Any reason to buy a circular saw if you own a track saw?

[Keith Upton]

I know they are basically the same thing, but was wondering if any of you have and still use both? I own the Makita track saw, but also have the opportunity to pickup their circular saw (XSR01Z) in in the box for about $75.

I could see leaving my track saw as my "shop" saw and using the circular saw out on our property for mending fences and such. Just not sure if that is a personal justification for buying a new tool, or if I'd get other uses out of it as well.

[Josh Kocher]

I don't think you should be without a circular saw.

[Jim Becker]

Most track saws are not really designed for heavier "construction" type work, so having a "regular" circular saw available for those activities is not a horrible idea. I still use my late 1970s/early 1980s orange B&D circular saw for that and keep the track saw for what track saws do best.

[Keith Upton]

I don't think you should be without a circular saw.

I've got an old Dewalt corded circular saw, but now that I have the track saw (which is really just a nice plunge circular saw from Makita), I'm just not sure if it is necessary.

[Brandon Speaks]

It does not seem essential to have both but certainly handy. I would think you would keep a ply blade in the track saw and a lumber blade in the circular.

[Prashun Patel]

a cordless circular saw or a cheap miter saw are imho better alternatives for $75.

[Mike Kees]

I own about eight circular saws,give or take. I do not see them the same at all. A track saw is precision guided cutting where a circ saw can be precision in the right very skilled hands but really excels as a carpenters tool for framing lumber. As Jim said good tool for construction type jobs. I do use it occasionally to break lumber down to rough lengths, Mike.

[Keith Upton]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.


a cordless circular saw or a cheap miter saw are imho better alternatives for $75.

The one I found for $75 is a cordless circular saw.

[Patrick Kane]

I have a TS75, but picked up a green ryobi CL special for $10. Theres a lot of garbage quick cuts that i would never want to use the festool on. Breaking down rough lumber thats 12"+ wide is easier and faster with the ryobi. Cutting dirty wood with the festool and its $$$ blade would make me cringe. I make the same cut with the ryobi and then carelessly put it on the ground. Its the same mentality of why you didnt see me out in my yard with the $200 woodpecker framing square when i was building my fence. Construction/Rough work is best done with a different tool set than what most of us would consider fine woodworking.

[johnny means]

Recently, I was on a high rise install. Being an older building the stairs and elevator were rather right and anything over a certain length just wasn't getting in. Long story short, thankfully the building manager had a cheapo cordless circular saw because my fancy Festool wasn't going to help me size 2x4s put in the van.

[Simon MacGowen]

I know they are basically the same thing, but was wondering if any of you have and still use both? I own the Makita track saw, but also have the opportunity to pickup their circular saw (XSR01Z) in in the box for about $75.

I could see leaving my track saw as my "shop" saw and using the circular saw out on our property for mending fences and such. Just not sure if that is a personal justification for buying a new tool, or if I'd get other uses out of it as well.

Of course, anyone can have a track saw and a circular saw, or even two of each!

But none of the responses so far show why function-wise we need a circular saw if you already have a track saw. That is what a circular saw can do but a track saw can't.

So you don't need a circular saw, but you can have one if you want one.

Simon

[Cary Falk]

I have a tracksaw and 3 circular saws. The plunge mechinism on the track saw makes it hard to use without the track. Plus you would to have to change blades to cut something else.

[Jared Sankovich]

I find the track saw unusable without the track. Cutting 2x material or the like is not the easiest when you can't see what you are doing

[Zachary Hoyt]

I was building a wheelchair ramp this week and used my old DeWalt corded circular saw to trim some branches on adjacent bushes. I don't have a track saw, but there are a lot of things for which it would not be smart to use an expensive tool but that are fine with an older cheaper machine. I wouldn't want a cordless tool for only occasional work unless it shared a battery with something that got used regularly, though.
Zach

[Mike Kreinhop]

I have two Bosch circular saws, and both work perfectly with the FSN rail system as track saws for breaking down sheet goods. The GKS 18V 57G cordless saw works well up to 19mm (3/4") plywood, but struggles when trying to cut two sheets of 15mm plywood at once. The GKS 85G corded saw cuts through three sheets of 19mm plywood like butter. It will handle four sheets of 19mm plywood, but I haven't needed to break down that many sheets at one time.

