The competition among major power tool brands for supremacy in the cordless miter saw market is fierce, and those without at least one battery-powered option hardly stand to be taken seriously anymore. So it’s no surprise that Festool would eventually unveil a cordless contender for the American marketplace. Now it has, in the form of its KSC 60 Cordless Sliding Compound Miter Saw.
While some might wonder what’s taken so long, Festool doesn’t make a habit of being hasty about R&D, just to throw its hat in the ring with other contenders. And in most instances, we end users are the better for that methodical, Germanic approach to product development. This new saw also sports the “Kapex” name, and Festool’s venerable Kapex corded KS 120 saw has earned its keep in professional and serious hobbyist shops for almost two decades. So surely Festool has engineered this cordless version to uphold that industry-proven, award-winning pedigree.
What’s Under the Hood
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Motor |
EC-TEC brushless, variable-speed |
|
Power Source: |
Two 18-volt lithium-ion batteries |
|
Weight |
38.14 lbs |
|
Blade Diameter |
8-1/2“ |
|
Miter Angle Settings |
Up to 60° left and right |
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Bevel Tilt Settings |
Up to 46° right / 47° left |
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Crosscutting Capacity |
2-3/8” x 12 |
Festool outfits the KSC 60 with an EC-TEC brushless motor to take full advantage of the capabilities of onboard electronics and to help reduce friction and heat buildup during operation, which extends battery runtime. The motor is powered by two Festool 18-volt, 5.0 Ah batteries. Variable-speed control enables the saw’s cutting speed to be adjusted to suit the requirements of the blade and the material being cut.
Festool offers several wood-cutting blade options for this saw, and a built-in spindle stop locks the motor arbor to make blade changing easier.
Similar to its big brother, the motor carriage of the KSC 60 slides on a twin-column guide system with two bearings to ensure that the blade won’t wobble or deflect and can deliver precise cuts. The saw table swivels up to an impressive 60 degrees left or right for making a broad range of miter cuts. And the motor carriage can be tilted 46 degrees to the right or 47 degrees to the left for bevel-cutting or to set up compound miter cuts.
Visibility is important for dialing in the settings on a miter saw, so Festool equips the cordless Kapex with precise scales and an LED light for highlighting the cutting line.
While the corded Kapex saw has a 10-1/4″-diameter blade, this new cordless version takes an 8-1/2″ blade instead. Even so, the smaller blade size still allows the saw to crosscut workpieces up to 2-3/8″ thick by 12″ wide, which for ordinary woodworking applications is plenty of capacity. But trim carpenters and remodelers running large crown molding might wish for more vertical “reach” than this saw can provide, when cutting wide moldings in the “sprung” position.
Ready for the Road
Cordless miter saws are particularly useful for contractors who move between jobsites or occasionally work in locations where electrical service is not yet available. That’s why the best saws are lightweight and made for easy transport. To that end, the KSC 60 weighs just a tad over 38 lbs without batteries installed. It has a modest footprint of 25-5/32″ wide x 18-1/16″ deep x 17-13/32″ tall. The saw’s “rail-forward”
design also enables it to be tucked up against a wall for maximum front-side clearance during use.
Two pullout wings expand the saw base to help support longer workpieces. You can convert the saw into a workstation of sorts, too, with Festool’s Kapex Underframe (UG) accessory, sold separately. It provides a rolling base for the saw that folds up to transport the tool “dolly” style. The Underframe features long extension tables that tip up into place.
An angle transfer device, elevation feet, chip collection bag, screw clamp and a 36-tooth carbide-tipped blade come standard with the tool. The KSC 60 can be purchased without batteries or charger as the EB-Basic model. Or, buy it with two SYS 18-volt, 5.0 Ah batteries and charger in the EB 5.0 I-Plus package.
