The Festool Kapex KS 120 sliding compound miter saw, with its high-tech look, is the most expensive 10" sliding compound miter saw out there. There's no shortage of high quality 10" slide compound miter saws available for less than half the cost. Such as the Makita LS1016L, which is not a saw to sneeze at.
There is still merit to buying the Festool, however, even considering the price differences. For example, it comes with a three year warranty that you won't find with most other miter saws. For another, it comes with features no other brand has even thought of yet.
Now you have to ask yourself if the high price of the Festool Kapex 120 is justifiable to you. If you're a finish contractor working in high-end home construction or doing exclusive remodels, it's entirely possible that it is. Do you want your work to stand out as the best around? Then you need the best tools.
The Impression You Leave Builds Your Reputation
The first thing a homeowner who is spending thousands of dollars for a remodel of their home notices is the detail quality of your work. Does everything fit with no gaps showing? That's the quality of your work being showcased. The same goes for the prospective buyer of a new house.
The second thing the remodel customer is going to notice is how clean you've left the place, especially the space where you've been doing your work.
On both counts, the Festool Kapex KS 120 is unbeatable. Yes, you can do some good work with another brand of miter saw, but the Kapex will make it quite a bit easier for you to meet your customer's expectations. And up to 91% of the sawdust will be cleaned up while you work if you mate it up with one of Festool's dust extractors. Think of the time you'll save! (You might be able to connect a shop vacuum to the Kapex if you're not ready to invest in one of their extraction systems yet.)
The point is, when you produce top-notch work and leave the area nice and neat, you'll make a remarkable impression. That makes for a terrific reputation.
And when you start building a reputation like that, as the carpenter who does great work AND leaves the place clean, you'll begin to get some solid recommendations. And what does a good reputation allow you to do with your future bids? You'll be able to make more money.
I've talked a couple of times about the advanced features of the Festool Kapex KS 120 and now I feel obliged to mention at least one of them and how it will benefit you. Two adjustable lasers cast beams on both sides of the blade. Would that help you make precision cuts or what?
