Big Decision: Festool or Mafell? [video #400]

++++++++

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for a few gift ideas and would like to support the channel then take a look at my Etsy store, my Amazon Affiliate store, or any of the links below.

Connect with me on twitter @10minuteshop

Connect with me on Instagram @10minuteworkshop

+++++++

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Wherever possible links are to actual products used, but this is not always possible e.g. some products are not available in the US, so something [similar] has been linked to instead.

++++++++

Used/featured in this video:-

++++++++

Other useful gear…

[raysi]

I have a mafell and use the minor gap for caulk or silicon joint

[gordonforme]

Thanks Peter for yet another practical, professional, and plain powerful and soooo helpful presentation.
As I've said before, I just don't know where you find the time to do so much to contribute to the woodworking community with your knowledge, expertise and downright bloody personable presentations. Unlike most of this community, having spent 30 years recording and editing audio and a good few years producing videos, I know just how much time it takes. No doubt the vast majority of your viewers think that, "well it's a 10 minute video, can't take more than 15 minutes to ! ! ! I know you'll agree that it will take a minimum of a couple of hours to set up all the different shots, get the camera angles right, the lighting, the sound etc etc etc. Then, editing will add at the very least another 30 minutes to as much as 3 hours or more, depending upon the complexity.
So, a HUGE thank you for all your stellar efforts ! No telling how many people are extremely grateful to be shown examples of how to do/make stuff and what tools to use to attain the professional quality you give to everything you do.
Yer a Peter among Pete's 😀.
Oh, and by the way, just ordered my very first Festool product, the TS 55 FEBQ-PLUS and am relishing tomorrow or Sunday when I'll finally get my hot little hands on the green and black Rolls Royce. Have been using a Parkside for a while not good enough. That's all I'll say : )

[kevinchamberlain]

Being immersed in work whereby all the chippies have either Festool of Mafell, I have used both. They both work fine but most chippies I have met all agree Mafell is of a higher build quality and a more robust tool. My Mafell reminds me of early Japanese Makita tools - extremely robust and bomb proof. I have seen issues arise with Festools - especially that riving knife. Nevertheless, don't let this put you off.

[d.Lightman]

If you slide down the clear plastic rectangle in front of the blade, the dust collection is improved a lot on the TS55.

[kristoffscuba]

I use a DeWalt tracksaw, and for cutting cheap mfc without any chip out, i make a scoring cut with the plunge depth set to 2mm and run the saw backwards starting at the end of the cut and pulling it towards me. I then flip the workpiece over and do the same thing in the waste side (if the waste side needs to be perfectly chip free). This gives 100% chip free cuts. A bit of a faff, but where something needs to be perfect, this method will do it.

[mesolithic]

i have to say i got the mafell and i tend to not use the score cut anymore as you say and show in this video. The idea of a score cut sounds amazing but the blade tilts over far to much

[anthonymiddlesex]

good afternoon peter hope you are purchased a Makita track saw 10 years ago still going strong, the big problem with it, the blade changed it to a Freud blade what a game changer fantastic I then changed my Dewalt table saw to a Freud blade totally different it improved it so much and I watched Gosforth handy man do the same I'm sure he copied me . try fitting a Makita rubber edge never peeled . when I change mine its a struggle to get in off. would be nice to see a 10 minute workshop on saw blades

[fabfiffti]

2:20 what is the make of the ratchet clamp getting used on the Mafell track ?

[scottjj]

When I do a scoring cut I was always shown to run the saw backwards down the rail first, then the blade runs the opposite way with the teeth going down into the face by a couple of mm rather than out of it (like the rotation of a scoring blade on a full size table saw) then finish with a full depth cut as normal pushing forwards.

[marklane]

Quick question for you, please. I am almost convinced that I am going down the Mafell path, but the question I have is, rather than use the scoring clip, which produces a 10th of a millimetre gap, can you not do what you did with the Festool and just do a 3mm precut?

[skipmcgrath]

I have never checked out the Mafell, but when I compared the Makita to the Fesstool, the Makita was smaller, more powerful, cut just as well and half the price. For the same price as a single Fesstool I have a complete Makita of set 2 rail lengths and a saw in my shop and another complete set for my truck. They get allot of abuse and they have always worked flawlessly. I think I might get another set for my service mini van.

[robertbaird]

I agree with Kevin ref the lack of power from the festool, also I bought my saw with a hoover and didn't use it for a long time only to find it isn't cutting at 90 when I started using it.

[hosuneoeb]

Good evening from germany. The Companies are 60 km away here in Baden-Württemberg, germany... it is a war... red against Green against blue....at the end everybody knows... nothing is better then mafell... but i love festool. I love the Colours. 😂😂😂. Really good Video. Thank you. But.... mafell is not compatative enough. Festools range of products is great and everybody Love the Brand. Mafell is a little Company Making products for professionals...

[avit]

I have a 1993 mafell mks105 and don't use the riving knife. But have the riving knife fitted with the mks160!

[Piterszczyk]

Hi, just something I wanted to share. Had to cut some melamine panels at work a month ago but I didn't have my festool with me (there was no need for it so far as my jobs on that site mostly included flooring- subfloor, finishings, and metal frame ceilings/partitions + plasterboard. However that week the kitchen fitters quit and there were few urgent jobs to be done that included melamine panels so I was asked to do few extras towards snagging). So I had to borrow a plunge saw off another joiner on site who was cutting replacement shelves for kithcen units (happened to be dewalt). Right in the beginning he said that his blade was pretty worn off and complained about the amount of chipping he was getting while cutting melamine panels. I had a look at the shelves he cut- disaster, nearly looked like they were cut with a framing saw blade. However, having not much other options, I decided to try anyway. Decided to do a test piece at super-slow speed first, and if that didn't work, I planned to use masking tape on the cut to try to get a slightly better finish. I didn;t get to try the tape- while going extremely slow, I was able to get a relatively clean cut (not perfect of course but it exceeded my expectations). I'm curious about whether you experienced similar improvement yourself. thx

[Philip]

Great vid Peter - you are a very credible authority on this topic and present wonderfully.
My two penneth is that the TS55 changed my life and, although it costs a few quid, it represents astonishing value when one considers its capability.

[adrianodonnell]

The first track saw I bought was the Festool some 15 years ago. I sold the TS55 and bought the Mafell just after it came out but after a few years of use I ended up going back to the Festool. The main reason was Festool's superior service and back-up. It took an age to get replacement parts or service for the Mafell. When deciding what machine is the best that's a huge consideration.

[LSLearmont]

For a super clean cut I make the scoring cut backwards, with the direction of the blade. This way, the top layer is supported by the material underneath, instead of the teeth kicking up on the top layer. (If that all makes sense)

[morokeiboethia]

Question - the festool website advertises some of their saws as "plunge saw" and some as "track saw." Are plunge saws just track saws that can do plunge cuts and track saws don't?

[markcopple]

This is my favorite of your videos. After watching it I purchased the bosch/mafell. I purchased a large 1250 CFM shop fox dust collector. I was thinking that a vac that large would take care of 95% of the dust from this track saw. It doesn't. There is still quite a bit of dust! Do you have any advice?