to be making tables, workbenches, shelving units etc for my workshop. I’ll be cutting up scaffolding planks and recycled pine and would like to buy some decent tools. First up is the saw, I quite like the look of the Festool Kapex120 but is there an alternative that is slightly less wallet busting but will do just as good a job for my need?

Ive just upgraded all of our Makita and Bosch kit to Festool.

However I have kept our 18v Makita and Bosch 110v mitre saws.

The Bosh one was around the £400 mark and we have been really pleased with it since buying it in January.

The Festool kit is very good but not sure the saw is worth it unless you are doing very accurate and repetitive work.

The Festool plunge saw and drills are just incredible pieces of kit. Very light and the batteries last for days compared to hours with the makita.

Do “complete novice” & “Festool” belong in the same sentance?

apologies if that sounded bitchy – not intended 🙂

Do “complete novice” & “Festool” belong in the same sentance?

this is stw and the answer is ‘Yes’ 🙂

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/manly-content-chop-saw-recommendations-needed-please-rarwr

FWIW i went with a Makita LS0714, which is great. Only con being it can only cut up to 52mm thick @ 90′ and some of my timbers have been 75mm – 100mm, but mostly <52mm.

http://www.makitauk.com/product/saws/mitre-saws/slide-compound-mitre-saw/ls0714-190mm-slide-compound-saw.html

LS1016 will cut 91mm thick, LS1216 will go to 102mm.

Do “complete novice” & “Festool” belong in the same sentance?

You rang?

Festool kit is lovely and if you can afford it, why not?

if you are just building stuff for your workshop get a cheap one!

evolution refurb for £60 has done me well so far for all interior house jobs

considering how much use it will get in future I’m glad I didn’t blow £400 on one

I’ve a lot of festool kit. Saw, jigsaw x 2, t18, plane, router, rotex, sds off the top of my head, I’d love the kapex but it’s a lot of money for a novice.
They do hold the value tho.
Just sold a 7 year old ts55 on eBay for £245 and replaced it with a new one for £283?

considering how much use it will get in future I’m glad I didn’t blow £400 on one

£400 will only buy you half a Kapex!

[/quote]qwerty – Member
Do “complete novice” & “Festool” belong in the same sentance?

In my world were I try and by quality stuff, yes 😀 I like stuff that lasts and will give me years of trouble free use without too much trouble. I intend on using it for more things once I’ve got my workshop put together. I’ve seen Dewalt and Makita stuff that are a shade over half the price of Festool but does half the price mean half as good?

http://screwfixlive.com/ in september for lots of stuff to play with trafford centre manchester and its free entry

If you’re getting spendy, I’ve got the dewalt 717xps and the big fold up stand. You’d get those for half the overpriced kapex. Then add a Festool ts55 plunge saw kit or a dewalt dw745 table saw with the change, I’ve got both of those too!

Nothing even comes close to the Kapex, if you can afford/warrant Festool then go for it, I’ve been using their gear daily for over twelve years and its never missed a beat. with the exception of the drywall sander and Domino XL, i think i have pretty much everything they do. It is expensive but you get what you pay for!

Ps. I might be selling my kapex 120 if your interested? (Im replacing mine with 110v)

When I looked at upgrading my old mitre saw I eventually bought a DeWalt sliding one, on rec from here and managed to get a new/old stock deal.

And if you’ve room, these are bloody handy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Sliding-Dewalt-Metabo-Makita/dp/B0073R8EOM/ref=sr_1_21?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1407864083&sr=1-21

As per Funky, I use my kit daily as a Kitchen/Bathroom fitter.

I’ve got a Makita LS1016 on a Dewalt Stand, A Dewalt Rail Plunge Saw (might have got the Festool instead of this now) and an Elektra Beckum table saw. Even with the use mine gets I couldn’t justify the Festool Kapex.

I’m considering selling my compound mitre & circular saw in favour of http://www.makitauk.com/product/saws/table-saws/mlt100-255mm-table-saw.html as I think it will suit my needs much better. Still trying to work through the pros & cons of all the options….

I’ve got a metabo flip saw, got it very cheap from b&q a few years ago.
It’s had very little use apart from ripping small but long stuff down (worktop upstands etc)
There isn’t much I can’t do with the ts55 and a mft3 that I can with the saw in table mode.

I’ve got a Makita LS1013 (old, but still fine…) in the workshop on a generic stand. Good capacity, but a lump to move around. I’ve used those screwfix evolution devices and they’d be fine for what you describe, and easily portable should you need to.
Id suggest the Festool might be overkill…. Lovely though.