Is festool ripping us all off ?

[@rabmcleod3508]

Buy a Hilti 3 mtr track which fits the Festool perfectly and as it’s wider with built in carry handle it doesn’t have the same problem as the Festool tracks bending plus the extra length is a real bonus. That’s what I use for my Festool track saws in the shop and on site.

[@feechl]

Word of warning for anyone wanting to try this, you *really* want to test your Festool on the exact Makita track before buying it. With my TS 60K, I ran out of adjustment on the rear knob/cam/gib so my saw was unable to get a snug fit on the Makita track. As a result, the rear of the saw would wobble as I pushed it along the track. (In Australia, the 3000mm Makita is $289 and the Festool $880!!)

[@TheDaniel85]

I've also had cases of Makita rails been so far apart in profile that they could not even remotely line up with each other... Probably why you had issues.

[@TrevorTraub]

I went through this exact same thing 6 months ago. The festool track is pushing $800 in Canada. I got the makita on sale for under $200. For that big of a price difference, I can live with buying different attachment brackets for my parallel guides ($80).

[@JBSeymour]

I have both rails and im sure the makita rib is slightly larger. If you have the newer festool rail joining bars they fit properly in the festool rails but seem to need overtightening in the makita rails. Obviously mot an issue with 3m rail😊 Is it dead straight? If you put the 2 cut edges side by side are they flush at the ends and middle?

[@brokenbarbespoke]

I've tried a few combinations, and you could also apply your same logic to the wen/powertec tracks. The Festool track is also not exactly the same, it's slightly different in thickness and the offset for the splinter guard is not the same. I don't think they're ripping people off, but instead passing a lot of the tool R&D/Production costs for their tools onto consumable parts as it makes the most profit. My experience found that when switching between the different tracks and saws the offsets would need to be changed, so in this case, your mileage may vary for your end results.

[@theofarmmanager267]

Is Festool over-priced? That’s actually a simple question with a more complex full answer. As stated, Festool have been fined for price- fixing but that doesn’t define as over-priced as they could be fixing a low price (unlikely but it happens). For me, the reality is that Festool price their goods this way. Bean counters and marketeers look to determine what price level the market will bear for each product and set their prices accordingly. This has little or no relation to the cost of the product (which includes cost of materials, manufacture, recovery of overheads, profit etc.) but mostly to maximising profit whilst achieving the required level of sales (no point in having a product which sell cheap but you can’t make enough; you aim to fill the production lines but no more). The key then is what the market will bear. This is a combination of the result of the marketing efforts (making the brand into highly desirable) through their marketing campaigns to influencers etc. and the effect of competition. For a product such as a domino, there is (currently) no direct competition and, it seems to me, the domino is priced accordingly. For items such as track saw, I suggest that the price is monitored to fit into the premium track saw category. Like all manufacturers, extra profit is gained from ancillaries. Sometimes, these can be almost insanely profitable. Many/most people buy branded Festool accessories to ensure the perfect fit with the master machine. This view encourages profits measured in 100’s of per cents. In my (long) experience, the dangers of the “Festool” type of approach to pricing are quite large. Over the longer time, people will begin to associate Festool with over-pricing. Once that movement starts, it’s very hard to stop it snow balling. Avoiding that is very difficult and something that prestigious brands spend more time on than anything else. That balancing act of maintaining the desire of people to pay much more for a particular brand is the true goal of the marketing department. As an example, does a Dunhill wallet do its job any better than much cheaper models? No, it holds cards and money equally as well but it’s the brand imprint that costs you the money. None of this is a slight on Festool equipment. I have a lot of it but thankfully bought it all some time before the current price levels. I rate most of it highly for design and build quality. But, I maintain that hobbyists don’t need to spend that level to meet their needs

[@MMMS75]

I did one better and bought the Makita track saw too! Haha! It’s my favourite tool in the shop. I gave two 55” rails and the TSO connector. Dead straight and economical. I just don’t have the money for Festool tools quite yet.

[@billystray7007]

I wouldn't worry about it, I have both and don't notice a difference

[@campbellbuilt]

I’ve experienced thickness variations with the Makita tracks and switched to Festool. Went from the 36v to recently the 40v Makita track saw but I only run Festool tracks. Makita saws are great but their tracks from when I was running them were questionable. Please don’t construe my comment as argumentative or offensive, just my experience friend.

[@denthefirst]

Haha.. i would name it Makitool 😂 . 3m one cost here in Vietnam about 110€

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Of course they rip you off. They were fined millions by the EU for price fixing; look it up.

[@derekwilson285]

Just get a festool sticker. Wang it on.

[@kevinthomson6324]

Should we tell him makita makes the saws as well …

[@Joyjoiner]

Where did you get the makita rail?

[@patchesZA]

The Makita rail has a little lip on the t-track profile for the Makita anti-tip washer to catch on. This little lip will need to be trimmed off if you plan on using Festool OEM parallel guides, and other Festool rail accessories (like the Carvex rail base and router rail guides).

[@mixedmartialmayhem7703]

Festool definitely ripping people off. Not sure how the algorithm put me on to you but I’m a carpenter from Australia, I’ve chucked you a sub so it will be nice to follow some trade content from Ireland. Cheers mate! 🍻🇦🇺

[@valis6761]

First, check it if it’s straight. A lot of them are not. If you use both makita and festool rails, you’re going to do fine adjustments every time you change between them. They are not exactly the same

[@gradymatteson3289]

This! If you’re going to be ripping /crosscutting and swapping between makita and Festool rails, it sucks to have to micro adjust them when swapping back and forth. Also, the splinter guard on my long track (makita) falls off over time, I even swapped it out to the Festool splinter guard because I already had a roll of it. All of the splinter guards on my Festool tracks have stayed put, even in extreme temperature swings.

[@spbygga8123]

I bought 2 3m makita rails and when I put the back to back, they were touching both ends and a 1mm gap in the middle. I bought 1 to cut in half because I wanted a couple of shorter ones and I read there was inconsistency between profiles on different length makita tracks so it wasn't a problem

[@brandon909]

@@gradymatteson3289 I agree 100%. I have to do that when I’m using the mft 3 cross cut system and it does become annoying when you have a small shop and the track saw is your work horse for large sheet goods.

[@mirosawkaras2371]

Check if it is really straight. I had to return it twice.

[@sixpotshot]

Always shop around...ny company will try to take advantage of whatever when think they can...and one of the reasons why companies try to have proprietary systems (to keep their customers as unwarranted prisoners...) if buyers let them then they will get away with it. Do you know why car dealerships have a terrible reputation for poor customer service? Because most car owners soak it in rather walking away. It is one of the consequences of the "I Want" disease tipically exemplified at the end of the spectrum by Porsche GT car wannabe customer or one that turns up to buy a brand new Ferrari without proof of previous brand ownership.. . If people walked away at the first sign of shoddy work, and shoddy service plus rip off offers (a good price maybe still a rip off depending on what is attached to it and the service that they know the customer will never get...) we all would have a much better market. Festool as a system in unrivalled, unmatched and without parallel and their assistance does, at least sometimes, match it - one would have to be famous or being a very important customer to get the. same from probably most other brands including the rarefied field of Maffell and Hilti.

[@Anton-2001]

The only bad thing about Makita tracks is that they don’t accept all the festool accessories for example track squares or parallel guides Makita’s track has the non tip guard that is good for when you make bevel cuts then the saw can’t tip over (for makita track saws) not on festool 😊

[@fathogwoodworking]

That price difference is unreal. I’m sure you could buy a couple of festool stickers if you really wanted it to match.

[@billybike57]

Yes! Yes! Yes! 🥲