Customer Reviews for Makita SP6000 Guide Rail Connector with wrench for use with Makita guide rails and other select competitor rails

Works good, but since it requires 2 they should be sold as a pair. $50 is a bit high but you've gotta have them so what can you do?

works great

Better than Festool. Even for Festool owners! While last time I looked the Festool Guide Rail Connector only employed a single strip with setscrews bearing against the inside of the actual $$$ aluminum Guide Rail track. Points of the the setscrews obviously damaging the backside of the track when tightening too tight, OR allowing the tracks to slip apart if not tight enough. (I understand a Festool claim that they use slot-head screws so that not too much damage can be done to the track). On the other hand, the Makita design employs a two-piece strip connector (see above picture). One strip with headless hex setscrews embedded and the other a matching solid rail connector to back-up and distribute the setscrews clamp load. Providing a mechanical, non-slip guide rail connection. OK, so it is about $4.00 more than the Festool connector (recommendation by both Festool and Makita use 2 connectors per rail). But if you already spent this much on rails you want the best connection, and with less damage. With the ability to tighten the rail clamp sections more securely, and if you only occasionally use/cut with the connected two rails (ie: not transport connected sections, which you should NEVER do no matter who's product.) You might easily get away with only ONE mechanical connected rail pair (on the underside of the tracks (Festool or Makita) to assure left/right alignment.. As with ALL JOINED rail systems. Find some way to back-up the opposing side of the rails with an additional board and clamp to prevent a rail shift cutting into the "good" side of your cut. My recommendation for ANY joined rails "measure twice, clamp three times (start, back-up and end of rail). PS for Festool owners. First replacement of your splinterguard; consider using the Makita black splinterguard it is much stiffer and more effective that the softer "clear" Festool splinterguard. And interchangeable. PPS TO ALL TRACKSAW USERS: Clamping BOTH ends of the track to the material is imperative to any material that you don't want to waste material on a bad cut. I know Tommy (sorry, I love what you do) occasionally show a tracksaw rail simply laid across a sheet of stock, but that will not stop it from shifting left or right as you hand coaxes it. USE A CLAMP on both ends of the board. {Measure twice clamp three times} ALSO: Check out the Black and Decker Track Clamp (DWS5026) made by Irwin (?) easy to use and has a soft rubber backup pad (no obvious round "ding" in the back of your materiel. Fits all rails.

Could have done without this - It was just easier to snap a chalk line and move the 118" rail instead of joining the 2

I bought this as a replacement for the Festool rail connectors. It works the same as the Festool version but has 2 improvements. The set screws are clamping against the second strip and the set screws have a hex drive. The Festool screws have a slit and you could slip out of it when tightening. There were no instructions, 5 set screws and 4 threaded holes plus a smooth hole so it may be confusing. A simple sketch could be handy and keeps the guessing out. It also should be mentioned that you need a set of 2. The picture as not clear enough to show it is just one connector.