Are track saws any good?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Are "track saws" like the DeWalt DC351KL are any good?

Of course, that is a ridiculously vague question and only someone who was looking for a pretext to buy another tool would ask it. OK, I confess.

[Dan Karachio]

I have the Festool version and of all my tools, I could live without it the easiest. Sorry, but that has been my experience. However, I have a small shop and winging around sheets of plywood is not easy and in addition, I am shifting more to furniture than cabinetry. I practically drool when I see my pro neighbor cut plywood on his huge cabinet saw with acres of outfeed and a very nice home made cross cut sled.

[Jamie Buxton]

That particular track saw has been discontinued. But corded track saws are still sold by Festool, DeWalt, and Makita.

Yes, track saws are good. I use mine to break down plywood. It is easier and more accurate than trying to horse a full sheet through a table saw. I also use mine to straight-line roughsawn lumber.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The Festool TS55EQ sure is.

[Tyler Howell]

My Festool has been getting a real work out of late on rough sawn lumber for an accurate 1st edge.
No jigs, wrestling with jointer, or a sled on the TS.
I'm still amazed what a clean edge I get with my TS55EQ:eek:

[Will Overton]

Dan said;
"However, I have a small shop and winging around sheets of plywood is not easy ..."

One of the TrackSaw's strong points is that you don't need as much room, nor do you need to keep moving the sheets around. I use saw horses, but many folks lay the sheet on top of a piece of foam, right on the floor.

I have a Festool TS55 and the DeWalt cordless. They both cut extremely clean. The best part is that you can lay out your cuts and have all your pieces ready to use without ever moving the sheet of plywood or going near the table saw.

Yes ... track saws are good, at least to me.

[Kevin L. Pauba]

Yes, I find my EZ smart to be very good for breaking down plywood, for home remodeling and furniture construction. I used my big 10" Makita circular saw on the track just a few weeks ago to cut all the 2x treated lumber to build a 60' retaining wall. I had previously used the same track with my router to wainscot a room and cut plywood for a storage cabinet. Very versatile and cost effective for me.

[Peter Pedisich]

Stephen,

Yes, tracksaws are helpful in site work, less so in the shop in my experience. In my shop I instinctively go to my table saw, but when you have to make a tapered cut on site, they are great.

I have the Festool and the EZ system with a Bosch saw, both excel at slightly different tasks. The DeWalt corded model looked excellent when I looked at it in a tool store, not sure if the cordless was made as well.

Pete

[Greg Portland]

Be sure to budget for a long track (8'+) or another track + joining elements. The included track is only adequate for 4' cuts or smaller.

[Steven DeMars]

I have the Dewalt Track Saw. It is a breeze to use. Very accurate.

Try cutting an accurate 37 degree cut across a sheet of plywood. The track saw does it perfectly . . . .


Steve:)

[Gene Howe]

Mine's shopmade and I love it. As another poster said, it's great for truing up live edges. And, it excels at cutting ply.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I love the TS55, it's my favorite festool.

However I use it for making angle cuts, making a reference cut in sheet goods, and for cutting irregular pieces or anything that wouldn't work well with a TS fence.

The onlything I see better than owning a TS55 is having a full size horizontal sliding panel saw... or CNC. hehe

The track saw requires repeat measuring and cutting which means it takes focus to stay within 1/32 accuracy. This is why I wouldn't say it replaces a table saw which can repeat a cut more accurately, especially if you keep the fence setting the same.

[Mike Reinholtz]

I have the Festool as well and have been really happy with it. The cuts are ridiculously clean with absolutely no tearout. Currently I work in a 2 car garage, so the option of a table saw with big enough outfeed tables to support 4x8 ply isn't there. This lets me work in a small space very accurately and in my opinion safer- not only because I'm not pushing around a full sheet of ply that can kick back on me, but also because there is very little dust.

For smaller repeat cuts I switch to the table saw, but breaking down sheet goods at least for me couldn't be easier than with the TS55.

[Will Overton]

I love the TS55, it's my favorite festool.


The track saw requires repeat measuring and cutting which means it takes focus to stay within 1/32 accuracy. This is why I wouldn't say it replaces a table saw which can repeat a cut more accurately, especially if you keep the fence setting the same.

The parallel guides are great for repeat cuts from thin strips to about 26".

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/downl_fs_fspavl_495718_z_02a.jpg

[Trace Beard]

I made a full size toe pincher coffin last night with my ts55. I could not have done it w/o the track saw. Very clean and accurate miter cuts.

Trace

[Van Huskey]

Yep, thats my vague answer...:D

[Dan Karachio]

Yes, I find my EZ smart to be very good for breaking down plywood, for home remodeling and furniture construction. I used my big 10" Makita circular saw on the track just a few weeks ago to cut all the 2x treated lumber to build a 60' retaining wall. I had previously used the same track with my router to wainscot a room and cut plywood for a storage cabinet. Very versatile and cost effective for me.

I wish you could tell us more aboutEurekazone. I was so close to buying there stuff and my Festool MFT comes up short all the time because I understand something of what the competition can do. I think EZ always suffered from truly awful explanations and demonstrations, a level of fanaticism in forums and just being a little too home brewed, but someone finally told the story correctly and made it seem so "easy."

[Kevin L. Pauba]

I wish you could tell us more about Eurekazone. I was so close to buying there stuff and my Festool MFT comes up short all the time because I understand something of what the competition can do. I think EZ always suffered from truly awful explanations and demonstrations, a level of fanaticism in forums and just being a little too home brewed, but someone finally told the story correctly and made it seem so "easy."


