Having looked at a fair few of the reviews I’d say that is a very fair summary Adrian. Most seemed to say it was down to fine margins between the Festool and Mafell - dust extraction and the rail systems were definitely called out as being advantages for the Mafell.
Interestingly one of the points that stuck in my mind was a coupLe of the reviews commenting on the scribe cut with the Mafell being a fraction of a millimetre off the final cut line and potentially leaving a visible gap. I’m guessing that’s not something you have found to be the case based on your post?
I always use the scribe feature and working in baltic birch ply for example) I get zero edge chipping. if there is a scribe offset, there is no evidence of it at all in the final cut. The scribe feature is a black depth control knob right by the trigger, so it becomes second nature to flick it on and off. The scribe puts no load on the machine so it takes maybe three seconds to scribe along the length of a sheet.
To answer other comments: the reviews of the Bosch I have seen suggest that it is a stripped back version of the Mafell. The motor is not the same. I buy tools for heavy duty use and I expect them to last basically forever.
For me dust extraction is fundamental: It is very difficult to get a really clean cut every time in expensive materials, if you don't remove the dust at source. (Same applies to the excellent Festool domino). As I am not a fan of MDF dust (super asthmatic) and tracksaws are often used for MDF, the dust extraction is important to me.
What makes a big difference in actual use, is a non-fiddly track. The reason I like the much more robust track (compared with Festool and ntrackclones) is that it is very quick and reliable to get a double length set up and be sure it is dead straight. Bosch uses the same track and it is cheaper. I also like the very accurate blade height adjustment on the Mafell. it is just a pinch adjuster - super easy to set and use, and a like the fact that it deals with on and off track at the twist of a button, so not mental arithmetic required.
I see little value in a cordless track saw. This is because I always have it connected to a vacuum, and a vac hose is a lot bulkier than a mains cord. This would be different perhaps if I was using it as a site saw.
I can't comment much on the cheaper clones. I've used an Erbaur (Screwfix brand however it is spelled) and was unimpressed, but I hear good things about DeWalt and to a lesser extent Makita. Having tried a few last time I bought one, if I could not have the Mafell I would have bought the Festool.
