Which Track saw? or is there better option? Opinions requested

[John Lifer]

I rip half inch MDF lengthwise into 13" strips using my table saw and then crosscut using RAS. This maximized the rectangles from each sheet. If I crosscut both directions, then I lose 3 pieces per sheet. And this adds up. (along with, crosscutting sheet with tablesaw is way harder than ripping. Ok, so I'm getting old and manhandling the sheets is getting harder, especially due to my low rollup door I have to go through.
All that to say I'm looking for alternatives and thinking about a track saw to do the initial ripping and then crosscutting on RAS. (that part is easy enough)
Could possibly stack two sheets and save more time and effort.
What say you guys that use track saws often for long cuts?
And which brand? I'm not into battery operated items. Corded tools will last forever while the batteries have a relatively short life and are expensive to replace.
And it won't be daily use, usually monthly on a half dozen sheets, say 20 long cuts or so.
Thanks!

[derek labian]

If your concerned about getting old and "manhandling" sheets, stacking two sheets doesn't seem to be a good idea.

If your cutting all strips the same and need repetitive cuts, it seems like a track saw with a parallel guide would help you get the bulk cut down. Finish anything that is hard to put a track saw on with your table saw.

Several fenders for parallel fences, like Infinity, Woodpeckers, Festool, etc.

[Mike Kees]

John you are going to hear all sorts of things with this question. Basically there are three main saws most end up with, Makita ,Dewalt or Festool (of which there are two choices). There are others as well. Some are cheaper than these and at least one is more money yet. Any of them will do what you are looking to accomplish as well as many more things. if you stated a dollar figure that you are looking to spend that would help narrow things down. There are also tons of threads on this forum of brand x vs. whatever. (And almost as many different opinions).

[andy bessette]

Extremely happy with my Festool track saw. Bought the saw, 54" track and Systainer with accessories, used, for $350. Added 6' and 10' tracks later.

[James Cheever]

I love my Festool TSC 55 KEB Track Saw. I no longer use my table saw to break down sheet goods. I also double stack sheet and cut them together.

[Robert Engel]

I think dust collection is probably what separates them. And that's important with MDF. So Festool is known for excellent dust collection on all their products and the track saw no exception. I've found having the splitter guard down helps.

I think a parallel rip guide is pretty much essential for what you're doing. Right now I'm using the Kreg tape measures but has its limitations. The TSO products were unavailable last time I checked. I didn't want to spend the money on the full Festool system.

A crosscut guide will enable you to eliminate moving the sheet to the RAS. I use the Festool product, but there are others available.

The other thing to think about is dust extraction. Again, Festool (and others) have an excellent unit. If you can stand the noise, a shop vac can be used, but it needs to be HEPA especially with MDF.

You can easily have north of $2000 wrapped up in a system. That gives most of us some pause. For me, if it saves a herniated disk, its a cheap price to pay.

Handling sheet goods with a bad back, a system that employees a roller and a swing up arm mounted to my assembly bench.

[Jon Grider]

I went with the Makita and saved more $$ by buying Powertec tracks on Amazon. Dust collection is great using an adapter to shop vac. Smooth cuts, good power, good value for me. I'm not against Festool, I have several of their products, but the cost savings in this case was what steered my choice.

[Michael Schuch]

I don't see the purpose of buying an incredibly high priced track saw to use with a guide fence. I don't see how that would buy you anything over a circular saw with a guide fence at 1/10 the price?

I wouldn't even buy guide fence for a circular saw, I would make one out of a 14" x 10" piece of 1/4" ply with a stick on the side parallel to the blade to act as a fence then bolt it to the bottom plate of my skill saw.

If dust collection is important to you (which it would be to me) I would make the guide above with a hollow box with about a 1/2" void between the top and bottom pieces. Then the blade would pierce through the top and bottom pieces of the empty box and the vacuum hose would be plumbed to the void in the middle.

I would further refine this design by making the guide fence wrap all the way around the mdf (assuming the strips you are cutting are only a few inches wide) like a "]" and cover the bottom of the blade under the mdf sheet being cut to collect even more dust.

Without knowing the dimensions of the strips you are cutting it is kind of hard to say if this would be practical or not?

