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Rockler free shipping code "5A008"
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If you think you might ever purchase a Festool router, would just make sense to go with Festool's rail and saw.
I have had a TS55 for a few years now and am very happy with it. The fact you can get chip free cuts on both sides of your cut on something like melamine or crosscutting expensive plywood is nice...you won't get that with a circ saw and guide/EZ, unless you tape your cut lines and even then who knows. Not sure about Dewalt/Makita/Triton/Grizzly and what they have implemented to combat chip-out on both sides.
Festool's warranty and service are quite excellent.
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you get chip free cuts with the ez smart as well. the have a replaceable strip similar to festool, which is what gives you the nice chip free cuts. ez smart even has router bases. you could even mount a festool router to it.Originally Posted by Victor Robinson
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Heretic.....
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
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Michael
I have both, Festool, and EZ guide rails.While similar, simply looking at bottom line is a disservice to both.
If it's depth of cut you need, then Festool comes out ahead for depth of cut versus cost. The baseplate on the EZ system subtracts about 11/16 Th's of an inch from the saw blade. To get the same depth of cut as the Festool, you need a bigger saw, and then you start to move towards Festool's in price. 10 and 12 inch circular saws aren't cheap. My 7 1/4" Makita, on an EZ rail does not have enough depth of cut to go through store bought 2x lumber. I have to use my Milwaukee 8 1/2" worms rive with it to cut 2x lumber.
If you know that you will only ever cut sheets of plywood, the EZ System will shine for you. There is no difference in the cut quality of my ancient Makita, with a good blade, and my TS75 with Festool's plywood blade. I am just as accurate with my EZ System, as my Festool.
Depth of cut and dust collection are the differences.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
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I have had a Festool for about 12 years and would do the same if I were to do it again. Great dust collection, excellent accuracy. System approach to use the track for other things, e.g., 32mm holes, I think better overall than anything else. Again, just my opinion.
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The Grizzly uses the same blades as the others. I'm going to try a Oshlun but it would be safer to get a Freud or DeWalt or Festool. If you want reviews, all you have to do is google something like "Grizzly track saw review". They are mixed.
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I have the Grizzly saw and track, have had it for a few weeks and used it last weekend on a project, and I like it. So far, I have not needed two tracks, and, frankly, would like to get a shorter track, but they do not seem to make one. I have never used the Festool, but I do have some of their track clamps, which are better than the Grizzly clamps.
Doc
As Cort would say: Fools are the only folk on the earth who can absolutely count on getting what they deserve.
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I have used both a home made saw guide and a Festool track saw a lot for breaking down large sheets. There is zero advantage in using the Festool for simply breaking down sheets and I would not waste a lot of money buying any track system just for that. Both the home made and the Festool are used the same, make the mark, put down the guide on the mark and cut.
Chris
Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening
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This.
I have used both systems a lot, as I own a deluxe EZ system, and my neighbor friend has all the Festool stuff (He's a contractor.) I VASTLY prefer the EZ system, due to a few factors:
The rail is very stiff. This can be very helpful with certain tasks.
The basic smart table uses standoffs, which let you get underneath your stock for adjustments. (and also gives a place to place tools, pencils, etc.)
The clamps (several types) are a dream to use.
The biggest drawback of the EZ system is that you lose an additional 1/2" or so of cut-depth, but I recently got the 10-1/4" Makita 5104, and with a "Moduni" base I can cut 8/4 stock at 45 degrees, so no more worries. I WAS going to get the Festool saw, which is excellent, but one can make any saw similarly dust-free with a small amount of work, and I figured out how to make my own riving knife. It would be nice to have the plunge feature, but since I also have the Eurekazone deluxe "EZ-ONE" table, I can plunge-cut using it's trapezoid rail lifter.
As to the OP's original question, both EZ and Festool make fantastic extended systems. At a minimum, having a roter attached to the rail is a dream. It doesn't completely replace a router table, but for the jobs this does cover, it does them better & safer than any other way. I especially like that I can rout in the "wrong" direction, which gives a better finish, because the bit can't pull away from the stock.
