I am getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on a new TS55, which will be my first festool. I am stopping by a dealer this weekend to look around a bit. I am looking for suggestions for tracks. I want to be able to cut a full 8' sheet of plywood. Am I better off purchasing an additional 1400mm track and connecting the two or getting the 3000mm track. is there any accuracy lost when connecting the two 1400 tracks together? 2 1400 tracks would be much easier for me to store and haul than the 3000. Thanks for any advice.
TS55 - advice needed on which tracks to buy
- Thread starter nfk
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JCLP
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I have 2 - 1400 mm rails for over 2 years and have never had an accuracy issue. I too have no storage for a 3000mm rail. I would strongly recommend you purchase the Betterley Straighline connector to help you connect the 2 rails. Also a 4' level to aligh the 2 rails will help alot. I use everything I mentioned and I have never had an issue.
Cheers,
JC
Cheers,
JC
ear3
Member
If cost is not an issue, go with the 3000. I'm very happy I did. It's possible to get a straight cut by connecting the rails, but it's not a foolproof operation. With the 3000 it's fix it and forget it. If you do go the connecting route though, you might want to get the 1900 along with the supplied 1400 instead of two 1400s. Having a variety of rail lengths in your arsenal is super helpful -- like when you need to rip a five foot long board, which would exceed 1400 capacity.
rvieceli
Member
The general consensus is that the 3000 mm rail is the way to go if you have a way to safely store it in your shop. there are folks that transport it but it is rather unwieldy.
A couple of suggestions:
You should consider swapping the stock 1400 rail for the 1400 rail with holes when you buy the saw. Many dealers will do this and in the US the price is the same. That way you have the rail needed if you want to get into the LR32 hole drilling system.
Instead of an extra 1400 rail go fro the 1900. If you join them that will give you enough extra room to do angles on the length of ply.
Many folks join their rails. You just need connectors and a reliable straight edge to check the alignment and recheck it from time to time. The ends of the rails are not automatically square, so don't just butt then together and think you're going to be straight.
A couple of suggestions:
You should consider swapping the stock 1400 rail for the 1400 rail with holes when you buy the saw. Many dealers will do this and in the US the price is the same. That way you have the rail needed if you want to get into the LR32 hole drilling system.
Instead of an extra 1400 rail go fro the 1900. If you join them that will give you enough extra room to do angles on the length of ply.
Many folks join their rails. You just need connectors and a reliable straight edge to check the alignment and recheck it from time to time. The ends of the rails are not automatically square, so don't just butt then together and think you're going to be straight.
While others have said they have difficulty connecting two rails in a straight line I don't think it's a problem. However, I have not connected two rails as long as you would be connecting. It seems to me it's as much a matter of available storage for and room to maneuver a long rail versus two shorter rails as it is the convenience of having one single rail. Isn't a 3000 mm rail difficult to manage? I wouldn't have the room to safely move a rail like that around in my shop regardless of storage. The only other issue is the time it takes to connect the two rails and make sure they are straight. Since I'm not doing this for a living and the time isn't really all that much, it's not a problem for me.
Gary in Texas
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I also have two of the FS-1400/2, and two of the Holey rails. I also use the Betterley straight line connector, and haven't experienced any issues with alignment.
Now, having said that, if I had it to do over again, I would get the FS-3000 and two of the holey rails. The 3000 takes all of the effort/concern/caution/time (my own concerns or issues listed here) of connecting the two rails, ensuring that they are perfectly aligned, and not worrying about "if" they might have moved a tiny bit when repositioning the rails for another long cut on sheet goods. You can use one of the holey rails to cut across the sheet goods, you won't want to do that with the long rail.... As others have pointed out above, if you will be transporting the longer rail, just note the length and make sure you won't have issues hauling it around.
I eventually will probably get the FS-3000 and sale one or both of the FS-1400.
Now, having said that, if I had it to do over again, I would get the FS-3000 and two of the holey rails. The 3000 takes all of the effort/concern/caution/time (my own concerns or issues listed here) of connecting the two rails, ensuring that they are perfectly aligned, and not worrying about "if" they might have moved a tiny bit when repositioning the rails for another long cut on sheet goods. You can use one of the holey rails to cut across the sheet goods, you won't want to do that with the long rail.... As others have pointed out above, if you will be transporting the longer rail, just note the length and make sure you won't have issues hauling it around.