Hey, I can tell you more ... to start with, I've never used the Festool products so I won't be commenting on what it can and can't do. Next, I grew up working with a table saw and (even though I still have all my fingers) decided that a track saw would be better for my smaller shop and had the potential of being much safer. After purchasing the EZ system, I'm happy with decision.

I agree, the marketing of the EZ system isn't on par with other track saw systems. I feel this is due to the company being still in an "incubation" period and a very enthusiastic inventor that has been trying to "do it all". From what I've heard, this is now changing.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have on, or off, the list. Those discussed on the list must abide by the TOS and we'll redirect ourselves when asked by the moderators.

[Mike Cutler]

I wish you could tell us more, but I think Eurekazone is a notch below communists and terrorists on the topic moderation list around here. I was so close to buying there stuff and my Festool MFT comes up short all the time because I understand something of what the competition can do. I think EZ always suffered from truly awful explanations and demonstrations, a level of fanaticism in forums and just being a little too home brewed, but someone finally told the story correctly and made it seem so "easy."


Stephen

I also use the EZ rails. I don't really consider myself a fanatic of any specific manufacturer, so all I can tell you is that they do exactly what they are advertised to do.
I use mine with an 8 1/2" Milwaukee Worm Drive saw, an older Makita, and a PC I got at a yard sale. The nice thing about the EZ system is that each saw can be accomodated for use on the system. I also make my own base plates, except for the older makita which is on the EZ baseplate.
One more thing is that the rails can be connected to each other to give you a virtually unlimited straight edge length.
If you already have the circular saws. It's a cost effective way to go.
My personal opinion though is that, no, they do not replace a tablesaw. They're good, but not that good.

[Peter Quinn]

Are they any good? Yes, certainly. For some they replace the Ts as the main cutting tool in the shop. I just finished a large flooring job with a very complicated pattern, lots of inlays, lots of odd angles in long pieces of BB plywood substrate. The festool track saw proved invaluable. I had every tool imaginable at my disposal, two euro sliders, 4 cabinet saws, etc. But the track saw was quick, accurate, dust free, and makes a fine cut.

I do not generally make square cuts with it in sheet stock given the other options I have available. If you are set up properly and have the space a slider or cabinet saw is much faster to make repeat cuts, so if you are ripping say 25 sheets for a kitchen to 23 1/4 for lowers, I'll take the big saw if is an option. But in the field, for odd angles, or if space/budget don't allow, a track saw is a great option. At home I use an old makita saw with a good blade and a $.29 shop made mdf guide that is as accurate as ANY track saw, just not as shiny or quite as convenient. But for a savings of nearly $1K, I can give up a little convience! If it were my main saw, I'd get the track.

[Ben Davis]

I think the biggest issue with track saws is between the ears. Their uses are so varried, but you have to start approaching the work from a different perspective. They work great when you just use them like an inverted sliding table saw, but that's just the beginning on how they can be used.

[Rod Sheridan]

I think the biggest issue with track saws is between the ears. Their uses are so varried, but you have to start approaching the work from a different perspective. They work great when you just use them like an inverted sliding table saw, but that's just the beginning on how they can be used.

Ben, that sounds a lot like using a sliding tablesaw, it takes a different approach, a bit of learning, but afterwards you wish that you had bought one earlier.

I often use a straight edge with a circular saw for breaking down sheets of material, however I see that the track saw would be better since I don't have to concentrate on holding the saw against the straight edge........Hmmm, just what I needed, another tool want:D


Regards, Rod.

[Brian Kincaid]

OP,
Yes they are good. With a homebrew saw table it replaced my table saw with a more manageable/flexible footprint. So I sold the table saw. Your mileage may vary (YMMV) but my fingers are safe.

EZ smart and Festool bring fanatics out of the...
...wait for it...
WOODWORK!!!

We all have passion or we would not mess with the hassle of building stuff.

-Brian

[Will Blick]

Like so many ww tool questions.... the answer often depends on what you are comparing it to...

If you have a full size slider, and don't work on-site, well a track system has little value. If you work on site, and break down sheet goods, it's a no brainer, as ya can't bring a TS to a job site, and if you do, it won't be one that can handle sheets with much accuracy / safety...

also, how many cuts do you make? Although the Festool system seems very spendy, when you consider what it can replace, I would agree its a very cost effective "system". This assumes you want clean crips cuts with some level of accuracy. As stated above, the accessories are many, and they all store away with a very tiny foot print. You can't store a TS, its always taking up space...so work space area is a big consideration.

The obvious factor is, how big are the pieces you want to work with... if you cutting less than 30" a majority of the time, well... track systems are still good, but much better suited for a TS.

After working with PM2000 and a Festool 75 track system (with all the accessories), I would agree with the above poster... if pressed for space, I could surrender my TS, but I won't, cause for some tasks its so simple to use, and always ready to make a cut vs. the Festool, which you must get it out, set it up, etc. But a small footprint TS and a Festool rail system is an amazing 1-2 punch that covers almost every type of cut (from sheet goods to small strips) with the smallest possible footprint.

No knocks on the other track system, I never used them, but nothing but praise for the Festool system. It is one of the most well thought out systems I have seen in the ww field... specially when you consider the splinter free cuts and the very well designed dust collection system built into the saw...