KSS 60 cc (corded) user input and general thoughts
Dec 7, 2015 16:37:32 GMT -5
GhostFist, wrightwoodwork, and 7 more like this
Post by henrun on Dec 7, 2015 16:37:32 GMT -5
Hey all!
Took delivery of the KSS60cc - corded - last Monday.
I opted for the KSS60cc (without the L-Boxx) and ordered it with both the 400mm and 770mm snap on guide rails. Since I was going for broke I ordered an extra 32 tooth (standard) blade, a 56 tooth and a 16 tooth rip blade. My dealer had a spare FSN 1600 Bosch rail that was a surplus order and I got it for free with the order. I do have a Mafell 800/1600 rail combo from before.
The 16 tooth blade is something I will probably rarely use and it was on back order but I figured it might come in handy.
So, why the KSS60cc?
I have the Mafell KSS300, my most used saw and a brilliant piece of kit. Sure, it is a little limited on power but it has a broad range of applications for me. I also have a Bosch GKT55CE plunge saw which replaced a Festool TS55 since I went over to the Mafell/Bosch FSN rail system. All in all I am very happy with the Bosch saw - I know it has been knocked some as a cheap skate MT55cc (which it is) I must say the saw has performed flawlessly for all purposes so far and I think it works better than the TS55 I had.
But, I prefer working the KSS300 so the GKT55CE hangs around the workshop for the most part. I find plunge cutting "agreeable" on the KSS300 though I don't do it all too often.
The Festool HKC55 was on my short list since I run Festool 18V tools and the only thing that held me back was that I wasn't to keen on going back to Festool rails after having sold them off a while ago. Also, dust extraction would be compromised with a battery saw - it is a bit inconvenient I think.
When the KSS60cc was announced I immediately went for it - a KSS300 on steroids!
I decided I wanted corded and I try to avoid spreading out on several battery platforms and also for running it on a vac.
Well, I picked it up same day it arrived and immediately went to work with it. I will say that initial impression is that it is quite a bit larger than I thought - not that I did think too hard of it - but it feels a little bigger than the HKC55 (which I suppose it is) but I haven't made a weight comparison.
When I am wielding the saw like a medieval knight I find it a bit of a challenge on the wrist. Compared to the feather weight KSS300 the KSS60cc feels a bit awkward and I have to say unbalanced. But that is only until you rest it on a work piece. When snuggled up to a work piece I find it well balanced though at first I wasn't used to the "heft" of it and double checked my positioning on the work piece.
The levers work well - I found the arrangement of the levers a bit awkward at first - since I am so used to the KSS300 but after a few cuts it was easy going again. The cut depth indicator has a few markings depending on the rail used (or not used) and that too was a bit confusing but it is easy to check depth of cut against the work piece.
First job with the KSS60cc was (and still is) cutting up a new door hole in an existing wall (plasterboard) and building a new outside corner with a sliding door and windows above creating a new room in an existing hallway. To make it more of a challenge I decided to leave the chop saw at home and only work with the KSS60cc for all cuts: OSB boards, studs and cutting up the wall as well as trim pieces.
It didn't start out to well though: I used the FSN 1600 rail and attached it to the wall for a straight cut but there was a steel reinforcement band in the plasterboard wall so during the VERY FIRST CUT I cut my new blade chewed into that steel band and sent sparks flying... ...well, that was an expensive cut for sure.
After that I checked the blade and it was still ok(ish) so I kept on working it with the same blade. The whole day saw me cutting large boards and small pieces with the saw and it never failed to produce a clean and safe cut. Cutting wooden studs to length was a swift affair and I honestly think it went just as fast as with a chop saw. Just mark the length with the Talmeter and cut to size. There was no struggle with the studs and it breezed through the job with accuracy.
The "extra" cutting depth is very handy when cutting down doors to size - I cut down one door at the work shop and the 770 rail and KSS60cc made short work of it. Also I cut down a work table at the workshop with the same setup and it just slices through even the deep cuts.
So - is it a perfect saw? Well, it ain't no MT55cc so it will perhaps not rival the best plunge saws and it will not be the best suited saw for working laminate boards I guess but as a do-it-all saw I think it is a great saw.
Furthermore it is heavier than the other saws I have been using - but the KSS60cc is very stable once planted on a workpiece so I think the weight works in its favour.
Other findings are:
Noise is average which means it is a bit noisy. Not the same high pitch shrill noise as the Festool TS55 but it isn't a quiet saw.
Build quality is excellent. I wouldn't say it is any better than the Festool HKC55 except that it feels sturdier and I think the KSS60 36b might feel that way too. There are minor differences in levers and knobs and since I haven't tried the HKC55 I can't say anything about which is "better". The KSS60 saws are large blade saws that are housed in a compact body. The cutting depth advantage is always welcome. I am not too sure about the 36b battery saw as the battery platform seems very limited but for sheer capacity I think the KSS60 36b should perhaps be compared to the larger battery Festool TSC55 though the HKC55 certainly is more related both in terms of build and usability. I do think the HKC55 feels excellent in build so no knocking the sibling here.
Dust extraction is perhaps the only slight let down with the KSS60cc. It does send more debris than the Festool TS55 I had, more than the Bosch GKT55CE and (due to size) more than the KSS300. I wouldn't say it is "messy" but I wouldn't call it "neat".
After the initial thoughts above I will try to lighten up the mass with a few pictures. Let me rummage around a little. I have no "in action" photos yet as I was literally working in the dark and had no one around to help me make a video of it in use. I will definitely snap some photos in the well lit workshop the next couple of days and add to the thread.
