[OP]
Contributor
I'm not normally a person to play marketing for a tool company, but the Betterly connector for the festool tracksaw has worked great! I kept trying my 6ft level or my 4 ft straight edge but it never really worked.
Highly recommended.
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Contributor
Glad it is working for you. I have the TSO Guide Rail connector:
https://tsoproducts.com/jigs-fixture...il-connectors/
Works great.
Contributor
We have used the Betterly connector for our tracks for as long as we have had a track saw. We use the Festool TS75 and the TS55 with tracks ranging from 32 to 75 inches in varying combinations. We have been thoroughly happy with the results and accuracy.
Contributor
I also have the TSO connectors...they do work-eth well-eth.Originally Posted by Bob Hinden
"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
Member
I have never heard anyone say it didn't work or do the job it was intended to.
I think the biggest knock on it is its cost/benefit ratio. Many people over the decades have achieved excellent results with absolutely no contraption at all - free. Others have used a level or straightedge that they already own with great results - cost shared amongst another hardworking tool - or free- if you turn a blind eye. Still others have used the TSO connectors with their self aligning design to great affect - $10-$20 in cost. All much cheaper than the betterly solution - which translates to a better value.
$120 for a one trick pony seems a bit steep to many people for something that's often a non-issue or that can be solved with other products that are cheaper. CLearly the Straight Line works a lot of people as it's still around with many satisfied owners.
[OP]
Contributor
The TSO connectors seem to rely on the extrusion process. My two Festool tracks are NOT the same. I cannot tighten the saw to one of my tracks or else it almost won't slide on the other track (one extrusion is smaller than the other).
The straight edge technique is "meh" at best. I did it for years. I was over it. $ 120 for never having to worry about this crap ever again.. it will pay for itself. I'm going to be woodworking for a long time. I like that the Betterly cams against the extrusion vs wearing out the extrusion every time I use it. Practically, TSO probably works fine though.
Cost wise, I'm more upset that I spent $$$ on Festool and they don't even have an in house solution that comes with the tracks to actually make them work as intended! That's my grumble.
Member
You've prob. got a made in Germany track and a made in the USA track. I feel your pain. I'm at a bit at a loss how the Straight Line helps you out in this case though ? If your extrusions are not the same size any reference tool will cause misalignment. Perhaps I'm missing something though.
As far as wearing out the extrusion - you needn't fret. I've got a set of tracks from turn of the century that are assembled / dis-assembled almost weekly on jobsites and they still calibrate just fine.
As for the last one..............welcome to the club. FT in their infinite wisdom doesn't really see your issue as a problem - like lots of other things users raise complaints about. Metric only , then Imperial only, Cleantec, late to the brushless party , Domino settings, and on and on. Should be noted that they have a couple of options for you though: the "new & improved" centering rail connectors, and one piece rails up to 3000mm.
[OP]
Contributor
I think FT is off my "buy" list for quite some time. I have their domino and their tracksaw w/ guides and I think I've reached the end of my patience. If a solution comes out for their products from a 3rd party, I'll spend my money there vs with FT.
Contributor
I have the TSO connectors also.
They no longer run $10 to $20 though - they are now $59. That's up from the $55 I paid for mine last September.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
Member
They no longer run $10 to $20 though - they are now $59. That's up from the $55 I paid for mine last September.
They were never $10-20 bucks. They have been 10-20 bucks more than connectors (inferior) from other sources that you need anyway if you want to join rails together. Might as well get the best for just a few bucks more.
Sorry for the confusion.
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