Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw

(7 customer reviews)
Festool
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  • Rail forward design increases precision and creates a compact footprint while preventing head play for accurate cuts
  • Easily align cuts from the left or right side using the dual laser, lasers clearly define material to be cut
  • Micro-adjustable bevel angle with up-front rotary knob, large bevel scale and fine pointers easily set precise angles
  • Dust extraction up to 91% with behind-the-cut dust hood and pivoting 36 mm hose. Mitre angle: 50/60 °. Crown moulding diagonal cut 45°/90°-6-5/8 inch. Special cutting depth 45°/90° (right)-3/4 inch x 4-3/4 inch. Crown moulding diagonal cut at 90°/90°-6-5/8 inch. Saw blade diameter-10-1/4 inch
  • Includes angle transfer device which automatically bisects transferred angles to the saw and aligns

 

$1,475.00

Compact and incredibly precise, the Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw delivers professional results in the workshop and on the job site.

Advanced electronics, dual laser guides, micro-bevel adjustments, quick-release fences, and easy-to-reference scales all help you maintain control over cuts.

And a host of other smart features help keep the saw’s footprint small and its body light and portable–all without sacrificing power, accuracy, or dust extraction capability.

SKU: 561287 Category:

Based on 7 reviews

2.1 overall
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  1. STOAK –

    Is it worth the price? Well, I won’t argue with you if you say no. I have been eyeing this saw for 10 years or so. I finally did it when I wanted to shrink my shop footprint. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.I had an old Hitachi 12″ that worked just fine. It was a workhorse that was far more powerful than the Festool. Even with a hood and a dedicated vacuum, it was a dust monster. It also needed to be adjusted regularly for straight cuts. It also took up a lot of space from the wall. That said, I would have been just fine without this saw. When doing fine woodworking a shooting board would straighten cuts perfectly. When not I rarely bothered to adjust the saw as the cuts were good enough for me.I wanted to have a saw sit against a wall and this saw saved me almost 2 feet the way I had the Hitachi set up. The Bosch would have saved similar room. The Festool is the best I have seen as dust collection especially when I add a well designed auxiliary fence. With a dedicated vacuum almost all of the dust is collected (my guess is around 95% looking at what is collected vs what is swept up with the fence).I am not sure the saw is worth it for purely objective reasons in my book. A friend once told me he owned Apple computers because they made him happy. All the technical aspects of this saw are laudable and most stand far above other saws. 700 to 800$ above? Well, I will just say that most of my Festool tools make me happy and not try to justify them or this saw with technical details. That has been done in regard to this saw all over this page. If I were a professional I might feel differently. I am an amateur and woodworking is my meditation. I do it to do it as much as to make things. I like doing it with this saw and I like doing it with this saw (and a good blade) more than I liked doing it with my Hitachi, which was a complete beast and in a good way. I tried the Bosch. Seemed like a fine saw although the dust collection was terrible in comparison (not to mention the hold down is nearly non functional in my book – I might actually use the Festool’s). I completely get why others argue this saw is not worth the price. My reply, isn’t worth subjective? I like my 10-year-old pickup. I usually wear cheap jeans a t-shirt and tend to have few desires or expenses. 800$ or so extra for a saw that makes me happy. Doesn’t seem all that extreme when I see my neighbor made happy by his $80,000 pickup or a friend of mine that spends that much on clothes every month. I don’t get the pickup or the clothes but I get the happy part.

