New FS 55" hole drilling (LR-32) guide rail

Thanks I don't have one so i had no idea that the holes were not round can somebody post a close up picture of one of the holes please.
 
jamesclerie said:
Thanks I don't have one so i had no idea that the holes were not round can somebody post a close up picture of one of the holes please.

Not the best shot, but the holes are a tad elliptical, not round .
 
>I'd be willing to bet that making those holes costs more than a buck.

Yes, meaning that the rails are so overpriced that they would throw those in for almost free!
 
Why is the 95" rail so much more expensive?  It's less than double the length of a 55" rail but costs almost 3 times more!  ($264 vs. $95)
Also, someone mentioned returning their 42" rail.  Aren't they considered "accessories" by Festool  and thereby not eligible for the 30 day money back guarantee?
 
Because joining two rails is presumably a pain and perhaps not that accurate (I speak from no experience whatsoever, never having done it as I have a 95" guide rail), and Festool thinks that people who really do not like dealing with joining two rails have extra cash.  So, they can get away with charging a premium for the luxury of not dealing with joining rails.  Once you have a tool that rides on the guide rails, the marginal value of the 95" track is really high, hence the high price.
 
Stoolman said:
Why is the 95" rail so much more expensive?  It's less than double the length of a 55" rail but costs almost 3 times more!  ($264 vs. $95)
Also, someone mentioned returning their 42" rail.  Aren't they considered "accessories" by Festool  and thereby not eligible for the 30 day money back guarantee?

They cost more due to the manufacturing.  There is a very good thread about this, but basically:
- If they make a super long rail and it's got a defect, they cut it and make it a shorter one.  No 'extra' cost.  Heck, you can get 3-4 shorties out of the defective long one.

-But only those that are defect free, perfectly straight, and what-not can be qualified to be sold as the super long ones.  There is also the additional (and probably not insubstantial) costs of transorting something long, safely and protected.

I'm pretty sure anything that's not a "consummable" is covered (I hope!)
 
[poke]

You folks can believe "the manufacturing costs are higher on a longer rail" all you want. I am not a subscriber to this theory. These rails are primarily extruded and I am pretty dang sure the holes are punched, not drilled. Any machining to these rails is minimal, and doubtful there is ANY difference in the actual production cost other than the raw materials themselves. Any "defective" extrusion (prior to any annealing that may occur) would simply get mixed back in.  You can bet your loaded systainers that the entire process is completely automated.  A little over-simplified, sure. But you can also bet that Festool employees are not working extra hard to make you a longer rail. All other costs should be directly proportional to the length. The only place I can see ANY reasonable excuse is in the transport... or in the perceived value. One must ALWAYS keep in mind that value is truly judged from in front of the cash register, not from behind it.

I have not gotten close enough to touch a Makita rail, but I assure you it is on my 'to do' list. When that opportunity arises, I will be looking for the $90+ (Makita is less) difference in the quality of the two rails (of course, I am referring to undrilled rail). Last time I checked Japan was further from the states than Germany. Which would kind of blow the 'shipping & handling' theory (heh) out of the water.

As has been said before in other threads, this is about money and about business. Although my operation may be a one or two man show, I still have a bottom line and a profit margin, just like festool. If all things seem to be equal, I'll do all I can to keep an extra Franklin in my wallet.

I say all of this with no disrespect to Festool intended. WE ALL play the same games professionally. One has to risk the loss of a sale (or a job) in order to keep ones prices & profits as high as possible. AKA: `what the market will bear`.
 
harry,

It is ok to have an opinion here.  That is what makes this place what it is.

Posts pro and con are allowed as long as they are civil.

Peter
 
I wouldn't suggest that there is a significant difference in the cost of manufacturing per rail-mm. What I know for certain costs more per rail-mm is successfully getting them from the shop that makes them to the customer. There are a number of trips and multiple instances of handling and that means many opportunities for damage.

In my experience, which is likely somewhat representative of the whole, the longer the rail, the higher the likelyhood that it will sustain damage. The damage potential seems exponential with length also, not linear.

Tom
 
Tom,

This portion of the program I can buy into and that is why I want to get a really good look at the Makita rail. If I cannot see the justification for it being $90+ less, or if you prefer, the Festool being $90 more. Then I will buy the Makita, and save the hundy to put towards some other Festool doodad that I _can_ justify the price for.

 
I understand completely, Harry.

Everyone has to determine what works best for them and especially what they find to be the best value given their circumstances.

I don't try to "sell" anyone anything and never have. I just try to present the facts as I observe them and let people make their own decisions. If I try to force my opinions on someone, it may cause them to make a decision that they regret later and that hurts us both much more than anything I could have gotten out of it short term.

One reason I really enjoy working with Festool is that I think they work the same way, at least the people there that I know.

Tom
 
JohnDistai said:
The extra cost is to pay for socialized health care in Germany.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE dont get me started on the healthcare rant :D
 
If you want to potentially discuss health care anywhere in the world, continue this in the Friendly Chat Area or it will be moved.

Peter
 
harry_ said:
Tom,

This portion of the program I can buy into and that is why I want to get a really good look at the Makita rail. If I cannot see the justification for it being $90+ less, or if you prefer, the Festool being $90 more. Then I will buy the Makita, and save the hundy to put towards some other Festool doodad that I _can_ justify the price for.

Harry, I read the Makita rails were produced at the same factory as the Festool rails. They do have an extra rib for the anti-tilt feature of the Makita saw which may prevent some Festool accessories from fitting (like the parallel guides). Otherwise, there isn't any difference from what I've heard. By all means, save your Ben Franklin if you can. 
 
jamesclerie said:
Has anybody ever used a LR 32 guide rail to make a holes in a larger rail

No but I had a company line bore a 1400 with  3/8" holes @ 32mm spacing, 37mm from the saw track, on the rail so i could flip the rail  upside down and have it properly index to the front and back.  The 3/8" holes are for self centering spring loaded carbide bits that have adjustable set stops.  I like the system and it is a lot easyer to setup and use than the LR32.

Craig
 
Bob Marino said:
Festool will now offer a 55"(1400) guide rail version of the hole drilling rail. The current 42" (1080) rail will be discontinued.
The new rail is the same as the standard 55" rail, except that these will have machined indexed holes for use with Festool's LR 32 hole boring system. These rails can obviously be used with the TS  saws, routers and jigsaws.
Item # is 496-939. Price is $95.50
THESE WIL BE AVAILBLE  FOR ORDERING ON MARCH 1, 2010.

Bob, thanks for the heads up.  Sorry I didn't order this new one through you, but I felt like I owed the local WC since I was returning the LR32-1080 tonight..   [wink]
 
Wood_Junkie said:
Bob Marino said:
Festool will now offer a 55"(1400) guide rail version of the hole drilling rail. The current 42" (1080) rail will be discontinued.
The new rail is the same as the standard 55" rail, except that these will have machined indexed holes for use with Festool's LR 32 hole boring system. These rails can obviously be used with the TS  saws, routers and jigsaws.
Item # is 496-939. Price is $95.50
THESE WIL BE AVAILBLE  FOR ORDERING ON MARCH 1, 2010.

Bob, thanks for the heads up.  Sorry I didn't order this new one through you, but I felt like I owed the local WC since I was returning the LR32-1080 tonight..   [wink]

  No problema, please feel free to return anything that you didn't buy from me ;) ;D ;).
Sorry, R, couldn't resist.

Bob
 
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