Track Saws

[Ted Baxter]

I am considering buying a track saw I have been looking at Trition, and Mikita as well as others.

Yes I know that Festool is the best in the world (I can afford one but I don't have to have the worlds best) but I was hoping to hear comments about others.

I am a hobbist doing woodworking & turning for fun not for profit any thoughts or sugestion?

[Victor Robinson]

Yes I know that Festool is the best in the world (I can afford one but I don't have to have the worlds best) but I was hoping to hear comments about others.


Well technically that honor probably goes to Mafell. But anyways, you can't really go wrong with most of the choices. Folks who have the Makita and Dewalt are generally quite happy, as are the folks with the Festool. One reason to go with the Festool is if you plan on adding other Festools that can share the guide rail, e.g. a router. Personally I started off many years ago heavily considering the Makita but went Festool and this began a long slippery slope with the green.

[Brian W Evans]

I used to have the Makita but sold it when I got my sliding table saw. Except for the occasional desire for more power, I thought it was a nice tool and at no point did I regret buying it. The contractor I sold it to was happy to get it - he had used a friend's before and liked it enough to want one for himself.

What they say about drinking the green kool-aid is true. I tried to buy only one Festool product, ended up with two more, and wish I had bought more still. Beware. Seriously.

[Mike Cutler]

The Makita is a nice system. EZ is also a nice system and let's you use your current saw.
I have EZ rails, with a Makita and a Milwaukee worm drive set up for them. I also have a Festool TS 75 with rails.
I can make just as a
Nice a cut with my Makita as the Festool. I have the Festool for depth of cut.
I understand the Makita rails are compatible with Festool. Something to consider.😉

[Rick Malakoff]

I still use a straight edge and a Skil worm drive, but I'm old school!
Rick

[Earl Rumans]

I have had the Makita for several years and it does an excellent job. Th only thing I dislike about it is joining 2 sections of rail. it's almost impossible to get them truly flat for precision long cuts. I haven't tried the 118 inch rail but I haven't heard great things about it. I have just ordered the Festool MFT/3 table, so I will see how well the Mikita works with the Festool track and may get the long Festool track.

[Jay Aubuchon]

I too have the Makita, including the 118-inch rail, and have been quite satisfied. I use it mostly for breaking down sheet goods. And then there was that time that the doors leading from my shop to the outdoors shrunk while I was completing a corral for 15 pop-up canopies.

363305 363306 363307

[richard poitras]

I have had an EZ guide system for years and still like it to this day,I also bought one for our shop at work and everyone likes it as well.

[Mark W Pugh]

I have had an EZ guide system for years and still like it to this day,I also bought one for our shop at work and everyone likes it as well.

What he said. I actually bought the bigger saw and had them mount the guide jig on to the saw. Yes, you can do it yourself, but I have little time to make/do everything. Yes, this is a dedicated saw for the system, but so isn't other saws on track systems.

I think any system mentioned will do a good job. How much do you want to spend, and how often will you use it?

[Frederick Skelly]

You might search the archives as well. This has been covered a couple times in the last couple years (including a thread I initiated a few mos back) and there's a lot of good backfground to help you.

I bought the Dewalt a coouple mos ago. Wanted the safety features. That was my tie-breaker over the Makita. No regrets.)

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I bought the Makita after MUCH research and debate, including trying out a Festool TS75 at a store. I wanted the TS75 for that extra depth of cut since my primary use would be ripping rough cut lumber down to manageable sizes. Often it is over 2" thick. I really wanted that extra depth (I can't remember but I believe the TS75 went to 2 3/4") but I settled for the Makita, which went just barely over 2". Now that I have had the Makita for a while, I use it for all sorts of tasks. It is very well made and I have no regrets whatsoever in not getting the Festool. I got a saw and three tracks on sale for what just the saw costs from Festool. I found no difference in performance with the Festool when I tried it. Admittedly it was a quick in-store demo (they have a shop where you can test tools) but I am very happy with the Makita.

One thing to note- there is an adjustment on the saw to make it snug to the track. Make sure you snug it up good. My first few cuts I didn't do that and the saw was wiggling about 1/32" in the track. Reading the instructions first would have probably been a good idea. :rolleyes: Once I adjusted that knob, it was perfect. I also like that there is a knob to lock the saw into the track so it does not tip over when making miter cuts.

