Grizzly Tracksaw

[richard poitras]

It was only a matter of time ….
Who’s getting one?


Here’s the link online:
http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2013/Main/248 (http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2013/Main/248)

[david brum]

Wow. I'm going to make a pilgrimage to the Bellingham Grizzly tomorrow. I'll be sure to check that out and report back.

[Mike Heidrick]

Do you have a festool to compare it too? If that track is teh same that is going to be huge! The accessory kit will be hot for sure!

[Victor Robinson]

oh wow. This is interesting.

[Huck Schwee]

I would be very interested in that if it's less that $250...

[Peter Kelly]

Same Chinese-made one Scheppach and many others have been selling in EU. Might want to read the reviews before proceeding.

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/STC-90700/Scheppach-Plunge-Saw-with-Rails

If you wait, HF will have it soon enough. Probably for even less...

[Alan Bienlein]

Looks like a track saw just might be in my future! $230 plus shipping from Grizzly.

[Rich Riddle]

If the rail fits a Festool and they start producing them, Festool will be in trouble similar to when Fein's patent expired on the oscillating tools.

[Chris Rosenberger]

I have the Festool track saw, but if these saws would work on the Festool rails, I would consider getting one for cutting material that I will not cut with the festool saws, such as cement board.

I see that Grizzly has a 55" rail & the Scheppach has 2 25" rails.

I am going to order the accessory kit from Grizzly to see if it will work with the Festool rails. The Grizzly kit has an anti tip feature that Festool should have added long ago.

[Matt Meiser]

Whether or not they'll work is one thing, but the rail is definitely different. Festool has a t-track facing up on the far side--Grizzly's faces down.

[Curt Harms]

I wonder about replacement blades? Replacement blades are well priced but how do they cut? It looks like the blade is 160mm or 6.29" diameter with a 20mm arbor (.787"). A 5/8" arbor hole could be reamed to 20 mm but are there 6 1/4" blades available? Or will the saw accomodate larger blades? Can the riving knife be moved to accomodate a larger blade? The world wonders:D.

Edit: It says there's "5/8" between the blade and the wall". So it may take a larger blade, at least a 6 1/2" which Freud has available and I'm sure others have them as well.

[Richard Coers]

Not me. Got a bum bandsaw last year, and a bum 4 jaw chuck for my lathe for Christmas. Gonna use the Grizzly catalog as a fire starter from now on. Too tired of having Grizzly service on speed dial.

[Keith Hankins]

If the rail fits a Festool and they start producing them, Festool will be in trouble similar to when Fein's patent expired on the oscillating tools.

That was a joke right? Festool will never compete in the low end market of tools. They have lots of tools in the stable and it is a system and geared to the professional who depends on the tools to make money. I've got grizzly tools and I've got some festool. They are not cheap, but for a reason. I doubt they are losing any sleep.

[Kelly Colin Mark]

Whether or not they'll work is one thing, but the rail is definitely different. Festool has a t-track facing up on the far side--Grizzly's faces down.

It's not at all clear whether or not the difference will be material, i.e. whether a clamp will fit in the same way on that far t-track. I'm not even sure I ever use the upward-facing track on my rail, except on fixtures which happen to ride around that track. It's possible that the downward facing Grizzly track could still work with the same fixtures while pointing in the different direction, if the sides of the track are of the same height and width, and the two tracks separated by the same distance, as that of the Festool.

[Peter Kelly]

If the rail fits a Festool and they start producing them, Festool will be in trouble similar to when Fein's patent expired on the oscillating tools.
I very much doubt Festool are concerned with losing sales unless they are are suddenly vying for the low-end market. Like I said, this same saw has been sold in Europe and other places for some years now under the brand name "Woodstar" as well as many others. It isn't new, just newly badged as Grizzly.

[Phil Thien]

I read elsewhere that the longer rails are available elsewhere, not in the US. A single 55 rail w/o the ability to extend it would be fairly worthless to me.

[Curt Harms]

I read elsewhere that the longer rails are available elsewhere, not in the US. A single 55 rail w/o the ability to extend it would be fairly worthless to me.