If you just want to buy a tracksaw to cut multiple sheets at once I would recommend looking at the Mafell MKS 185 Ec. The Festool TS75 would also be worth a look. They both have more power and bigger blades than a "standard" tracksaw.

If you are only going to cut one sheet at a time I LOVE my Mafell MT 55 cc track saw with Bosch tracks! When I bought a track saw a few years back I researched, read and watched everything I could. My conclusion was the Mafell saw was the best available as far as features, power, dust collection and tracks that connect quickly without leaving a bump and the joint. For me a track saw is a once in a life time purchase so I bought what I believed to be the best available. I couldn't be happier with my choice.

If you want to go all out crazy I would recommend a Mafell PSS 3100 SE:
https://produkte.mafell.de/en/sawing/portable-panel-saw-system/portable-panel-saw-system-pss-3100-se

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Line it up then press a button and it feeds through the cut itself.

[Jim Becker]

The lateral stability that a true track saw provides is the big-kicker and I agree with Michael that if one is going to invest in a track saw, they also need to invest in the actual matching track. A piece of plywood or other material is not going to perform as well because the human hand is failable.

[John Lifer]

Good points, No, the width of the strips is 13 inches, so not narrow. And I've looked at just a circular saw, but I want first, yes, some dust control and NO plain circular saw gives you that, quite the opposite.
And I do want straight and repeatable with somewhat ease of use. So no cobble together. As far as stack, I can pull out of pickup bed and slide onto a cutting table much easier than lifting and carrying a full sheet 10 to 15 feet to my tablesaw while trying to avoid hurting myself or losing the sheet on the floor. Door entrance height is only 7 feet. And I CAN set up outside to rip these. That is one option I've thought about. Dust collection then isn't quite the issue. Yeah, makes zero sense in a Festool, even though I drool looking at their offerings. Makita does look interesting, I'd go put my hands on a grizzly, they offer two, but neither have been in stock when I've been on their website.

[Michael Schuch]

Makita has a good reputation! Grizzly didn't have a track saw out when I was researching and looking.

[Jim Dwight]

I own a DeWalt track saw with all three of their tracks. I also use an Evolution track saw when volunteering at my church, we use Wen tracks with it. I like the DeWalt and see no need to "upgrade". It is a little more powerful than the Festool and I think the dust collection is good from it as long as the blade is buried in the work as it sounds like yours would be. To my knowledge there is no parallel guide for it but I made one but I don't use it. I also made what I call track positioning guides which I find handier.

The Evolution track saw cuts surprisingly well with Diablo 60 tooth 7.25 inch blades. I think it's about as good as my DeWalt, it may be as good. The ability to use 7.25 inch blades (or track saw blades) and a 15 amp motor are key advantages of the Evolution (my DeWalt is 14 amp, I think). I have not hooked it up to dust collection, we do not have the hose at the church, but it throws a lot of dust out the dust port. I think it would be better than a circular saw but I doubt it will be as good as my DeWalt track saw. The blade guard of the Evolution is exactly the same as a circular saw. It is not a plunge saw. I like my plunging DeWalt better but the Evolution is surprisingly good for it's ~$150 price. They include a few little pieces of track but they aren't terribly useful.

I don't love the Wen track but it works. Each piece is only 50 inches long so joined they are only barely longer than the sheet goods. If it was my money, I would have bought the PowerTec 55 inch tracks. I also had to move the sacrificial strip and one of the glide strips but that isn't hard on a new track. I don't think I would have had to move the sacrificial strip if I used a track saw blade, the 7.25 mounts a bit further from the motor. But those blades are a lot cheaper and seem to work well.

Long tracks are nice to have, very convenient, except you need to plan how you will store it. Mine is on the garage door. But two joined tracks works fine as long as you use a straight edge to join them. You could save money buying 3 55 inch tracks and just leaving two joined all the time - but I would still check the joint.

