Long guide rails. Worth it?

[Ross 71]

I seem to be doing more sheet material work now. I have a 1400 rail that came with my plunge saw and the 1080 rail from the MFT. I have another 1400 rail because I got to a site 70 miles away to put up a barn only to find that my guide rail was AWOL. It was faster and easier to throw £50 at another rail and have it delivered to site.

So, with some faffing and checking and faffing by joining the two 1400 tracks together I can cut 8' . Then I want a 1400 rail and I've got to take them apart, then 10 minutes later I'm joining them again. Faff-check-faff-etc

Do I just buy another 1400 rail? Or do I take the hit and spend £200 on a 3 meter rail?

Do you guys reckon it is worth the money?
Do you use a long rail as much as you thought you would, or does it rarely get used.
Any Brits know where you can get these long rails for less than £200

 

[DrD]

Good Morning.  You will get lots of opinions on this one.  First, I do not have a long - FS3000 or FS 2700 rail, and have never used one.  There have been posters on Fog that swear by them, and others say you must been extremely particular in the manner in which you push your saw down the long rail to achieve a uniform cut.

Here's where the math takes over for me - and is in fact what I use for sheet goods; in the USA a Betterley SLC23 Straight-Line Connector for Guide Rails, which eliminates much of the faffing-checking-faffing by aligning and holding the 2 guide rails while joining with the rail connectors, costs about $100(US), and another FS1400 rail costs about $133(US), totaling ~$233(US) compared to $355(US) for the FS3000, saving ~$122(US).  You already have rail connectors, so you've got money in your pocket and enough rails to rip and cross-cut you sheet goods, and with the Betterley for alignment, you don't faff so much.  I don't even store mine connected, it takes so little time to rejoin and verify lineraity.

Best wishes

 

[peter halle]

Personally I don't think that there is one perfect answer for all as a group.  A 2700 rail was the first thing I bought after getting my saw 10 years ago.  The second was the accessorie kit that had the connectors.  Although I have 3 1400 rails to go along with my 2700 I rarely join.  I think it is more efficient using the long rail when required especially if you are trying to maximize the yield on sheet goods and you have a value on your time.

That being said, if I were to do it over again AND I could transport the 3000 rail properly then I would go for the 3000.  The extra length just makes it easier to make sure that you have enough lead in to your long cuts so that the blade is fully plunged without the fuss of the shorter 2700.

Just my 2 cents.

Peter

 

[bobfog]

This is where the Bosch and Mafell rails excel. The system they use to join the rails is extremely quick and virtually impossible to misalign. Two of their 1600 rails joined are just as good as single length 3+ meter rails and massively easier to transport.

 

[Jaybolishes]

With a long rail you can be dead certain the rail is perfectly straight. It's very easy to join rails and have them not straight.  I transport the rail in the box it came in because it sticks so far away from the tailgate of my truck.  I like having one rail of every size. Really makes things go fast when you don't have to join rails I think. 

 

[tjbnwi]

Yes.

Tom

 

[leakyroof]

Yes, worth it. No alignment worries, just transporting and protecting that long rail once you get one..... [wink]

 

[antss]

For me, no. It's not worth the expense or transport headache.

But I value portability very highly.  I also don't understand all the fuss about joining rails together or need for jigs ect....  Takes me about two minutes the first time onsite if I need a long rail.  Then less than a minute if I remove one for a 1400mm / 48" crosscut.

I've had zero issues with rail alignment and that includes my time with the single connected rails at the turn of the century.  I'm also cutting cabinetry panels which require a lot more precision than framing panels.

In the end I think it depends on the tasks you're trying to accomplish and your personal feelings on size vs. cost vs. portability vs. convenience. 

 

[promark747]

With a long rail you can be dead certain the rail is perfectly straight.

You can be dead certain... IF the long rail is perfectly straight to begin with.  I don't have any data, but I've read that due to manufacturing tolerances it may be more likely that two shorter rails are straighter along their length than a long rail (imagine two 1400mm rails each being 5 thousands off from end to end, but a 3000m rail being 12 thou off).  And the differences of the shorter rails could possibly be offset/eliminated depending on how you were to connect them.

That's mainly theoretical, though, and I would say it really comes down to convenience and cost for most people.

 

[semenza]

This is one of those things that is quite situational.

    I have long rails (and short) for use in the shop. And short for site work. But I do very little cutting with a track saw on site. So even though I could transport a long rail it is not worth it for the amount I would use it on site. For site work the compactness has a higher value for me at this time. But in the shop where I use them all the time ..........  all that faffing about was pure nuisance. And it would be on site as well if I used the rails more on site.

    Things to consider..........

      Transport
      Getting the long rail into  and out of work space.
      Convenience
      Have three short rails for transport.... leave one pair set assembled to avoid assembly / disassembly.
      Storage space.

  No one size fits all on this  question.

