Milwaukee adds a Track Saw to the market

[Jim Becker]

Milwaukee just had their pro user/influencer event and one of the biggies revealed is a new 18v Fuel powered track saw. It looks "very worthy" and has some nice features, including some micro adjustability and some stability relative to the track while cutting bevels. Kyle from RR Buildings spent a bit of time with the tool and it's pretty impressive. It's also compatible with existing Festool and Makita tracks which is nice for folks who have saws with tails that want to go cordless. I can see value in that even "in the shop" as it's easier to control one dust hose over both a hose and a cord for anyone who doesn't have a "bonded" hose/cord setup.

They released other tools, too. Here's Kyle's video. The tracksaw talk starts at about the two minute mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wbbXIkPwjE

[Clifford McGuire]

Unreal. I'm heavily invested in Milwaukee 18V cordless and have been waiting for that saw for years. (It was rumored to be imminant in 2020). I could have used it on several projects over the years.

But two months ago I had a project that needed a track saw, so I bought the Makita cordless system. It's a really nice saw and was great to have for the project.

Oh, well. Maybe it's better to not be exclusive to one cordless platform???

[Matt Day]

Eh, seems pretty much the same as a Makita or Festool. Unless it’s cheaper than the competition, seems like just another track saw.

[Andrew Hughes]

Finally a red tracksaw. It’s about time :)

[Jonathan Jung]

Yay another made in china product knocking off an established product for likely not much less $

[Jim Becker]

Eh, seems pretty much the same as a Makita or Festool. Unless it’s cheaper than the competition, seems like just another track saw.
For folks invested in the Milwaukee platform, it's a real plus. It's good to have another choice on the market for folks. While I'm a "Festool guy", I really do appreciate other quality brands, too. With more and more folks in the trades actually adopting the use of track saws on the job site, another cordless option is of high value, too. The proposed pricing that Kyle mentions in the video is relatively attractive, I believe.

I also appreciate that they opted for track compatibility, too...which means there are a lot of accessories from various vendors, such as TSO, that can be leveraged for the "red" saw.

[Jim Dwight]

I'll have to be sure to watch for my Home Depot Seeds email Wednesday. I like my DeWalt but I'd love to have a cordless even if it means getting some track. There are brands like Powertec that seems to make good Festool compatible track that is much less expensive - at least up to 55 inches.

Seems to be 3 price levels in track saws. I would put Festool in the top price category but I don't believe they are the most expensive. Lots of nice features, I'm sure. Down a notch are Makita and DeWalt, probably Kreg and probably this new Milwaukee. Still a quality tool that will do work as good as the most expensive tools but not quite as user friendly.

The lowest level gets as low $100. I got one for use by us volunteers at church that is the Evolution. It takes 7.25 inch or 6.5 inch blades. With a 60 tooth Freud Diablo blade it makes really nice cuts. I should have probably gotten better track but we use two 50 inch Wen tracks and the short ones the Evolution came with. Whole setup was about $250. Definitely a notch below my DeWalt but still very nice to have available.

[Michael Drew]

Thanks for sharing Jim. I have several M18 tools, and have wished I had a cordless track saw a handful of times. He mentioned price at $399 for the saw. That probably does not include a battery..... This thing will appreciate one of the larger batteries, so that's a cost to think about too. The large batteries are not cheap.

[Carroll Courtney]

Drooling once again

[Clifford McGuire]

Yay another made in china product knocking off an established product for likely not much less $

For a moment there, I thoughbt you were talking about Festool. :)

[Mitch schiffer]

Does anyone know when it will be available?

[Cliff Polubinsky]

October 2022. List price $599.

[Jim Becker]

October 2022. List price $599.
I believe that's the cost with the Packout, etc. They will be offering the bare tool, too.

[Alex Zeller]

I've never used a track saw, are the tracks different between each brand? Right now I use a regular circular saw with an 8' Lufkin straight edge but have thought having a track that breaks down would be useful. 8' is kind of difficult to transport and being wood weather can be an issue. Like most, I'm invested on one companies brand of cordless tools. Started off with Makita when they were the only real brand (7.2v) but when I started having problems with their drills I switched to Milwaukee after using a friend's cordless impact. I wonder if Milwaukee will make an upgrade for their tilt-lok saws so it'll work with the track.