I read good things about the Makita saw too. I'm sure the Festool is nice but it has the smallest motor, the shallowest depth of cut and costs a lot more, especially if you also get the Festool track. They make nice stuff but I just don't believe it's that much better. (my only Festool is a Domino XL which I really like)

If you want to stay below about $300, I would get the Evolution and 2 or 3 PowerTec tracks and some clamps (DeWalt clamps may be the best). I think it will make good cuts for you but will probably not collect as much dust as the others. If you have about twice as much money to spend I would look at the Makita and DeWalt. Kreg also offers on in this price range. You can also use PowerTec tracks with all these saws to save money but they don't offer a long one.

[Michael Schuch]

(DeWalt clamps may be the best)

Whether they are the best or not how do you like your Dewalt track clamps? I haven't picked up clamps for my Mafell and the Mafell clamps are ridiculous. I am looking for a set of good clamps at a reasonable price.

[Andrew Seemann]

I broke down and got the Makita last year for a specific project, but I had been on the fence about getting one for years. I used the circular saw with guide bar method for a couple decades, but I was never overly happy with the results.

It was a toss up between the Makita and DeWalt; I wasn't going to pay Festool prices, plus they were out of stock. The guy at Acme said they sold far more of the Makita, and my previous experience with Makita has been that they tend to have better balance and vibration control on their tools in general, so I went with them. I am quite happy with it. FYI, from what I gathered while researching them, the Makita tracks fit the Festool, and apparently a lot of folks that buy the Festool saw get Makita tracks for it, something about the track joiners working better.

[Larry Frank]

I have had my Festool for years and love it. Worth every penny to me !

[kent borcherding]

I have the Kreg ACS with the Kreg Track - I did not buy the wheels with the system , just set the project table on the 36 inch high 2 ft x 6 ft. Bora centipede stand. Very satisfied with the Kreg track saw and the ACS mainly purchased it because of the safety features . Has a riving knife and a lock system that prevents the saw from kicking back when on the rail . Go to Kreg website and check out ACS system . Kreg is offering some very good specials including the ACS system . Kreg offers a 20 per cent discount to veterans and over $100 free shipping .Reason I use the Bora centipede 2 x 6 table it puts the project table at 36 inches in height , which I like , much easier to hold saw when sawing.

[Nathan Johnson]

I've been quite happy with my corded Makita.

[David Gutierrez]

Bosch also make a nice track saw, cuts as good as the festool. got the bosch after the festool burned out. no difference in cut quality or dust pick up. One thing i would consider is the battery operateed saws.

[Eric Wayne]

I purchased the Makita recently for an upcoming project.

I haven’t started that project yet, but I did use it on a shop table I was working on. The table top is laminated 3/4”x2” (face glued for a 2” thick top) oak strips 7’6” long. I was making three sections of 10-11” width for a final glue up of 32” width.
One of the sections had a slight edge bow and I really didn’t want to just clamp it closed.
Point being, after several unsuccessful attempts to straighten it on my short 6” jointer I decided to try the track saw.
To my eye the edge came out perfectly with no discernible gap when placed against another section. The saw had plenty of power to cut through the oak. Dust collection was very good with a small shop vac.

[Jim Dwight]

The DeWalt track clamps are great. I ordered PowerTec clamps for the church only because they were much cheaper. They do not work nearly as well. For my money, I would have ordered the DeWalt.

I like my DeWalt but a key advantage of the Makita in my mind is that it uses the same style track as the Festool so many accessories sold for the Festool also work for the Makita. I am quite comfortable since I've made my positioning guides (simple movable stop devices with a stick on tape and hairline pointer) I don't want or need the Festool style accessories but for some that could be a key factor. I don't think the Makita has a riving knife, however, the DeWalt does. Biggest disadvantage of the DeWalt is the blade changes are too complicated. I don't do it often so it's OK.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have the TS75 and the Makita cordless. Love both. Makita cut is just as good as the TS75, and cordless which is nice, but for multiple sheets and thick stock I use the TS. Festool tracks work with both. Used a friends Dewalt, was not impressed. My 2 cents.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I had a Festool TS55EQ and loved it.
I went with a cordless Makita though, only because I can take the saw to the store and break down sheet goods there for transport home.
Both work very well.

Wen, Triton, Makita and Festool all use the same style track - so - there's a saw at nearly any price point.

