New Festool ts75 owner, what track size to get? Makita track?

[Patrick Irish]

I have a Festool ts75 coming in a week. I’m debating what track to get. I think the 55” or 1400mm is a must. What about for you do 4x8 sheets?

I might be able to get a new 108” (2700mm) track locally for under $300. I was reading that with the TS75 this might have clearance issues which I don’t understand yet.

Maybe two 55” tracks and the TSO connectors are the way to go. Read the TAO connectors are better at securing both track sections.

Would going the Makita route for tracks be a good or bad idea?

[Alan Gage]

I went with Makita tracks for my TS75 to save money and they've worked great. I got all three lengths. I use it for straight lining a lot of rough sawn lumber so the long track is nice and don't need to connect it with another track much of the time. I probably use the long track more than the two shorter ones.

Alan

[Ralph Okonieski]

I have the smaller Festool saw; two of the 55 inch tracks are connected when cutting ply lengthwise or rough lumber. I am a hobbyist so hard to justify the long one, although I wish I had one when connecting and disconnecting the two. Connecting two works just fine, just need patience.

[Wes Grass]

I have a 55, and think it's too short for 4' cuts. Requires starting with a plunge.
And kinda clumsy for short stuff. An unfortunate event with not having the saw firmly seated on it left an ugly divot I'd like to not have to look at. Might eventually shorten it and get a longer one to shorten to a better length for 4' panels.

I've got a long one for 8'. Don't mind so much having to plunge with that. Quite often I have to let the saw up and move myself before continnuing anyway.

[Keegan Shields]

Yep, while the 55” track will let you cross cut a sheet of plywood with the TS55, the TS75 is larger and requires the 75” track. That’s the length I have. I also have a 42” track and those can be hooked together to make an 8’ rip. The shorter track is nice when making shorter cuts or when used with a MFT style top. I’d recommend the Parf Guide system it you want to make your own MFT.

[Matthew Hills]

I have the TS55 that came with the 55" track.

I have a shorter track (the 1050?) that I use more frequently with a TSO square for crosscutting glue-ups, usually with the workpiece on a table and the cut just off the edge.

I do have the long track that I use for the 8' rips, with the sheets on rigid foam on the ground, but I'm not doing a lot of the real long rips these days. (I had a bad experience with previous extensible straight edges, so opted for this vs. the 2x55)

I have had issues with the zero-clearance edge strip loosening with heat and time, so I use small clips to keep the ends pinched on when the rails are not in use.

[Greg Quenneville]

I have the TS55. I have two of the 1400 tracks and two of the 1080. Recently I purchased a Makita 1400 and a 3m.

The Makita 3m track is one third the price of the Festool track! It works as well, but you cannot join a Makita with a Festool as the middle section of the track is 0.5mm narrower than the Festool. Hence I bought both sections to deal with 3.6 m sheets.

Whatever you buy you will find that the joiners can often add a very slight misalignment which shows on very long cuts.

If you want to use the Makita track with a Festool router you will have to trim the rail. It works perfectly with the saw though.

I have been using the Makita replacement edge strips on my Festool tracks for about 14 months and they have all stayed on. I never got 14 months out of a Festool edge plastic in 20 years.

[Mike Kees]

I have all Makita tracks and a Makita tracksaw as well .:D

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a Makita & Makita tracks 55".
I had a Festool TS55EQ & Festool tracks also - 55" and 42"

The Festool tracks were more accurate when joined together.

Individually, there was no difference.
I sold the Festool and the 55" tracks -but - I kept the 42" track.
That 42" track is extremely handy.

[Jim Becker]

I have a typical ~55" track, the long "8 foot" track and a short track for utility use. (The latter is a Makita bought NIB from a fellow 'Creeker awhile back) I find this to be a good combination and bought the long track to actually avoid joining two together. I don't use it much, but when it's the right tool for the job, it's the right tool for the job, as it were. In addition to the Makita tracks being fully compatible with the saw at a sometimes better price, PowerTec (Amazon) also seems to have compatible tracks at attractive cost, but I have not had my hands on them.