It looks like the accessory kit comes with connectors to join 2 55" rails. My concern would be how straight the two rails are once joined. A single piece rail would likely be preferable but I have no experience with them and an 8'+ rail might be a pain to store and transport..

[keith micinski]

It doesn't seem like I have ever seen any of the other track systems using a clamp and have always wondered how well the track does in staying in place when conditions aren't ideal. Does anybody see these clamps as necessary?

[david brum]

Well, I dropped by the Bellingham brick and mortar store yesterday, hoping to look at one of the saws. The desk guy said that they aren't expected to be available until the end of January. Nice store, though. It was fun to walk through the metal working section and wonder what the heck everything was for.

[Mike Goetzke]

If the rail fits a Festool and they start producing them, Festool will be in trouble similar to when Fein's patent expired on the oscillating tools.

I didn't realize Festool had a patent on the guide rail concept.

Mike

[Mike Goetzke]

Another front plunging saw - I'm waiting for a decent rear plunger.

Mike

[Ben Johnson WI]

I didn't realize Festool had a patent on the guide rail concept.


Doubt they do, especially considering that one of the other tracksaws (Dewalt or Makita, can't remember) will ride a Festool rail. I know if you do some US/EU patent searches, Dino (the Eurekazone guy) has at least one issued patent related to his own design as well.

I wonder how much depth of cut you get with this saw on the track? I know that's one watchout with EZ's stuff, which is why a lot of that gang has the Makita 8 1/4" saw on their system.

[Rich Riddle]

I didn't realize Festool had a patent on the guide rail concept.

Mike

I didn't say Festool did have a patent on the rails, I said Fein encountered problems when competition emerged because of their patent expiring. Festool doesn't have a competitor that makes cheap rails like Fein didn't have a competitor that make cheap oscillating saws or blades. If someone starts producing rails that will fit the Festool for 30% of the cost, Festool will see sharp decreases in rail sales.

[Mike Goetzke]

Doubt they do, especially considering that one of the other tracksaws (Dewalt or Makita, can't remember) will ride a Festool rail. I know if you do some US/EU patent searches, Dino (the Eurekazone guy) has at least one issued patent related to his own design as well.

I wonder how much depth of cut you get with this saw on the track? I know that's one watchout with EZ's stuff, which is why a lot of that gang has the Makita 8 1/4" saw on their system.

I just picked up a new parallel cutter from Eurekazone called the Universal Edge Guide (UEG). The base for it didn't fit my Hilti 267E without a slight mod so I put my Makita 18V 6-1/2" saw on it just to try it out and I can get a little over 2" depth of cut (the UEG saw base rides directly on the wood and not a track).

Mike

[Kelly Colin Mark]

It doesn't seem like I have ever seen any of the other track systems using a clamp and have always wondered how well the track does in staying in place when conditions aren't ideal. Does anybody see these clamps as necessary?

The clamps are pretty necessary, IMO. With the track saw, somewhat less so because the Festool saw (at least) rides directly on the track, thereby helping keep the track down with its weight and mitigating the tendency of the track to move. But other guided tools, like a jigsaw or router, will sit off the track and thereby not provide the weight, while providing forces that could well encourage the track to move.

I always try to use the clamps, even with the track saw.

[Rich Engelhardt]

It doesn't seem like I have ever seen any of the other track systems using a clamp and have always wondered how well the track does in staying in place when conditions aren't ideal. Does anybody see these clamps as necessary?I use the clamps with my Festool TS55EQ all the time. A lot of people don't use them. I'm a belt and suspenders type myself which is why I use the clamps.

[Peter Kelly]

The clamps are useful if you're cutting slippery materials like melamine-clad particle board or pre-finished plywood. They're cheap insurance otherwise.

