Showerthought: Paying $450 for a Festool track saw finally clicked for me today

I've been fighting with a circular saw and a straight edge for years on panel cuts. Decided to bite the bullet and grab a used TS 55 off a guy in Portland last week. First cut on a sheet of baltic birch and it blew my mind. No more sanding out wobbles, no more tape measure errors. Wish I had done this 5 years ago instead of burning cash on cheap clamps and jigs. Anyone else have that one tool they put off buying and regretted waiting?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.spencer2mo agoMost Upvoted

Respectfully disagree. A decent square and skill saw can get you there for way less.

terry_carter152mo ago

Hear you on that. Plenty of projects get done just fine with basic tools and a steady hand.

kelly_west741mo ago

Terry's got it right honestly. I built a whole set of bookshelves last summer with just a handsaw, a speed square, and a level my granddad left me. No miter saw, no track saw, no fancy drill guide. Took a little longer but the cuts were straight and everything fit tight. People get caught up thinking they need every gadget in the store to make something nice but that's just not true. A sharp blade and taking your time beats a thousand dollar tool and rushing every time.