The one thing to keep in mind when choosing a saw is - they will all probably cut a straight line, even a shop made guide using a 2x4 & a couple of C-clams - - but - - how good is that cut & will it be the exact angle it should be?
Both the Festool I had and the Makita I have - made/make prefect angles with zero tear out- - something my shop made guide with a circular saw can't do.

[Alan Lightstone]

I've owned the Festool TS55 for a number of years. There are lots of good things about it, but it is relatively underpowered. If going the Festool route, I personally think the TS75 (which wasn't available when I bought mine) is the better choice, albeit more expensive. I just find that the TS55 stalls too much.

I recently purchased the Mafell K85, with its tracks. Significantly more expensive, and it is a beast to operate, as it is quite heavy. That being said, it saws through 8/4 wood like butter. The Mafell track system has a much better way to connect tracks than the Festool - dead on straight and solid. I want to use it some more and then post a more extensive review, but clearly a step above the Festools.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Another possible approach if you are like me and prefer using a table saw but just hate horsing around sheets, a lift cart or tip cart can make loading a saw a lot nicer. In my opinion, once that sheet is on the saw it's easy to position. Can't beat a table saw, especially a slider, for fast and repeatable. I personally use a little walk behind skid steer a lot to load and move sheets.

[Justin Pfenning]

I wrestled with the decision to purchase a track saw for nearly a year. I finally decided to order one when the Dewalt saw went on sale with the long and short tracks (103" and 54" I believe). I also bought the Dewalt vacuum with auto filter purge. It was a big investment, but I don't regret spending the money one bit. It has made my life very easy when dealing with sheet goods. I get clean accurate cuts, and the dust collection is excellent. I don't think you can go wrong with Dewalt, Festool, or Makita. I did not get the cordless saw, because I have a vacuum hose connected to the saw anyway, so what's the difference if I have a cord too. Since buying this, I've adopted the moto of buy the best, and only cry once. Good luck on your search.

[Joe Hendershott]

I think we all can agree that a good circular saw can give the same quality cut as a Festool. The differences come with the quality and ease and pleasure in using. Personally, the quality of the tool and the ease or pleasure handling something well engineered and built is just as important. You get what you pay for almost always.

Additionally, the entire Festool lineup works well together, which is a huge factor for some.

[andy bessette]

I think we all can agree that a good circular saw can give the same quality cut as a Festool...

Not true. There are many cuts a track saw can make that a circular saw simply cannot do, such as tearout-free cuts.

[Pat Rice]

I’m with Steve R. I recently switched over to sliding tablesaw and it really makes it easier for handling sheet goods in combination with a hydraulic lift cart. It is not an inexpensive option but my back thanks me every time I use it.
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[Rod Wolfy]

The differences come with the quality and ease and pleasure in using. Personally, the quality of the tool and the ease or pleasure handling something well engineered and built is just as important. You get what you pay for almost always.

Additionally, the entire Festool lineup works well together, which is a huge factor for some.

I bought a Festool TS55 about fourteen years ago, when they still had a patent. I got the 105 & the 55 tracks. I loved how easy it was to cut down sheet goods and it had great dust collection. I learned that I didn't need a table saw with a 52" fence.

I've been picking up sheet goods at the stores for years, getting them home and putting them on fold down plastic saw horses (and 3" piece of hard foam) in the driveway. Cut them down to manageable sizes and putting them in the garage. I was amazed at the almost chip free cuts and actually built a set of cabinets in my parents garage with just the track saw and a portable router table. I put in a laminate floor with it, too. But the laminate did a number on the saw blade and I had to get it resharpened.

I agree that the TS55 is underpowered. I would buy a TS75 if I did it over again (for 8/4 stock, not sheet goods). A cordless would be nice to use in the driveway, when the sawdust can just blow away, but in a shop, I use the vacuum anyways, so the cord isn't a problem.

The best part of the whole system is the accuracy. You can set the blade depth down to the MM. You can just mark two marks on a sheet and set the rail down on the two marks, clamp it down and cut. If you need an edge to run out by 1/16" over an 8' cut, you just mark as such and put down the rail. If you need to cut triangles, you just set the rail and cut to your marks.

When the current one eventually dies, I'll replace it.

[Patrick Irish]

Need to decide the thickness of wood you will be working with.