[John Schweikert]

I'm neutral about Grizzly tools. I have a bandsaw, jointer and dust collection all from Grizzly within the past year. They all work fine but fit and finish always seems just ok, nothing more nothing less. The tools do what I need and so that is good. I also have a Festool TS75 and that saw is impressive. In my small home shop space I can cut panels from sheet goods that are so square and accurate it never ceases to impress me. I've been looking at ebay for quite a while looking for a used/cheap TS55, a smaller/lighter saw for smaller and quicker cuts wouldn't be a bad thing.

Now with the new Grizzly, for the price of about $250, I can get another rail and a saw, it would be lighter to use, blades are cheaper than the TS75. Both Freud and Tenryu makes blades for the 160mm Festool tracksaws with 20mm arbors, both brands are getting positive marks for quality on those saws.

Thanks to the OP for sharing the news on the saw. I am interested.

[Jeff Monson]

I think it would be a great fit for someone looking for a tracksaw without spending $750.00 on a Festool. I have a TS75, love every aspect about it...except for the price.
I would expect some tolerance and quality issues, but for the savings, what the heck.

[keith micinski]

Not having used a festool I have always wondered if that level of accuracy is needed. You are setting the saw up based off of measurements or pencil marks or both and I have found that no matter how careful you are this leaves a wide birth for inaccuracies to come in to play. I have read enough positive reviews to know plenty of people love the track saw and have always figured that when cutting sheet goods a little inaccuracy doesn't hurt so I would think this would be the perfect place for a Grizzly saw with a little less refinement and 2/3rds the cost.

[Mike Cutler]

Keith

The Festool is as accurate as you can lay out your cut lines. Even though I own a TS75, this saw looks pretty good to me.
You're right though, that if a person just wanted to break down ply sheets, and get a bunch of panels "close", then run them through the Tablesaw to get them all the same, it would definitely fit the bill, and save a lot $$$$
I used EZ rails and a crappy Makita to break down ply, and the combo worked quite well. Just didn't have enough depth of cut with my Makita.

[Mike Heidrick]

How are we basing the accuracy or quality of this saw on price? Saying this saw is not for pros because it is cheap or from China?? Really? Its not $500 so it must not be for making a permanent/final cut. :rolleyes:

[Shiraz Balolia]

How are we basing the accuracy or quality of this saw on price? Saying this saw is not for pros because it is cheap or from China?? Really? Its not $500 so it must not be for making a permanent/final cut. :rolleyes:


Well said!

[glenn bradley]

If the rail fits a Festool and they start producing them, Festool will be in trouble similar to when Fein's patent expired on the oscillating tools.


That was a joke right? Festool will never compete in the low end market of tools.

One must be careful not to raise the ire of the Festoolians :D:D:D.

[Mike Cutler]

How are we basing the accuracy or quality of this saw on price? Saying this saw is not for pros because it is cheap or from China?? Really? Its not $500 so it must not be for making a permanent/final cut. :rolleyes:


Mike
I've seen people with expensive table saws that couldn't cut to a line, or make a panel four square for all the tea in China. I've also seen people with direct drive Craftsman's put out some beautiful work. I will always believe that it is the person, and not the tool, that determines the quality of the project.
As a Festoolian, :eek:, I have no idea what people are basing their opinion of this product on. Until someone that actually owns one reviews it for us, it looks good to me. ( Gotta be better than my crappy Makita on an EZ Rail.;) )
As for the "accuracy" aspect of my post, and Keith's, I was not so much referring to absolute NIST accuracy, but repeatability. I have no doubt at all that with either a Festool, or this saw, that the final cut cannot be made by the tool alone. To do repetitive, identical dimensioning, of multiple work pieces, in sequence is a little different.
It's a spinning blade, on an arbor, on a rail. It's up to the user to make it work.

[mreza Salav]

Another front plunging saw - I'm waiting for a decent rear plunger.

Mike

Any particular reason?
And what about the riving knife?

[Rich Riddle]

One must be careful not to raise the ire of the Festoolians :D:D:D.
Different people get hooked on the Cool-Aide. I own several Festool products including the large track saw. If Grizzly or anyone else would produce an inexpensive long track that would work properly with the TS75, I would purchase it in a minute. If it works, it works. I don't mind cost efficient tools.