As for going further than that, i.e. building a deluxe table (such as the EZ-ONE) and even retiring your table saw, well, that's a tough call. I did it, selling my Unisaw, but there are some negatives to this. The primary problem is that one is then stuck with a saw that is somewhat underpowered for thick, hard stock.
I have an idea to try to modify a 2-3 HP RAS head, to fit on an EZ base. If I ever get around to it, that should be one heckuva' system. Until then, I will find myself sometimes wishing I still had that Uni. (But I'm sure glad to have freed up that space in my shop.)
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If you get an 8 /14" circ saw you will gain enough with the EZSmart system to cut 1 1/2 inch stock, drawback is blade selection in the 8 1/4" size. I believe the DeWalt DWE575SB 7 1/4" has a cut capacity of 2 9/16 at 90*. Subtracting the 11/16 you loose for the EZSmart base and track you are at 1 7/8 so you can easily cut through 2 sheets of 3/4" ply if you need to.
George
Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.
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I think the best track clamps are the DeWalt. Many Festool owners agree. They are just special quick acting clamps. So they are limited in clamping force but it is plenty with the soft bottom on the track and they are easy to operate with one hand.
While a track saw can be used to break down sheet goods (when you intend to use the table saw to cut to final dimensions) I certainly wouldn't get a Festool to do that, maybe a Grizzly. The track saw makes sense when you want to cut to finished dimensions and avoid the table saw entirely for sizing large pieces.
The only significant thing I see better about the track saw for rough sizing is the fact that it will follow the track regardless of how you push. It isn't hard to wander away from a homemade guide. But it isn't hard to use it correctly, either.
I have the Grizz with two 55" tracks and have no major issues. Price was a major inducement. I did put a shoe near the front of the blade to help with dust collection, when I care about dust collection. I would buy it again. I do use a Freud blade on it, not that the other blade was bad, just seemed like a good idea when cutting up eight $100 sheets of 3/4" hickory for my kitchen cabs. I dropped the saw once and bent the cast aluminum base plate out of flat. Judicious use of a dead blow hammer set everything straight again.
NOW you tell me...
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Chris, FYI, that is only one of the ways to use a Festool rail for breaking down sheet goods. Another way is to use the parallel guides. Another way is to use an MFT & rail for perfect 45 and 90 degree cuts.
No marks to make, very fast setup for 'the next cut' (after the initial-purchase calibration), no worry about drifting off the mark and running back and forth end-to-end readjusting clamps, integrated clamping beneath the work you are cutting, and you get multiple pieces that are exact same width with the parallel guides,....
Then there are all the sheet good breakdown cross cut options (with an MFT,...) for perfect 90 degree cuts without measuring and drawing lines,....
I don't use my Festool tracksaw in any way even remotely similar to how I used to use a homemade track jig.
Mark McFarlane
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As ive read this stuff ive thought what am I missing how do people break down a 4 x 8? are they measuring is there a guide system for square, how accurate is it, is there a guide system for Parrallel, how accurate is it, cut a 4 x 8 into six pieces how long does it take and how accurate.
My Mcgiver stick has worked just fine and if it takes a few minutes longer to put two clamps on the odd job I need it for on a 100 hour job so what. I watched the fancy video and saw a bunch of guys talk about how great it is onsite, no dust cut doors better than their table saw. No one showed a 4 x 8 cut down for say kitchen lowers and uppers to see how fast it is, or with tolerances or the whole story So Mark thanks for mentioning there is more to it but would be nice if one of them shows the whole story. I do see the value and its better than my Mcgiver stick and can do more however. Jointing with a track saw? It cant do a spring joint. Ripping thick lumber, my 3 hp saw is underpowered at times for that. Whats the cost of the whole rig? its all new to me and have to digest it, if someone knows of a video that gives the whole story please put it up. I looked up the saw and track and there was nothing for jig guides for square or parallel on the site that I looked at
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