I went with the ts75 because I want to be able to cut a 45 over 2" thickness. I also researched tracks and compatibility. The Makita tracks are close but there's an extra tab on the makita that prevents festool accessories. I didnt want to limit myself and got a 1900 track and a 1600 holey track.

[Steve Eure]

For what it's worth, here's my .02 cents worth. I recently remodeled our kitchen and one bathroom. Wound up using over 16 sheets of ply and approx. 350 bf of lumber. A large project. It would have cost me in excess of $34,000 if I had let a "professional cabinet shop" do the work. I have a Bora system that I used extensively for all my ply cuts. Using a skill saw gave me terrible cuts. I had to over-cut each piece with the Bora system and circ. saw, then took it to the tablesaw for final, clean cuts. Seeing that the Bora tracks are not "zero clearance", the cuts were splintery. I did get straight cuts, but it was not a good finishing cut. Another negative is having to measure both ends, try to align each end, trying not to move it before clamping, then rechecking to make sure it didn't move, and make the cut. You have to allow for the offset on each cut too! Mine was 1 1/2". The Bora saw plate is made of plastic and the clamps have a problem keeping the saw aligned. They can and will break. I resorted to bolting mine down. That took some ingenuity to do. I was able to finish the project with this setup, saving approx. $24,000 by doing it myself.
Bottom line, I contemplated buying a real track saw, but didn't. I totally regret that decision. I will not make that mistake again. For a one off small project, my system would have been fine. But for anything else, it would have made my life and work flow so much easier by having a true track saw.
I am currently deciding between the Makita and the Kreg. Leaning heavily towards the Makita because of the compatibility of different tracks and accessories from other companies.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I’ve enjoyed using the Makita corded track saw for several years. And the Dewalt clamps are excellent. sometimes we only think of track saws for sheet goods, but I’ve used mine to modify generic box store cabinets and other odd cuts that required precision but not amenable to be done with a TS. If you can put a track on it and stabilize the workpiece a track saw do wonders.

[Michael Schuch]

I was all set to buy a pair of the Dewalt clamps based on the recommendations here until I read MANY Amazon reviews all saying pretty much the same thing:


"The photo shows the current version of this clamp (top) and the previous version of this clamp (bottom). Both have the same Dewalt part number. The positive Amazon reviews for this clamp are for the old version (definitely not the current). The design, quality and functionality of the current clamp has been substantially downgraded compared with the old which I have used for years and liked. Not nearly as robust, and the plastic clamp head falls of constantly. It wasn't broke, so I don't know why Dewalt felt compelled to fix it. Trying cut cost they ruined a good product."

[Bryan Hall]

I have a mafell crosscut saw, tracksaw, and just picked up the jigsaw. Everything is excellent, dust collection is great, and you can really push the tools while still getting excellent results. The tracksaw and crosscut saw are cordless.

The only complaint I could possibly have would be in comparing it to festool, there just aren't any aftermarket jigs, guides, add-ons to use with mafell. Track clamps by mafell are over $100 a piece and the price on mafell stuff skyrocketed this year. While the one vendor in the states does a great job with their customer service, I feel like mafell has cut their own legs out by not allowing the tools to be more widely sold, and consequently upgraded. The core tool however, is excellent.

[Ian Paterson]

I’m a fan of the ratcheting style clamps for the Makita track saw. I have a pair of Bessey GTR16S6H, strong and versatile clamps that I found after being scared away by the Dewalt reviews. I rarely need to clamp down the track so these are used more often to clamp down jigs or in cases where the narrow bar fits just right. I filed off the retaining divot, drilled a hole in the bottom of the bar, and added an R clip which makes it easy to separate the pieces and raise the bar through a dog hole (ratchet above the table) which is my favorite way to use these when they’re not on a track.

Currently using the track saw to rip stickers for air drying, like most cuts no clamps needed.

