dewalt plunge saw

[Deck Reagan]

I am thinking about buying the dewalt plunge saw. I want to be able to rip and cross cut 4'x8' ply. What would you guys suggest for tracks? Two 59"?

Seems woodcraft has the best deals right now.

Thanks,

deck

[Jerome Hanby]

This may be a little off subject, but after reading the recent comparison of the Festool, Dewalt, and Makita systems, why not spend another $50 (Woodcraft prices) and get the Festool?

[Mike Heidrick]

Nothing wrong with the Dewalt. Works perfect. All the reviews say is buy Festool as it was first. A few differences: the Dewalt can use the Dewalt tracksaw blades and the Festool tracksaw blades (Festool can only use their blades), Dewalt has anti kickback option, Dewalt quick clamps are MUCH cheaper than Festool, and the Dewalt track has a router carriage option (use a saw or router on the track), and the Dewalt saw works on all of festool's tracks. Festool has the little anti splinter plastic piece. Wonder why you NEVER read about these differences in teh reviews ;) . I personally think the Dewalt plunge action is superior (it actually plunges and not pivots like the festool). Try them both out and see what I mean.

You can order your Dewalt tracksaw from amazon and not pay shipping or tax (in most states) and can support SMC by using their amazon link. Up to you. They also sell a $480 kit with a 59" track or a $550 kit with the 102" track.

I have a 102 and a 59 track. Two 59" tracks would be the most portable setup. I use mine in the shop mostly and these two tracks work for whatever I need.

[Peter Pedisich]

Deck,

I would suggest 2-59" rails. 118 makes a nice size - I've connected 2-55" rails on my Festool system and wished for more length for a 97" cut .
The DeWalt looks like a nicely made saw, I took a look at one at a local tool store. Slid real nice on the rails and was very solid, just a little large and heavy.

Good luck,

Pete

[Deck Reagan]

Thanks for the comments guys. I have read several comparison reviews on the dewalt vs festool. It really doesn't seem like there are any major reason to buy one over the other. Since the price is less on the dewalt and I have had such good luck with my dewalt sander, plate jointer, drill, recip saw, planner, and circular saw I thought I would stay yellow :).

deck

[Fred Hargis]

I have the Festool (bought before there was a yellow one) and bought 2- 55" tracks for it...thinking how clever that was. Since then I've came to realize that I should have instead a 48" or so track and a 75" or so track. Would be a lot more versatile for the stuff I do, which is breaking down sheet goods, straight edging rough cut lumber, and occassionally trimming a door.

[Robert Reece]

I am thinking about buying the dewalt plunge saw. I want to be able to rip and cross cut 4'x8' ply. What would you guys suggest for tracks? Two 59"?

Seems woodcraft has the best deals right now.

Thanks,

deck


Is the EZ system not something you want? I actually never compared all these system, I just bought an EZ and can't really wish for more. It breaks down sheet goods quickly and with the square attachment, I don't even mess with the clamps for crosscutting sheets.

[Deck Reagan]

Robert,
I am looking at the EZ system. It just seems like the cost on the EZ is getting in the $300 range. I need to weigh the costs and decide which system makes the most sense.

deck

[Scot Ferraro]

I played around with the DeWalt at the AWFS last week and it is a slick system. You can run the saw on both sides of the track and the router attachment is nice if you have a DeWalt or PC router. It had plenty of power to straight line some 6/4 oak that they had for testing and honestly the cut was so smooth, I could not see any scratches from the blade -- I was impressed. It worked well on plywood too -- there was a very, very minor amount of tearout on the waste side of the saw and this is something the Festool seems to have addressed, but I am not sure that it is so bad that you would ever see it -- I am talking very minor here. The clamps work well and the track was ridgid. I talked to the guy at DeWalt responsible for the system and he told me that there are plans to develop more in the future (i.e. maybe a track with holes for pins, etc...). I like Festool stuff and I was really impressed with the DeWalt -- it is nice to see some competition in the market. As Mike said, the plunge seemed to work better for me. Also, you can cut extremely close to an edge -- trim a door while it is hung, flooring cust next to a wall, etc...

Scot

[Dave Lehnert]

Question?
Is a guided rail system that much better?