To me, a track saw is a one-trick pony that is useless for carpentry. A circular saw that integrates well with an accurate rail system meets all of my requirements for carpentry and woodworking.

[Martin Wasner]

I still use a circular saw way more than a track saw. Mostly in the field, but they get some use in the shop.

They both have their uses

[Jim Dwight]

I use my Milwaukee circular saw very little since getting my DeWalt track saw. I also have a little 5.5 inch Ryobi cordless circular saw and use it occasionally. I recently cut three stringers for a staircase, two with the Milwaukee and I with the DeWalt. I wish I had done them all with the DeWalt. I like to think I know what I am doing with a circular saw but it was just so much easier to cut straight with the track saw.

Track saw blades are also 6.5 inches in diameter (or a little less for the Festool) limiting depth of cut. Most circular saws are 7.25 inches. So another 5/8 depth of cut.

Circular saws also commonly have 15A motors. I think my DeWalt is 12A and the Festool is about 10A. So bigger motors on circular saws.

Blades are cheaper for circular saws.

Just as you can get by without a track saw you could get by without a circular saw. But it's nice to have both and they aren't identical in how they work or when they work.

[Simon MacGowen]

Cutting 2x material or the like is not the easiest when you can't see what you are doing

Now, that is a good point given so far from a functional point of view where a track saw would be inferior than a circular saw, if one is using a track saw alone without the guide rail or track. Trade people use the track saw AND the rail to cut subfloors etc., not by the saw itself.

Simon

[Mike Cutler]

Of course, anyone can have a track saw and a circular saw, or even two of each!

But none of the responses so far show why function-wise we need a circular saw if you already have a track saw. That is what a circular saw can do but a track saw can't.

So you don't need a circular saw, but you can have one if you want one.

Simon

They're both basically the same tool. One is just possibly considered a little more refined.
I have a TS75 and older Makita circular saw. The Makita doesn't see much use, but if I'm doing something where the saw might get dropped, I use the Makita. I rebuilt our fence, after the neighbors tree fell through it, recently and used the Makita just because it's much lighter and smaller than the Festool TS75. If I'm going to drop a saw in the dirt and mud, I'd rather it not be the Festool.

[Rick Peek]

Most track saws are not really designed for heavier "construction" type work, so having a "regular" circular saw available for those activities is not a horrible idea. I still use my late 1970s/early 1980s orange B&D circular saw for that and keep the track saw for what track saws do best.
Lol, I have that same saw. First saw I ever bought. Can’t kill it.

[Jim Becker]

Lol, I have that same saw. First saw I ever bought. Can’t kill it.

Yea, I know. Of course, I haven't used it a whole lot over the years, either, compared to some folks, but I'm happy that it works great when I do pull it out for some task! Not exactly quiet, however. LOL It has that "classic" circular saw sound...

[Warren Wilson]

I have both. It would get old very fast if I had to cut framing materials with a track saw. It’s perfect for managing sheet goods; I like it for making long angled or tapered cuts as well as perfectly square cuts. But for cutting 2X material when framing, it is much too cumbersome and heavy when I have circular saws to hand that do the job perfectly. (Particularly if you are working in a clumsy position).

[lowell holmes]

Make a plywood jig with a 1/2 fastened in the middle of it. Then take your "skill saw" and cut a straight edge on the jig.
The jig is then clamped to the piece you are trimming and cut a perfectly straight edge.
Try it, you'll love it.