[Peter Kelly]

Someone pointed this out on another forum and I though it merited mentioning:

$180 for the saw.
$50 for the track
$25 for the accessory kit (since the clamps and connectors are in it)
$50 to replace the junky blade

$305 total depending on which replacement blade you get. Not quite as cheap as it seems maybe.

[John McClanahan]

Does anyone know if the Grizzly track will work with a Festool saw?

[Chris Rosenberger]

Someone pointed this out on another forum and I though it merited mentioning:

$180 for the saw.
$50 for the track
$25 for the accessory kit (since the clamps and connectors are in it)
$50 to replace the junky blade

$305 total depending on which replacement blade you get. Not quite as cheap as it seems maybe.

Festool
$550 for the TS55 saw & track.
$195 for the accessory kit
$70 blade

$815 total for Festool.

$305 for the Grizzly looks like a deal to me.

[Peter Quinn]

Its on my radar, but I'm going to wait until someone I trust has used it and told me it works well before I take the plunge. Sorry for that bad pun, fully intended. Its not so cheap its disposable money for my shop budget, much less expensive than the festool for sure, and would be very useful if it delivers. I've done a lot of professional work with the festool saw (55), its very well designed and built, so thats my benchmark. A straight line is a straight line, and if this saw's arbor or track won't hold it, the thing is useless. There is no almost in that regard. If it cuts straight and clean, it has purpose. The issue of professional versus hobby grade can be one of duty rating. The motor on the festool is built to last, where I work it has been used for countless hours to its capacity, never an issue, keeps working. Very durable. Some tools just won't give you constant duty, or won't last as many hours as a festool, and thats part of what you pay for. The jury has not convened on this Grizzly saw, I guess it will take a few years for real reviews to form. For me, for the home shop, I don't need the same duty rating I need at work, so I could take the sacrifice of longevity that a lower price might involve. Its not an issue of country of origin, its an issue of build quality. You can't tell the ultimate build quality from origin alone, but it is naive at least to suggest it isn't one source of information. I have yet to find a single "silver bullet" item from Chiwan where I though, gee, this is just as good as the Italian or German version's I love but at 1/3 the cost. Not reality, the low price invariably involves some compromise, and its not always immediately obvious in all cases. But at the very least the competition is not a bad thing for consumers regardless of which brand they may buy.

[Greg R Bradley]

Festool
$550 for the TS55 saw & track.
$195 for the accessory kit
$70 blade

$815 total for Festool.

$305 for the Grizzly looks like a deal to me.

Actually, what they meant is that you had to spend $305 on the Grizzly to make it equivalent to the $550 Festool TS55. Still not quite accurate because you are still missing the Tanos Systainer that costs $75 and is easily sellable for $65 if you don't want it. So the Grizzly adds up to $380 to compare to the $550 Festool or $450 Makita.

Actually, these have been available in Europe for a couple years where they are getting pretty poor reviews. They all seem to be made in China and are sold by:

Scheppach
Woodstar
Bela
Holzmann
Bernador
Sauter
Batavia

Scheppach has been sold by McFeeleys and Graingers for almost a year in the US and is getting poor reviews also.

Mafell and Bosch also sell high quality track saws in Europe.

I have the Makita and Festool Track saws. I have a friend that bought a Schepach from McFeeleys last summer. He returned 3 in a row defective units and gave up.

[joseph f merz]

This is more of a rant and is not meant to stop you from owning the grizzly saw .I was on a job away from home .I had some joints to make in big timbers . My dewalt side winder had a switch failure, cut the cord off the skill worm drive so I went to using the festool .Then I saw what the quality was about .The other saws had a slight amount of deflection with the festool I could shave the edge .What it really left me wanting was to replace my 10" milwaukee with a Mafell .Now those are some fine tools .

[Chris Rosenberger]

Actually, what they meant is that you had to spend $305 on the Grizzly to make it equivalent to the $550 Festool TS55. Still not quite accurate because you are still missing the Tanos Systainer that costs $75 and is easily sellable for $65 if you don't want it. So the Grizzly adds up to $380 to compare to the $550 Festool or $450 Makita.

