ERBAUER TO MAKITA - Did I make a mistake?

[@driftwood883]

Great video! I've currently got the Erbauer and listening to your compaints, I was completely agreeing! You've convinced me to upgrade, so thank you.

[@johnlarkin9815]

A great addition to your workshop Dean. I would love one but I'll have to wait. Some day though:)

[@StuartSanborn]

I enjoy how you figure out solutions to having a small space, be well.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks!

[@ridley8340]

Very timely, I got my SP6000J through the post a few days ago, it's still in the box whilst I finish another project but can't wait to give it a try. Looking forward to see what you do with it so subscribed to your channel.

[@WoodworkJourney]

I think you’ll enjoy it a lot! Thanks!

[@whomadethatsaltysoup]

Excellent purchase. As with other comments - you absolutely won't regret it. I've had one since 2016. I'd used the Festool at work, but it was a bit too rich for my blood. I was on a job where some of the chippies were using the 110v Makita, and, as you noted, it went through the paint grade 18mm ply like a knife through butter. No clouds of dust, and no heavy-handed cuts. Back then, I saw it on offer at £359 with two 1400 tracks and a bag and Macpac. Since then, I bought the cordless 36v iteration and gifted the 110v to my brother. Advice... Always fit a decent blade, and avoid the thin kerf versions. Yes, they are supposed to save battery life, but they don't half wobble and wander - especially if you are cutting anything thicker than 18mm. On top of that, you are obliged to change the splinter guard as it no longer lines up with the actual cut. Oh, and the reason you didn't have to change the stock blade, is that they come in at around £50. Hope you are enjoying the new toy!

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks!

[@markr1142]

Great vid, im a carpenter of 30 years, I have a festool I bought 10 years ago, it's not bad but has less power than the Makita. I also have a have had a sp6000 for 7 years which cuts equally as well as the festool. You wont be disappointed with with the saw, I have abused mine and it has held up a lot better than my festool which I go gently with. The bearings and brushes are still the original ones on my makita, I can't say that for my festool. Makita don't do any brushless corded tools yet. Enjoy your saw :)

[@manfredrunck7468]

What I strongly recommend is the MFT Style Peter Millard is using. The track installed with the rail hinge from Peters Plans is way more safely and accurate. Maybe you can put a sacrificial piece in place where you cut into your table...

[@WoodworkJourney]

Yes I’ll be pooping a sacrificial piece in. I can’t use a rail hinge in my current setup, I’m contemplating making a removable front hinge for the same purpose but we’ll see.

[@c.a.g.1977]

Nice addition to your shop Dean! Have the (maybe the exacte same) Makita track saw as well. Bought the 150cm track and later the 100cm track, if you put those together you can use it to cut whole sheets of ply or mdf, which are 244cm I believe?

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks! Yeah the 150 is on my list at some point

[@David.M.]

Nice review and demo Dean. I don't have a track saw and never thought about using it as a replacement for a table saw. I look forward to seeing it in action.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks David!

[@davidfoulds1620]

You won't regret it. Bought mine 5 years ago (a kit from ITS) with 1400 tracks but since then upgraded to 1500mm tracks which allows for a 4' cut. Also chopped the 1400s down to 1000mm which are very handy. Made a table top last week end and used it to joint the boards, just butt them up screw a piece of scrap across the ends then run the saw down the joint. It's impossible for the boards not to fit together perfectly.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Great to hear you still love it, it seems the Internet is a huge fan of this particular Saw

[@rodwynn7932]

you would find it easier and safer to have the home made fence at the front of the track so as you are pushing against work piece this will allow you to hold it in place and stop the tipping at start and stop of cut

[@NickFabi]

That’s exactly how it do it, especially from a safety point of view when thinking about controlling the saw and potential kickback. Your body / posture is trying to control the saw in a pushing motion whilst at the same time you are countering this to keep the rail in place using a pulling motion.

[@andymat7359]

I bought the Erbauer just to see me through until I could justify getting the Festool TB75, it's great! The only bug bears I've got are the motor cutoff when it's struggling just a little bit, especially on rips, and the port (when not hooked up to extraction) is angled towards the user and throws sawdust in your pouch, pockets, trainers and anywhere else it possibly can, annoyingly it doesn't look reversible, I need to fit a 32mm waste pipe elbow on it somehow. It also works really well on the evolution 2x1400mm tracks which were really affordable.

[@stephensenior3589]

I have the titan from screwfix i got it just to see if a track saw would work in my workshop , 5yrs on it's still going still cutting 90 degrees . Got used to the anti kickback eventually. not had any issues with it other than that. I shall replace it next year but will keep it as a backup. The Cordless Makita will probably step in as it's replacement.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Fantastic!

