Festool 203160 Parallel Guide Set For Guide Rail System,

[Jack01]

I am planning to purchase  Festool 203160 Parallel Guide Set For Guide Rail System,
I have not seen this in person
I would like to get some info from users who have used this
Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Packard]

I was under the impression that Festool is marketing the TSO squaring guide under license.  Are you certain that is the current model. The TSO squaring arm (I have a left and a right) is very good and installs tool-free.

Wait for other replies though to confirm that I am correct.

 

[afish]

I would do a search too.  Im sure there is lots of reading material on FOG about these already

 

[mino]

I was under the impression that Festool is marketing the TSO squaring guide under license.  Are you certain that is the current model. The TSO squaring arm (I have a left and a right) is very good and installs tool-free.

Wait for other replies though to confirm that I am correct.

The Festool PGs do not natively use or support squares. They are a pure "parallel guide" product.

You can use the Festool FS-WA/90 in place of a GRS 16 to work as part of a TSO PG solution. But you cannot use it with the Festool PGs for "single-arm" cuts as the Festool PGs do not support that. Different products.

 

[Bertotti]

Listen to Mino and these guys. I did and went with the TSO system then added the darn expensive square. Oddly, it is has become one of my most used tools.

TSO Products, they have also been very good with customer service and answering any questions or thoughts I sent to them. I just wish they would make a small three-inch square with a foot like the big one has!

 

[pixelated]

The Festool guides are placed off the workpiece, whereas most of the non-Festool guides go across the workpiece which helps to keep the guide rails steady. The weight of the Festool guides tips the guide rail sideways unless they are supported somehow.

The design of the Festool guides (using the narrow cut extensions) seems like it's better for narrow cuts that are smaller than the width of a guide rail. But, the extensions make supporting everything even more awkward because of the "bridge" that spans under the saw blade.

I have the Festool guides, but if I were buying today, and buying new, I'd probably go with a TSO set up.

There are some good videos in youtube from Festool and others showing the use of the Festool guides, and, as noted, several FOG threads as well.

 

[Bertotti]

I just got an email TSO has 10% off today.

 

[Bohdan]

Unless you are planning to do a lot of narrow strip cuts I would avoid the Festool product and go with any of the other aftermarket PGs.

The Festool one was designed by someone who has never used a PG.

It falls off the material being cut unbalancing the rail, the scale is not very easy to read.

If you press on the wrong spot when adjusting the stop to set the width of cut it will change the setting as you clamp the stop.

It is ridiculously complex to fit on the rail.

Unlike most Festool products - best avoided.

 

[ferntree@gmail.com]

I have the Festool parallel guides. They work well enough. I wound up purchasing the 50”TSO parallel guides later on. They work well too. The TSO can attach on the rail as well as slide in the rail. The Festool only slide on the rail. The Festool are a bit more cumbersome. Not really a deal breaker to me.

 

[jcrowe1950]

The Festool guides are placed off the workpiece, whereas most of the non-Festool guides go across the workpiece which helps to keep the guide rails steady. The weight of the Festool guides tips the guide rail sideways unless they are supported somehow.

The design of the Festool guides (using the narrow cut extensions) seems like it's better for narrow cuts that are smaller than the width of a guide rail. But, the extensions make supporting everything even more awkward because of the "bridge" that spans under the saw blade.

I have the Festool guides, but if I were buying today, and buying new, I'd probably go with a TSO set up.

There are some good videos in youtube from Festool and others showing the use of the Festool guides, and, as noted, several FOG threads as well.

    So, it's worth noting that when Festool came out with the parallel guides, they were sort of pioneering the field....I think the competitors would agree. The fix on the Festool parallel guides is to screw some tabs onto the tops of the stops to prevent the downward migration.....that's an easy fix. The limitation of ~24" or about 500mm on width of cut can be an issue but for the target market, which AFAIK is the onsite production of cabinet components, that is not such an issue. And, IMO, the short width solution is better still than the competitors. The TSO parallel guides, which I own, in combination with the guide rail squares is more versatile in many respects because you can do parallel cuts and then use the GRS 16 with the leg of the parallel guides to square and cut components to length up to 50" maximum....this can eliminate the issues with MFT/3 calibration but is probably, IME, a bit slower overall. Caveat here is that I am a hobbyist and thus do not have efficiency of production demands as an input.

 

[tjskinny]

I am sure you have probably watched Festool live parallel guide session.


I used the Festool parallel guides for some time before switching to TSO’s parallel guide system.  The main reason I switched was I found Festool guide more cumbersome, meaning they would tilt on you setting them up as you moved the close to the material edge, As folks have mentioned you can screw on tabs to keep that from happening and I would suggest it.  But after seeing TSO guides in use…. So much easier setting up. 

Everyone is different though, just my two cents..