Actually, these have been available in Europe for a couple years where they are getting pretty poor reviews. They all seem to be made in China and are sold by:

Scheppach
Woodstar
Bela
Holzmann
Bernador
Sauter
Batavia

Scheppach has been sold by McFeeleys and Graingers for almost a year in the US and is getting poor reviews also.

Mafell and Bosch also sell high quality track saws in Europe.

I have the Makita and Festool Track saws. I have a friend that bought a Schepach from McFeeleys last summer. He returned 3 in a row defective units and gave up.

The grizzly saw & track cost $230. The Festool saws do not come with 2 blades, clamps or rail connectors, so I do not know why those are being added to the cost of the Grizzly saw. Not everyone wants or needs a fancy over priced plastic box.

I have a friend that got 5 defective Festool Kapex miter saws in a row. Those are $1300 each. I am not sure what that proves, other than he was unlucky on the first five. He has been very happy with the sixth one. Every company has defects, all of the refurbished tools being sold prove it.

[Michael Moscicki]

How are we basing the accuracy or quality of this saw on price? Saying this saw is not for pros because it is cheap or from China?? Really? Its not $500 so it must not be for making a permanent/final cut. :rolleyes:

lumberjocks.com/JordsWoodShop/blog/32244

Same saw. Different paint job. Unless Grizzly made some changes then watch the video and see for yourself.

Not saying that it's bad, as I have only used a regular old circular saw, but just giving some info to have a fact based discussion.

[Greg R Bradley]

I think the person that added up the cost of the pieces was simply trying to make the units be equivalent. They were assuming the supplied blade is junk and would need to be upgraded. The Scheppach as sold by McFeeleys & Grainger came with 25" rails so it needed the connectors and clamps to cut across a 48" sheet of plywood. Actually, that length would do a very poor job of that since you really need most of the 55" rail that comes with the Festool, Makita, and Dewalt to do a good job of cutting 48" plywood. Looks like you can get a 55" rail for the Grizzly so that is a big plus for Grizzly. Looks like the Grizzly comes with a finer blade but who knows how well it cuts.

Unfortunately, the rail and clamp kit look like they may work differently than the others. According to the Grizzly catalog, it looks like the clamps go on the top of the rails which would cause several problems. I can't see how you would make that work well at the start of the cut or let the rail be used on lumber much shorter than the rail. Interesting thing is that the rails and clamps look like a copy of the others so you would think that they would slide inside the track and stay out of the way like the others.

My European tool dealer friend says the kindest reviews of the cheap track saws say that they are "good for the price", not actually good. I think the best less expensive alternative is the Makita or Dewalt when they are periodically put on sale really cheap. The Makita kit, with Tanos case and 55" rail, was $309 at one local tool dealer a few months ago. The Makita is darn close to the Festool in function. The biggest negatives are no offside splinter guard, cutting the splinter guard on the rail when angled, and short non-detachable power cord.

[Ryan Hellmer]

I am looking forward to a hands on review. I read everything on the internet a couple years ago when I bought my Makita tracksaw. I've been extremely pleased with that and very carefully weighed features and comments on build quality into my expectation of the tool. I think I got exactly what I expected and am very pleased. That does not mean that a greater or lesser quality tool could not have done an equivalent job or made the job at hand faster/safer/easier, but it means that I looked at what I expected to do, read others' experiences of it and made an informed decision.

I think that, like most Grizzly stuff, this will do an acceptable job. I see tons of uses for this saw that would not require a festool, but could benefit from the features of a plunging track saw (mostly jobsite finish carpentry, trimming doors or cabinet toekicks for instance). A lot of guys use the festool in lieu of a sliding tablesaw. For building cabinets, spending $500 on a semi-portable setup instead of $5000 on a slider probably makes sense.

I for one keep my Makita, a Skill wormdrive and another standard "skil-saw" in the shop for various tasks. Can't beat the worm for breaking down rough sawn lumber or framing. I use an abrasive blade on my cheapo for metal/masonry. The track gets used for jobs where I feel it will fit. I also keep a euro slider tablesaw and two other standard tablesaws in the shop.