Took delivery of the KSS60cc - corded - last Monday.
I opted for the KSS60cc (without the L-Boxx) and ordered it with both the 400mm and 770mm snap on guide rails. Since I was going for broke I ordered an extra 32 tooth (standard) blade, a 56 tooth and a 16 tooth rip blade. My dealer had a spare FSN 1600 Bosch rail that was a surplus order and I got it for free with the order. I do have a Mafell 800/1600 rail combo from before.
The 16 tooth blade is something I will probably rarely use and it was on back order but I figured it might come in handy.
So, why the KSS60cc?
I have the Mafell KSS300, my most used saw and a brilliant piece of kit. Sure, it is a little limited on power but it has a broad range of applications for me. I also have a Bosch GKT55CE plunge saw which replaced a Festool TS55 since I went over to the Mafell/Bosch FSN rail system. All in all I am very happy with the Bosch saw - I know it has been knocked some as a cheap skate MT55cc (which it is) I must say the saw has performed flawlessly for all purposes so far and I think it works better than the TS55 I had.
But, I prefer working the KSS300 so the GKT55CE hangs around the workshop for the most part. I find plunge cutting "agreeable" on the KSS300 though I don't do it all too often.
The Festool HKC55 was on my short list since I run Festool 18V tools and the only thing that held me back was that I wasn't to keen on going back to Festool rails after having sold them off a while ago. Also, dust extraction would be compromised with a battery saw - it is a bit inconvenient I think.
When the KSS60cc was announced I immediately went for it - a KSS300 on steroids!
I decided I wanted corded and I try to avoid spreading out on several battery platforms and also for running it on a vac.
Well, I picked it up same day it arrived and immediately went to work with it. I will say that initial impression is that it is quite a bit larger than I thought - not that I did think too hard of it - but it feels a little bigger than the HKC55 (which I suppose it is) but I haven't made a weight comparison.
When I am wielding the saw like a medieval knight I find it a bit of a challenge on the wrist. Compared to the feather weight KSS300 the KSS60cc feels a bit awkward and I have to say unbalanced. But that is only until you rest it on a work piece. When snuggled up to a work piece I find it well balanced though at first I wasn't used to the "heft" of it and double checked my positioning on the work piece.
The levers work well - I found the arrangement of the levers a bit awkward at first - since I am so used to the KSS300 but after a few cuts it was easy going again. The cut depth indicator has a few markings depending on the rail used (or not used) and that too was a bit confusing but it is easy to check depth of cut against the work piece.
First job with the KSS60cc was (and still is) cutting up a new door hole in an existing wall (plasterboard) and building a new outside corner with a sliding door and windows above creating a new room in an existing hallway. To make it more of a challenge I decided to leave the chop saw at home and only work with the KSS60cc for all cuts: OSB boards, studs and cutting up the wall as well as trim pieces.
It didn't start out to well though: I used the FSN 1600 rail and attached it to the wall for a straight cut but there was a steel reinforcement band in the plasterboard wall so during the VERY FIRST CUT I cut my new blade chewed into that steel band and sent sparks flying... ...well, that was an expensive cut for sure.
After that I checked the blade and it was still ok(ish) so I kept on working it with the same blade. The whole day saw me cutting large boards and small pieces with the saw and it never failed to produce a clean and safe cut. Cutting wooden studs to length was a swift affair and I honestly think it went just as fast as with a chop saw. Just mark the length with the Talmeter and cut to size. There was no struggle with the studs and it breezed through the job with accuracy.
The "extra" cutting depth is very handy when cutting down doors to size - I cut down one door at the work shop and the 770 rail and KSS60cc made short work of it. Also I cut down a work table at the workshop with the same setup and it just slices through even the deep cuts.
So - is it a perfect saw? Well, it ain't no MT55cc so it will perhaps not rival the best plunge saws and it will not be the best suited saw for working laminate boards I guess but as a do-it-all saw I think it is a great saw.
Furthermore it is heavier than the other saws I have been using - but the KSS60cc is very stable once planted on a workpiece so I think the weight works in its favour.
Other findings are:
Noise is average which means it is a bit noisy. Not the same high pitch shrill noise as the Festool TS55 but it isn't a quiet saw.
Build quality is excellent. I wouldn't say it is any better than the Festool HKC55 except that it feels sturdier and I think the KSS60 36b might feel that way too. There are minor differences in levers and knobs and since I haven't tried the HKC55 I can't say anything about which is "better". The KSS60 saws are large blade saws that are housed in a compact body. The cutting depth advantage is always welcome. I am not too sure about the 36b battery saw as the battery platform seems very limited but for sheer capacity I think the KSS60 36b should perhaps be compared to the larger battery Festool TSC55 though the HKC55 certainly is more related both in terms of build and usability. I do think the HKC55 feels excellent in build so no knocking the sibling here.
Dust extraction is perhaps the only slight let down with the KSS60cc. It does send more debris than the Festool TS55 I had, more than the Bosch GKT55CE and (due to size) more than the KSS300. I wouldn't say it is "messy" but I wouldn't call it "neat".
After the initial thoughts above I will try to lighten up the mass with a few pictures. Let me rummage around a little. I have no "in action" photos yet as I was literally working in the dark and had no one around to help me make a video of it in use. I will definitely snap some photos in the well lit workshop the next couple of days and add to the thread.