[Jim Becker]

I've never used a track saw, are the tracks different between each brand?

Festool, Makita and now Milwaukee use compatible tracks. I "think" Mafeil is also compatible, too. DeWalt has its own design track which is very different. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that Kreg's track saw uses the same track format, either.


I wonder if Milwaukee will make an upgrade for their tilt-lok saws so it'll work with the track.

Track Saws are designed in a way to integrate with the track from the ground up in multiple ways, so adapting a regular circular saw that's built completely differently would be a challenge. The old "EZ" system could do that, but at the expensive of a thick add-on base, etc. Since you're in the Milwaukee ecosystem now, their new track saw would be worthy to consider if you want to add one to your arsenal because of the M18 Fuel battery compatibility.

Honestly, it would be one for me to consider, too, if I wanted cordless since it's compatible with my Festool and Makita tracks and I don't own any 18v Festool cordless tools already. So are both the Makita and the Festool for the same reason. Right now, I'm fine with the tailed track saw but for future buys, cordless would clearly get consideration.

[lawrence munninghoff]

What kind of material is the shoe made of?
The Makita shoe is plastic i think.

[Alex Zeller]

Festool, Makita and now Milwaukee use compatible tracks. I "think" Mafeil is also compatible, too. DeWalt has its own design track which is very different. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that Kreg's track saw uses the same track format, either.



Track Saws are designed in a way to integrate with the track from the ground up in multiple ways, so adapting a regular circular saw that's built completely differently would be a challenge. The old "EZ" system could do that, but at the expensive of a thick add-on base, etc. Since you're in the Milwaukee ecosystem now, their new track saw would be worthy to consider if you want to add one to your arsenal because of the M18 Fuel battery compatibility.

Honestly, it would be one for me to consider, too, if I wanted cordless since it's compatible with my Festool and Makita tracks and I don't own any 18v Festool cordless tools already. So are both the Makita and the Festool for the same reason. Right now, I'm fine with the tailed track saw but for future buys, cordless would clearly get consideration.

I'm not a big fan of cordless tools for jobs where you need to hold the tool in your hand that use a lot of power. Either the battery just doesn't last or the battery is so large and heavy the tool becomes awkward to use. SO I've held off getting a cordless circular saw. But I have come into a situation more than once where I need to make a limited number of cuts so battery power would be nice. Also when ripping a sheet of plywood with my 8' straight edge having to manage the cord is an issue. It sucks cutting 3/4 of the way through a cut only to have the cord get caught in the cut or on the edge of the track/ straight edge. It would be nice to have a saw that could do double duty. Both a regular circular saw (for cutting things like a 2x4 and also a track saw for ripping sheets of plywood.

[Jim Becker]

Alex, I can appreciate your concern. The thing is that a lot of folks who are using these cordless tools now have more than enough batteries to handle things for their workday. The fellow in the video uses battery powered tools almost exclusively at this point and for the few tools that can't be had that way, such as the huge 16" beam saw, the big Milwaukee battery centers are providing 120v power on the jobsite. They try to avoid a compressor and generator for most of the job, too, although there are a few "big" guns that can't be powered any other way. Yes, this requires investment, but the trend really is there. Outside of some specialties, you can get almost any kind of tool you need battery powered at this point.

BTW, these latest generation cordless circular saws are impressively powerful and are now leveraging thinner kerf blades for even more efficiency. The world is adapting... :)

[David Walser]

... Also when ripping a sheet of plywood with my 8' straight edge having to manage the cord is an issue. It sucks cutting 3/4 of the way through a cut only to have the cord get caught in the cut or on the edge of the track/ straight edge. ...

