MicroFence vs Festool edgeguude and guide stop plus a circle jig

[James Nugnes]

Just wondering what people here think about the router jig, edge guide and guide stop options open to them.

I was initially looking at just the Festool options to use with a Festool router. But it takes the Guide Stop and the Edge Guide plus a rail of some length just to get off the starting line and for something like an OF2000 you are at a little over $300.00 for middling guide accuracy and you are not cutting any arcs yet with that set up.

However while MIcroFence gets you an edge guide, a guide stop and cutting arcs and circles their set up will cost you about $500.00 to do that. measurement accuracy appears to be better and their Circle Jig at least in the videos looks like it is light years ahead of the circle jigs that you can buy out there. I am impressed with that for a number of reasons, not the least of which, you can get you and your router in a bunch of trouble real fast with a circle jig with a bunch of slop in it and I don't mean just a ruined workpiece either.

While the rail end of the MicroFence system is way down the list as a component of cost, I do wish it was more of a rail and less of a clamp. Yes you can use the Festool rail with all of this MicroFence stuff but now you just added another $50 to your tally as the Festool rail is a bit pricy for what it is. The rail is just the one piece that you might feel comfortable ripping out of the MIcroFence System substituting the Festool rail for it. Other than that, since MIcrofence is pretty much an integrated system, if you want to cut arcs, get an edge guide and a guide stop then trying to pull other components out of the Microfence System substituting other stuff for it probably does not make much sense.

Is there some alternative that sits in the middle of a MicroFence System and picking up the Festool pieces plus a circle jig? Maybe some company that is trying to do what MicroFence is trying to do for routers, maybe with slightly less accuracy but also less cost? I would think that if there was some alternative between the Festool edge guide and guide stop stuff and the MicroFence System it should be plenty accurate because the Festool stuff is not bad while the MicroFence stuff seems awesome.

- So for those that have used it does the MicroFence System works like it appears....awesome
- Does the M/F Contractor Clamp which for MicroFence is the rail part of the system give you everything you expect of a rail for a edge guide, guide stop system or do you find it lacking?
- Is there something for handheld routers that sits between the Festool edge guide, and guide stop stuff and the MicroFence System?

[Mike Henderson]

I have both MicroFence and Festool equipment. The Microfence is well made and works great for circles and with their edge guide. I bought the adapter for MicroFence to the Festool rail and it's just "Okay" - seems to have too much "slop" in it while running along the rail. If you need to do circles and want a good edge guide, the MicroFence is a good system and will last your lifetime. No matter what router you buy, they can provide an adapter to their system. If you mostly want to use your router with a rail, it's maybe not the best.

Mike

[James Nugnes]

Thanks for posting Mike. I wondered about that.....if that Contractor clamp the weak link. I can't say that I am all that enthusiastic about the Contractor Clamp (rail) but I am not thrilled about the idea of adapting to the Festool rail either. I wish I felt good about the Circle Jigs that are out there to buy. If OK with those, I would probably just go with the Festy guide stop and edge guide and a section of Festy rail. I am happy that you are good with the MicroFence edge guide. At least there is that. I have to think that as a rail system that Contractor clamp probably works better with the Microfence than using the Festy rail. Just not sure I like that whole clamping thing. I know it might seem like just more clap trap but I kinda' like clamping a rail and workpiece down to a table. I have to look at their videos of how that Contractor clamp even works with a workpiece as it has to be clamped to your work table I think. I might have to see if there is anybody else making anything and if not, maybe just stick with the Festy and try to find a good circle jig.

[Charles Lent]

Have you considered a CRB7 jig? It's a multi function router jig that comes with different size guide rods so it can fit any router with guide rod holes. The spare rods screw together and to the end of one rod in the jig to make a circle cutter for circles up to 4' diameter. I'm quite pleased with mine.

Charley

[James Nugnes]

That is a very good suggestion. The latest version might just work in my case. I have to investigate.

[Jim Becker]

I have Microfence and use with Festool. :)

[James Nugnes]

Geez I am not sure I should care which one I use. Getting so darned blind I did not even notice the typo in my Subject for this thread.

Anyway. I think I have the parts the way I want them now. I got the MicroFence Edge Guide and Circle Jig. I think the Edge Guide is only great and the Circle Jig is maybe in a class by itself.

I like the Festool rail. I really don't have a good reason but the MicroFence "clamp" which is their rail just hits me wrong. It is a part that is widely used within woodworking. So it is not something of Rich's own making. I like the Festool rail better. Once you are there, to go further than the Circle jig with MFence, you need to use that slider piece that rides atop the Festy rail and that does not exactly hit me right either.

So I have the Festy rods and will use the Festy Guide Stop with those and the Festy Rail. I kinda' like the Festy Guide Stop.

I think the CRB7MkIII represents a major improvement over the MkII from what I can see. But I can't say I like that one thin rod from the center of a circle out to the router.

The amount of time MFence has invested in these kinds of products really does show. Hard to beat a guy that dedicated to his company and product with that much time into it.

So it was a tough day on the ole' wallet. But the decisions are made and parts are on the way. Glad of that. Whole thing was starting to give me a headache matching up the parts and pieces from both product lines.

Thanks as always to the folks here.

[Frank Martin]

I think you will really like the Micro Fence setup. While it is not cheap, definitely very well made.

[James Nugnes]

Well even without using it yet I like the way it is fixtured. Having this stuff come apart on you right in the middle of cut is not too appealing. Way more than half the complaints about the competing jigs are about the stuff doing just that....coming apart right in the middle of a cut.