Track Saw?

[lowell holmes]

Do any of you have track saws? I'm looking at a Shop Fox add and their add is enticing.
I wonder why they don't show prices in their adds?

I have two circular saws that I use against a straight edge, its kind of Rube Goldberg.
One is a 4" and the other an 8" side winder.

The 4" Porter Cable trim saw is a delight, the 8" side winder is scary to use. It also is Porter Cable.

I gave my 6" side winder to one of my sons with instructions about not cutting his fingers off.

In a previous life, I built houses and had a framing contractor that would cut 2X4's by holding a speed square
for a straight edge and cut the wood. I will do that, but only if the wood is resting on saw horses. That idiot would
hold the wood in his hand and cut it.

[Ben Rivel]

MANY of us own, use and love/swear by track saws. Myself included. However Ive never looked at the Shop Fox.

[Scott McFarland]

I have a Festool TS55 along with several tracks 55", 55" inch with holes, and 107" for full panels (you can join tracks as well). I also have a Festool Router and there are attachments to use the rails together with the router as well as the saw. The tracks are expensive so I find it beneficial to have tools that use the same tracks.

There are other track systems that are less expensive Makita, Dewalt. The Makita and Festool tracks are somewhat compatible with the other makers tools so keep that in mind.

In general, I love the track saw, I originally had the cordless Festool, but since I no longer need to be cordless, I sold it and bought a 110v TS55.

Obviously, they are much more expensive than a circular saw, but with plunge capability and riving knives, they are much safer and more versitile. If you want to use a circular saw for woodworking, you'd need to create a rail/guide system yourself. Not difficult, but necessary nonetheless.

[lowell holmes]

I have an aluminum rip guide.
I also have an 8 foot long plywood guide that I made by nailing a 1X4 to the face, offset
6" from one edge. I can rip an 8' sheet of plywood in a heart beat.

You off set the 1X4 from one edge, about 6" and rip the sheet on the other side of the 1x5 with
your skilsaw (circular handsaw to you youngsters).
Then c-clamp the guide to the plywood and rip away. It helps to raise the plywood off of the table it's sitting on.:)

There may be a track saw in my future though. Do the tracks have to be clamped to the wood you are cutting or will
they stay in place during the cut?

[Jim Becker]

There are a healthy proportion of community members that own and use track saws...dozens of threads even!

No question, they are an efficient and handy method of doing many types of work.

For the record, mine is Festool, but at the time, they were the only game at that time. There are many options available today, from "budget" through the other end.

[Peter Christensen]

I have the Grizzly version of the saw and it is good value for the money for my home use. That said I've never used any other brands so can't really judge it to know if it's a dog or just not quite as good as the more costly ones. I use it to primarily to break down sheet goods to use in the table saw. I have the short track (28") and a couple 55" tracks but wish there was a long track available. When joining my 2 long tracks together there is a slight twist that raises the corner without the joining bars ( I use 2 and that might contribute) that causes the saw to stop when the front of the base hits it. Since I know it is going to happen I press the corner down a few inches further down the track and it slides by nicely. Someday when I get time :rolleyes: I am going to try and machine a couple bars on the milling machine to see it that is better. The 2 F-clamps that hold the tracks down were too tight to slide freely but a couple seconds on the belt sander took care of that. For home use or on a job site where such a saw might be less tempted to go home with someone else, it is worth considering.

[Ben Rivel]

Do the tracks have to be clamped to the wood you are cutting or will
they stay in place during the cut?
For the most part they do not. Though most have available accessories to do so if you wish/need to. I rarely clamp my guide rails down. The rubber grip on the bottom combined with the downward pressure during the cut hold the rails in place quite well.

[Ed Pollock]

I just received and used my Makita track saw for the first time this weekend. I am impressed, and feel like it is a good value at $409 with a 55" track included. Cuts very straight and square, surprisingly light weight and the dust collection works very well. With the stock blade there has been zero tear out in the Sapele I have cut. I have no experience with other brands of track saws.