[@GarHealy]

Cheers. I’ve been looking at both models. Your review has really helped me arrive at a decision! Liked and subscribed

[@NomadMakes]

Hi Dean! What a great video! I've got both the Makita and the Titan (which is the same saw as the Erbauer). My biggest problem with the Titan, apart from the stiff plunge mechanism, is the lack of accessories. The non standard rail always made me doubt whether any rail square would fit etc. And I love the soft start on the Makita :D Cheers and thanks for sharing.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Hey dude! Thanks for watching buddy

[@chimairanl9043]

Watching Peter and some others convinced me to go the track saw route as well. I will probably get the Makita XGT model. But first I need to make some room in the garage. The first project will be a bench. You will definitely enjoy that saw. I think Peter has a tracksaw tip playlist and he shows a pretty easy way to set depth using your material reference.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Yeah I’ve watched all his tracksaw and MFT videos about a thousand times recently lol I’m just a clumsy idiot that forgot to set it

[@chimairanl9043]

@@WoodworkJourney Haha I am sure I will make the same mistake. And it went through that mdf and osb like it was nothing. It is easier to set the depth like that. No need to calculate the thickness.

[@chimairanl9043]

@@itsatrap624 Hey thanks. What dust extractor are you using it with? I have not decided about that yet. I will take a look at a local tool store when I get the chance. They sell festool, dewalt and some other brands. In the makita range I miss a 230V model with AWS. I am not willing to pay 160 euro just for the separate AWS module. l would rather get a festool for the same price.

[@chimairanl9043]

@@itsatrap624 Thanks. A good option to keep in mind.

[@TheWeekendWoodshop]

That's a really nice piece of Kit Dean. I'm looking at getting my first track saw in the next few months possibly. I appreciate you sharing your experiences with those two saws with us.

[@WoodworkJourney]

I mostly suggest getting cheap tools and then upgrading, but in this instance I strongly recommend the makita so far!

[@thefinchworkshop]

Check out the widgets from Strawbyte for the depth gauge and the dust cover. Really handy. Plus, of course, the little jigs for waste side cuts. A few quid and it's a big step forward.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Absolutely, they’re already on the shopping list!

[@benkinslow197]

Thanks Dean! :-) I have the Erbauer, but can't compare because I've not used a different one. It does have a little widget to take into account the track thickness though (you don't have to add 5mm).

[@WoodworkJourney]

It does, but in all honesty, the Makita is worlds apart from the Erbauer in my humble opinion

[@darrolhargreaves6828]

I had the same experience as you. With some erbauer tools, they're fine but with these track saws the upgrade was soooo noticeboard. The makita is so precise and smooth its a pleasure to use.

[@fetabrown]

Thank you for the review, particularly useful to hear how it is with the economic side of things

[@jablot5054]

I did exactly the same thing and cut straight through my hair mobile work bench!

[@WoodworkJourney]

Oops! lol

[@alanburnett7779]

Hi Dean I enjoy your journey into woodwork and was interested to see you have changed your track saw but does the Marita have any form of anti kickback on it?? All the best......

[@WoodworkJourney]

Hi Alan, no it does not. If you’re doing things properly it isn’t really necessary

[@normanbott]

I didn't even contemplate Erbauer after some bad experiences with the brand. Went straight to Makita. Hope I can get a short rail, they've been hard to come by.

[@Venomator.]

Well, this has just made up my mind for me! Excellent video, thank you for that, recently sub’d too… 👏🏻 I have a very small workshop and though I do have a small Table Saw, it is a real pain to use it for anything large in size. So, have been keeping an eye for a pre-owned Festool plunger, until I got myself scammed on BookFarce Marketplace - ouch! Ordered the Makita, new, today after watching your news, so thank you for convincing me to move on… ✅ 👍🏻

[@malmyhill5456]

good vid one quick question will the Erbauer work on the Makita track

[@WoodworkJourney]

I don’t know and unfortunately don’t have the Erbauer any more

[@boblordylordyhowie]

Good video. If you want to fix the top, either epoxy or pva and a load of chalk dust.

[@FearsomeWarrior]

We are track saw Makita buddies now. Best value track saw. Waited for sale price as well.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Plunge pals!

[@kevinwillis6707]

i recommend the strawbyte workshop waste side jig ( look up his channel) when you want to keep the narrow off cut as your piece to use, it allows for the thickness of the blade, costs around a fiver, and is dead accurate,so simple yet so useful, cheers....never mind, i just scrolled down the comments 😄

[@WoodworkJourney]

😂

[@anthonymiddlesex6859]

ive had my makita track saw about ten years never let me down i should really replace the brushes but still going and light weight cant go wrong with it.....................changed the blade from makit to a freud best upgrade i done and also strawbites hole cover

[@WoodworkJourney]

Yep, I’ll be getting his water side spaces as well!

