Re: Mirka Ceros the whole kit
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Hello John,
I've got the barrel grip version of the same saw, the PS 300. No way was I buying the, then newly out Carvex after reading of the disappointment of early adopter Festool fanboys...
The PS 300 isn't a bad saw, for "normal" jigsaw tasks. I set it up to cut square, with lower guides adjusted to thicknesses of each of half a dozen blades I tried. Each blade would cross cut square and most would cut squarely into end grain. However, once endlessly cutting radius plates and sill they would be deflected by the changing grain. Tried various Bosche and Festool blades. Wish Freud/ Diablo made jigsaw blades in the same stout manner as their diablo carbide tipped recip saw blades... those things are amazing... Perhaps I've just yet to find a thick enough/stiff enough blade. Recomendations?
Apprciate your input,
Lance |
From:
John Kee jmkserv@... [felder-woodworking] ;
To:
FOG ;
Subject:
Re: [felder-woodworking] Mirka Ceros the whole kit
Sent:
Mon, Feb 6, 2017 2:47:56 PM
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Lance I use the old PB 300 with the Festool 6" blade which is still I believe around $300.00. If the jaws are adjusted properly and jigsaw supported properly it gives an accurate 90 degree cut through 4" hard maple. A lot of people don't like this model because it actually take a little skill and sensitive touch to adjust for highly accurate cuts but that's their problem not the jigsaw. I don't do enough jigsaw work to justify the Mafel which is really in the stupid zone for pricing that along with limited support in NA. Its also my understanding that you have to use Mafel's special blades to obtain that accurate cut through thick wood and materials.If I used a jigsaw everyday it would be worth trying but I'm lucky to use mine once a month. The only other consideration would be the recently released Bosch high end jigsaw but I have no experience with it as its been unobtainium this side of the
border until recently. |
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Thanks for that, John. After going on six months since ordering the Pro 5, I'm once again looking forward to working with the tool once it arrives.
As for the jigsaw..., owner reviews had me interested once again in getting one of the Mafell P1's. The projects I do often require radius and elliptical plates out of 2x and 3x, and I've yet to find a jigsaw whose blade stays pointed where it was when entering the cut. The Mafell seemed closest to being able to do so but I couldn't get beyond that the US dollar had gained 30% against the Euro and yet the importer, rather than reflecting what should have been a price drop, had instead jacked up the price over $100.
Be well,
Lance |
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Lance, I got 2 of the Festool Pro 5 sanders when they first came out and have used one of them on various projects. The first test was taking a rough sawn board cutoff about 20" long and 10" wide to a 4000 grit polish. The process started with 60 grit and worked up to 4000 grit. Now some would big deal that have no previous knowledge of Festool sanders. In this instance the original ETS 125 was a terrible sander that you could actually stall with heavier grits, it was strictly a fine finish sander. The new Pro5 is very difficult to stall. The brushless line of 5" and 6" ETS EC that came out a couple of years ago are low profile. lightweight extremely powerful sanders that if you ever have the chance might be worth looking into. I was actually considering the Deros before I got Festool ETS EC 150/5 and that's when dealer/friend suggested it was better to stick with Festool. He sells both so the sale was
his either way. They were basically the same price and his exact words were, if you really want to go with Mirka, buy 2, then you will have one to use when the other is being repaired. Since that time I have talked to others that I deal with and basically got the same response, with both guys telling me that they check every unit before they send it out because one in four doesn't even work, brand new. They have the sanders, don't promote them because of the issues but wants the Mirka sand paper business.
As far as Festool goes not all the tools are a cut above, especially for the amount they cost, the Kapex being one of the most overpriced units on the planet with a far amount of issues. The early Carvex jigsaws were terrible and some of the drills not so good. The integrated system approach is hard to beat with many others trying to catchup. The main issue I see being a longtime Festool user is people comparing
the latest and greatest tools from their favourite manufacturer whether it Makita, Dewalt or Bosch to something that has been part of Festool for a very longtime. The list of accessories that Festool makes for their tools is unmatched with crossover use very handy. The vac setups and accessories are second to none IMHO which include a boom arm and workstation attachment. Lots of room in this discussion for the Festool haters to jump in but if you haven't tried them you really can't discuss them. I too at one time thought they were overpriced for what you got and many of them still are and getting worse every year.
John
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