# Festool Track Saw TS 55 ripped apart



## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

So one of my favorite youtube channels he opens up a Festool Track Saw TS 55. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oezp-_DcUgg

enjoy.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

The guy is so f#$%^#&g obnoxious in every way...


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Where the heck did he pay a $1000 bux for a TS-55?


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Its like 960 with tax in canada.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

I posted that in the Fan Club thread a couple of weeks ago. I believe there is a second video of the tear down somewhere. I love the way a guy who's supposed to know about motors tears an armature out without pulling the brushes. 

Tom


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

Leo G said:


> Where the heck did he pay a $1000 bux for a TS-55?


a viewer sent it in.... he will give it away after he figures out how it goes back together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mo2L_jFKmc


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

He is very annoying, a couple minutes of him is all i can handle.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I watched the whole thing minus the interruption in the middle he put in there.

You can tell he's not a woodworker. You can tell he doesn't understand what the track saw is for. He's comparing it to a skill saw which doesn't need the precision the track saw need. He's melting parts with a soldering iron :blink: to prove a point about plastic. So lets make the entire saw out of metal and have it be so heavy you don't want to use it.


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

cedarboarder said:


> a viewer sent it in.... he will give it away after he figures out how it goes back together.
> 
> ...


A "viewer" sends a track saw to some guy on youtube, for him to wreck it? I don't believe it. Whatever the truth is, it's something else, probably less worthy-sounding.

There's nothing surprising or damning in the video. Engineering is all about choices and tradeoffs, some involving cost, some involving other functional attributes.

Just noise, speaking of which I need to go make some, with my TS55.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> He is very annoying, a couple minutes of him is all i can handle.


you have patience - that's 2 minutes more than I can handle of that clown...


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## JR Shepstone (Jul 14, 2011)

I made it 6 minutes... 

Should I be proud or ashamed I made it that far?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

JR Shepstone said:


> I made it 6 minutes...
> 
> Should I be proud or ashamed I made it that far?


try it with the volume un-muted! :laughing:


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## maxwage (Nov 25, 2012)

Dude needs to do a tear down of himself as he is a tool.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Might be because he is canadian?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> Might be because he is canadian?


Get *oat* of here... :laughing:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

He calls the Festool track saw the "louis vuitton" of track saws. I agree, what an idiot. :laughing:


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

My buzzer went of a 2:15 :blink:, couldn't take any more..


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

"propriety plug is no bueno..." "over-engineered German..."

He thinks he is an expert... what a f$%@^#g douchebag this guy is... really. He tries too hard to be funny, but, really, he's nothing more than a useless douche...


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Germans have been over engineering thing for many years. It's one of the things that helped them lose WWII. Their tanks were so complex they had to abandon them in the field. Whereas a GI with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a welder could service our tanks in the field.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> Germans have been over engineering thing for many years. It's one of the things that helped them lose WWII. Their tanks were so complex they had to abandon them in the field. Whereas a GI with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a welder could service our tanks in the field.




I'll keep my "over-engineered" Mercedes over the last POS front wheel drive Cadirap that we had... :blink:


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

and I think you should send that "over-engineered" Mafell to me...


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## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

m1911 said:


> and I think you should send that "over-engineered" Mafell to me...


Wrapped in that new cadirap??


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

m1911 said:


> I'll keep my "over-engineered" Mercedes over the last POS front wheel drive Cadirap that we had... :blink:



Cadi's are rear wheel drive all 4 of the ones I had. Including the 2014 one I have now. 

Never had one problem with any of them. Not one.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> Cadi's are rear wheel drive all 4 of the ones I had. Including the 2014 one I have now.
> 
> Never had one problem with any of them. Not one.


I had one nearly 10 years ago, it was front wheel drive and ****t.
never again.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Made it through about 10 minutes. Interesting to see the guts. Definitely can tell he knows nothing about the use of a track saw. He did speak highly of quite a few things.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

idk..looks pretty crappy to me..


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom Struble said:


> *idk*..looks pretty crappy to me..


he's got the same problem... he *doesn't know*...


