Reading the thread on the damaged rails has me concerned.

[Ed Bray]

I bought some UHMWPE sticky tape and put about an 1" along the joining pieces over each of the holes and then trim to suit, so that when I tighten the screws they just bear on the tape and do not mark the rails. I have 3 sets of joiners and 4 rails and have not managed to damage any of them yet. I also have the Betterly connector although Phil Beckley (Festool UK) advocates using the saw itself to align the rails prior to tightening the joining pieces.

 

[Gwerner]

While looking online for the Makita rail connectors I noticed how similar the Makita guide rails look. Are they identical to the Festool rails?

 

[heiko1974]

You can't repeat a precise 90°(if you cut 45° or other before) cut because the stops and the baseplate are very weak.

My mobil changed my sentence [embarassed]

 

[Holmz]

...

I guess I sounded a little like I was regretting my Festool purchase.  I am quite happy with the saw, just want to make sure I don't mess up those expensive tracks.

Being a system, the saw relies on the tracks.

While the MT55 was designed to also ride on the FT tracks, the TS55 will not ride on a bosch track. The expensive tracks are the base(basis) of the saw, and it is not unheard of to spend more on the tracks than the saw.

Technically the Mafell/Bosch rails are superior.
If FT had designed their saws to ride on Bosch rails, I doubt they would have sold many rails.

 

[sae]

While looking online for the Makita rail connectors I noticed how similar the Makita guide rails look. Are they identical to the Festool rails?

No.

The Makita rails have an anti-tip channel in the extrusion that fixes the saw tipover problem when making 45 degree bevel cuts. You can only have this if you have the Makita saw.

You can however use the Festool saw on the Makita rail. I prefer the Makita anti-splinter strip as well, as the Festool adhesive melts in the summer and the strip moves around a lot.

 

[Cheese]

I prefer the Makita anti-splinter strip as well, as the Festool adhesive melts in the summer and the strip moves around a lot.

Is the Makita anti-splinter strip the same thickness as the Festool item? I have several Festool tracks and the beginning/last/ 6" of the strip is always hanging off the rail and I constantly need to try to reattach the item. PITA

 

[joiner1970]

I prefer the Makita anti-splinter strip as well, as the Festool adhesive melts in the summer and the strip moves around a lot.

Is the Makita anti-splinter strip the same thickness as the Festool item? I have several Festool tracks and the beginning/last/ 6" of the strip is always hanging off the rail and I constantly need to try to reattach the item. PITA

Yes

I replaced all my rail strips with the makita splinter strip cheaper and better.

 

[Cheese]

I replaced all my rail strips with the makita splinter strip cheaper and better.

That's good to know, I'm hoping the adhesive on the Makita strip is longer lasting than the Festool adhesive. What color is the Makita anti-splinter strip?

EDIT> Fixed quote box

 

[joiner1970]

It's just like the original Festool black ones before they changed to the clear ones

 

[Cheese]

It's just like the original Festool black ones before they changed to the clear ones

That's good to know, I'd assume that is better than the current clear Festool item in that it'd be easier to align it with pencil marks on whatever you're cutting. Presently I mark the entire edge of the clear strip with a blue Sharpie (Magic Marker) to allow me to better see the edge of the strip.

 

[cliffp]

One thing I did to try and stop the splinter strip coming off is store the rails horizontally and with the strip on top (ie the rail upside down) so that gravity is always acting to keep it in place. So far its worked for me but I don't use the rails all that often so this may be a factor.

 

[JeromeM]

I also have the Betterly connector although Phil Beckley (Festool UK) advocates using the saw itself to align the rails prior to tightening the joining pieces.

What Phil is advocating was a way suggested for a long time, however the Betterly connector is very much better. If you use the saw then to get an alignment nearly as good you need to tighten the gibs, then loosen them after, and the saw only touches at the gibs. With the Betterly connector when you tighten its cams the registration surface is the full length of the tool.

Now the difference is small but the Betterly connector virtually guarantees a perfectly straight connection every time and is fast, the saw method can leave a (very) small angle at the join.

 

[Gwerner]

While looking online for the Makita rail connectors I noticed how similar the Makita guide rails look. Are they identical to the Festool rails?

No.

The Makita rails have an anti-tip channel in the extrusion that fixes the saw tipover problem when making 45 degree bevel cuts. You can only have this if you have the Makita saw.

You can however use the Festool saw on the Makita rail. I prefer the Makita anti-splinter strip as well, as the Festool adhesive melts in the summer and the strip moves around a lot.

Thanks! I've been wanting to grab a 118" rail and the Makita is considerably less expensive.

 

[mwahaha]

I'd assume that is better than the current clear Festool item in that it'd be easier to align it with pencil marks on whatever you're cutting.

I have the ts55 and my work has the makita. I much prefer the clear festool strip i find the black makita strip and black pencil play tricks on my eyes, especially in dim lighting