Seth
     

 

[waho6o9]

Yes

 

[Jon160290]

Definatly worth it for me, stays in the shop all the time and use to rip sheet goods when access to the table saw is blocked or someone else is using it. I also have 2 1400 i use on site i can join if required but nowhere near as easy as a long rail.

 

[Dan-]

YES YES YES
I tried the connector route. Tried the Makita connector (better than the Festool version) and the Festool connector. The rails always end up crooked. I've got the holy 55, the 75 and the FS3000.

Side note: the 55 holy does not work so well for LR32 on bookshelves. Moving the rail around means you more than double the time it takes to drill holes. It's also difficult to make sure the unclamped end does not move on slipper surfaces like melamine-coated birch ply. I'm strongly considering the long holy rail. It's not so much an addiction as a realization that the inconveniences can just go away for a little less beer.

 

[rst]

I too tired of connecting two rails together even after switching to Makita connectors.  I never had a problem aligning the rails as I used an 6' piece of 8020 extrusion.  For me it was a time issue.  I have all the various sizes of rails excepting the long holey rail (first set of bookcases will resolve that shortage).  Dan, as far as clamping to smooth surfaces or situations where only one end can be clamped or even neither end...that's where the Geckos excell.  I have two sets and have used them for counter cutouts and to attach to plastics.

 

[Corwin]

I find the 3000 rail much nicer to work with than joining shorter rails. But then, I only work in my shop, so I am not transporting that long rail. If I were to have to transport, I would leave the 3000 at home and take two 1400 rail to join together, and a 1900 rail for crosscutting. So, my suggestion is to get a 1900mm rail -- you'll find it more useful to have this other length than having yet a third 1400mm rail.

 

[mrboult]

If I had more stability in my workshop rental (bloody london) I'd buy a long rail in a second.

I stopped 'properly' joining rails together as too often I had inaccuracies. Now I simply leave one of the two rail connectors (the central one) sticking out of one of the rails at all times.
I join the rails with this one connector and don't screw it tight in the added rail. Then I use 3 pencils marks along the cut instead of 2 (one at either end) to line up the rails.

I find this method allows enough flex to move the rails into position but still keeps them dead in line where they meet. And sliding the rails together or apart happens in a second!

Hope that made sense.

 

[leakyroof]

If I had more stability in my workshop rental (bloody london) I'd buy a long rail in a second.

I stopped 'properly' joining rails together as too often I had inaccuracies. Now I simply leave one of the two rail connectors (the central one) sticking out of one of the rails at all times.
I join the rails with this one connector and don't screw it tight in the added rail. Then I use 3 pencils marks along the cut instead of 2 (one at either end) to line up the rails.

I find this method allows enough flex to move the rails into position but still keeps them dead in line where they meet. And sliding the rails together or apart happens in a second!

Hope that made sense.

. I think I got it... maybe a picture would clinch it... [wink]

 

[semenza]

This is where the Bosch and Mafell rails excel. The system they use to join the rails is extremely quick and virtually impossible to misalign. Two of their 1600 rails joined are just as good as single length 3+ meter rails and massively easier to transport.

I seem to recall that the TS55 and TS75 won't run on the Bosch or Mafell tracks, Is that correct?

Seth

 

[McNally Family]

This is where the Bosch and Mafell rails excel. The system they use to join the rails is extremely quick and virtually impossible to misalign. Two of their 1600 rails joined are just as good as single length 3+ meter rails and massively easier to transport.

I seem to recall that the TS55 and TS75 won't run on the Bosch or Mafell tracks, Is that correct?

Seth

That is correct.  It is really more of an argument to purchase the Mafell Track Saw to begin with, and avoid the problems with the Festool rails (it should be noted that the Mafell Track Saw will work on both Mafell and Festool rails, but the same can't be said for the Festool saw).

As for connecting the Mafell rails, their connector looks like a miniature Betterley and works as both the connector and alignment tool.  As an added benefit, when not in use, it locks onto the rail for storage.

This subject is really only an issue before you make a saw purchase decision.  Once the saw is purchased, the rail question (both alignment and connection), has been made for you.

In my case, I have nothing against the Festool Track Saw, but since I chose the Mafell jigsaw, and wanted to be able to use their guide rails for perfectly straight cuts, I am now commited to the Mafell Track Saw when that purchase comes.

 

[Laminator]

Like Peter, 2700 was the first thing I purchased after getting the atf55 around ten years ago.  The 2700 rides in my van in a special rack that it easily slides into.  Got a 3000 that stays in the shop. I have the festool connectors, the makita connectors, and the betterly alignment tool.  Joining two rails to leave joined for the day  is ok but joining for a rip and separating for a crosscut and repeating this procedure over and over is not for me.  The 75" rail is very useful and I will be purchasing another one as I discovered recently that mine has a slight bow in it.