[Jim Dwight]

I had not heard that current DeWalt track clamps may be different from the ones I bought several years ago. I'd have to see them to have a good opinion on them. Mine work like typical quick clamps. You squeeze them and they clamp down. They are sturdy. I have grizzly's screw type clamps. I use them in my work table to secure things but I don't use them to clamp my tracks. They would work for that but the DeWalts do it better. But the DeWalt clamps I have cannot be inserted into a work table because of the way the metal head is attached. I also have Bessey clamps that work like Festool's quick clamps. They would work for clamping tracks too and might be a good alternative to DeWalt's if they are not good any more. There is also a Chinese made copy of the Festool clamps that get good reviews. You can work this style clamp easily with one hand and they clamp tight.

[Alan Lightstone]

I have a mafell crosscut saw, tracksaw, and just picked up the jigsaw. Everything is excellent, dust collection is great, and you can really push the tools while still getting excellent results. The tracksaw and crosscut saw are cordless.

The only complaint I could possibly have would be in comparing it to festool, there just aren't any aftermarket jigs, guides, add-ons to use with mafell. Track clamps by mafell are over $100 a piece and the price on mafell stuff skyrocketed this year. While the one vendor in the states does a great job with their customer service, I feel like mafell has cut their own legs out by not allowing the tools to be more widely sold, and consequently upgraded. The core tool however, is excellent.

I agree. It's a beast, but very well made, with a better track and works extremely well, on thick woods that the Festool balks at (at least the TS55). But $$$ and no aftermarket parts.

[Andy D Jones]

For the money, I would consider shop aids/carts for moving the ply sheets to the table saw. There are tilt table cart plans (and a commercial cart from Rockler) available to handle sheet goods on edge, and tilt them to horizontal for the table saw (the Rockler Material Mate Panel Cart's height is adjustable), as well as transferring them from the bed of the pick-up, then rolling over to the table saw. I don't know if it is easily height-adjustable with a sheet of plywood or two on it, but I kinda doubt it. The Rockler has 4" diameter casters (2 fixed, 2 swivel w/lock) that would help with rolling over less than smooth surfaces.

I don't (yet) own the Rockler cart, but I am considering it for my shop. I own a couple of their shop-stands, and am very happy with them, except the oldest one's caster tires did not hold up and had to be replaced after several years. The Rockler Material Mate Panel Cart's tires look to be improved from the ones that failed on my oldest shop stand.

Just a thought...

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Michael Schuch]

I had not heard that current DeWalt track clamps may be different from the ones I bought several years ago. I'd have to see them to have a good opinion on them. Mine work like typical quick clamps. You squeeze them and they clamp down. They are sturdy. I have grizzly's screw type clamps. I use them in my work table to secure things but I don't use them to clamp my tracks. They would work for that but the DeWalts do it better. But the DeWalt clamps I have cannot be inserted into a work table because of the way the metal head is attached. I also have Bessey clamps that work like Festool's quick clamps. They would work for clamping tracks too and might be a good alternative to DeWalt's if they are not good any more. There is also a Chinese made copy of the Festool clamps that get good reviews. You can work this style clamp easily with one hand and they clamp tight.

I didn't expect you to have kept up with changes in the Dewalt clamps and I did appreciate the recommendation. :)

My Maffel saw uses Bosch tracks and the Bosch clamps have excellent reviews... at $65 for a pair. I was hoping to find a deal with the Dewalt clamps but it looks like I just need to bite the bullet and pay the Bosch price. I have been using my track saw without any track clamps and it has been working great. I have some 1/2" acrylic sheet (plexi-glas) I need to cut and any movement would be very expensive so it is time to just pay for them.

[Jim Dwight]

We use Powertec clamps with the saw at church. I do not love them, my hand gets too close to the material I am cutting when I am tightening them, but they work and they are not expensive. If you only occasionally use them, they might be good enough. "Drillpro" ratcheting clamps are about $20 each. I have Besseys that work the same. They are both copies of the Festool clamp. It's a different type clamp but I like my Besseys for my MFT style work table.

[Ted Diehl]

Yeah the first Track saw I bought was the Makita. I liked it but the transition to the plunge mode seemed a little finicky at least to me. If I had kept it long I might have had better luck once I got a feel for it. Just so happens that a buddy of mine was looking for a Track Saw so I made him a deal on it - he has never complained to me about being finicky to plunge it. Anyway, I bought one from Toolnut - a Festool TS55. The plunging mechanism seemed more precise to me. I do buy Makita rails because they are cheaper