If your purpose is to get from point A to point B, then the two cars are equivalent. The Mercedes is undoubtedly more comfortable and safer, but as basic transportation, no better.
If you watch the video in the initial post, you will see that the Milescraft track saw was fully functional.
I would bet that I could produce a wall cabinet or base cabinet just fine using that track and saw adapter. I’ll bet any FOG member could also. Or with the Kreg track saw, or with the Kreg drilling jigs.
I have the Kreg hinge drilling jig. It works. I also have the Blum version. It is easier to use. Possibly this is the Mercedes vs. Ford Fiesta analogy. I could have suffered through with the Kreg jig, but my patience forced, and my wallet allowed the change.
Price is not always a solid indicator of quality. I have purchased carbide forstner bits from Amazon.com (always “Roman” brand) and they have proven to be sized accurately, sharp and cut effectively, and though lightly used, durable so far.
I’m sure there are “better” carbide forstner bits out there, but I doubt that any will get me from point A to point B any quicker or more effectively.
Growing up, all the parts that broke off my bicycle were made from plastic. Kids growing up nowadays likely would have a different experience. My mistrust of plastic components is doubtless formed by this early experience. Younger users probably trust, where I would mistrust.
The Milescraft track uses plastic parts. Depending upon what resin was uses (high impact styrene vs polycarbonate, for example) the track will either last a long time or fail too early. Milescraft knows its customer base and probably designed accordingly. The engineers no doubt argued with the accountants over the choice of materials.
In any case, I think the Milescraft track saw is a clever design.
I made a saw guide using a nice straight shelf and a 3/16” piece of tempered hardboard. I have no doubt that for 90% of what I use a track saw for, that shop-made guide would suffice. It does require my full attention during a cut, something that is less a requirement with the Festool version.
The point of the car analogy is not just one-way transportation today. Sure, they both do that, but tomorrow, the next day, year........
As far as making cabinet parts; that can even be done with a circular saw and a homemade straight edge. Do I want to do it that way? No.
As I said before, there is at least some difference in the tracks. Straight enough for cabinet parts? I would certainly hope so. Straight enough to be used as a "jointed" edge? A lot of them arent. That was my insinuation about Makita. The saw is fine, but over 30", the seam will not meet my standards.
"Plastic" means an entirely different thing to later generations. We grew up with Bakelite desktop phones, that were as heavy as a bowling ball and everything plastic was seen as the cheap way to make something.
Social Media is funny that way. I'll see short videos that label each major brand tool user with a rating or a name, as though using that tool brand defines you in any way. And it's predictable- Ryobi user listed as a poser or weak, Makita, Dewalt and Milwaukee users get high ranking and more gracious names.
It's all silly and a waste of time.
Social media has destroyed a lot of things, perception might as well be one of them.
The thing about ranking people by the brand of tool they use is just elitist. I'm 100% willing to bet that it's the self-designated uppers, looking down at the others. No way does it flow the other way.
I've seen so many people over the years accomplish amazing things with cheaper tools because that's all they can afford at the time.
Then when they get the tool they always wanted for a particular job or type of work, their original skill set is already there, the new tool just makes the job easier and faster for them.
My very first Festool purchase back in 2004 was like this. I'd gone as far as I wanted to go in NOT having the Dust Collection I craved, the smoothness and power of better built Sanders.
I bought a Ct-22 and the old taller ETC 150/5 sander. Total game changer. I'd been sanding for years with a Bosch ROS, and a cheap hose attached to whatever Vac I was running at the moment. None of it seemed as good as I thought the task might be, or at least hope for...
I did exactly the same, starting with 14.4v NiMH Craftsman drill and driver, growing from there. Makita Lithium Ion 18v and so on. My first step into Festool was Domino, nearly 10 years in as a pro, and that was because there is nothing else like it.
Most of my upgrades were done to change my workflow, which evolved over time. Some of it was just from gaining knowledge of the alternatives.
Improved dust extraction was one of those later goals. It really started with that Domino, because it requires it. After working that out, with a cheap shopvac and an I-Vac switch, I built on that. Again, Festool exceeds most brands in that category, so it made sense. Once I was in that far, embracing the system approach just seemed to fit.
I doubt that anyone jumps in totally, from the beginning.
As I see it, haters only hate what they don't understand. If you disguised some high-end tool as the newest version of Ryobi, they would sing its praises.
Sure, my skills improved in that time, but it was more about workflow and speed. Technique and technology working together, changed the way I did things over time. That speed allowed for the growth.
It's all different when you use the tools for a living
