Festool Kapex KS 120 Review 2023 (Sliding Compound Miter Saw)

The Festool Kapex Ks 120 Dual Laser Miter Saw is One of the Best Miter Saws in the Market Today. It Isn’t Exactly Perfect but It Does the Job It Was Manufactured to Do Well Pretty Well

What We Like

Dual laser
Micro-adjustable bevel
Special cutting depth
Angle transfer device
Forward rails
91% dust extraction
1400 – 3400 RPM

What We Don’t Like

Narrow table
Expensive

Bottom Line

The Festool Kapex KS 120 miter saw is perfect for any woodworker who knows the value of a good product. It is one of the few great dual laser chainsaws out there and this is just a tip of the iceberg.

It might be a little more expensive than many other saws out there but Festool products are usually expensive. Those who know the value of the brand don’t mind spending a pretty penny on their products.

Apart from the price, another problem with the tool is the narrow table that doesn’t give you enough space to cut when you want to work on wide tools.

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Miter saws with lasers are on high demand these days. This is because laser beams increase the accuracy of your cuts by marking the path ahead before the blade starts cutting the material.

With one laser, you can get almost perfect accuracy. So, you can only imagine the level of accuracy you will get from the Festool 561287 Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw which has dual lasers allowing you to align cuts from left to right.

From our Festool Kapex KS 120 article, you’ll see that the dual laser feature is just one out of many other great features of the Festool Kapex KS 120.

Features of the Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Dual Laser

As you can see, the Festool Kapex KS 120 comes with a dual laser guidance mechanism. It matches your blade and maps out the cutting line for you ensuring that the cut you make is accurate.

The laser beams ensure that the width of the blade is accounted for when you are cutting. This dual laser feature promotes fool-proof cutting. Combined with the bevel angle transfer tool, you can get a smooth cut.

All you have to do is lock measurement into position using the angle-transfer mechanism. The fence also helps when it comes to precision. After you have locked in the measurement with the dual laser and angle-transfer mechanisms, you can also adjust the fence and the miter gauge to get the exact line.

10 ¼ -Inch Blade With Special Cutting Depth

The Festool Kapex KS 120 comes with a 10¼ -inch blade that has special cutting capacity. The 10¼ blade length is not so bad for a miter saw of this size.

However, the blade has a special feature that allows it to reach the same cutting depth of a 12-inch blade. It has a cutting depth of 90°/90° is 12″ X 3¹⁵⁄₃₂ when you use the sliding action which activates the special cutting depth.

Without this feature, the cutting depth is going to be 4²³⁄₃₂” X ¾. The machine has a positive stop lock activated at 45°, 40°, 22.5°, and 15°. Thanks to FastFix, it is easy to set or change the blade.

The FastFix feature comes with all the miter saws produced by Festool. All you have to do is hit the button at the side of the motor and remove the nut that holds the blade in place.

After you put the new blade in the saw, make sure you tighten the nut properly before you start the blade. If you don’t tighten it, the saw isn’t going to come on.

Related Article: Genesis GMS1015LC Compound Miter Saw

Forward Rails

Another great feature about the Festool Kapex KS 120 is that it has rail forward design as opposed to backward rails that are often seen in saws. When you want to use the miter saw, the blade moves forward in line with the direction of the rails.

The rails support you when you’re trying to make smooth cuts by providing 100% accuracy. The forward rails also allow you to increase your cutting depth without using the sliding action.

All you have to do is push the pin behind the head of the blade to ensure that the saw doesn’t slide while you’re cutting. The forward rails head play thus allowing you to get accurate cuts. If you don’t know the difference between sliding and non-sliding miter saws read this article.

91% Dust Extraction

Almost every saw comes with a dust collection/control system. Whether you’re interested in buying a chainsaw, table saw or compound miter saw, you will benefit from purchasing one with a great dust extraction system.

The Festool Kapex KS 120 miter saw comes with one of the best dust extraction systems in the industry. It removes at least 91% of the total dust created when you’re cutting.

When you’re cutting, most of the guest that is created will be collected by a tiny rubber boot at the bottom of the blade. The dust is subsequently redirected through a 36mm hose.

The dust collection/extraction system can also work effectively with a 27mm pipe but we recommend the 36mm pipe because wide pipes tend to extract dust more effectively than their narrow counterparts.

1400 – 3400 RPM

The Festool Kapex KS 120 has a strong 1600W motor with a variable speed that ranges between 1400 and 3400. This allows you to adjust the motor to fit your needs.

When you want large and hard cuts, you should choose the high side, when you want delicate and small pieces, you should go for the 1400 motor speed level as it is the slowest on the saw.

Festool Kapex KS 120 Review The Verdict

This Festool Kapex KS 120 (Sliding Compound Miter Saw) review shows that it is one of the best power tools & an amazing high-end saw with many great features. The features highlighted above are just a few.

Many other great features come with the Festool Kapex KS 120 miter saw. These amazing features come at a high price. You can’t find this miter saw for less than $1500 anywhere.

Because other brands provide saws that cost weigh less than this. Also, the saw isn’t exactly perfect. The table is too narrow for cutting larger materials. You would expect more from a saw of that price.