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

..and you do?..how pray tell?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom Struble said:


> ..and you do?..how pray tell?


Well, lets just say I beat the crap out of my TS55, and no melting plastic housing or burned motor thus far...


I also don't use it 20 ft in the air trimming lookout ends...


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

m1911 said:


> Well, lets just say I beat the crap out of my TS55, and no melting plastic housing or burned motor thus far...
> 
> 
> I also don't use it 20 ft in the air trimming lookout ends...


No but my 179.00 skil can, without being concerned about heat. That's the point.

Not making a case either way just pointing out what I think he meant


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

you guys are right he knows nothing of carpentry. Pretty sure hes American. 
has any one had a ts55 break down?

but he is bright and knows a lot about tools and electronics. He did speak highly of some of parts 
and a couple things he didn't understand....
motor not being dipped.
cheap plastic on parts. 
cord plugging into the saw. 
average bushings 
the blade lock Is a metal rod into a plastic fan :001_unsure:


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## AGullion (Apr 19, 2015)

Well, they do or say whatever they want , but my TS 55 is one of my all time favorite tools, and Im a better tradesman the minute I plug it in


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

cedarboarder said:


> you guys are right he knows nothing of carpentry. Pretty sure hes American.
> has any one had a ts55 break down?
> 
> but he is bright and knows a lot about tools and electronics. He did speak highly of some of parts
> ...


Not all field coils are dipped. I know my Bosch saws do not have dipped field coils. 

The only plastic part he had issues with was the motor cover, it is a non load part. My oldest TS-55 is about 5 years and has 1000's of miles on it, not issue with any part of the saw, let alone the cover.

Plug-It cord is part of the system, allows you to swap tools at the bench. My Bosch worm drive and recip saw has the same type arrangement. 

A bushing in the housing in that location is not an issue, they've been used in machines for centuries.

Blade lock does not contact the fan blade, there are 2 hole 180º apart on the armature that the lock enters. 

Tom


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

tjbnwi said:


> Not all field coils are dipped. I know my Bosch saws do not have dipped field coils.
> 
> The only plastic part he had issues with was the motor cover, it is a non load part. My oldest TS-55 is about 5 years and has 1000's of miles on it, not issue with any part of the saw, let alone the cover.
> 
> ...


I think the point he was making was the saw was nothing special that warranted it's cost.

Again not I'm not making a case one way or the other just pointing it out.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> No but my 179.00 skil can, without being concerned about heat. That's the point.
> 
> Not making a case either way just pointing out what I think he meant


I use a sledge hammer for adjusting bottom plates, and a 10oz finish hammer for driving finish nails. Each tool has a purpose and an intended use... 


I wouldn't use my TS55 for framing, just as I wouldn't use my worm drive for trimming cabinet face frames. It's really not complicated.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> I think the point he was making was the saw was nothing special that warranted it's cost.
> 
> Again not I'm not making a case one way or the other just pointing it out.


Cost means nothing. It has payed for itself 50 times over.


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## AGullion (Apr 19, 2015)

Amen . And European companies make a profit....that's why they stay in business and continually improve their products . Mercedes aren't cheap either .


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

m1911 said:


> Cost means nothing. It has payed for itself 50 times over.


Don't get me wrong I'm no one to talk about others having the coolest and or most comfortable. I'm certainly guilty of indulging. :laughing:


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

AGullion said:


> Amen . And European companies make a profit....that's why they stay in business and continually improve their products . *Mercedes aren't cheap either* .


Got a couple of those too...


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> I think the point he was making was the saw was nothing special that warranted it's cost.
> 
> Again not I'm not making a case one way or the other just pointing it out.


The feed back electronics make it more expensive to produce. Even he was impressed/bewildered by the FastFix system. 

The cost of the rail and Systainer is about $250.00.

When he did get around to using the saw he was happy with its performance.