    STOAK –

  2. S. Albert –

    This Festool Kapex sliding compound miter saw (SCMS) works well, but I have a hard time rating this greater than three stars for glaring omissions, and honestly the price does factor into it. Yes, you’re paying for quality and German engineering/manufacturing when buying this saw, but honestly, there are really good SCMS alternatives available for at least $800 less than this price. Get this saw if you have the initial funds to outlay, want good cuts, a bit better dust collection, and also have another $1000 for accessories that definitely make the functionality 5-stars.Pro’s:+ Dual lasers are just great.+ Slide forward design of the rails really does keep you from worrying about how much clearance is behind the saw.+ Better than average dust collection for a SCMS, but you’re still going to have to clean up a bunch afterwards. Maybe a 10% improvement over competitors that also use dust collection. (My cheapo Harbor Freight SCMS dust collection included!)+ The angle finder tool is a nice accessory that I’m shocked was included. You know we’d all buy it if it was an add-on! :)Con’s:- I find the depth stop for plunge cutting doesn’t really stop the blade if you push just a *little* too hard downward. The stop has about 1/8″ of play, which doesn’t make those super accurate cuts unless you ginger the saw. Poor design on the stop.- It is insulting that you must pay $102 to get crown stop/t-track functionality… for *each side* no less! Plus, the Festool crown stops then restrict use of the Festool extensions. The base $1450 price for the Kapex would be justifiable if ingenious crown stops were integrated with the base unit somehow.- To get the touted better dust collection you *need* a custom-built 5′ (1.5m) D36 hose. Festool D27 hose does not provide enough suction and all the standard Festool D36 hoses are too long. Oh, and standard 2.5″ (D50) hoses do not fit this SCMS. Keep that wallet out!- I really need two hold down clamps to work efficiently with a SCMS- I expect most people would, too, if they once used two clamps. Get ready to buy it separately!- No Festool Plug-It power cord. More space could have been saved on the rear by removing the extra cord storage.- The base scratches really easy. Just using a composite straight edge tool I somehow gouged it up. Be gentle!- The saw’s countersunk screw-down attachment points are round. I would have preferred hex-shaped holes for bolts in the four corners. Note, there are two 0.5″ hex holes for use with the Festool clamping kit, but I would only use two bolts if I was also using a MFT top (see below).- You really need to wait for the blade to stop spinning before lifting it up after a cut. I’ve had cut offs get sucked up and jam between the blade and the dust hood. I never had this happen before with other SCMSs. Known concern with this saw.- I find chips/dust gets stuck in the blade trough. I would have preferred that to have a hollow bottom.Others:~ I can’t say that this weighs so much lighter than competing 10″ SCMS. My Harbor Freight model is really not much heavier.~ Would I have preferred this was a 12″ blade? Definitely. No stars off for this point though. I rarely need that capacity and I do have my Harbor Freight trusty standby to make those cuts.~ Protractor angle and bevel adjustments/locks work well.~ There are four rubber grommets underneath the Kapex that drop into MFT/3 dog holes and keep the saw from sliding around. Convenient if you already have a MFT/3. I do recommend a solution like the Festool Kapex clamping kit to make sure the saw doesn’t tilt during operation.~ It’s very unlikely that I’m going to spend $533 for the simple UG-Kapex wheeled stand, but they sure do work well together. Not giving into the Festool system in this case gives you a whole lot of budget for an alternative.~ Definitely build a zero clearance fence and a zero clearance base insert to reduce tearout and improve dust collection like any other SCMS.~ I like it that the area around the protractor in the base is cut out- it lets the dust fall through to the floor. This does not work to your favor, however, if the Kapex is mounted to a solid base or MFT. Dust will collect there and is not easy to remove. Great for stands with open space underneath the saw.~ If you get the Festool extensions for the Kapex, they’ll also fit the MFT/3. Some set of extensions are necessary. Check out the FastCap offerings while you research options!

    S. Albert –

  3. Martin DeDera –

    Waste of money. I purchased this saw in March of 2016 thinking that I would be getting a quality product. My motor is on the brink of going out after moderate use. Before I used this saw, I had a Dewalt sliding miter saw that lasted 8 years for a fraction of the price. Not only do I regret purchasing it, but you would have to be crazy to buy this saw today. All of the innovations that this saw has have been copied by all of the other major brands, not to mention Festool refuses to address a common motor problem with this saw. Don’t forget that you’ll also have to spend over $900 for their stand with supports.

    Martin DeDera –

  4. G. Hartman –

    I am a self employed finish carpenter with a stable of miter saws (Bosch glide, old Hitachi 8 inch, Makita cms, and the Festool). I’ve had the kapex for 5 years and it’s now going to be on it’s third motor (currently shipping to indiana) – I use tenryu blades and the saw has never seen a cord more than 50ft 10gauge. I’ve also replaced the bevel assembly and guard mechanism. For a saw that cost $1500……ridiculous.Bosch aside, my other saws are older and have seen considerably more use. However, all they ever need are some fresh brushes and a good cleaning from time to timeI may retire the kapex if/when it comes back

    G. Hartman –

  5. Parker –

    I have been using my Kapex on normal work and all of sudden it is constantly running and won’t stop. The switch seems to work. I have to unplug it and plug it in to make a cut.

    Parker –

  6. Cliente de Amazon –

    Cumple las expectativas que se esperaban del producto. La entrega se cumplió en tiempo y forma. Recomiendo ampliamente la marca.

    Cliente de Amazon –

  7. Matt –

    This is the most expensive mitre saw you can buy, it is also without much argument the best. The only reason not to buy this saw is the price. If you’re looking for the best, lightest and most accurate saw this is it. If you’re looking for the best value for your money, you probably want to look at the Milwaukee or Bosch AG. I love the Kapex, and to me it is worth it for the portability and dust collection which give me the ability to cut anywhere – even in a finished room. Over the lifetime of the saw those minutes saved walking between a project and the cut zone in the garage or outside will pay for the extra cost in this saw.

    Matt –

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