Parallel Guides vs Rip Guides vs Parallel Guide System

[mprzybylski]

I've been considering getting the Festool Parallel Guides but they are quite expensive and I've looked into alternatives.  The two I keep coming back to are the Parallel Rip Guides (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Parallel-Rip-Guides-Festool-Guide-Rails-Dogs-/121055775083) and the Parallel Guide System (http://www.senecawoodworking.com/products/parallel-guide-system-for-incra-t-track-plus).  My question is simple: What advantage/disadvantage does each system have over the next?

If anyone can shed some light on this and make suggestions that would be greatly appreciated.  For what its worth I'm also considering the Domiplate so maybe shipping charges could be combined for that if I chose that system.

 

[Emer Construction]

I originally bought the festool parallel guides and now have  the Rip guides from ebay.  They are just all around easier to use.  I want another set to use while cross cutting with the rip dogs.  I'll probably try the Seneca ones just because they are aluminium.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

I have the Festool ones and hate them.  Sometimes just getting them to slide onto the rails is a PITA, so much so that I have one rail pretty much stuck there as I have no interest in having to replace again. If you have the guides and workpiece on the MFT, hey're hard to use with stock thinner than about 3/4 (1/2" for sure), as the guides and rail then sit above the piece.  They're bulky to store.

 

[mprzybylski]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm deciding between the two third party choices. Obviously the eBay ones are cheaper but not aluminum. Anyone have comparisons between the two they can offer up? I like the narrow add on for the Seneca version as well as I can see myself using that often.

 

[sprior]

As it happens I just got the Seneca parallel guides today - I bought the Festool ones a year ago and found them to be a pain when ripping full lengths of plywood.  The idea behind the Seneca guides seems much better.  My only complaint is with the Incra T-Track Plus rails you use with them - I'd like to know what genius at Incra decided to make all the measuring tapes only in 16" increments so for a 24" T-Track Plus you get two tapes that you have to overlap just right and hope they don't slide out of alignment.  Like it would have killed them to actually produce a 24" tape for their 24" rails.  My tracks came with imperial tapes so I ordered metric tapes for my parallel guide, but again they don't sell once tape to cover the full length of the track.  Doh!

 

[Corwin]

As it happens I just got the Seneca parallel guides today - I bought the Festool ones a year ago and found them to be a pain when ripping full lengths of plywood.  The idea behind the Seneca guides seems much better.  My only complaint is with the Incra T-Track Plus rails you use with them - I'd like to know what genius at Incra decided to make all the measuring tapes only in 16" increments so for a 24" T-Track Plus you get two tapes that you have to overlap just right and hope they don't slide out of alignment.  Like it would have killed them to actually produce a 24" tape for their 24" rails.  My tracks came with imperial tapes so I ordered metric tapes for my parallel guide, but again they don't sell once tape to cover the full length of the track.  Doh!

Once you get your scales aligned to your hearts content, place some scotch tape over the overlap to hold them in place.  Now they won't slide.

Even if those scales were the length of the track, they still wouldn't work out for you.  You want to cut off the first several inches to account for the width of your guide rail (and any space between scale and rail) so you would still need a scale longer than your track for this application.

 

[sprior]

I got the 24" rail, would have preferred to buy a single piece tape 36" long so that once I cut off some from the end I'd still cover the entire thing with one tape.

 

[barnowl]

... I'd like to know what genius at Incra decided to make all the measuring tapes only in 16" increments so for a 24" T-Track Plus you get two tapes that you have to overlap just right and hope they don't slide out of alignment.  Like it would have killed them to actually produce a 24" tape for their 24" rails.  ...

I asked that question to Woodpeckers years ago, and was told that expansion and contraction of the plastic would throw off measurements longer than 16", so they overlap tapes.

Unlike their SS inset in their long fences (different expansion/contraction properties).

Made sense at the time.

 

[sheeschen]

I have the Seneca, and it's a big improvement over the Festool guides (which I sold soon after buying the Seneca).  The guides lay on the material and don't have to be readjusted for varying lengths of cuts.  They also don't flop around (though there are fixes for that).

Anyways, that's not the question now.  I wasn't aware of the ebay version when I bought the Seneca so I never closely compared the two, but one thing that may be driving the price difference is that the Seneca version has the narrow stock adapters so you can rip narrow pieces without using a spacer.  It's easy enough to make a spacer, or just use a long scrap of plywood, but if you're dealing with material of different thicknesses, that may require a little more setup.  I haven't actually used them, but I like knowing I have them just in case.

 

[sprior]

The ones on Ebay are machined from a sturdy plastic, the ones from Seneca are milled from aluminum and are more expensive.  I'm sure they both work well and are high quality, I personally went with the aluminum ones.

 

[mprzybylski]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'll go for the aluminum ones and get a domiplate while I'm at it 

 

[sprior]

That's exactly what I just did.

 

[rustym]

I have the ones from ebay (RMW-Ripdogs) and they work perfectly.  The material that Richard use seems to hold up very well.  I do not see any future problem with them because of the material they are made from.

Rusty

 

[GPowers]

This is a threat that the Festool engineers should be reading. Festools needs a version 2 of the Parallel Guides  [unsure]

 

[sprior]

Agreed, it's freaky for something from Festool to be inferior to other options.  They should buy out the better options (rewarding the effort to move the ecosystem forward) and make future customers happy.

 

[JoggleStick]

I'm quite happy with the current Status Quo... Arguably it is the Festool pricing that allows and promotes the innovative ones to come up with simpler/better ideas...
It's all good, moving forward...

+1 Seneca

 

[Willhoddell]

Are there any alternatives that are available in the UK/Europe. I've been thinking about the Seneca ones, but can't find a cheap/easy way of getting them shipped to me (I actually live in Norway)
Cheers,
Will

 

[RyWen]

I got the 24" rail, would have preferred to buy a single piece tape 36" long so that once I cut off some from the end I'd still cover the entire thing with one tape.

Incra sells scales in longer lengths....but I haven't seen them available through any dealers; only direct from Incra.  We hope to be offering them in our store soon. 

 

[Tinker]

I have had problems with using the Festool P-guides.  No more said about them here.
I bought RMW's Rip guides and even tho I did not have the Incra T-Plus guides, i used a couple of T-slots from Kreg, i was able to use right away with no problem other than I had to really sock the Kreg T's real tight.  Once i got the Incra's i was off and running.  The Rip guides can rest on top of the pannel anywhere.  I often rip plywood with both ends extending beyond my bench.  The P-guides must have support beyond the pannel being cut.  RMW's dogs don't even whimper.  They just lie there where they are comfortable, as any good dog should. 

For ripping very narrow pieces, RMW has a vid shwing how to set the cut up using narrow spacers.  Even before getting his Rip guides, i used the same basic method for ripping.  So far (pre rip guides)I have ripped down to about 1/4".  I see no problem going that thin, or less with the Rip Guides.

For me, the plastic they are made from should last me forever, even tho I am only 39.  [scratch chin]
Tinker

 

[geary126]

I bought the Rip Guides, from Richard, and love them.  The spacers work very well, for whatever that is worth.

Tom