The dust collection is excellent on the Makita. As for the tracks joining together, I have had no issue with them not being straight, but there was a time or two when one track was just a tiny bit higher than the other and the saw didn't want to pass over the joint. I adjusted the set screws and that cured it. Operator error I guess. It seems you do have to make sure you get them together just right. I use three tracks together for long cuts.

[julian abram]

I bought the Dewalt a couple years ago and love it. I wanted a saw with a riving knife for straight lining rough lumber, Dewalt & Festool are the only two choices with a knife. There are lots of track saw threads here you can search.

[Brian W Evans]

I have had the Makita for several years and it does an excellent job. Th only thing I dislike about it is joining 2 sections of rail. it's almost impossible to get them truly flat for precision long cuts. I haven't tried the 118 inch rail but I haven't heard great things about it. I have just ordered the Festool MFT/3 table, so I will see how well the Mikita works with the Festool track and may get the long Festool track.

I had the 118 inch rail and had no problems with it at all. I built a nice set of cabinets - not shop cabinets - with the cabinet-grade ply cut only with the track saw. The tearout strip works well and, with a good blade, you can do some really nice work.

[Ken Kortge]

You can read about the so-called EZ SMART tracks and related components at eurekazone.com - all made in the USA by a small company in Florida that was around long before most (all?) of the others started making track saws. As mentioned, they work with most circular saws and provide very clean cuts by using plastic anti-chip edges on the rails and zero-clearance type inserts on the saw base (both replaceable for when you purchase a new blade or switch saws). They also have a very nice router attachment that works with the tracks.

Note the cross-section profile of the EZ SMART tracks are two layers of extruded aluminum with dovetail self-aligning attachment while most other tracks are one layer of aluminum and don't have the self-alignment feature.

Lots of eurekazone videos on youtube to clarify how the tracks, saw base, components, and accessories work together.

I've been using the tracks, square, and router kit for almost 10 years, but recently purchased their EZ-ONE Woodworking center to speed up my work. Now they even make a more portable version of the EZ-ONE. Their rails and components have changed my approach to working with wood.

Ken

[Greg R Bradley]

The idea that Eurekazone EZ Smart was around before the others is far off. I owned a Festool (Festo at the time) Track Saw for 20 years when Dino started his misinformation crusade. He was so full of nonsense and self contradiction that he was run off of at least one professional forum. He couldn't even keep his claims straight in the same forum thread and was called out so many times that he finally started his own forum. I'm sure Dino claimed to invent them along with claiming to invent the Internet.

FWIW, I use my Festool TS55 and Makita SP6000 pretty much interchangeably on the same tracks with the same accessories.

[andy bessette]

I found my Festool TS55 kit on c/l for $350, including 55" track and Systainer with clamp, etc. Since then I have added the 118" and 72" tracks. This tool has revolutionized my shop and is worth its outrageous retail price. Very highly recommended.

[Cary Falk]

I was happy with my DeWalt up until a couple of months ago. The motor went out on it. I has lead a pretty easy life, cutting mostly plywood and sometimes straight line ripping some boards. I have had it for 3 or 4 years. I bought it as a refurb but I don't think that had to do with the failure. It still feels like it has less power. I just ordered a new blade for it. The repair was $200. It was just as cheap to have the repair place to fix it as me buying the parts and fixing it myself. Take it for what it is worth. This is the only failure I have read about. IF I didn't have a lot invested in tracks and accessories I would have bought something else.

[Ted Baxter]

I guess I can assume no one has bought or used the Trition TS?

[Randy Heinemann]

I have the Festool TS55. For crosscuts, in combination with the Festool MFT and a great 90 degree square, I get the squarest cuts I've ever gotten. The other thing I've found with Festool tools is that the dust collection is superior to all others I've owned. Does some sawdust escape with the TS55? Some does, especially when merely trimming wood where the blade isn't buried in the wood. However, I believe it's still superior. So, it you plan to use the saw in your shop, this is something to consider. Also, I use the Festool track with my Festool router and that can't be beat (as far as I'm concerned) when cutting dados. Since I do almost no ripping with it, even on larger sheet goods, the only experience I have with that is in Festool classes. It works well for that also.

I'm sure the Makita and Dewalt work well (know the Mafell is a great saw), but I am completely satisfied with my Festool saw.

[William Chain]

I'll second this. The dust collection on my TS55 is amazing. The saw cost me a kidney and my first born, but its a great tool. The cuts are fantastic and the tool just keeps going.