In conclusion, I think the Grizzly will fill a spot in the market place and I hope that the people buying it carefully consider what they expect from it. You get what you pay for, sometimes you just don't need that Rolls Royce.

Ryan

[Shiraz Balolia]

According to the Grizzly catalog, it looks like the clamps go on the top of the rails which would cause several problems.



No they don't.
http://i50.tinypic.com/63vds0.jpg
Plus we redesigned the clamps to be much heavier duty than many of the others on the market.

[Ole Anderson]

Amazing, Shiraz, that you take the time to answer our questions, thank you. I only have one Grizzly tool, a G1023 purchased new in 1998, but it is the centerpiece of my shop. I could have used that track saw yesterday when I was cutting off 4 doors with a sled on the 1023. A bit awkward on a TS.

[Greg R Bradley]

Shiraz,
That picture makes it clear. Small pic in the first post made it look different.

[Greg Portland]

It doesn't seem like I have ever seen any of the other track systems using a clamp and have always wondered how well the track does in staying in place when conditions aren't ideal. Does anybody see these clamps as necessary?
If the wood is swept clean and the back of the rail is clean there is little to no wandering on wide boards. The clamps are nice when you're making cuts in expensive wood and you don't want to take a chance. As a point of reference, I have no problems cutting cherry and walnut 8x4 plywood w/o clamping. On that 8" wide piece of expensive hardwood I'll pull out the clamps...

[Greg Portland]

Not having used a festool I have always wondered if that level of accuracy is needed. You are setting the saw up based off of measurements or pencil marks or both and I have found that no matter how careful you are this leaves a wide birth for inaccuracies to come in to play. I have read enough positive reviews to know plenty of people love the track saw and have always figured that when cutting sheet goods a little inaccuracy doesn't hurt so I would think this would be the perfect place for a Grizzly saw with a little less refinement and 2/3rds the cost.
Keith, I make my final cuts with the tracksaw. I use knife marks or existing pieces to setup the rail. In my experience it cuts as accurately as a table saw (but obviously not as fast).

[Greg Portland]

That was a joke right? Festool will never compete in the low end market of tools. They have lots of tools in the stable and it is a system and geared to the professional who depends on the tools to make money. I've got grizzly tools and I've got some festool. They are not cheap, but for a reason. I doubt they are losing any sleep.
There are a large number of hobbyists who are buying Festool tracksaws (based on what I see in the local WWing store). IMO this is a large portion of their US market and it can be impacted by these other options.

[Peter Kelly]

I'd bet a lot of hobbyists have more expendable cash than professional carpenters. Not exactly the best paying job.

[Alan Bienlein]

After watching the video on the saw and actually having used a festool ts55 I can definitely say I'm gonna order the track saw from Grizzly.

I never thought the festool ts55 was worth the price they want and it always sounded like it was about to blow up with the way it growls almost like it has bad brushes.

[C Scott McDonald]

I hope it turns out to be a nice saw. A track saw is a nice upgrade for any shop. I have the Dewalt Track saw and that thing is aces. It is quiet and leaves a surprising nice edge.

[Mike Heidrick]

I am eagerly wanting one so I can review it in my shop against a Dewalt and TS55 on some hardwood and the menards ply I use. Then I will know for myself how well it performs. I watched the video linked above and the video did not show any closeups or hardwood cuts. A lot of claims saying it was not up to a TS55 were not backed up with an actual example of a TS55 being used.

[Ken Massingale]

Sears has the Scheppach branded one for $218, with 2 25" rails and free shipping. A Grizz rep told me they don't expect any till March. Just another option.

[Curt Harms]

Sears has the Scheppach branded one for $218, with 2 25" rails and free shipping. A Grizz rep told me they don't expect any till March. Just another option.

Is the Scheppach available with 55" rails? If not, it'd take 4 25" rails to cut a sheet of plywod lengthwise and it still wouldn't be any too long. Actually, I doubt 100" of rails would be enough to cut 96", that's only 2" hanging off each end. 110" (2 55") seems like it should work.

