Festool’s new TS 55 REQ track saw is now available for purchase in the USA. Festool says the new saw is the most advanced plunge cut saw and guide rail system they ever built. Like the TS 55 EQ that came before it, the TS 55 REQ is incredibly portable, easy to use, and cuts beautifully with high precision.
TQ 55 REQ vs. TS 55 EQ
I bought a TS 55 EQ two years ago, and it has worked out beautifully well. I’m not a professional woodworker or contractor, so I can’t justify the price to upgrade a perfectly functional saw. But for those who earn a living through the use of their saw and other power tools should pay attention to the benefits the upgrade will bring you:
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- Easy to read depth scale, with a self-adhering imperial/inch scale so you don’t have to do constant metric conversions
- Micro-adjustable depth control for extra-precise settings
- A streamlined splinter guard for more protection from splintering
- Flat housing for flush-cutting
- Redesigned riving knife emerges from saw blade for easier positioning in existing cut lines
- Greater bevel range of -1° to 47° with positive stops at 0° and 45°
- Better dust control thanks to an improved dust channel design that improves extraction efficiency
The 55 REQ is without a doubt a great improvement over the 55 EQ.
Features
- 10 Amp/1200 Watt motor
- 6-1/4″ blade, 48 tooth carbide blade included
- 2,000 – 5,200 RPM
- Bevel cuts -1° – 47°, detents at 0°, 45°
- Cutting depth (with guide rail): 1-15/16 at 0°, 1-7/16″ at 45°
- Cutting depth (without guide rail): 2-1/8″ at 0°, 1-11/16″ at 45°
- Weight of 9.92 pounds
Availability
The TS 55 REQ kit (561556) is priced at $585 and comes with a 55″ guide rail and Systainer 4 tool box.
It is also available in bundles with Festool’s various dust extractors. Anyone planning to make their first Festool purchase should strongly consider such a combo.
Jan
One of these days.
fred
While Festool and their sister TTS brand (Protool) like to put themselves above the competition – I’m guessing that Dewalt and Makita plunge saws – have provided some incentive for making improvements to keep their product line fresh. While I have not bought into a stable of Festool products – their new Domino XL has been a game-changer for me in my home woodworking. While I never considered a track saw needed in our cabinet shop – where a panel saw, sliding table saw and dedicated rip saw are all available – I’m seriously considering their track saw as an adjunct to my home table saw.
Jan
yeah, I was reading the reviews of the Makita and they were all good,
one point a lot of people were making was the extra power the Makita has over the Festool.
Stuart
The Makita is more powerful, but those who know they’ll need more power can also look at Festool’s TS 75.
I don’t think any of the top brands’ track saws are bad choices. As I recently mentioned to someone via email, it’s the $200 ones that you have to be wary of, since you don’t know what has been sacrificed to arrive at such pricing.
Jason
I really wish I got a track saw/ panel saw. I’m really careful around my table saw, but if I was able to afford it at the moment it would have been a sawstop or tracksaw if I had the extra cash.
Stuart
While not exactly interchangeable, I opted for a track saw because I just don’t have the space for a good size table saw. Even if I did, breaking down sheet goods is still a lot easier and safer with a track saw than a table saw. Eventually I’d like to have both.
joe
These track saws are nice but too expensive and they are coming out with a lot of track systems where you can use you circular saw for a lot cheaper
fred
I’ll be interested to see how these new tracks work with a circular saw to improve the cut quality beyond what you get with a circular saw and a straight edge. I’m not sure if it is the Festool blade or it in combination with their track’s anti-splinter guide – but the cut quality is better than what I can get with a my 4-1/2 inch trim saw with a very good blade (I use a Forrest 40tooth WW04H407080 ) or on a 7-1/4 circular saw with a plywood blade (I use a 60tooth Freud LU79R007) – and just about the same quality that I’ve seen from the shop with a sliding table saw that has a dedicated scoring blade to score the veneer just ahead of the cutting blade. In my home shop – I don’t have the room, the 3-phase wiring or the money for a big sliding table saw – but I am considering a track saw.