[Dan Rude]

I have not used this one. I have a True Track guide picked up at a woodworking show. Was $280 and I use my m18 Fuel 6 1/2" saw. Works great, does not slip with the grippe (note: It will in cold weather because it is hard.) Very accurate, but you loose cutting depth. So it is great up to about 1 1/4" stock, very close on a 2x4. Only complaint is dust collection, so looking for a PC saw boss or larger with the dust port opening. Now just today I purchased the Mastercraft Menard's brand version of the Grizzly 4.5" saw kit. Was $89 + tax, with a 11% mail in rebate for store credit, so after rebate $84.50. Would have been less, but I forgot my rebate from last time. This was in the Sunday ad this week. Figure, I could see if I like it or not for the price. So the main thing I am looking for is dust collection; rail connections; splintering and accuracy. Dan

[julian abram]

I long resisted the ideal of purchasing a track saw, finally did about two years ago. It has become one of the most useful tools in my shop. Use it almost every week to break down plywood panels, straight line rough lumber, etc. The three most popular brands seem to be Festool, Makita and Dewalt. I purchased the Dewalt with both long & short rails for about $600, its been a great tool investment.

[Earl Rumans]

I have had the Makita for several years and it's a great saw. The Shop FOx is basically the same as the Grizzly and is a decent saw. One thing I like abut the Makita is the tracks, it uses the same track as the Festool, so there are lots of goodies available for it.

[Bill McNiel]

I have had the Makita for several years and it's a great saw. The Shop FOx is basically the same as the Grizzly and is a decent saw. One thing I like abut the Makita is the tracks, it uses the same track as the Festool, so there are lots of goodies available for it.

Are the Makita and Festool tracks identical? Actually what I want to know is, will the Makita long track work with my TS55?

[Frederick Skelly]

Bought the Dewalt a couple months ago. It was money well spent Lowell. I think it was $550 out the door. There are many articles and reviews of the DW vs Makita vs Festool. All 3 are well regarded. I havent seen the Shop Fox, but Amazon lists it for $188 + $57 for the track. That's $150 less than the Makita and half the price of my DW. That makes me question whether it's really comparable to them in quality and cut - but that's just me.

Good luck!
Fred

[lowell holmes]

Well, I have Dewalt tools and I know their quality.

[Earl Rumans]

Are the Makita and Festool tracks identical? Actually what I want to know is, will the Makita long track work with my TS55?

Yes, they are almost identical, you can use the Festool on the Makita tracks and the Makita on the Festool tracks. The Triton tracks are also the same design, just a different color. I have the Makita long tracks and the short Festool track on my MFT/3. The only difference that I can find is the Makita has a channel for the stabilizer slide lock on the Makita saw to lock into and the Festool track does not.

[Ed Labadie]

Spent the last few days finishing off our 3 year (yeah, I'm slow) pavillion project, covering the exposed headers with barnwood.

The tracksaw saved my fanny. Joined 3000mm & 1900mm rails together to get 16' of rail. While I have a Festool saw, I used my Hilti on this project as it uses standard 7 1/4" blades. Didn't want to chance trashing a Festool blade on a missed rusty nail.

No other easy way to get straight cuts that long on crap material.

Used the same setup (with shorter rails) a few weeks ago with an Irwin metal cutting blade to cut steel siding. Much better than a shear, nibbler or bass-ackwards plywood blade.

Ed

[Robert Parent]

I just picked up the following mini track saw..... I have not had much time to give it a workout, but it appears to be a nice saw for the investment.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools-accessories/power-saws-accessories/masterforce-reg-4-1-2-plunge-cut-circular-saw-kit-with-53-1-2-guide-track/p-1455839716898-c-9082.htm?tid=-5501995765794698288&ipos=1

Robert

[George Bokros]

I just picked up the following mini track saw..... I have not had much time to give it a workout, but it appears to be a nice saw for the investment.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools-accessories/power-saws-accessories/masterforce-reg-4-1-2-plunge-cut-circular-saw-kit-with-53-1-2-guide-track/p-1455839716898-c-9082.htm?tid=-5501995765794698288&ipos=1

Robert

I would be interested in your thoughts and opinion after you get to use it more. What is the bore on the blade? Reason for the question is available of other / replacement blades.

[Brian W Evans]

I used to own (before I bought a sliding table saw) the Makita track saw with both long and short tracks. It is a truly excellent piece of equipment and there is no way I would have gotten rid of it without owning a slider. I used to use the Dewalt track saw clamps with the Makita tracks. Probably didn't need to, but they are quick-grip style and didn't really take any extra time. With the stock blade, cuts were MUCH better than off my cabinet saw - almost no tearout. I would highly recommend a track saw to anyone who uses sheet goods and doesn't have a slider or a panel saw.

[Edwin Santos]

If not a search of the archives where you will find a novel's worth of discussion on track saws...... maybe the question should be "who here has a track saw and regrets buying it?" to which I predict you will hear crickets.