[Kevin Guarnotta]

I just wanted to chime in on about the clamps and the tracks. I have the makita track saw, but the dewalt clamps. The Dewalt Clamps are compatible-and work much faster than any of the other clamps. They are speed clamps. Quick and easy to clamp. They may not clamp as tight as a screw clamp-like festool, and this grizzly, and makita-but you shouldn't need it super tight-as the grippy surface at the bottom of the track keeps it from slipping anyway. The clamps are just an 'extra' layer of protection.

Mine came with a 55" rail, and I bought a 2nd one along with the connector rails. I thought this made sense-smaller and easier to store/transport, but still gives me long enough to cut a full plywood sheet. I would not recommend doign this. I could never quite get the two tracks to align perfectly. I could get them close, and if I spent a long enough time with them, I could get them straight. But way too much time. I ended up just getting one of the longer rails. I think 115".

I've had the makita for a little less than a year. I'm happy with it.

[Christopher Barbour]

I got one of the Grizzly track saws yesterday. I've never used a track saw before, so I have nothing to compare it to. I made 10 - 15 cuts with it last night. The cuts were all splinter-free until I made a couple of cuts at 45 degrees. The splinter guard is a rubber strip on the edge of the rail that you trim off with the saw. After I made the 45 degree cuts the saw cut maybe 1/16" off the splinter guard as well as beveling it. Some of the cuts I made after this splintered some, not really bad, but I thought that was part of the idea of a track saw. It also makes setting the rail a little difficult. I'm sure the strip can be replaced but I think it should last longer than 10 cuts. Maybe I shouldn't have tried the 45 degree cuts. I haven't used it enough to have a good opinion yet, but I'm wondering if I should have spent the extra money and gotten a different brand. I took these pics with my phone, so they aren't that great.
257801257802

[Andrew Joiner]

Your pic looks far from splinter-free.
If the blade is decent,you may be able to get splinter-free cuts. Just raise the saw so it only cuts thru the veneer and make a slow pass. Then make a 2nd pass at full depth.

[Cary Falk]

The cuts were all splinter-free until I made a couple of cuts at 45 degrees. The splinter guard is a rubber strip on the edge of the rail that you trim off with the saw. After I made the 45 degree cuts the saw cut maybe 1/16" off the splinter guard as well as beveling it.

There is the problem. When you beveled the saw it took more of the rubber strip off. Now when you return it to 90 degrees you don't have a zero clearance situation so to speak. That is why you are getting the chips.

[Paul Wunder]

Festool, Dewalt, etc. Tracksaw owners:

Do bevel cuts cut off the rubber strip also? Are 90 degree cuts compromised (splintered edges) after making bevel cuts?

Or is this simply a Grizzly design problem?

[mreza Salav]

Festool, Dewalt, etc. Tracksaw owners:

Do bevel cuts cut off the rubber strip also? Are 90 degree cuts compromised (splintered edges) after making bevel cuts?

Or is this simply a Grizzly design problem?

Don't know all those brands, but I think with Festool the axis of beveling the saw is such that the blade still rubs against that rubber strip before, during, and after a bevel cut. So you won't have the problem you are experiencing with this track saw.

[John Schweikert]

If you look at this page http://festoolusa.com/power-tools/track-saws/ts-55-req-plunge-cut-track-saw-561556
scroll down to the "Scribe line = Cut line" photo to show the beveled blade relative to the track for Festool.

I have a TS75 but I only cut 90 degrees. I have no need for bevel cuts, plus I don't 100% trust whether the splinter guard on the track will remain as is. My rule of thumb is if I get a brand new tool, I use it as I intend and not test out every possibility.

Just buy a new splinter guard and start fresh. If you need bevels, then I suggest using two rails for different blade angles.