[richard poitras]

I was happy with my DeWalt up until a couple of months ago. The motor went out on it. I has lead a pretty easy life, cutting mostly plywood and sometimes straight line ripping some boards. I have had it for 3 or 4 years. I bought it as a refurb but I don't think that had to do with the failure. It still feels like it has less power. I just ordered a new blade for it. The repair was $200. It was just as cheap to have the repair place to fix it as me buying the parts and fixing it myself. Take it for what it is worth. This is the only failure I have read about. IF I didn't have a lot invested in tracks and accessories I would have bought something else.


That’s one of the nice thing about EZ system it works with any saw. So replacement can be just about anything out on the market when your saw does go.

[Peter Christensen]

I have a Grizzly Track Saw and I mainly use it to break down sheet goods to a size I can handle on the table saw. I've never used any other brands so I can't offer any comparisons. It does have a riving knife if that is important. Grizzly doesn't have a long track so you have to join a pair of 55" tracks. The only minor gripe I had was the F-clamps that fit underside of the track were a little too tight to easily slide into position, so I tweaked them on the belt sander.

[Jim Dwight]

I am another happy DeWalt user (including using a home made parallel guide Cary Falk came up with). One difference is the tracks. DeWalt often offers a kit with a 59 and 106 inch track for about $600. If you want the longer track, that is a good deal. Makita's long track is longer and more expensive. Everything about a Festool is more expensive. You need a place to store the long track and transporting it may be an issue but for in my shop, I love having it. I used it last weekend to taper brick mold putting in a door. Joining two tracks would be more portable and I'm sure it works fine but I like having a long one. DeWalt is the only saw that you can use both sides of the track.

DeWalt also offers a router jig that rides their track, it works great with my PC 690 routers (and is supposed to work with other brands).

My take on the track saw offerings is you have the Grizzly at the bottom price point. Reviews indicate it is not equivalent to the more expensive brands but for roughly half the price of my DeWalt it shouldn't be. With a good blade, I bet it works pretty well.

Next up are the Makita, DeWalt and more recently the Triton. I saw one review of the latter that said it didn't repeat between the scoring cut and the full depth cut. Might have been an issue with one saw, however. All the reviews I've seen of the Makita and DeWalt are pretty good. I think it matters what features you want and what price they are offering when you are ready to buy.

Festool is more, with a 120 inch track nearly twice what I paid for my DeWalt, but the users really like them. And reviews are great. There is also better aftermarket support. The 55 has a smaller motor than the Makita and DeWalt and less depth of cut. The 75 is the biggest.

Mafell is apparently more than the Festool and the only review I've seen was positive.


As I said at the start of this post, I am happy with my DeWalt. I wish I'd gotten it sooner. I bet I would be happy with the others too, however. It's hard to believe it's so much better than a circular saw with a guide but it is.

[Jon McElwain]

I've got a Festool 75 saw with various tracks. System works really well, saw is great, and I use it surprisingly often. Especially when the table saw is covered in projects or tools.

My only complaint is that the plastic splinter guard that adheres to the track looses it stickiness too quickly for my liking. Not an expensive item to replace, but a pain to go buy new strip, pull the old off, clean the rail of adhesive residue, adhere a new strip, then re-cut. Seems like I replace it annually or so. I'd like to see a better adhesive. I've never had to replace the non-skid strips on the bottom of the rail or the glide strips on the top and I have had the saw about 7 years.

Anyone had similar issues with the other brands?

[Robert Pugmire]

I have a dewalt and its good especially with the cordless new ones they coming out with but if i was to buy another one i would go with a makita because all the festool and after market stuff work with the makita tracks which is a huge advantage.

[Warren Wilson]

Upon brief reflection -- I had read many of these track saw threads, and don't remember anyone regretting their choice of brands. :)

[Frederick Skelly]

Upon brief reflection -- I had read many of these track saw threads, and don't remember anyone regretting their choice of brands. :)

You're right. The reviews and posts I have read, where the Dewalt and Makita were tested side by side all said you'd be happy with eith of them or the FT (no surprize there).

[Ted Baxter]

I have watched 2 or 3 videos of people using the Festool 55 to rip hard wood 1"-2" thick and commeted that the saw struggled to make the cut One person keep stalling the saw out and went to a different saw to compleat the cut.
It didn't appear he was forcing the FT.