I use a straight edge I got at Lowe's (Pic below) for $20. I use a $15 60t blade (Freud) From Home Depot in a 7 1/4" circular saw. I can get zero chip out on veiner plywood.

http://images.lowes.com/product/038987/038987001925.jpg

[Steven DeMars]

I have a Dewalt Track Saw & like very much the ability to cut arrow straight lines in sheet goods.

I'm sure for "old" pros that have cut 100's of sheets, the straight edge & (2) C-Clamps, works just fine.

I have used the Dewalt for (3) projects so far & I can assure you it's 10X better than a aluminum straight edge and (2) C-Clamps. Repeatability is excellent . . . . just lay the black edge down, splitting the line and you get it just like it was marked . . . .

Yes, it is pricey, but I feel any tool that will allow me to do more projects is worth the money . . . .

Some of us have more money than time . . .

Some of us have more time than money . . . .

And then, there are those of us who have neither . . . .

Those are the ones that buy Dewalt Track Saws on a VISA Card . . . :)

[Deck Reagan]

dave,
I use the same set up today. I also don't get much tear out. I just don't like the fact that I could have a little drift if I don't go very careful. I look forward to some type of track to hold everything in place.

deck

[Steven DeMars]

dave,
I use the same set up today. I also don't get much tear out. I just don't like the fact that I could have a little drift if I don't go very careful. I look forward to some type of track to hold everything in place.

deck

You get zero drift with the Dewalt . . . . if you can pull the trigger and push, it cuts . . . .

Steve:)

[Deck Reagan]

Steve,
Do you use clamps on your dewalt track saw?

Thanks,

deck

[Randy Hughes SJ]

I Just bought the Dewalt with the two tracks. 2 59" would have been better than the 59/102 combination. 102 isn't long enough for a length of melamine, but the two together are too much. It would be nice if Dewalt offered a 2' extension, or if they just added a few inches to the 102. Otherwise the saw is very nice. Been using the straight edge with clamps for too long and tired of cleaning up the edges to make the wood usable.

[David Micalizzi]

I have both the EZ and the Dewalt. I like both but there are some things that could be improved on both systems. The EZ uses what I would consider a very brittle anti chip edge which gets chewed up rather quickly and makes placing the guide on a mark some what subjective. In defense of the EZ system Dino is working on and I believe will be released soon (If not already out) a better anti chip edge though. I can not cut through 2X material with the saws I set up my EZ system with. I have a 7 1/4 Rigid sidewinder and a worm drive saw neither can cut 2X material all the way through. No dust collection on the EZ. My smart base (the guide you install on your saw) has developed some play and there is no way built in to remove it, but there is a new base out that takes care of that issue. There is more set up time involved with the EZ. What I like about the EZ, the extrusions are extremely robust and connect together well. Even with the minor annoyances it is still a good system and is always improving. The Dewalt is IMHO a more complete polished system out of the box. What I found lacking in the Dewalt was how difficult it was to adjust the saw base to the track. Fortunately you only have to do it once. I believe the Festool is easier in this regard. Both systems our good but I would recommend the Dewalt because it comes setup ready to go with dust collection, plunging ability, greater depth of cut and a riving knife.

[frank shic]

din's new rip guide is ingenious but i hate using my PC circular saw and the chip edges do chip up rather quickly. do the other brands work better? i wouldn't mind purchasing the makita somewhere down the line because i hate the quality of my cuts and the dust just spews everywhere even after retrofitting a dust shroud on it and hooking it up to my shop vac :(

[Rich Engelhardt]

Question?
Is a guided rail system that much better?

Would you use a scrap of wood clamped to your table saw as a fence?

Yes - the guided tracks are that much better.

A common misconception is that track saws are just for breaking down sheet goods.
While they do that - and with excellent results that can surpass what a table saw can deliver - they do so many other things.

No shop made guide that I'm aware of will deliver 100% perfect cuts in Luan and/or Melamine.
None will allow you to stop mid cut and resume without showing some sort of mark.
The Festool is so good at doing the latter that I have to admit, I've fallen into a bad habit of doing it more than I really should.

& yes - I actually have that same Lowes straight edge!
I still use it with my 7.25" Ryobi w/the $20.00 Freud blade.
It cuts cement board like a hot knife through buttter.


