Photo: courtesy Festool
Lead Carpenter, Bright Ideas by Martinec, Big Flats, N.Y.
When we started using the Festool TS 75, we almost couldn’t believe we’d been working without it up to that point. The saw is impressive not just because of the straightness of the cut, but also because of how well it makes high-accuracy cuts without any splintering. It has noticeably boosted our efficiency on the job. For example, it used to take us 20 minutes to set up—measuring for the saw bed offset, clamping a straightedge to the cabinet, then taping and scoring the cut line. Using the TS 75, set-up takes about 4 minutes. We simply place the saw on the pencil line and cut a crisp edge.
Our lead carpenters use the saw most. It’s easy to assemble and is pretty versatile. It’s particularly good for cutting hardwoods—oak, maple, cherry—and for cabinet work. We tend to use it most for kitchens and baths, to cut down extended styles on preassembled cabinets, but it’s also handy for cutting hardwood flooring angles and bull nose trim. We used it on the kitchen cabinets in a lake house project we did (photo, right). Those cabinets demanded absolute accuracy. On that job, we used the TS 75 to make cuts in the 8-foot-tall MDF-core walnut-veneer slab door panels, and the saw cut through the thin veneer on site with total precision and no splintering.
Of the features we like best, dust control is at the top of the list. You can attach your own shop vac to the TS 75 or use the vacuum attachment, which makes for quick, easy cleanup. Also, the Festool storage boxes lock together so they don’t slide around in the truck.
The only negative thing I have to say about the saw is that the four set screws on the track guides are small and hard to get to. Other than that, using the TS 75 has been a real productivity booster for us.
Photos: above right and below, courtesy Bright Ideas by Martinec