Those of you that use FT what has your experience been ripping thick hard wood?

Thanks for all the comments I was hoping to hear from some Trition owners also but I guess there aren't any out there.

[mark mcfarlane]

I have watched 2 or 3 videos of people using the Festool 55 to rip hard wood 1"-2" thick and commeted that the saw struggled to make the cut One person keep stalling the saw out and went to a different saw to compleat the cut.
It didn't appear he was forcing the FT.

Those of you that use FT what has your experience been ripping thick hard wood?

Thanks for all the comments I was hoping to hear from some Trition owners also but I guess there aren't any out there.

I haven't cut much thick hardwood but I do occasionally cut 2 sheets of stacked 3/4" birch plywood and although the TS55 bogs down a little, it works, you just have to cut a little slower.

[Phillip Mitchell]

I've used both the Makita and the Festool TS75 with short and long tracks. I used them on a job site to trim and bevel custom doors for install. I was impressed with the accuracy and ease of operation with both of them and honestly found that the Makita seemed to run smoother, though it could have been the differences in the conditions of the particular blades I was using.

The TS75 has a couple of "advantages" over the Makita, though it's up to you to decide if they mean enough to you for the extra money.

-Dust collection was a wash. I saw no difference between the two.

-Riving knife - This could be handy for certain applications but didn't really come into play with what I was doing.

- Deeper cut (2" vs 2 3/4" with guide rail) This did not come into play in my situation with doors, but could potentially be a big point if using a saw to try and break down rough 8/4 stock, which is usually ~ 2 1/8" thick. You would want to face joint at least one side before ripping though so that you maintained good contact with the track to the board and could get a square rip cut.

-Bevel cuts that are zero clearance - The Makita may also be able to achieve this, but I didn't get the opportunity to try. I wouldn't be surprised if it had the same capability. The Festool was impressive in its ability to maintain a zero clearance cut with the track on a bevel. Meaning you didn't have to compensate for the bevel when setting up the track for your cuts. You are still able to put the track right to your cut lines and go.

That being said....You could get the Makita with a short (55") and long track (118') for $650-700. The TS 75 with that setup would be around $1100. Quite a difference in price. Unless I had very specific circumstances that require the Festool and the extra cash, I would buy the Makita. Just my 2 cents.

[andy bessette]

I have watched 2 or 3 videos of people using the Festool 55 to rip hard wood 1"-2" thick and commeted that the saw struggled to make the cut One person keep stalling the saw out and went to a different saw to compleat the cut.
It didn't appear he was forcing the FT...

What you describe is clearly abuse of the tool. I rip thick hardwood on the proper tool--a 3 hp table saw with 10" carbide rip blade. However I straighten an edge of every piece of lumber I buy using the TS55 and long track. In the hardest mahogany it is wise to not force the saw faster than its cutting ability.

[Matthew Hills]

Do note that the TS75 and TS55 come with different blades.
I'm wondering if that could be a factor in the videos where the TS55 bogged down when cutting thick hardwoods.
(i have a TS55 and have been very happy using it with sheet goods.)

Matt

[Martin Wasner]

Upon brief reflection -- I had read many of these track saw threads, and don't remember anyone regretting their choice of brands. :)

I wish I would've bought a Mafell, but to be fair I don't regret the Makita.

[Edwin Santos]

Do note that the TS75 and TS55 come with different blades.
I'm wondering if that could be a factor in the videos where the TS55 bogged down when cutting thick hardwoods.
(i have a TS55 and have been very happy using it with sheet goods.)

Matt
I think you might be on to something. I'm in the satisfied Makita owners club and I notice the 6 1/2" blade that came with the saw is very good, but at 48T it was clearly intended for clean cuts in sheet goods. I feel the tooth count is way too high for ripping hardwood, especially thicker hardwood. Every time I do it I tell myself I need to look for a ripping blade and do what I've had to learn the hard way at the table saw, which is take the time to change the blade to the correct one for the job at hand.

I can't blame the track saw manufacturers. If I had to choose which blade to supply with the track saw, I'd go with a finishing blade too. I'm not sure anyone makes a ripping blade specifically for the Makita. It would need to be 6 1/2" with a 20mm arbor. Freud makes one for the Festool which also has a 20mm arbor, but at 160mm you would lose a little under 1/4" in cut capacity and the depth scale on the saw would no longer be accurate. However looking past this detail, I'll bet such a blade would make the saw seem much more "powerful" when ripping thicker hardwood.

