# festool vs. makita sp6000



## beaver1 (May 2, 2008)

greetings and salutations all… just wondering if anyone has compared these two circular saw systems. the guy up at my favorite tool spot had high marks for it and said it was waaaay cheaper than the festool. comments? smart remarks?

jw


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## jeanmarc (Mar 23, 2008)

festool is the saw which I prefer.


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## DanLyke (Feb 8, 2007)

I think there's nothing for it but for you to try out both. I've got Festool, but I bought it before the Makita stuff became available. I did, however, have a few moments of buyer's remorse until I looked at the whole package and system, not just individual features. A few things I'd compare:


Dust collection.
Does it give a jointable edge?
What other tools can you put on the rails?
How loud is the saw? Yeah, this seems like a non-issue, we wear hearing protection in the shop anyway, but a friend of mine recently asked me to do some stuff for him and commented on how nice the quieter saw was.
Are there clamps which can hold the rail down (from below) on to your sheet goods?
How do you expect the tools to hold up?
How do you expect them to be for alignment and maintenance?
Does Makita have an equivalent to the MFT table, or do you expect to make your own?
How does the rail flex when it's only partially supported (this is an issue I have to account for with Festool…).
Where's the pivot point of the saw relative to the cut strip on the rail? If you go to make a bevel cut, do you have to reposition the rail?

As I said, I'd gone with Festool before the Makita became available, so I don't know the answer to these questions, but they're all questions I'd ask, and I'd make sure you got to use the tools a bit so you got a hands-on feel for both.

A lot of people complain about the price of Festool, but I've been buying lumber from various reclaimed and surplus places, so I'm paying less than $5/bf for hardwoods, usually closer to $2/bf, and I can't make the capital costs of Festool into a big deal in the face of the lumber. And I'm just a hobbyist building stuff for my house. Admittedly there's a lot of trim and a whole bunch of cabinets in the pipeline, but still, four or five hundred bucks for the saw that'll last me for a decade, compared to in the last two weeks I've easily spent $600 on wood (100 bf of mixed Ipe, Brazilian Redwood and Yellow Balau, and 200bf of northeastern Maple).

So I'd urge you to look at the cost amortized over the life of the tool (and, yes, Festool consumables may be more expensive), and put that in the context of all of the other features and how much you're going to spend on wood.

After a few experiences trying to decide on price, my wife now actually urges me to look more seriously at the more expensive tools because we've found features that we didn't know to look for, often after the purchase. Festool has impressed me as a brand that gets most stuff right, so it seems to me that I can either spend hours that I could be in the shop trying to make sure I get something that's equivalent, or I could just pay a little extra, be pretty darned confident that I'm not missing out on anything, and go spend that time making sawdust.


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## Rembo (Apr 28, 2010)

And how dws520k? I have this saw.доволен.
From festool I have only domino.больше from festool there is nothing it is not necessary.


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## Rembo (Apr 28, 2010)

I not absolutely understand that you write.
But on mine двухсторонее movement dws 520 on directing ruler is plus, in difference from makita and festool.
At us in россии, festool costs more expensively than at you in 2 times.
On it I prefer dewalt and makita.
festool =domino.а domino is super, undoubtedly.


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

Like all of the others, cost and tool preference comes into play.

I have the Festool TS55. I bought it because I have the Festool 1400 router and a MFT Table and they all work together. The track system for the Festool is excelent and working together with the MFT Table is really nice.

My wife really likes the dust collection on all of the Festool products. I have several other Festools as well.

I was told that the Festool bearings and inner workings are all industrial quality and should out last the DeWalts, Maketa's etc. I trust the guy who told me that but have not verified it personally.

Also last time I checked the Festool TS55 was similarly priced to the DeWalt system. That may have changed recently.

Domer


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## onsecondthought (Oct 13, 2012)

Domer, Your kidding me, right? Because a sales person told you something you believe them. Dan Lyke has some pretty good insights. I have been researching all of the available models, on YOUTUBE, AMAZON reviews etc….. and to further qualify my back round, I am a 30 year plus professional cabinet maker…..so I do have some extensive shop experience. I'm going to buy the Makita saw. As to accessories, I suspect I will mix and match. I have used some Festool, but not extensively. Don't know where to get my hands on the Makita to try out but the pricing on the Festool is a little steep. Not to say they don't deserve a premium for their innovations, but I have found Makita to be more than adequate with most of their equipment. If I don't get a clean cut, I will return and upgrade to Festool. FYI….just did an install using a cordless Dewalt and many panel cuts were done freehand with just a metal straight edge guide. Took my time and moved slowly over the material. Clean as a whistle. Will update when I get the Makita.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I had an interesting conversation with a couple of kitchen fitters around the time I bought my plunge saw. One guy had a Makita which was dogged with problems, he had already returned one SP6000 because of the electrics and claimed the base was fragile - he was waiting for a replacement base at the time. His mate had the TS55 and his opinion was it was underpowered. Bear in mind these guys would mostly be cutting kitchen worktops, day in day out.
I went with the Dewalt which has some done amount of cutting, and can't fault it. I think Festool and Dewalt have 30 day no quibble returns policies on their products, so you could always get either and see if lives up to your expectations. If you are dead set on getting the Makita, could you get a demo on it or trial period?

didn't realise this was an ancient thread until I scrolled back up… oops!


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I'd go with the Eurekazone track system if you want to save
some money and have more options in terms of expanding
the system. You can use it with any blade-right saw.

I'm not enamored of plunge saws except as a safety feature.
If you do a lot of sink cutouts of install flooring the plunge
feature is useful.  For breaking up sheet goods in the shop
or on a job site, it's a hindrance, imo. Good safety feature
though. Also, depth adjustment is accurate and easily 
changed.


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## PerryReynolds (Mar 15, 2013)

I have used Festool for years. I have many of their products Recently my TS 55 had done its job and was not worth repairing. I have a TS 75 also but before I bought another track saw I researched and tested the Dewalt, Grizzly and Makita. I found the Makita to be very comfortable to my liking and it also works with my festal tracks. Other then the Riving Knife, which I never understood Festools thinking since in was at the back of the tool instead of the front, there is little or no difference. The Makita makes clean cuts and is lighter.  It has variable speed and the blades are less expensive. The saws are pretty much the same price overall. Overall I prefer the Makita though I still use my festal dust collection for the saw. Another thing about the Makita is that it scores as well as has double locking features which with certain materials far surpasses the festal capabilities. But these are just my opinions… You need to check out each tool and make your own decisions!


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## beaver1 (May 2, 2008)

wow…you guys are awesome! still chattin' about it almost 4 yrs later…i wonder if ideas have changed since then…on to somethin' new…anyone see the infomercial about the rockwell saw that attaches to the wall and does everything? comments, suggestions, smart remarks welcomed!


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

Look at what the professional craftsmen use…. They consider cost and durability under heavy usage. In my experience mostly I see Makita tools.


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