I eventually will probably get the FS-3000 and sale one or both of the FS-1400.
If I remember correctly Per Swenson and his Dad actually did a bar top and had to join rails to exceed 28 feet. They didn't have any issues. I went looking for the image but didn't find it, but I did find this document. When you see the images of the long bar top that was the one that they set up the rails to make the rips. http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/Per_Swenson_Sanding_Bar_Top.pdf
Peter
Peter
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I have no issues with connecting two rails. I have the Betterley connector and it has made it so easy to get the rails straight and allows you to connect the rails with ease. With a variety of rails I can almost get anysize I need without having a hard to store 3000mm. I would think it would be great in a larger shop but not if you are tight on space.
Rollin22Petes
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I had to do the same thing Peter just mentioned a few weeks back not as long but right around 23'. I had to join 4 rails a 118'',75'',55'' and a 42'' not ideal but it can be achieved without problems I usually use a good 4' level for a straight edge.
I have the 1400 holy rail and 1900. I love the 1900 rail for 4' cuts or diagonal across a 4' sheet. If i could just have 2 rails to start I would go 1900 and 3000. Then something shorter like the 42" rail. The extra length with the 1900 over the 1400 really is nice.
Sparktrician
Member
I use two "Holy Rails" joined by the Festool connector bars and aligned using the Betterley Straightline Connector. In a small shop this works quite well. If I had a larger shop, I might consider the 3m rail, but it's just unworkable in the small shop, and more trouble than it's worth to transport in my work environment.
I am a hobbyist. If I started cutting more 4 X 8 sheets I would consider a 3M rail. For now, I connect rails using the Festool connectors and a 4 ft level. I get excellent results. It takes a little time but the trade off in time is worth the cost and space savings for me at this time. I would as others have suggested request a holly rail when you get your TS. I did not know this was possible when I got a TS55 and therefore will someday have to purchase a separate holly rail.
BTW you will love the TS55. Absolutely a terrific saw and an excellent Festool entry point.
BTW you will love the TS55. Absolutely a terrific saw and an excellent Festool entry point.
Gary in Texas
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One more thing to consider. If you decide on the shorter rails, you should look into buying the Makita rail connectors (you will need two). I prefer the Makita design over the Festool connectors as they will not deform the rails. You can pick these up from Amazon....
Thanks for all the replies guys. I will definately check into getting the standard rail swapped with one with holes. I dont have a need for it now, or have a festool router, but who knows, better safe than sorry. I will just have to decide on the long rail vs the short. I do have room in my shop, but if I use the saw elsewhere it will be much easier to use 2 shorter tracks. I looked at the betterley connector, and it looks very slick. but for the $100 I would probably just use a 4 or 6' level to get them straight for the short term. I'm going to be looking them over this friday or saturday at the dealer and hopefully I will be picking one up by spring. I'm wanting to get started building cabinets for my shop and my wife is wanting closet cabinets and shelves built for the bedrooms. Wrestling 4x8 sheets on my table saw by myself is not something I look forward to. The tracksaw will be a huge timesaver.
JCLP
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I know they betterley connector is a little expensive, but it is worth it. You will find that when you move the 2 connected rails that sometime they get mis-aligned forcing you to check their alignement before making the next cut. Before I move the connected rails, I lock on the Betterley connector then move the connected rails. This keeps them aligned and no need to check for alignment. The connector is definetly a time saver. Cheers.nfk said:
JC
Mahomo59
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I started with two 1400's and now have 800 and 2700, the latter is awesome for breaking down 8x4 and I find so much quicker now, easier and more enjoyable breaking down larger sheets. I've read several times that the 2700 is too short to breaking down 8x4 with the ts55...I just nod my head and think wtf! That tool has earned me some good money, I love it. Still plan most jobs where I get the sheets cuts first, who wants to man handle 8x4 sheets.
