Festool Dewalt mix & match

[Bill Stephenson]

I would like to purchase a track saw but have a constrained budget,so I am considering purchasing the Dewalt saw vs a Festool and save about $230.00 Most of the reviews I read say the Dewalt is good but the tracks are not as sturdy as the Festool. I know the Festool track will work with the Dewalt. I was wondering if anyone else has done this mix and how it worked out.The festool with a 42" and 75" track will run $938.The same track with the Dewalt saw will $708.00

[Jim Dwight]

I bought the DeWalt with 59 and 102 inch tracks for about $600 from Amazon several years ago. I am very happy with the purchase. I have not used a Festool so I cannot comment on their saw or track but I would observe that the DeWalt is fine. There are more accessories for the Festool but I don't think the DeWalt really limits you. I made my own parallel guide based upon a design posted on this site. I also have the DeWalt router guide.

I like having a track long enough to make 8 foot rips in sheet goods. With shorter tracks, you have to join them and be sure they are straight. It's easier to just get down the 102 inch track.

I am planning a Ron Paulk style workbench with crosscut jig. It will further enhance the usability of my DeWalt.

Regardless of which saw/track you get you should get the DeWalt clamps. They work great. Quick acting and plenty of holding capability.

While I really like my DeWalt and recommend it, you might want to check out the Makita. It gets good reviews and is similar in price to the DeWalt.

[Bill Stephenson]

Jim,
Thanks for your reply,I purchased the Makita and sent it back as the sole was not square to the blade. It had two screws to make an adjustment but no matter how you turned them they had no effect on making it square.This is why I am back in the market, The review"s I see on the Dewalt are good but I am wondering if it has the ability to correct an out of square blade. I checked the Dewalt manual & it does not address the issue.Lots of the reviews on the Dewalt are negative about the track being to flimsy but most like yourself like the saw. This got me thinking about the mix & match.My other issue with Dewalt is the 102 inch track, it seems to me that it will not allow the cut to be started without a plunge cut because part of the saw will be off the track, this would lead to inaccurate cuts. I thought if I got the Fesstool 42& 75 inch track I could combine them for 117 inches and that would be fine. I have already purchased the Dewalt clamps and you are right they are very nice. Perhaps you could tell me if the Dewalt track is made well or to your satisfaction. Using both sides of the track is a nice feature.

[Andrew Ulsher]

The woodwhisperer did a review of the dewalt track saw and tried to use the Festool track. If memory serves, I do not believe they fit very well. Either too loose or tight and the blade alignment was off. Worth looking up though.

[Jim Dwight]

Bill,

I'm not sure if you are talking about the blade being square vertically to the base or being parallel with the edge of the base. There is an angle adjustment that you use to make bevel cuts but I've never really used it for anything. I believe it allows you to square the blade vertically. But the Makita should have had the same thing. I've never checked the blade being parallel to the edge of the base. It doesn't matter because the base rides on the track. I've read that track saws have blades that deliberately toe in slightly to help them no splinter the material being cut. All I know for sure is I get nice straight cuts that are square to the surface of the material I'm cutting.

My guess is that the comments on the DeWalt track relate to its flexibility up and down, not horizontally. It is not real thick, maybe 1/16 or a little more. My further guess is the main difference from a Makita or Festool is that the DeWalt only has one rectangular portion where the ridge to guide the saw's base is. The other brands put a second roughly rectangular shape on the outside edge where you do not cut. That would make them stiffer, up and down, but not really horizontally. Flat plate is quite stiff horizontally, just not so much up and down (it's a function of the modulus of elasticity which has the dimension in the direction of loading taken to the fourth power). Any of these tracks needs to be protected while being transported. Mine came in wooden cases I used until I made cases out of solid wood and luan plywood.

Jim

[Rick Potter]

Just a quick point. The DeWalt track with only one ridge, means you have the option of using it in either direction (two rubber edge guides). Handy sometimes.

[Jim Dwight]

Here's an article that has a picture of the Festool, Makita, and DeWalt tracks:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/to...lunge-cut_saws

The DeWalt can apparently ride the Festool track, but you would need to use the outside groove in the base, not the center one you use with the DeWalt track. The wheel that prevents backward motion won't work with this groove, I'm not sure about the "slop" adjustment - it looks like it may work fine.

I don't find the 102 inch track to be an issue making 8 foot rips. I position it so it overhangs about 2 inches where I will end up and about 4 inches where I start. That is enough to get the saw headed in the right direction prior to starting the cut and enough to let you end the cut still guided. There is a little technique in using this saw, IMHO, and pushing it along the guide is one of the things I got better at with use. I fought it some at the start. A longer track might have helped but what I really needed was to develop the feel for the tool. I don't know if the brake that prevents the saw going backward is a great thing. I think it is part of the issue I had initially. You might try the saw with it switched out if you find yourself fighting the track. It would be nice sometimes to be able to go backward an inch. But it isn't overly hard to lift the saw and set it back down.