I want to be able to rip and cross cut 4'x8' ply. What would you guys suggest for tracks? Two 59"?

I have two 55" and one 42" for my Festool.
I use the shorter 42" a lot more than I do one of the 55" guides.
I got by for a year using a 55" and the 42" to break down plywood.
It left just enough overhang on each end to work if I was careful.


Also, you can cut extremely close to an edge -- trim a door while it is hung, flooring cust next to a wall, etc...
That's one of the big differences/advantages of the DeWalt over the Festool. Had the "yellow" been around when I bought my track saw, I'd have probably gone w/the DeWalt instead of the Festool. Getting close to edges (flooring) is somewhat of a big deal for me. Trimming the bottoms of doors in place, for the most part, isn't doable anyhow (carpet gets in the way) so that's now such a biggie.

[frank shic]

rich, have you ever considered using something like schluter ditra or a similar product instead of the cement board? it's a lot easier to cut with a utility knife and it's not as hard to lug around the house not to mention the reduction in dust.

[Brian Kincaid]

I use a track saw almost exclusively (EZ with Makita 5057/5008 and F TS55) but I have no experience with the Dewalt tracksaw.

My word of advice wrt tracksaws would be to get a long rail with enough length for the 8' cut and overhang on start and finish. The thin rails (DW, Festool) have connectors to join rails, etc, but if you are doing the operation more than a couple of times the long rail is worth the investment in ease of use, setup time, and less fuss with alignment.

The EZ has a better connection system, but I still do not prefer to use it unless I am doing something odd like a 10' rip. I bought an 8'+ rail for straightlining lumber and sheets.

-Brian

[frank shic]

I use a track saw almost exclusively (EZ with Makita 5057/5008 and F TS55) but I have no experience with the Dewalt tracksaw.

My word of advice wrt tracksaws would be to get a long rail with enough length for the 8' cut and overhang on start and finish. The thin rails (DW, Festool) have connectors to join rails, etc, but if you are doing the operation more than a couple of times the long rail is worth the investment in ease of use, setup time, and less fuss with alignment.

The EZ has a better connection system, but I still do not prefer to use it unless I am doing something odd like a 10' rip. I bought an 8'+ rail for straightlining lumber and sheets.

-Brian

brian, how do you store that 8 footer?

[Neil Brooks]

brian, how do you store that 8 footer?

I've seen where people just devise a slot, on the ceiling/joists, including some who've "permanently" mounted the original packaging, up there :)

Just got my DW Track Saw, and pair of 59"-ers, yesterday. Can't wait to try them out !

[David Lawhorn]

congrats on your track saw purchase... now I am kinda toying with the idea of getting one.
you mentioned Woodcraft, when I looked there, I see several options, some of which make no sense to me at all... basically the same thing at twice the price. Did you happen to find a package with 2 59" tracks, or did you buy the $530 kit and add a $100 59" track?

Also, did you check around for better prices? It appears that Amazon has the kit with a 59" track for $450, did you do better than that?

I guess I am asking for some hints on where to get the best deal on these.

Thanks.

[Cary Falk]

David,

I recently got a recon saw from Tool King for $250(saw only). I ordered 2 59" tracks from ToolUp for $60 a piece along with a couple of ohter things. The whole shipping bill was $10. There was a couple of 59" tracks on the bay for $63 shipped. It was a brick and mortor store that started with an "H". They might have listed a few more.
Cary

[frank shic]

David,

I recently got a recon saw from Tool King for $250(saw only). I ordered 2 59" tracks from ToolUp for $60 a piece along with a couple of ohter things. The whole shipping bill was $10. There was a couple of 59" tracks on the bay for $63 shipped. It was a brick and mortor store that started with an "H". They might have listed a few more.
Cary

out of stock :(

[Neil Brooks]

out of stock :(

My order got canceled, because of this, though their system TOOK the order (it happens).

This happened AFTER I ordered track, through Amazon, track connector, through Grizzly, and clamps, from Woodcraft.

I wound up buying the saw, new, through ToolKing, after the other parts had arrived.

IMS (Inventory Management Systems) are a pain in the rear ;)

[frank shic]

sorry to hear... i'll be closely watching that site though in the future!