Makita 118 Guide Rail worth the savings?

[IrishPsych]

I'm doing my research and seems like it will be about $120 savings from a 118" Makita track over the 3000 festool.

I can get one locally for $260 + $25 tax - $285. The FS 3000 rail is $385.

I'm going to see if my local Home Depot can order it for $225. It doesn't show on their website anymore.

 

[08G8V8]

It would have been for me until it showed up like this.  I rejected shipment and stuck with joining 2 55” rails with TSO connectors.

I’m sure many folks have had them show up fine, but I decided not to try a second shipment.

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[alevan]

I purchased the Makita 118" rail a few years ago at Home Depot for $169.00 on sale.  No issues at all with my Festool track saw works great, cuts straight.  I just had to make some slight adjustments with the track saws cams at the bottom of the track saws. At the time I bought the Makita rail I believe the Festool equivalent rail was close to $450.00.

 

[squall_line]

It would have been for me until it showed up like this.  I rejected shipment and stuck with joining 2 55” rails with TSO connectors.

I’m sure many folks have had them show up fine, but I decided not to try a second shipment.

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That looks like the rail that Sedge has in the background of the Festool Live videos!  [eek]

 

[huntdupl]

No issue with the Makita rail. I bought mine through Toolnut.com for $220 in 2018 with free shipping (*$25 off Makita coupon which look like current S&H). The only benefit I see with ordering locally through HD is it would be a much easier return if something was wrong.

 

[Oldwood]

I bought mine at a brick and mortar store that had a stack of them. They let me open a few up to check to insure it was straight.

I find it is stiffer than the Festool version. I had both for a while and in use I see no difference between the two.

 

[Chainring]

Other than price, isn't the biggest difference between Festool and Makita tracks the inclusion of the anti-tip lip on the Makita?

 

[huntdupl]

Other than price, isn't the biggest difference between Festool and Makita tracks the inclusion of the anti-tip lip on the Makita?

I'm not familiar with that, but I have seen others mention better life out of the Makita replacement splinter guard. I also tape both end pieces up over top of the track

 

[blaszcsj]

you cannot use the festool accessories on the makita rail due to the tang. Also, I think you will have to adjust cams each time you change from the festool rail to the makita. I found this really annoying. 

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Just so you know the guide rib on the two rails is a little different so you will need to adjust the saw for this if moving between Festool/Makita rails. I ended up going 100% Makita rails to avoid this.

[member=45856]StanB[/member] Sorry for duplicate. Just saw your second sentence.

 

[IrishPsych]

you cannot use the festool accessories on the makita rail due to the tang. Also, I think you will have to adjust cams each time you change from the festool rail to the makita. I found this really annoying.

Which accessories would that be? I've come across many on Etsy made by ToolCurve that work on both. Also, there's always the option to mill the rib off the makita track. Should be hard with a good bearing bit on a router and small cut passes. This guy trimmed the rib on his makita rail with a router.

Trimmed Makita guide rail rib

I could also setup my table saw and trim the rib that way too.

I guess I need find out what accessories are compatible, if I want to trim the rib on the makita rail AND if it's worth saving about $120 gettin the makita rail over the festool.

 

[squall_line]

you cannot use the festool accessories on the makita rail due to the tang. Also, I think you will have to adjust cams each time you change from the festool rail to the makita. I found this really annoying.

Which accessories would that be? I've come across many on Etsy made by ToolCurve that work on both. Also, there's always the option to mill the rib off the makita track. Should be hard with a good bearing bit on a router and small cut passes. This guy trimmed the rib on his makita rail with a router.

Trimmed Makita guide rail rib

I could also setup my table saw and trim the rib that way too.

I guess I need find out what accessories are compatible, if I want to trim the rib on the makita rail AND if it's worth saving about $120 gettin the makita rail over the festool.

My guess would be accessories such as parallel guides and similar.

 

[mino]

TLDR:
Forget the saving and get the FS/2 version. Saving on rails is the wrong place to save.
/ TS55 on FS/2 > SP6000J on FS/2 >> TS55 on Makita rail > SP6000J on Makita rail /

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Having had both - and Maffel/Bosch and no-name Parkside rails - I have settled on FS/2-only with couple no-name Parside rails ro rough work like cutting concrete etc.

Feeling colorful, here is my assessment of those:

Classing:
1=unusable garbage
2=usable, barely
3=good-enough (OK for most uses)
4=good (all normal uses)
5=perfect, do not see a room for improvement

Festool:
precision(cut line deviation from straight): 5 (the rails I got deviate about 1/2 as much as normal extruded aluminum alloy bar)
rigidity(cut line "bending" on 10' cuts): 4
anti-slip pads: 5
splinter guard/anti-splinter function: 5
splinter guard/cut line visibility: 2
connecting precision: 3 (5 if Makita rail connectors are used)
compatibility: 5 (pretty much everything fits)

Makita:
precision(cut line deviation from straight): 4 (about same deviation I see on common extrusions)
rigidity(cut line "bending" on 10' cuts): 4
anti-slip pads: 3
splinter guard/anti-splinter function: 3
splinter guard/cut line visibility: 5
connecting precision: 5 (with Makita rail connectors)
compatibility: 4 (some tools/acces. conflict with the rib)

Parkside/noname:
precision(cut line deviation from straight): 4
rigidity(cut line "bending" on 10' cuts): N/A (rails only 700 mm apiece)
anti-slip pads: 1
splinter guard/anti-splinter function: 4
splinter guard/cut line visibility: 5
connecting precision: 2 (single connector, like on old FS rails)
compatibility: 2 (old FS rail profile)

Bosch/Maffel:
precision(cut line deviation from straight): 5
rigidity(cut line "bending" on 10' cuts): 3
anti-slip pads: 3
splinter guard/anti-splinter function: 3
splinter guard/cut line visibility: 5
connecting precision: 5
compatibility: 3 (lots of Bosch accessories, but ... cannot compare to FS/2)

 

[IrishPsych]

I think staying with Festool is best way to go. It just hit me that in stead of throwing down $400 on the 118" I can buy a holey lr32 1400 rail and a pair of TSO connectors. Connecting the the 1900 with 1400 gives me about 130" connected together. If I find I'm doing lots of sheet good maybe I'll a 3000 fs track later.

 

[rst]

My first tracksaw was a recon Makita that I bought to what the fuss was about, years ago.  I did however buy Festool rails from a dealer.  The only Makita rail I own is for using that Makita for cutting commercial steel doors and frames and my Metabo concrete saw.
My four Fes saws only ride Festool rails all calibrated to run exactly 3mm off the aluminum.