Satisfied Makita owner here. Dust capture is one of the big track saw advantages over the good ole' Skilsaw/sawboard combo.

If you get one, it will come with a finishing blade. Get a lower tooth count ripping blade if you choose to rip thicker stock.

[Greg R Bradley]

Are the Makita and Festool tracks identical? Actually what I want to know is, will the Makita long track work with my TS55?

Almost identical. I use my Festool and Makita track saws on my mix of Festool and Makita tracks.

You need the Makita saw on a Makita track ONLY if you want to use the anti-tip feature which really only applies to bevel cuts.

I prefer the Makita anti-splinter strips on both because the Festool dries out, which causes it to shrink and come off in a year or two in my dry climate.

[Randy Heinemann]

I own a Festool TS55 and use it in combination with the Festool MFT mostly as a cross-cut saw with some other miscellaneous uses thrown in. I swear by the accuracy of the cuts made both with the MFT table and off the table merely using the track. In fact, I recently squared up one side of my workbench by clamping the track to the bench and cutting it with the track saw.

You don't need to clamp the track in place, but I have had it move slightly in a couple of situations, so I usually clamp it where possible.

If you're considering a track saw, you should look at the range of options available for use with regular circular saws.

For me, the TS55 has provided the most accurate way of cross-cutting with great dust collection. Whether the saw works for you depends on what you want to use it for. It doesn't make sense for everyone.

[Frederick Skelly]

... maybe the question should be "who here has a track saw and regrets buying it?" to which I predict you will hear crickets.

Well said Edwin!

[Mark W Pugh]

I have one from EurekaZone, http://www.eurekazone.com/category_s/2054.htm. Works great for me in breaking down plywood and making straight edge on rough cut lumber.

[Robert Parent]

I would be interested in your thoughts and opinion after you get to use it more. What is the bore on the blade? Reason for the question is available of other / replacement blades.

George,

The blades have a standard hole size (3/8 if my memory is correct). I checked blades before purchasing the saw as I have been down that road before! The Rockwell blades (which looked to be of good quality) were about $10 to give an idea of cost.

BTW: My Dad purchased the same saw yesterday so should be able to give a couple points of view shortly.

Robert

[George Bokros]

Since I had two circ saws I bought the Eureka Zone and love it. A smaller version like the one cited above from Menards is still attractive especially for cutting things like 1/4" ply. Down side is the length of the track is short and putting that many together to make 96" would be problematic for sure as for getting it straight.

[Brad Alexander]

Menards also has a 6 ½" track saw with a 110" guide, but its in 4 pieces. Less that $200.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools-accessories/power-saws-accessories/masterforce-reg-6-1-2-plunge-cut-track-saw-kit-with-110-track/2410706/p-1489990860634.htm

Wrote this last night.

Bought one tonight. It has a few minor problems, a few burrs that didn’t get taken care of, and you have to be careful assembling the track, a good straightedge helps. But, the saw itself seems rather beefy. It pivots from the rear and the depth stop is easy to set, and it has a really long cord. A bit of paste wax on the track and the saw glides nicely.
I’m looking forward to trying it out, but, since all my plywood is out in the garage and the temps are dropping like a rock to a low of 6 tonight, I can wait.

[Tim M Tuttle]

Do any of you have track saws? I'm looking at a Shop Fox add and their add is enticing.
I wonder why they don't show prices in their adds?

I have two circular saws that I use against a straight edge, its kind of Rube Goldberg.
One is a 4" and the other an 8" side winder.

The 4" Porter Cable trim saw is a delight, the 8" side winder is scary to use. It also is Porter Cable.

I gave my 6" side winder to one of my sons with instructions about not cutting his fingers off.

In a previous life, I built houses and had a framing contractor that would cut 2X4's by holding a speed square
for a straight edge and cut the wood. I will do that, but only if the wood is resting on saw horses. That idiot would
hold the wood in his hand and cut it.

Here is the Wood Whisperer's review of the Grizzly track saw which I am guessing is the same thing as that Shop Fox you're looking at.

https://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/grizzly-track-saw-review/

[lowell holmes]

Old dogs sometimes forget. I forgot that one time I took plywood and made a 12"? wide strip. I fastened a 1/4" strip about 4" from one side. I then ripped the other
side with my circular saw. I then would clamp it to a plywood sheet that I wanted to rip a piece off of. I would rip the big sheet by riding my circular saw against the rip
guide on the home made rip guide. I think I may make another one. You can make the guide to any length that suits you.