[Greg R Bradley]

Don't know all those brands, but I think with Festool the axis of beveling the saw is such that the blade still rubs against that rubber strip before, during, and after a bevel cut. So you won't have the problem you are experiencing with this track saw.
I can tell you that my Festool TS55 works properly after doing a bevel cut. They do claim to do that properly in their marketing materials.

I don't recall if my 20 year old Festool Track saw worked that way since I don't think I ever did a cut other than 90 degrees. I do know my Makita Track Saw is always used at 90 degrees so don't know if it has the problem. I would think I would have heard complaints from other people if the Makita had the problem.

FWIW, I prefer the Makita strips over the Festool ones since they stick better in extremely hot weather. The Festool one is clear so you can see your mark through the strip but that isn't as important as making sure it stays put. I think the clear plastic shrinks a bit after it is made and causes the problem.

[Paul Wunder]

Googling "Festool TS 55 bevel Cuts" yields a mixed bag of responses from Festool users ranging from, "I don't have a problem with splintering after making bevel cuts" to "Yes, I am now splintering on 90 degree cuts after making bevel cuts." There appear to be adjustment devices on both the Festool and the Grizzly for track alignment , but it is not clear to me if that would help a strip that has been cut way from a bevel cut.

I do not own either tool, but I am thinking about the Grizzly because of the price point, so this thread has my interest.

[C Scott McDonald]

I got one of the Grizzly track saws yesterday. I've never used a track saw before, so I have nothing to compare it to. I made 10 - 15 cuts with it last night. The cuts were all splinter-free until I made a couple of cuts at 45 degrees. The splinter guard is a rubber strip on the edge of the rail that you trim off with the saw. After I made the 45 degree cuts the saw cut maybe 1/16" off the splinter guard as well as beveling it. Some of the cuts I made after this splintered some, not really bad, but I thought that was part of the idea of a track saw. It also makes setting the rail a little difficult. I'm sure the strip can be replaced but I think it should last longer than 10 cuts. Maybe I shouldn't have tried the 45 degree cuts. I haven't used it enough to have a good opinion yet, but I'm wondering if I should have spent the extra money and gotten a different brand. I took these pics with my phone, so they aren't that great.
257801257802

Does the grizzly track saw have rubber strip on both sides? Maybe use one side for bevels and the other for 90's?

[Christopher Barbour]

The track only has the strip on one side. I've done a little research and it appears that the strips must be replaced on other brands too. I didn't intend for my original post to sound negative. I was very impressed with the quality of the cuts before I did the bevel cuts and thought it would cut away more of the strip at 45 degrees. I ordered a second 55 inch rail yesterday to try some long cuts.

[Jasen Nielsen]

careful when joining to tracks together. I have the Makita and after a while I checked them for being true and they were off about an 1/8th. I will be buying the festool long track and keep it in the shop just for breaking down sheet goods and doing long rips.

[Michael Dunn]

I can't wait until HF RELEASE THE Chicago Power Tools track saw. LOL!!!


Naaahhh!!! I loves my TS-75. The Grizzly rail does indeed closely resemble the Festool. Although I does seem pretty cheap looking.

[Rick Potter]

Call Grizzly and see if they sell the strips, they should.

Rick Potter

[david brum]

Regarding the anti-spinter strip, I peeled mine off and moved it over 1/4" in order to get a new edge. The adhesive is really sticky, like fly paper, so you have to be careful that it stays clean while you're putting it back on. Easy to do, though. I'm not sure if this would work on an older track, but worked fine on my brand new one.

[Matt Gertsch]

Does any one know if the Grizzly track saw track works with the Scheppach CS55 saw?

[zayd alle]

Does any one know if the Grizzly track saw track works with the Scheppach CS55 saw?

Looking at pictures of both, they look to be identical saws, just badged differently.

[Joe Scharle]

Does any one know if the Grizzly track saw track works with the Scheppach CS55 saw?

I have some of each. They're identical.

[Larry Prem]

Another review of the T10687 with a few nice pictures and stats.

http://www.hingmy.com/showthread.php?5013-Product-Thread-Grizzly-T10687-Track-Saw

[Matt Gertsch]

I have some of each. They're identical.

Thank you!!