[@mandyleeson1]

Love my Makita tracksaw👍🏼

[@WoodworkJourney]

I can see why!

[@graemewhittle1665]

I bought the Erbaur track saw and I loved it. It made great cuts, slow run up on the motor, very accurate, it was great. I say ‘was’ and I say ‘loved’ Because one day it just stopped working. I had the motor checked over and found no problems so I can only assume it’s the electronics in the handle that failed. Erbaur support is terrible. No spares, no assistance from the retailer, very poor after sales. Looks like I’ll be buying the Makita.

[@WoodworkJourney]

You won’t regret it

[@GrumpysWorkshop4]

Great video mate, I've been pondering about a tracksaw for ages now. You seem to be doing well with the tracksaw setup & I think it'll work well.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Cheers buddy! I’m actually looking forward to getting stuck in now, I was quietly dreading it with the Erbauer lol

[@GrumpysWorkshop4]

@@WoodworkJourney have you thought about suspending your power cord & dust hose from the ceiling above your mft it would make it more convenient I think

[@WoodworkJourney]

I have but would need a much longer hose from the vac. It’s nice and self contained though so I’ll see how I get on as is for the moment

[@bobx2387]

Hey Dean, I have the Makita set up and after a long think decided to go with it. I have a good deal of Makita kit and have never been dissatisfied. I realise that batterey is the way to go but do not do "site work" so I am [probably seen as not fashionable.... Bob (Weston super Mare)

[@WoodworkJourney]

Cheers Bob! I don’t really understand the benefit of battery for workshop tracksaws, but people do love them. I just wish they made a brushless corded version

[@bootsmclaughlin1438]

We all love a bit of peter now lol... the saw is a game changer

[@WoodworkJourney]

Definitely

[@cuebj]

Apart from a jigsaw, I've had to return every Erbauer item I've bought. Bang for buck, the Makita is stunning, despite its age. They've maintained quality of long life products. By contrast, DeWalt corded tools seem to be much worse now than ten years ago. I use a corded Makita circular saw with a Makita accessory to work on track - works extremely well, and dust control is far better than I expected. Just yesterday, I cut some budget 18mm plywood with a shallow with reverse run to score - perfect, no tear out, very precise and quick in a window between rain showers. Cheap!

[@WoodworkJourney]

To be fair the tracksaw is the only thing I’ve really not gotten on with from Erbauer, and I’ve put their stuff through things for a couple of years. I’ve changed to a different brand this week though and will do a video about that hopefully tomorrow. The Makita table is great though, it really is an older design but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it and all that

[@richardkeith2778]

I ditched my Erbauer for the Bosch system because it just wouldn't cut without scorching, despite new blades. I also hated the anti-kickback. I chose Bosch as the rails are better, and work with my Bosch routers too, but that Makita looks like a winner !

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks! Great to hear you’re enjoying your upgrade as well!

[@Baronshill16]

I have a DeWalt, brushless motor track saw that is brilliant. Cost me £250. Did you look at DeWalt

[@WoodworkJourney]

I did, the proprietary track put me off though. The makita/Festool track design is used by a few companies so you’re more likely to get cheap it or second hand track with those

[@philaandrew100]

Great bit of kit. I do have a few observations re safe use though. Firstly, clamp the track down! It is those "She'll be right mate, only making one cut" moments that end up with missing fingers. My skin crawled a little when I saw you reaching over and holding the track back. Never ever have any part of yourself infront of any power tool. I have seen a few rather unpleasent accidents happen this way. It is all well and good to think the saw is locked into the track, but one should never trust such things as being foolproof. If shit can go wrong, it will at the worst possible moment. Secondly, which is related to my first point, is these saws have two handles for a very good reason.. You know the old saying, two hands for beginners😁

[@WoodworkJourney]

Thanks, all very valid points 👍

[@theduftmeister]

I had a titan tracksaw that i got for £50 with rails!! from B&Q in a sale, maybe 5 years ago. i got by with it for about 3 years until it died and so upgraded. YT reviews were all pro Festool or Makita for the most part. I got the cordless Makita (less cable hazard) as couldn't justify the cost increase of the festool as a hobbiest. The upgrade was the best thing i did. compared to my old titan (which was good for £50!), the makita is lighter, more powerful, better built, better features and much much nicer to use. I'm sure you'll get on great with it Dean.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Definitely! Don’t know about the cordless version, but the corded makita has more power than the Festool as well 😁

[@robertboughton11]

Thanks for the information on that.

