Festool575306 Sliding Compound Miter Saw KAPEX KS 120 REB

This is the best, most accurate compound miter saw on the market. It is super accurate, built well and easy to use. Dust extraction is very good and the service and support from Festool is the best in the industry. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for, and then some.

Dream saw. I’ve really struggled with purchasing this. I have a slowly been migrating to Festool and my trusty Dewalt after 25 years was on its last legs. Absolute outstanding saw. Finish accuracy, etc. Pricey? Yes but you come to expect that from Festool.

Buying Festool hardware is a bit like buying software, i.e., you’re paying for technology and not just for the material and the labor to build the physical product. The truly well developed product (this saw falls into that group) performs flawlessly and intuitively. And it contains features, perhaps found later, that continue to set it apart from the competition. This saw is dead on accurate out of the box. The cut quality simply smokes the competition. And I’ve ALWAYS purchased the best blades, e.g., Forrest. The ability to cut a dado on a miter saw is cool. My tablesaw is also Festool (not dado blade capable) so this feature is especially handy for me. Lasers on both sides of the blade that are truly accurate is also a nice feature. I spend a lot less time double checking lengths as a result. Dust collection is also quite effective. Worth the money. I like it more with every additional use.

Surgical precision. If your a pro this is your saw

I have just about every miter compound saw. This is a perfect addition to the collection

Quit working within first month and cost $85 to return.

This saw is well engineered and very accurate. There is plenty of information online that summarizes this saws features, so I won’t review those here. I will address the saws handle/grip. A lot of reviewers see the handle as a negative, but it is designed that way for a multitude of reasons. The reason most important to me is accuracy. With the Miter saw handle centered in front of the blade then there is less tendency for one to torque the blade to the left or the right, which is the common downfall of miter saws. Festool’s competitors position the handle poorly (to the right of the saw blade), so that the saw blade is more likely to torque ever so slightly out of alignment during the cut.Dust collection is better than any other saw, but you probably know that already.This saw is expensive, so it’s not going to be worth it for a lot of folks and I get it. Buy something cheaper if you’re not going for perfection.

The REB Kapex is the newer version of this miter saw. It has an updated motor that is supposedly stronger and will not fail as often as that of the older version. I will update my review accordingly. For now, I will give this saw 5 stars, ignoring the very high price, and the awkward handle. The handle is vertical, made this way to be usable by both left and right handed people, but the compromise makes it imperfect for both. Also occasionally little pieces of material can be launched at high speed or get stuck under the narrow clearance insert.Good points:- new integrated sliding extensions that increase the work surface in the updated version- laser cut markings on both sides of the blade- very good accessories: clamp, angle finder (included) and crown stops (purchased separately)- lightweight- accuracy- pretty good dust extraction ( with a festool or different brand vacuum cleaner)- precise bevel angle lever situated in front of the saw for easy access- the bevel scale in the back is large and easy to read. No other saw does this, they all have very small angle scales , almost as an afterthought ( oh we have to fit this too in here, somehow?), making you bend forward in order to see that exact degree that you require. You will appreciate how comfortable it is to set the bevel angle on the Kapex.-besides the clamps that are situated in the back of the fence, the Festool quick clamps, that work with the MFT table, can be used in the crown stop extension by inserting them in the groove for additional securing options (both purchased separately)Some more low points:- cutting capacity not as great as the Dewalt or Makita. I know this is comparing it to 12 inches saws, but that’s how Kapex is advertised, as a 10 inch saw with a 12 inch capacity. I use it sometimes for cutting 5 inch wood posts and I have to turn the post around to complete the cut. The 6 3/4 thick wood posts would not even fit under the blade. You need the Dewalt saw for those. This inconvenience is offset though by a great clamping system, which makes large, heavy, clunky material, easy and safe to cut by securing it to the surface with one easy clamping movement.- another HUGE low point is that there are simply no repair centers around the country. The only one is in Indiana which is insulting. If your saw is out of warranty and you don’t live close by, you will have to pay $200-300 or more for shipping, and repairs for this saw can get to $600 excluding your shipping cost (it does include their return shipping cost, which is cheaper for them). Big nono, for which I will deduct a star, bringing it to 4 stars.I have been using the previous model for 6 years and I will update my review as I remember things or the situation develops.