[Peter Kuhlman]

No different than a table saw or miter saw - proper blade needed for the intended use.
My TS55 rips really well - with a rip blade! The supplied 48 tooth blade is not intended to rip in thick wood. A 40 tooth blade doesn't work that great on a table saw with a 10" blade and much larger gullets.
I have a variety of blades for my TS55 from Festool, Tenaru(so?), Freud.
I have not found my TS55 to struggle with any cuts as long as I use the appropriate blade.

[Robert Engel]

Ted, & for others looking, I've been doing some due diligence and thought I would share a few things.

First, if it hasn't already been mentioned, you have to look close at what's included, and its not always real obvious. For example, on Amazon the Makita is also sold as a Saw + Track connector - but no tracks. I bit misleading IMO.

Tracks and clamps can add another $150-200 to the cost.

These are all Amazon prices:

Makita: Saw $409 + (2) 55" tracks + connector = $626.91

Triton: Saw $309.72 + Track packs (99.97 + 84.99) + clamps 49.99 = $544.67. (I think the Makita tracks may work with the Triton).

There is a DW kit (https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWS520CK-TrackSaw-59-Inch-102-Inch/dp/B001IMEEEM/ref=pd_sbs_469_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001IMEEEM&pd_rd_r=3CW14152QQDFNHQA514R&pd_rd_w=5APiy&pd_rd_wg=wGmxD&psc=1&refRID=3CW14152QQDFNHQA514R) which includes (1) 59" + (1) 102" track for $629.99. Personally, I like the idea of 1 long track and no connectors to worry about.

I watch a review on the Triton the one thing I remember is it was heavy.

Spagnolo did a side by side comp with DW and Festool. The DW competed very well. It has a sliding plunge rather than a pivoting. Some people find the blade changing a bit cumbersome (but how many times do you change blades? no big deal to me)

Bottom line: For the price diff between Makita and DW, + the positive review by Spagnolo I would go with the DW kit

[Brian Holcombe]

I have ripped the full depth of cut with the 55 Festool. Trick is to use the correct blade, the standard blade is to fine for heavy ripping. Same reason that you don't resaw with a 14 tpi bandsaw blade.

edit: I see Peter beat me to it.

[Frankie Hunt]

The Makita comes with one 55 inch track at the 409 price.
so....

Makita: Saw (with 1 track) $409 + (1 additional) 55" track + connector = $509

I think the Makita is a GREAT saw, as a bonus it is the least costly of the 3 that I would consider. (Makita, Festool & DeWALT)




Ted, & for others looking, I've been doing some due diligence and thought I would share a few things.

First, if it hasn't already been mentioned, you have to look close at what's included, and its not always real obvious. For example, on Amazon the Makita is also sold as a Saw + Track connector - but no tracks. I bit misleading IMO.

Tracks and clamps can add another $150-200 to the cost.

These are all Amazon prices:

Makita: Saw $409 + (2) 55" tracks + connector = $626.91

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Today I used my ten years old 7 1/4" power hand saw and my faithful 25 years old straight aluminum L shaped bar to breakdown a 30mm thick panel.

I am sure a track saw could do it slightly faster and probably more precise but my results are consistently good enough... and I always have a table saw to use when it is more convenient.

I am a hobbyist and I breakdown panels just a couple of times, perhaps three times, at average, in each year, so by my book it isn't worth to upgrade my saw for a tracking model.

On the other hand, if I had no table saw, I would consider seriously a track saw and Makita would be my choice as I think it is the best bang for my bucks...

[Patrick Curry]

I have the Makita and have been happy with the purchase. I spent quite a bit of time reading reviews and borrowed by friend's TS75 a few times before my purchase.

I like the Makita for price and that it had a little more power than the others in it's price range. Didn't have as much power as the TS75 but more than it's smaller Festool sibling. I cut hardwood frequently

[Ted Baxter]

Thanks for all the comments. I am leaning towards the Makita even though it seems that their are some quality issues with their tracks. I was hoping to hear from some Trition owners also.

I am a hobbist and need to break down 4'X8' plywood only a few times a year. I have a difficult time doing it by myself on the table saw.

I am considering a project that will require 12 - 15 sheets of 3/4 plywood.

The main reason I would buy a track saw is safety.