[@Steve-dr7rr]

Dean if you know anyone with a 3D printer you can get a cover for the arbour if that helps

[@WoodworkJourney]

I’m going to buy one and a set of water side spacers from Stawbyte Workshop 😊

[@reaper060670]

Is that a Magnusson Black Square u have there mate? I have the same one out of B&Q. It's been a great Square for me. I like some of Magnusson's tools bro. They do ok for me and woodworking isn't about perfection bcos it moves at times..

[@WoodworkJourney]

It is indeed 👍

[@ChrisMurley]

The depth setting on my Erbauer is the main hate I have for mine.

[@WoodworkJourney]

I totally understand that

[@nineoneten]

I have the Makita and love it. Adding a Trend blade made a differnce to the cut....the original Makita blade had a habit of burning the wood that wasn't solved by changing cut speeds. The Trend blades are available at decent prices too. I can't think that anybody would not enjoy the Makita saw.

[@mandopando68]

Hi hi also have the erbauer definitely agree quite hard to push on the track . But changed to a Makita track a completely different machine 😎😎

[@ashleymears8072]

Great review Dean I can see you are going to cost me more spending 😱😂😂 Was going to buy a new mitre saw but now think I will go this route with DIY MFT👍 Keep up the good work stay safe

[@WoodworkJourney]

LOL Thanks Ashley!

[@zoladkow]

Got that Makita too... it ABSOLUTELY did not cut square 😑 after fiddling with setscrews it's ALMOST right. I also had to realign the base, because blade was not parallel to the rail - it should, slightly, but in my case that was enough pronounced that scoring cut never matched the deep one 😂 I still want to take it to a some makita partner shop for further fine tuning, before i'll start doing anything serious with it...

[@WoodworkJourney]

Yep these things should always be checked

[@reaper060670]

U need to try these SAXTON BLADES pal.. I bought them for my table saw and they work a treat with really nice clean cuts.. I think I bought 24/28T and 40/42T or something close to that. I need to go down to the shop and check. If u can get SAXTON BLADES 165mm for the Makita u should give them a try. I bought a Freund blade 190mm for my Bosch Circular saw and I've never been so disappointed with a blade that expensive. It cost me 60/65 euros or something like that. I read the reviews and they were great but I will not be buying it again. The blade burned the wood right out of the packet. Now my circular saw is only 1200W so maybe that's part of the issue. I'm not sure. That Makita is a brilliant Plunge sw. The electric or Battery saws are the best on the market.. i'M GLAD U GOT THE mAKITA MY FRIEND. gREAT CHOICE. i WILL BUY ONE WHEN THE FINANCES ALLOW IT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO..

[@WoodworkJourney]

Cheers, I have used Saxton blades in the past and they are great. I’m happy with the stock blade in the makita for the moment though, first time I’ve ever not wanted to instantly replace the blade on a machine lol

[@ianmurray3820]

If you put the track square nearest end of the rail to you, !! It keeps its self square for a more secure cut. In my experience.!!😁💪🏻

[@christianwithers7335]

13:13 nothing to do with blade depth, you fell off the table again. The other video I watched was the collapsing board kick back one!!

[@WoodworkJourney]

I know the movement you’re talking about but the blade was too deep as well

[@michaelplays2449]

Great video !!!!! thank you !!!

[@rizwanmohammed5339]

Is the makita track compatible with the Erbauer saw

[@WoodworkJourney]

I didn’t test it I’m afraid and no longer have the Erbauer

[@stuartgreenshields5591]

Yes it is. I have an Erbauer saw and Makita rails.

[@jessejameson154]

Some people cannot afford a Makita. And the Erbauer used to be 1/4 the price. Now it's a far fetched idea that the Makita is 4 times better for a beginner. And screwfix would take back any defective Erbauer and replace it free of charge for 2 years. More often than not it's a case of getting the most from the tools you have to hand. In saying that , I do greatly admire Makita and their products .

[@WoodworkJourney]

I agree some people can’t afford Makita, I too saved up, sold stuff, and waited until I could afford it

[@dilligaf2386]

If you score the board first then cut through you won't get any chipping

[@needaman66]

Ive had a dewalt for several years now, just switched to the battery model. Has anti kick bit i turned it off. NEVER had a kickback it has a sprung riving knife. Even with a used blade still gives a great cut. Festool an overpriced option.

[@WoodworkJourney]

They are indeed, although pretty reasonable Second hand

[@paulhodgson4790]

Bisch Basch Bosch has a great rail hinge that tucks away. Reverse a few bits and it can be at the front of the bench. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqGzq6p4h9urmJo

[@WoodworkJourney]

Yep, I’ve watched that a few times recently and spoken to him about it

[@markrainford1219]

If you make your living from using tools, you don't use Erbauer full stop. They are for DIY.

[@WoodworkJourney]

Phew, lucky I don’t make my living using tools then, they’ve lasted a couple of years but who am I to say

[@richardstevenson2727]

🫡