[Ted Derryberry]

When I was framing I would never hold the lumber with my hand when I cut it. Its much faster and less effort to prop it up with your foot and bend over instead of picking it up to waist level. Also the board is closer to horizontal so you don't have to cock your wrist.

[Sam Murdoch]

The track saw has changed - ALL FOR THE BETTER - my working with sheet goods in the shop and working in the field doing cabinetry install and trim work.
I can slice my own bread but I would not want to be without my track saw these days.

To the question of clamping or not clamping - I very rarely DO NOT clamp. Yup I can do without but I am never in such a hurry or that is so inconvenient that I will risk a slip up on my work for lack of a clamp. Rough work, like installing a sub floor of sheet goods or wall panels, I go without the clamps. Those are rare exceptions.

[Simon MacGowen]

Do any of you have track saws? I'm looking at a Shop Fox add and their add is enticing.
I wonder why they don't show prices in their adds?

I have two circular saws that I use against a straight edge, its kind of Rube Goldberg.
One is a 4" and the other an 8" side winder.

The 4" Porter Cable trim saw is a delight, the 8" side winder is scary to use. It also is Porter Cable.

I gave my 6" side winder to one of my sons with instructions about not cutting his fingers off.

In a previous life, I built houses and had a framing contractor that would cut 2X4's by holding a speed square
for a straight edge and cut the wood. I will do that, but only if the wood is resting on saw horses. That idiot would
hold the wood in his hand and cut it.

If budget is also a consideration and you already own a circular saw, this is another option: https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p425/accu-cut/

However, for indoor jobs, nothing of that sort could compare to a Festool TS55 or TS75 or the like which has much better dust collection. Some do find the hose and cord a nuisance in the ripping operation, but there are various solutions out there to mitigate the inconvenience, such as a broom type support, shop-made or store-bought.

I have used both TSs for ripping and cross cutting with or without the MFT. It is impractical to cut repetitive small or narrow pieces with a tracksaw alone without the MFT (in the case of Festool plunge saws). The plunge saw and track excel at dimensioning large sheet stock, like 4x8. I know two people who swapped their (non-SS) tablesaws for the tracksaw/MFT set-up for safety reasons.

Simon

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have the Festool TS55EQ. Mine ran me $495 when I bought it new. The DeWalt hadn't come out yet & I didn't trust the Makita enough to buy it sight unseen.

The important thing to remember is ---- the Makita and the DeWalt are track saws, made to do track saw things - things that a track saw does..

The Festool on the other hand - - is a cog in the wheels of the giant Festool "machine".
By that I mean that all Festool products are more or less tied together and function in harmony with each other.

While I've been extremely happy with my TS55EQ, if it were to quit tomorrow, I'd replace it with a Makita.

[Dave Sabo]

The Festool on the other hand - - is a cog in the wheels of the giant Festool "machine".
By that I mean that all Festool products are more or less tied together and function in harmony with each other.



Wow, this sounds like it's straight outa the marketing dept. at Festool. And a bit misleading.

Dewalt and Makita's track saws are designed to function in harmony with their other tools too. Their vacs hook up to their routers and planers and sander too. Their rails work with their routers . But they don't have a 32mm hole drilling kit, so the breadth of their offerings aren't as great. However , Bosch has that system for their rail. Sadly neither that or their track saw is available stateside.

Don't get me wrong. The ts55 is a nice little saw but Festool has lost their top of the pile position in recent years. They are also bringing out tons of new ancillary gear at the expense of improving their core products. Their hose deflector for those guide rails has been substandard for over a decade and doesn't even fit properly. Yet they do nothing about it.

But we get lots of choices for overpriced LED lights and more sanders than you can shake a stick at. But they can't deliver an impact driver or subcompact 12v tools to save their life.

Lots of companies have embraced dust collection at the tools and adopted a "systems" approach with storage options. Festool may still do it with more aplomb and cache, but they aren't the only game in town anymore. And sometimes they don't even offer the best or even an option.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Wow, this sounds like it's straight outa the marketing dept. at Festool. And a bit misleading. Huh? How so?
All the Festool individual tools are intended to work together with the other Festool tools & they were/are built that way from scratch.
What part of that is misleading?


The others are playing catch up, but, it was/is Festool that engineers from the scratch all their tools to function as part of the whole.


& as I mentioned above - - I like my TS55EQ, but, not enough to pay the ridiculous price Festool wants now for one!

