Contributor
The blue plastic on all my Kreg stuff certainly all appears to be substantial enough to last my entire career. All of my Festool stuff seems to be made of the same type of plastic and have proven to be durable enough. I think plastic technology is well past the point where plastic means cheap.
Contributor
This. I am unimpressed with Kreg quality and engineering. An inferior product line intended for the bottom feeder.Originally Posted by William Chain
"Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."
Contributor
Dear Milwaukee: Are you paying attention? I would have loved an M18 track saw or even a Milwaukee corded track saw. You let Kreg beat you to the punch??? C'mon Milwaukee!
Anyway, I love my Makita. This Kreg looks a little plastic. Is it just me?
Member
I've never used a MFT, but do people really use that surface as a backing board for a track saw? Seems kind of expensive to be cutting into on a regular basis.
I built a small bench that's similar, in that the top has carefully spaced dog holes, and the last thing I'd want to do would be to use it for that.
Contributor
Maybe I wasn't paying close attention but I recall the saw groove running along the same place near the edge, much like the table cuts a radial arm saw has.
Like any tool it has some well thought out ideas and some that are more gimmicky, at least to me. I have the cheap Grizzly track saw and will live with it. If I had nothing I'd consider it especially after it has had a little time to prove itself.
Contributor
I usually don't use the MFT for cutting, because I prefer a table saw for small things and for big things it isn't big enough. But I have cut into it; and use it as a work surface and have some cuts into it from dominos that went to far, some template routing, and some LR32 spoilboard. I generally don't aim to cut it, but am also not upset if it happens.
The top itself is sacrificial; and flips so you get 2 whacks at it for your $140; or you can make your own replacement for it using an LR32 or other system like Parf guides or Dominofix and a piece of MDF. I'm a weekend warrior, so haven't even flipped mine after 2 years. I expect I would probably just pay for a replacement top rather than machining my own, because it isn't worth the investment in a jig or the time that could be producing something else that I actually want to make rather than need to make.
Contributor
There is no need to ruin a benchtop. I use 4/4-square strips of fir between the workpiece and the benchtop. Beats breathing a bunch of foam dust.
"Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."
Member
Indeed. Making a mft top with one of those jigs is very time-consuming, not to mention that the pricey jigs have no other uses for most hobbyists who don't need to make a new top often (once every four to six years?). If you do the math, it is just a $20 to $30 expense ...or less a year if you flip the top over, or don't cut into it as Andy suggests.
But many of us woodworkers are known to be penny wise and pound foolish, often thinking our labor hours are worth nothing.
Simon
Contributor
I think a fair number here don't put a $$ value on their labor hours given that they're retired and are doing woodworking in part to fill their day. Someone doing it to make $$$ is going to have a different view.
Member
That exactly is the thinking many retirees have. Some would spend 40 hours to make something (a tool or a jig) that they could buy for say just $150 (which they might even be able to resell later after its use). They would argue that they had "saved" $150, not counting any supplies or materials used or hours spent. Cost comparisons don't work that way as there's an element of opportunity costs involved. One of which is the time that could be spent on making a furniture piece rather than, say, an mft top.
Retirees and non-retirees who are hobby woodworkers are exactly the same when costs of opportunities are calculated, regardless whether one has more free time or not. By the way, I haven't met too many retiree-woodworkers who say they have a lot of or too much free time for their shops!
It is a different story if one enjoys making an mft top for the sake of making it (rather than with a goal of saving money). I don't like the mdf dust nor the repetitive drilling. I would either buy a top from Festool, or have a local CNC shop cut a few sheets for me (but what am I going to do with the tops that end up not being used after 15 or 20 years???).
Simon
Last edited by Simon MacGowen; 02-04-2019 at 11:33 AM.
Member
I think the table is interesting. Lots of possibilities other than just cutting with the track saw.
Member
I like its mobility unlike the MFT which takes up as much room as a jobsite saw, defeating the purpose of having a small footprint for those with a small job. It also looks sturdier than an mft...which is poor as a workbench for hand tool work (unless you add some weights to the table).
But I agree something has to give when their prices are set to compete with Festool, Mafell, etc.
Simon
Member
Care to explain your stance on "the bottom feeder"? I have lots of Kreg products and they all have served me well, and their customer service takes a back seat to nobody. Case in point, purchased a work table about 2 years ago and the adjustment knob on the clamp wasn't working as smooth as I thought. This was 9:30 on a Friday morning. Saturday morning Fed Ex was at my front door with a new clamp. New clamp, next day delivery, no charge to me. For what it's worth, I feel, or I know that there's more people disagree than agree with your stance on "an inferior product line intended for the bottom feeder"
Contributor
Who makes tools that aren't plastic? What are all you guys using 50 year old power tools?
Guest
Sometimes....
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