[Jim Dwight]

I use two different track saw setups. At home, I use a DeWalt track saw and have all the tracks they offer for it. I think they are about 42, 55, and 103 inches.

I convinced my church to get a track saw last year about Christmas time for us volunteers to use when we do small projects there. I picked out an Evolution track saw and a couple Wen 50 inch tracks to keep the cost down to $250. I've used it now to make several simple cabinets, the latest one was made Monday.

I prefer my long track to joining the two tracks at church but joining them works fine as long as I use a 6 foot straight edge to align the tracks. I didn't once and it didn't work so well - saw was sticking on the track and cut was off a little. I find one connector is enough as long as I am careful with the track. The Wen track can use two. 50 inches is also a bit short but what I make at church is relatively crude, it gets painted by others with latex paint and used without edging over the plywood edges, etc.. Utility type cabinets. So the minor error from the shorter tracks is not apparent.

I also moved the sacrificial strip and one of the glide strips on the Wen track to work with the Evolution saw. I doubt the sacrificial strip would need changed for a Festool on a Powertec or Makita track but it might we something to check. The Evolution saw is set up to use either 7.25 or 6.5 inch blades but there are washers added for the 7.25 that moves the blade over a bit. Glide strips are also iffy, if you can see both it wouldn't take long to check. But they are not very difficult to peel off and move on a new track. The Evolution saw is not a plunge saw - the guard works like a traditional circular saw which probably makes the base a little different in shape.

You did not ask for saw advice but since I'm already this far into it, I have to say I'm impressed by the inexpensive Evolution saw. It has a 15 amp motor and another 3/8 depth of cut. I put a 60 tooth, 7.25 inch Milwaukee blade on it and the cut quality is as good as my DeWalt or my SawStop table saw. Less known but in my opinion a good budget option. I intended to get the smaller Wen plunge saw but they were out of stock when we were buying. I kind of wish I'd spent a few more dollars for the PowerTec track but I haven't used it so all I know for sure is it is a little longer.

Shorter tracks are a lot easier to transport and somewhat easier to store.

[andrew whicker]

I would get a short one (~3ft), one to cut 4 ft and one to cut 8 ft. I don't like putting them together. And if you are working w/ ply you are most likely going between long and short cuts. Taking the tracks apart and putting them together over and over again will get on your nerves. I also think the 55" is an odd length because it's not quite meant for 4 ft cuts, IMO.

cheers,

[mreza Salav]

Have T75 with the 55" track and a makita 118" track. I wish the 55" was a little longer but still I can X-cut a 4x8 using these two.

[Mike Cutler]

I've owned my TS 75 for many years now. It's a nice tool. I primarily use it to joint an edge on long, thick hardwoods, though I have used it for plywood. I have a 55" and a 75" rail. The longest cut I have made with mine was just over 17'.
If I had to buy it all again, I would not buy the 55" rail unless it came with the saw. I would buy a 75" and a 108". The 55" will cross cut a sheet of plywood easy enough, but if you want any angle on that cut you will quickly run out of track.
Once you get two rails joined and aligned for a longer cut, you'll be reticent to keep breaking them apart and putting them back together. It gets annoying and time consuming.

[Alan Gage]

If just doing sheet goods joining two shorter tracks for an 8' rip probably isn't a bad idea and would save money. I got the long track so I could join the Makita 118" plus the 55" for straight lining 12' boards.

Alan

[andrew whicker]

Agree with Mike, I wouldn't get the 55" track again.

[George Yetka]

I have 55 that came with it and just bought the 75
I figure the 75 covers me for 5x5 the 55 covers me for the 4' I place the trailing end just shy of the far end of the piece of ply and lets me run in.
and I bought the tso guide rail connectors tom combine for 8'

[Dave Sabo]

Makita's tracks make a compelling argument from a value standpoint.

The drawbacks that aren't disclosed in the brochure are:

1. more than a few reports have been made that the tracks are not totally straight. Festool has better quality control in that regard.

2. Makita's anti-friction strips are rather abrasive and will wear off the coating on your TS saw base. May not matter to you, but a lot of FT guys get unnerved by it. You could always replace them with FT green ones and still be ahead money wise if you get a straight one.