Makita battery track saw on Festool tracks?

[Peter Kuhlman]

Searched but did not find answer. I swear I read about this here but am blind I guess.

I have a corded Festool TS55 and several tracks but it gets used in a basement shop. I need to cut down sheet goods in the garage or driveway and it is a pain having to run up and down the stairs for the saw. Yea I am old and crippled.

Thinking of the battery Makita track saw as I have lots of other Makita stuff and plenty of batteries and chargers. Price is right at 350 for the tool while getting a Festool is 820 as I have no 18volt Festool stuff. Yea I lose the riving knife but can live with that for sheet goods.

So can the Makita be adjusted close to the rubber on the Festool rail? I want to be able to use both saws on a couple of the rails and still want the edge to reference the cut off of.
Thanks!
Pete

[Greg R Bradley]

Almost interchangeable.

You only get the benefit of the Anti-Tipover when doing a beveled cut with a Makita Saw on Makita Track.

When you run a certain saw with a certain blade down a track for the first time it trims the anti-splinter strip exactly to match that saw with that blade. You will need to be careful when changing saws or even changing blades on the same saw that the strip doesn't get trimmed more. Festool went to consistent kerf blades about 10 years ago to eliminate the problem. If you want that strip to match exactly, you will need to have some care.

I only have the Makita coreded saw along with my Festool saw so confirm the cordless has the same kerf blade.

[Peter Kuhlman]

I haven’t checked but think the blades might be interchangeable between the saws. Yea my tracks are all pretrimmed by my TS55 so hoping I can adjust a Makita to be close if possible.

[Greg R Bradley]

I haven’t checked but think the blades might be interchangeable between the saws. Yea my tracks are all pretrimmed by my TS55 so hoping I can adjust a Makita to be close if possible.

You can install a 160mm blade from Festool on Makita but not 165mm Makita on Festool 55. series. Here is depth of cut comparison:

IOS Backup 445.jpgIOS Backup 446.jpg
They are both 2.2mm wide but this isn't the cordless

[Peter Kuhlman]

That works for me as I have quite a few blades for my TS55 then that would fit the Makita.

[Davis Young]

That’s my setup and it is totally doable. Keep in mind without the vacuum, you’re going to get quite a bit of dust on your track and plywood. Rigging up a dust bag to the port did contain a surprising amount. Not as good as a vac of course but exceeded my expectations.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Thankfully I have a second Midi vac I can use in the garage. Can cut outside when weather is nice.