[Ken Kortge]

Lowell,

Your first post was last fall 2017, so I'm assuming that since then you've made a decision, but just in case you haven't, I'll encourage you to look the guide rails (tracks) at Eurekazone.com. I have no financial connection with them except being a somewhat long time customer. They actually completely changed my approach to woodworking.

The Eurekazone "EZ Smart" Guide Rails look very different than most others. They are two-layered extruded aluminum - think of an aluminum I-beam rather than a thick sheet sheet of aluminum. They have a dovetail shaped groove that is used to connect guide rails and attach clamps and other accessories. The unique dovetail shape makes the guide rails self-aligning. The dovetail shape pushes the connector and track into a repeatable position when tightened.

The other thing that makes the Eurekazone system different is it uses regular circular saws - and even regular crosscut blades. A plastic EZ Smart Base is attached to the bottom of the circular saw, and it slides across the guide rails and allows use of zero clearance inserts that provides super clean cuts on the side of the blade away from the guide rail (the guide rail has a plastic anti-chip edge the provides super clean cuts on the guide rail side of the blade AND makes placing the rails very accurate). The Smart Base also comes with an anti-kickback fin that rides through the cut kerf. It is really quite easy to attach the EZ Smart Base to your circular saw - even I could do it. To learn more about the "EZ Smart Base" and see how to attach the Base search for it on Youtube.

I would suggest you start with a 64 inch guide rail, which makes cutting 4 foot plywood widths a dream. If you need to cut 8 foot lengths with a guide rail add a 48 inch or 54 inch guide rail using two side connectors and a center connector (the center connector is recommended for lengths over 110 inches).

I also recommend getting two of their EZ Smart Clamps to ensure the guide rail is dead nuts where you want it when you make the cut.

The current cost for a 64 inch guide rail, Smart Base, and two Smart Clamps is $200, not including the cost of the circular saw.

If you're buying a circular saw many users tend to really like the Makita 5007MGA, though the Makita 5008MGA - with its 8-1/4 inch blade - provides a deeper cut depth. Eurekazone also sells several models of circular saws with the Smart Base and dust control ports already added. If you do the math, the extra charge for having them customize the saw - making it "EZ Ready - is about $80 or so.

Eurekazone also makes other attachments and tools that make woodworking easy. Their Universal Edge Guide (UEG) provides very easy, accurate, and super repeatable rip cuts up to 24 inches wide. The UEG attaches to the EZ Smart Base, and you'll need to slide out the guide rail zero clearance insert and replace it with an off-rail zero clearance insert. Personally I think the UEG provides cuts that are cleaner and more repeatable than any regular table saw. Oh, it's usually recommended that you use the guide rail to cut a "clean edge" before you start ripping.

After you rip your material you can crosscut it using the Eurekazone Miter Square. The EZ Smart Miter Square attaches to the guide rail. If you want very repeatable crosscut lengths, you can add a so-called Repeater to the Miter Square/Guide Rail. Users call this a "Cabinetmaker". With the Cabinetmaker you can perfectly square crosscuts with very repeatable widths. Think of it like a miter saw with a very long, super clean cut.

If you need to make rabbets, grooves, or dados, Eurekazone makes an EZ Smart Super Smart Routing Kit (SSRK) that allows you to attach your own router (plunge routers work best) to the SSRK's base, and it uses a guide rail to provide perfectly straight cuts, with repeatable varying width (use a smaller router bit to cut precise widths for plywood!), and you can use stops to control cut lengths.

If you search Youtube using "EZ Smart" or "Eurekazone" you'll find some pretty well made videos showing you how the system works. I wish they'd made a few more, such as a more recent one showing use of the Miter Square, the Repeater(s) and the Cabinetmaker. Still, watching those videos should be very useful.

While your on the Eurekazone.com website take a look at their EZ One Woodworking Center. It provides a cutting table with an easy to use guide rail lifting system (the Bridge). The nature of the table's aluminum extrusions provides almost unlimited placement of stops, clamps for repeatable cuts, and you can even add removable 3/4 inch plywood to give the table a solid worktop.

Regardless of what kind of track saw you buy I'm sure you're going to find it VERY useful!!! Like I said, Eurekazone's tools have completely changed how I approach woodworking!

[Peter Kelly]

Do any of you have track saws? I'm looking at a Shop Fox add and their add is enticing.https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?198707-Tool-review-Scheppach-versus-Festool-track-saws

I believe the Scheppach is the same saw.