[Tom M King]

I've been using one of those for over 40 years Lowell. The only reason I could see to invest in a track saw, instead of using the Po'boy version, is for dust collection.
I have a smaller one for the 314 for cutting one sheet of something. Those of us that produce work for a living have different reasons for buying tools than investing in future happiness.

http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/ElamsHouse_Oct._2012_025.JPG
This is what that job was doing-replacing 20' long faces on Heart Pine flooring in a museum house.
http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/ElamsHouse_Oct._2012_056.JPG

[hugh lonner]

I haven't done much carpentry in the last few years and perhaps because of that have not used my circular saw since I got a track saw. I was just thinking that it was time to give it to my sister who bought a house and has no tools since I don't think I'll miss it. If it were cordless I'd have used it a lot to break stuff down at the lumberyard, but this is just a super cheap corded model.

[lowell holmes]

Well, we all have our toy box don't we. :)

[Peter Christensen]

Both. The track saw excels at guided rips, trimming the ends off a length of deck boards and cutting sheet stock where you set it up to cut from above. It doesn't work well for one handed work like trimming 2X stock to length when it is done on the end of a lumber pile or lifted off the dirt with the right foot of your steel toed boot. With a circular saw you brace the wood with the left hand and guide the saw with your right, the guard retracting to allow the saw to advance through the wood as you move it forward. A track saw needs two motions to make the same cut. Pushing the saw down to plunge the blade and forward to complete the cut. Awkward as heck one handed and even with two hands when cutting in any position other than from above the saw as it was intended.

[Keith Upton]

Thanks again for all the input guys. I decided to go ahead and pick up the circular saw. It was new in the box and they had it marked down from $199 to $100. I had a gift card from my Bday for $25 as well. I could just not pass it up for $75.

393340

[Mike Cutler]

That's a nice looking saw Keith Congrat's.

I haven't gone the cordless direction yet for any tool other than a drill/driver, but I hear good things about them.
I have a remodel coming up and not dragging a cord about would be nice. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the Makita cordless when you get some time on it.

[Keith Upton]

That's a nice looking saw Keith Congrat's.

I haven't gone the cordless direction yet for any tool other than a drill/driver, but I hear good things about them.
I have a remodel coming up and not dragging a cord about would be nice. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the Makita cordless when you get some time on it.

I'm not sure when I'll actually use the circular saw as I don't have any construction type projects coming up any time soon. I have been using my Makita cordless miter saw and track saw quite a bit however. Both are the brushless 36V versions (uses two 18v batteries) and I've been super happy with those. The miter saw has a very smooth glide to it and it cuts through 4x4s like butter. The cuts are very clean as well. My father-in-law and best friend were blown away with how it felt and cut. I'm still learning the ins and outs of the track saw, but I'm liking it a lot as well. I've not had to stop during any of my projects to recharge the batteries yet. I have recharged them overnight during a project, but work has never come to a halt due to low batteries, even when I'm cutting all day.

[johnny means]

I've never has a problem following a line with my tracksaw. It does have guide marks on the plate like any other circular saw.

[lowell holmes]

As the old saying goes, "The difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys".
Have at it.

[Carl Beckett]

I have a circ saw, but no track saw. Am considering a track saw primarily for sheet goods and projects where the guides are valuable. But for me, this will not negate the need for a circ saw.

I was told the worm drive saws are great for beams and big stuff because they make a lot of torque. But otherwise too heavy to use a lot. This resonates for me, since I am one that prefers smaller/lighter tools at times vs purely 'more power'. I do have a Makita LXT battery powered circ saw that gets used a surprising amount, just because it is so dang easy, convenient, and lightweight (like if on a ladder or just wanting to chop a board off)

A friend of mine does construction work. His feedback was that circ saws are pretty much disposables. He runs them until they break (almost always because he dropped it not because it wore out), then buys a new one. This kinda resonates (not that I want to break tools... my circ saw is from the 70's and still works great).

I do think a circ saw is a required tool (for me), because of misc house and construction projects.