Festool TS 55 REBQ – Required Everywhere, Best Quality! Guide Rail Saw Extraordinaire


Independent Review by Peter Brett


I am a great fan of guide rail saws having tried a few of them over the last six months. Used correctly, they save an enormous amount of time and they are great for getting your right angles right and your angles angled. This was not always the case. Ten years ago or so,


I tested a couple of guide rails made by accessories manufacturers and they proved to be a hassle to use and were quite difficult to get accurate results from. I have also made a couple of guide rails of my own, and they have served me well, but because they are made of MDF or ply, they are victims of movement and damp conditions. As you would expect from an acclaimed


manufacturer like Festool, its TS 55 saw and guide rail system takes things to new heights of sophistication. You do pay more for Festool kit, but then you do get more as well – not only in more features but also with ease of use and the advantages that flow from being a part of the Festool system. All the Festool users I speak to acknowledge the extra cost, but they also acknowledge the extra quality and sophistication of the system, so they still feel as though they get good value for money. Starting with the simpler part of the system, the


guide rail. You might be forgiven for thinking that a guide rail is a guide rail is a guide rail. But this one is definitely more. For one thing it is wider than many other guide rail systems, so its sits more stably on the workpiece. Underneath are two grippy neoprene rubber strips that manage to hold the rail quite well to the work, so that it is possible to use the rail without clamps for many applications. There is also a sacrificial strip on the sawing line that serves as an accurate line- up to your pencil marks on the work. On top of the rail is a 15mm wide extruded rail


that sits comfortably into a mating grove in the saw base. This is clearly strong and wide enough to ensure that the saw runs accurately along it and will also resist distortion. Some guide rails are a lot less robust than this one! Also, there are a couple of bright Festool Green


plastic strips laid into grooves in the rail. These are extra slippery and allow the saw base to slide smoothly down the rail. It is clearly these details that make the Festool-using experience as good as it can be, but they do cost a bit of extra money. I addition to using it “freehand” by simply laying it


on the workpiece, the guide rail can also be used with various clamping systems or with one of the Festool work tables. I found the guide rail “spot-on” accurate


30 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE


settable speeds. These features enable you to cut a wide variety of wood and wood-based materials as well as plastics and non-ferrous metals by changing speeds and using the appropriate blades. So, another advantage for the Festool user is that you can choose the level of flexibility you need and buy the appropriate level of kit and accessories. In truth, this saw is similar in layout to many of


the better quality guide rail saw kits on the market. The wide base is made of cast alloy and the saw adjusters operate in a very similar way to other sets. But again it is in the details that differences show up.


when I cut up some oak planks for a furniture project, but sometimes when odd angles and intersecting cuts are needed, then a more complicated solution is required. I was sent the TS 55 REBQ version of the saw to


test. At its simplest, this means it has a higher no-load speed than the base version and a choice of six


The saw is very well balanced in use due to the


fact that the handles and controls are well placed. The bright green switches are obvious and well within reach of the appropriate operating fingers or thumbs. I felt comfortable and safe using the saw within minutes of trying my first cuts. The plunge depth setting system is an example of


Festool thinking through and then designing in what users might need for that “easy-to-use” feel. Right in front of your eyes on the side of the blade


housing is the depth scale. Clearly marked in mm, there is an easily settable stop. The stepped stop shows the depth of cut of the saw without using the rail (roughly 5mm more) and the depth when using the rail. No need to fiddle by plunging the saw – it is there to see! In addition, the stop can be micro- adjusted to take into account the slightly smaller diameter of a sharpened or different blade. Why all this accuracy? Well it could be crucial if you are using the saw right up against a wall to trim a laminate floor and you don’t want to cut into the substrate. Blade changing is easy using the FAST FIX spindle


stop system and handily placed hex key. I found that the more I used the saw the more I


discovered about its sophisticated design. It just became easier and easier to handle and more and more satisfying to realize just what levels of accuracy and handling I could attain. For me, it was definitely a case of the tool improving the quality of the work I did.


Dust extraction is almost completely perfect


when connected to an appropriate vac system and the motor is a gem. It is quiet, powerful and easy to set speeds. The blade left an almost polished finish on the oak I cut. Indeed, so accurate was the cut that when I edge-jointed the table-top I needed only about six strokes of the plane to make a perfect butt joint. I won’t bore you with any more details, suffice to


say that I think this Festool guide rail saw is one of the best pieces of kit I have ever used. No wonder craftsmen users are willing to pay extra for Festool kit. If you need one – go for it and get one. You won’t regret it because not only do you get a Thirty Day Money Back Guarantee, you get a full three years warranty if you register your new kit online with Festool. Another extra advantage is the Festool Theft


Insurance Scheme. Tools registered with Festool under the Three Year Warranty will be replaced for £100 per item if they are stolen.


Reply No. 225 www.toolbusiness.co.uk


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