The picture of the 3 tracks also serves to illustrate my earlier point about vertical flexibility. Two U shaped areas in the Makita and Festool tracks have to make them more stiff in the vertical direction. That might make them feel more robust but the DeWalt track works fine. I like the idea of the second U shaped area for attachment of a parallel guide, I had to use the one rib coming in from below. But two sacrificial strips and the ability to cut in both directions is an advantage too. Even if it worked right, I think the Festool track is too overpriced to use without their saw. I think the DeWalt track is not a problem. But it looks like your track idea will work. It will require joining tracks for 8 foot rips. You might want to consider two tracks around 60 inches. That would still give you plenty for an 8 foot rip and it would save money. There is also a neat rolling workbench ideal over on the Festool forum that carries two 140mm tracks if I remember right. If you don't mind joining them, this should work.

Looks like "Toolup.com" has my setup, saw plus 59 and 102 inch tracks, for just under $600. So using Festool tracks will cost at least $100 more and require joining for longer rips unless you want to spend even more. I'm still happy with my choice but if you verify that the slop take up will work on that groove of the DeWalt I think your option is very viable too. The main advantage of the Festool track is the accessories. You can get tracks with holes for using a router to make 32 mm spaced holes for shelves, for instance, and there are at least 4 brands of parallel guides for the Festool track (none for the DeWalt).

[Bill Stephenson]

Jim,
Thanks for all the info you provided, My issue with the Makita was the cut was not square in the vertical direction. When I put a square on the cut it was out to a degree that I could rock the square on the cut.Maybe 1/32 inch. I made the purchase today I bought the Dewalt with two 59" tracks,got it for $547.82 ($20.00 off for Fathers day) I have a few Dewalt routers and will be looking for their attachment in the future, this was also a factor. I think I will deal with connecting the two tracks for long cuts and it will provide the overhang I am concerned about. if it becomes problematic I will get the 102" track as it is reasonable in price. I just had a hard time justifying a $1000.00 for a glorified skill saw when I only paid $1400.00 for my 3hp delta cabinet saw. Thanks again for your thoughts.

[Cary Falk]

The woodwhisperer did a review of the dewalt track saw and tried to use the Festool track. If memory serves, I do not believe they fit very well. Either too loose or tight and the blade alignment was off. Worth looking up though.

I recall reading somewhere also that the Makita and Festool were the ones that were compatable not the Festool and DeWalt.

[Jim Dwight]

I'm pretty sure you will be happy with the DeWalt, I know I am with mine. The 102 inch track is a bit of a pain to store. My previous shop had tall enough ceilings I could hang it but my current shop is just over 8 feet so it has to go on a shelf. I deliberately put one up within 6 inches of the ceiling just for this and some occasional plumbing piping that is really long. But that means a step stool to safely get it up and down. Two 59 inch tracks might be better. You will have better support at the ends of 8 foot cuts and easier storage.

You should check out Cary Falk's post on his parallel guide. I made one and really like it. It is a bit like setting a stop when crosscutting or something. Repeatability is better than if you mark and cut. Marking takes on a whole new importance, at least for me, when the saw will cut so precisely. I started using my combination square to mark cuts to get the lines where I want them and a mechanical pencil to have a finer line. You'll need something to rest sheet goods on while cutting. I use a lattice work of 1x4s I made a long time ago. I plan to build a bench something like Ron Paulk's. If you google his name you will find youtubes. I also like the rolling MFT alternative you will find on the Festool users website.

[Bill Stephenson]

Cary, I believe you can use the Dewalt on all tracks except Grizzly,but you can't use the festool on the Dewalt track. It gets kind of messy with confusion.

Jim, I am in the process of setting up in half of my garage a cutting site. I have ordered 3 "Rugged Buddy" saw horses (best I have ever seen). I will be laying a sheet of 1/2 inch ply on them and then putting a sheet of 2 inch solid insulation on top of that. Will do all my cutting top of the insulation. The sheet goods will go flat against the wall and the saw horses fold flat to 4 inches, my truck will then fit in the garage. The saw will arrive on Thursday, my first project will be a cabinet for storage in the garage.

[Jim Dwight]

There is also a slab MFT that goes over sawhorses. The MFT is not just for cutting, it is also for clamping, assembly, etc.. With "dogs" (like precision dogs) it will do accurate cross cuts. There are several good "how to get the most out of your MFT" articles available. But for now, enjoy your DeWalt.

[Frank Martin]

While ~$200 savings sound attractive, you may regret your decision of mix & match at a later time if you find that for some applications it simply does not work that well. I would suggest you go for all Festool or all Dewalt. Track saw was my very first Festool purchase over 10 years ago along with a vacuum. Great system.

I would like to purchase a track saw but have a constrained budget,so I am considering purchasing the Dewalt saw vs a Festool and save about $230.00 Most of the reviews I read say the Dewalt is good but the tracks are not as sturdy as the Festool. I know the Festool track will work with the Dewalt. I was wondering if anyone else has done this mix and how it worked out.The festool with a 42" and 75" track will run $938.The same track with the Dewalt saw will $708.00

[Jim Dwight]

Frank,

He did go all DeWalt. Saved almost $400 versus about the same thing from Festool. I'm sure Festools are nice but the difference is pretty significant. We still appreciate Festool paving the way with track saws and introducing the accessories we try to copy for our DeWalts.

Jim

[Bill Stephenson]

Received the saw today and I am impressed, sturdy build compared to the Makita. i.e.. Thicker aluminum sole plate,larger motor,heavier weight, larger size. Smoother soft start with less growling.etc.etc. I was worried about the track stiffness but it looks to be OK. Haven't used it much but very satisfied right now.
PS-The blade is square to the sole.