Mike Goetzke
Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,143
I know this is really sort of a personal choice based on budget and type of work but looking for others input to help me out.
I currently own 55” Makita, 75” Festool, and 118” Makita rails. After reading Makita/Festool rails work on both tools I was unpleasantly surprised to find out the guide rib on the Festool is about 0.015” wider than the Makita.
After using these for several months I can say I got tired out adjusting the saw cam for the rail. I applied some tape to my Makita 55” rail and it worked great for a while but then the tape is starting to fail.
Some other background – I like the 75” for x-cutting sheet goods. I use the 55” for shorter cuts but wish it was maybe about 2’ shorter.
Here are best options I have thought of:
Option #1 – purchase a 75” Makita rail and sell my 75” Festool. For some odd reason this is only available from Canada. This would give me 55”, 75”, and 118” Makita rails. I could cut the 55” if needed. Dollar wise this would be close to no cost.
Option #2 – purchase 55” Makita rail (cut it to 20” and 35”), connector set, and sell the 75” Festool. This would give 20”, 35”, 55”, 75” (55”+20”), and 118”. This is close to breakeven too.
Option #3 – cut my 118” Makita (ouch! Cut it to 43” and 75”), buy connector set, and sell my Festool 75” and possibly 55” Makita. This would give me 43”, 55”, 75”, and 188” (75”+43”) Makita rails. Probably $ in my pocket for this option.
Option #4 – Machine the rib on my Festool rail. I saw someone on the FOG built a fixture to rout the Makita saw catch hook off. Wonder if this could be done to the Festool rail rib. Big loss if it doesn’t work out.
Option #5 – Convert to all Festool rails. There is a 118” rail locally for private sale – and purchase a 32” or 55” Festool rail. Even after selling my Makita rails this is probably about $200-$250 out of pocket.
Thanks,
Mike
I currently own 55” Makita, 75” Festool, and 118” Makita rails. After reading Makita/Festool rails work on both tools I was unpleasantly surprised to find out the guide rib on the Festool is about 0.015” wider than the Makita.
After using these for several months I can say I got tired out adjusting the saw cam for the rail. I applied some tape to my Makita 55” rail and it worked great for a while but then the tape is starting to fail.
Some other background – I like the 75” for x-cutting sheet goods. I use the 55” for shorter cuts but wish it was maybe about 2’ shorter.
Here are best options I have thought of:
Option #1 – purchase a 75” Makita rail and sell my 75” Festool. For some odd reason this is only available from Canada. This would give me 55”, 75”, and 118” Makita rails. I could cut the 55” if needed. Dollar wise this would be close to no cost.
Option #2 – purchase 55” Makita rail (cut it to 20” and 35”), connector set, and sell the 75” Festool. This would give 20”, 35”, 55”, 75” (55”+20”), and 118”. This is close to breakeven too.
Option #3 – cut my 118” Makita (ouch! Cut it to 43” and 75”), buy connector set, and sell my Festool 75” and possibly 55” Makita. This would give me 43”, 55”, 75”, and 188” (75”+43”) Makita rails. Probably $ in my pocket for this option.
Option #4 – Machine the rib on my Festool rail. I saw someone on the FOG built a fixture to rout the Makita saw catch hook off. Wonder if this could be done to the Festool rail rib. Big loss if it doesn’t work out.
Option #5 – Convert to all Festool rails. There is a 118” rail locally for private sale – and purchase a 32” or 55” Festool rail. Even after selling my Makita rails this is probably about $200-$250 out of pocket.
Thanks,
Mike