Tom


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> Yes, I have a story.
> 
> It must of been 1983 I had a 1963 Chevy stepside, I worked bussing tables for 2.90 an hour to come up with 1100 bucks to buy that thing. It was bitchin primered (everyone's car was primered back then) ready for paint when I could afford it. Well we used to party in the avocado groves. We'd bring pallets and start bon fires until the cops ran us off.
> 
> I had a good lookin blonde Betty that I let drive my truck. She kept asking I finally gave in. ***** ran it right into an advo tree. Needless to say we never were together again. That was painful. (Losing my truck not her!)


:laughing: can't make this stuff up :clap:


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

He bitches about the cord being a proprietary removable cord. Why isn't he bitching that on most tools the cord is permanent and if you need to replace it you need to rip the machine apart to do it?


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Leo G said:


> He bitches about the cord being a proprietary removable cord. Why isn't he bitching that on most tools the cord is permanent and if you need to replace it you need to rip the machine apart to do it?


Quit trying to get us back on topic.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

RobertCDF said:


> Quit trying to get us back on topic.


See what happens when we left coast guys are up and everyone else is in bed? The mice will play. :laughing:


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

I got to admit, that Festool stuff has a lot of high quality looking plastic parts.


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## Sisyphus (Nov 1, 2010)

I didn't get the impression that the reviewer was overly negative about the saw. IIRC he made a point (several times?) of saying that given the price and the intended use it wouldn't be subjected to the same kind of abuse a regular sidewinder would get (i.e. function defines form).

He also expressed an interest in hearing from users about any problems they had encountered, specifically where the engineering had failed. I'm curious about how the Festool construction compares to the Makita, Dewalt and Mafell tracksaws. (I assume the guts are similar.)

Obviously for most of us in the end it's all about how it performs on the job.


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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

Hey Cali, mind tearing apart your Mafell so we can see what's inside?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Agility said:


> Hey Cali, mind tearing apart your Mafell so we can see what's inside?


Send it to me, ill take care of it...


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## jetdawg (Apr 9, 2015)

Really enjoy this guy's vids thanks for sharing that. Had a few chuckles watching that and reading the comments here.


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## JR Shepstone (Jul 14, 2011)

If I wanted to watch some lardass spout off about the piddly little sh!t that he may or may not have ANY clue about, I'd go talk to myself in front of the mirror.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

You're a lardass? :laughing:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

What I think is most amusing is how upset some are getting. It's very telling. :laughing:


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## JR Shepstone (Jul 14, 2011)

Leo G said:


> You're a lardass? :laughing:


:laughing:


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

lardass LOL

haven't heard that one is a while! :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

I like this guys vids. Maybe its because I'm canadian.

Sure he's not right about everything he says. But I'd rather someone raise questions than just listen to their praise. Like the other 90% of festool video's.

Even being a kool aid drinker, I like to remain skeptical, better for my bank account I suppose.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Leo G said:


> You're a lardass? :laughing:


My wife had a macaw that called our oldest daughter a lard ass, our daughter really didn't like that bird. 

Tom


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Well ****. The fist thread i get on for a couple months has mike going on about his car. Nothings changed around here i see. 

But anyway that dude on the video :bangin:

Oh yeah Caddys are **** and Apple still sucks


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## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

Hey, Bari, where ya been?


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

On vacation down in Florida for last few weeks as Familey down from England. Took kid to beach and Disney just got back couple days ago. Been a busy vacation. Back to work now though but need a vacation to recover from the vacation!


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

BCConstruction said:


> On vacation down in Florida for last few weeks as Familey down from England. Took kid to beach and Disney just got back couple days ago. Been a busy vacation. Back to work now though but need a vacation to recover from the vacation!


Dang good to see you back!

I was going through new threads and saw a response today from BCC, I was like...HE LIVES!!!! :laughing: :thumbup:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

BCConstruction said:


> Well ****. The fist thread i get on for a couple months has mike going on about his car. Nothings changed around here i see.
> 
> But anyway that dude on the video :bangin:
> 
> Oh yeah Caddys are **** and Apple still sucks


Shut up. It wasn't me that brought up my car. You nit wit


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

...


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