Stuart
I thought the same thing before I bought my Festool. You can use a good circular saw with a great quality blade and edge clamps or aftermarket tracks, but the results won’t necessarily be the same.
For me, dust extraction, cutting precision, and surface quality were of higher importance than price, so I was able to justify the price. If I were to have to make the same decision today, I would absolutely choose the TS 55 REQ over a circular saw with 3rd party track system accessories.
RKA
I just picked this up (my first Festool) and with exception to the price, I’m impressed! I don’t have the room or desire to get a cabinet saw, but still want some of the capabilities and this track saw fits into my existing stable of tools nicely. What I love most is how incredible quick, clean and efficient it is, but of course if you’re looking at track saws you know that. Combined with their dust extractor, clean up in my garage took all of 5 mins.
Stuart
Glad to hear you’re having a great experience with your new Festool track saw! Be careful, though, as the track saw can be a gateway drug that leads to additional Festool purchases.
RKA
The gateway drug was GJ and your blog! 🙂
RKA
It’s been a few months since I acquired the TS55REQ. Just wanted to post some impressions but before I do, Stuart was more right than I could have even predicted! A jigsaw, domino joiner, router, MFT worktable and other accessories have fallen into my possession. Price aside, I love the ecosystem they have built!
Unfortunately the TS55REQ has been recalled due to a plunge mechanism that doesn’t reliably retract the blade. It seems like a relatively minor issue but if you’re not paying attention, it could bite ya. Festool has kindly offered a few alternatives until the gubbermint approves their fix, so after waiting 2+ months, I sent the saw in for a refund. 🙁 In it’s place I’ve ordered a Mafell MT55cc. This saw nets out at $225 more factoring in shipping and comes with no track ($130 extra) making it 50% more expensive apples to apples. It also has a 1 year warranty vs. 3 for the Festool, and a single US dealer (who presumptively handles all warranty issues, vs. Festool’s vast dealer network backed by Festool USA. That’s the bad, here’s the good. More powerful motor (1400w vs. 1200w), thinner blades (1.8mm vs. 2.2mm) and an elegant blade change mechanism. There were some reports that the TS55 saws would bog down in > 5/4 hardwoods, the Mafell should easily do better. Mafell also has a brilliant mechanism for joining lengths of track which guarantees a perfectly straight cut across the joined tracks. Festool requires a bit of fussing. And the Mafell is compatible with Festool tracks if you are already invested in the Festool system (the reverse is not true unfortunately). I want to use the tracks with my router and MFT work table, so I’m sticking with the Festool tracks. I’m told the Festool track sits 2mm lower, which you need to account for when setting plunge depth and it will also skew the cut line when making beveled cuts (pushing the cut line away from the splinter guard on the Festool track). This could be significant if you need to use the scoring feature to prevent tear out on chip prone surfaces. The Festool uses a riving knife to prevent the blade from binding, the Mafell uses electronics to monitor load and shut the motor down if it senses binding.
If Makita and Dewalt’s offerings don’t do it for you, and Festool hasn’t resolved the issues with the 55REQ’s, the Mafell is a nice option (albeit expensive). I haven’t had much time with the saw yet, but if I find something I don’t like (not likely), I’ll add it here.
Adam
I would like to here more, about the Mafell mt55, it looks very good, Adam.
TJ Meyer
Does the Makita SP6000J1 really weigh 16 lbs? I like what I have read about the Makita but the weight differential compared to Festool at 9.9 lbs is the absolute deal maker/breaker for me.
Stuart
SP6000J is said to weigh 9.7 lbs without batteries.
Maybe 16.5 lbs is with batteries and the guide rail?
TJ Meyer
Does the Festool TS 55 REQ F have a scoring feature like the Makita? Or do you have to set the depth to score each time and then change to full depth of cut?