[Randy Heinemann]

If you use a track saw so infrequently, have you considered trying to find a local lumber yard which would rough cut the sheets to your specs instead of buying the saw. When I buy plywood, I can generally get the sheets cut for a $1 a cut; sometimes for nothing if I buy where I buy a lot of stuff. Since I wouldn't count on them to cut it exactly the size I want, I have them cut just slightly more than measurements I need (a little bit of a problem if the project will use almost the entire sheet) and cut them to final size on my table saw. If your ending size sheets are going to be very large, though, I can understand the need for a track saw. Far be it from me, though, to discourage some one from buying a new tool.

[Robert Eckerle]

The guy from down under Jordie woodshop sure did criticize the Makita tracks for not being flat

you can find it on YouTube

jord's woodshop

i don't know anything about the saws, I just ran across the video while watching his workbench build series

[Jacob Barnhart]

I went with the Festool TS55 because I happened to have the money at the time and would like to get more of their stuff in the future. The included blade is great for crosscuts and working with sheet goods. I bought a freud rip blade for it for putting straight edges on hardwoods. Have used it on 8/4 Walnut with no problems and never really noticed it bogging down at all. I think sometimes people think it's bogging down when it's just the electronic controls for the motor adjusting the output to keep the speed constant. I will say the soft start feature is pretty extreme compared to the soft start on my table saw and my Bosch routers. It's slower to ramp up than any of them.

[Patrick Curry]

I'd go with the Makita over the Triton. it works well, my tracks were straight and affordable- and it will have a higher resale value if for some reason (sliding table saw) I decide to get rid of it one day.

Check Google for track saw reviews. I do like the Festool track saws but I didnt want to pay the price for the T75 and didn't feel the Makita was inferior to the T55 (but cost less)

[Bill Adamsen]

Anyone with experience with the Festool battery powered TSC55 plunge track saw? Curious about Festool's comment, "Cordless, but works as well as a corded tool, with precision and impressive traction and endurance thanks to the combination of EC-TEC motor and dual battery system"

[Rich Engelhardt]

I bought my Festool TS55 EQ back when Festool was the only track saw - other than the EZ. Never regretted it for a second.


I am considering a project that will require 12 - 15 sheets of 3/4 plywood.

The main reason I would buy a track saw is safety.You will find that the track saw is the answer to many difficult issues that are simply business as usual, once you get one.

Anyhow - the one thing that impresses me the absolute most about the Festool is - - you can stop half way in a cut - take the saw off the track, walk around the work to get a better position, then complete the cut & it's impossible to tell when or where you stopped.
That doesn't sound like such a big deal - - right up until you encounter having to do it

Oshlun makes good but affordable blades that fit the Festool and DeWalt and Makita so there's no need to push a 40T blade to do things it shouldn't.

[Ted Baxter]

I have an additional question about track saws. I have not bought one yet. My question is about the Festool I am concurned about all the plastic I know how I am that sooner or later I will drop the saw or knock it off something (yes I can be clumsy) how well does all the plastic hold up to abuse and how expensive are the plastic parts to replace? Anyone have experience buying replacements or damaging the saw?

[mark mcfarlane]

I have an additional question about track saws. I have not bought one yet. My question is about the Festool I am concurned about all the plastic I know how I am that sooner or later I will drop the saw or knock it off something (yes I can be clumsy) how well does all the plastic hold up to abuse and how expensive are the plastic parts to replace? Anyone have experience buying replacements or damaging the saw?

The plastic bits are probably really strong composites that will withstand shock. It's not a fragile saw. Mine's fallen off the bench onto a rubber mat, no problem there. I can't say I've dropped mine 10' onto concrete yet.

Replacement parts should be really expensive, just like the saw. :) I've never heard of any repairs needed by people, maybe check/search the FOG group.

I had a tradesman working on my house yesterday and he was amazed that I was cutting plywood for 3 hours and there was no sawdust anywhere.

[andy bessette]

Been using my (used) TS55 for years and never needed to replace a part. A most excellent tool.

[Cary Falk]

My guess is you would break or crack the aluminum shoe/sole plate? before you would hurt the plastic. That goes for any of the track saws. Thin unsupported aluminum pieces like an edge don't fare well in a drop.

[bennie blackwell]

I bought the Makita SP6000J1 and was surprised that the saw base was some kind of hard plastic instead of metal. Before actually using the saw, I wanted to see if there had been any issues with the Makita hard plastic base. Thanks