Festool 491498 FS 1400/2 Guide Rail,1400 mm

After using a festool tracksaw and rail there's no comparison. Super precise and easy to use! Make sure to cut the guide strip away first.

It’s a guide rail, it’s fits the saw, it means you can do straight cuts up to 800mm. I’ve not tried frying eggs on it yet and I think I could probably also use it to play badminton but again not tried that yet. Your flys are undone Benedict.

Very good quality as you would expect

It’s FESTOOL what do expect? Expensive and accurate

Product is exactly what is says on the box, arrived undamaged, works well with the rest of the kit

Excellent

A little more expensive than other providers but it is the ideal size for the job I needed it for. I only have the Festool insulation cutter and this spans a 2.4 x 1.2 insulation board to cut down to fit between joists. The cutter does not fit my Makita rail very well so I bought this one.

I'm using this with a TS55 saw. Construction and finish quality is what you would expect from Festool, although I did think it felt a bit light at first for something designed to not move... in use however the rubber grip strips on the base of the rail work very effectively, and obviously the weight of the saw helps as well. The green strips on top of the rail are a slippy plastic which lets the saw slide over them very easily. Initially you have to attach the replaceable rubbery guide strip and make a cut through it, which then gives you an extremely accurate edge to line up with your mark. I've made a couple of hundred cuts with it and this rubber guide doesn't look any the worse for wear. This works so well, If your cuts not right, you've probably marked it wrong. I haven't felt the need to use clamps with the rail; I'm primarily cutting MDF and ply and the rail doesn't move at all on either material, as long as the piece is large enough. If you're cutting smaller pieces, it may be useful to have an offcut of the same thickness in front of and behind the piece to keep the rail flat, and give it a bit more surface to grip. So why only four stars? Joining the rails. I've got a couple of 1400mm rails, which are perfect for cutting an eight foot length (2440mm). Joining them uses a pair of aluminium bars, one on top, one underneath the rail. Each has four holes, with four little (10mm ish) grub screws. Now, it does work, it's just a bit tedious. It's a most un-Festool experience, and I always feel it slowing me down. Aligning the rails seems a little hit or miss as well, it's possible to join them slightly out, and I have had a couple of slightly bowed cuts due to this. I only work in a workshop, rather than on site, so the obvious answer for me is to spend £200 on a 2700mm single rail. If I did any site work, this would be annoying. If you have no need to join rails, they're perfect.