The track for the Kreg track saw comes with a 'cord manager' that does a very good job of keeping the cord (and dust collection hose) from interfering with the cut. (I thought the cord manager was a gimmick, but it really does do a good job of managing the cord.) As has already been mentioned, the Kreg track is not compatible with the Festool/Makita tracks. But, it wouldn't be too hard for someone to 3D print a similar cord manager for the tracks that work with those saws.

482187

FYI: For those who are unfamiliar with the Kreg track saw, the major difference between Kreg's saw and the rest of the world is Kreg's saw cuts on the left, while everyone else's cuts on the right. Those who like to see where their saw is cutting will like Kreg's design. However, since the cut is guided by the track, there is no need to see the cut as it's being made. So, in my mind, this difference is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. Both approaches work very well.

[Jim Becker]

Festool also has the cord manager and recently updated it.

If I'm not mistaken, one differentiator with the Kreg is that it's a left-blade saw, the opposite of the others. Some folks prefer that.

[Frank Pratt]

Yay another made in china product knocking off an established product for likely not much less $

I would not call Milwaukee a "knock off" product company. Sure, they do copy some basic design sets, but everyone does. There are only so many ways to form the basic function of a tool. But they are constantly developing new tools with unique features and good quality. And being made in China has little to do with the quality. The domestic companies have Chinese companies build their products to a price point and unfortunately, we North Americans seem to demand only the cheapest and lowest of quality. Witness the success of stores like Harbor Freight.

[Paul F Franklin]

Festool, Makita and now Milwaukee use compatible tracks. I "think" Mafeil is also compatible, too. DeWalt has its own design track which is very different. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that Kreg's track saw uses the same track format, either.



Track Saws are designed in a way to integrate with the track from the ground up in multiple ways, so adapting a regular circular saw that's built completely differently would be a challenge. The old "EZ" system could do that, but at the expensive of a thick add-on base, etc. Since you're in the Milwaukee ecosystem now, their new track saw would be worthy to consider if you want to add one to your arsenal because of the M18 Fuel battery compatibility.

Honestly, it would be one for me to consider, too, if I wanted cordless since it's compatible with my Festool and Makita tracks and I don't own any 18v Festool cordless tools already. So are both the Makita and the Festool for the same reason. Right now, I'm fine with the tailed track saw but for future buys, cordless would clearly get consideration.

Although the dewalt track is different, the dewalt saw fits and works on Festool track (and I assume also on the other compatible tracks). I bought the dewalt tracks when I bought my saw, but have since picked up Festool tracks since they are compatible with all the aftermarket squares, parallel guides, hinges, etc.

I would love to add a battery track saw to my shop for all the reasons mentioned here; it just hasn't made it to the top of the list yet. It's nice to have another quality choice on the market.

[Keegan Shields]

Having a cordless option for tools designed to be hooked up to a dust extractor never made much sense to me. Until someone invents hoseless dust extraction, I dont see the benefit.

[David Walser]

Having a cordless option for tools designed to be hooked up to a dust extractor never made much sense to me. Until someone invents hoseless dust extraction, I dont see the benefit.

I understand where you're coming from. However, using the included dust bag, the dust collection on my Kreg track saw is so good I hardly ever connect it to the dust extractor. The only hassle is needing to empty the dust bag every so often. If I'm doing a lot of repetitive cutting, I'll hook up the dust hose. Otherwise, I just use the dust bag. Either way, there's almost no dust left behind.

[Jim Dwight]

It makes sense to use the Festool style track with Makita and several others already using it. It gives owners more options including lower priced options. For portability a couple 55 inch tracks would let you do full length rips of sheet goods with the tracks joined and cross cuts with one track. I like my long track and short track but at church we just use a couple 50 inch Wen tracks. It's a bit short for ripping sheet goods, however. I think it's worth paying a little more for 55 inch ones. Similarly my 106 inch DeWalt track is a bit on the short side.

Nearly all track saws are plunge cutting saws - unlike most circular saws. Our church saw is an Evolution which is not plunge cut and a lot of the time it works fine but I do miss my plunge cut DeWalt sometimes. Definitely a LOT harder to start a cut in the middle of a workpiece, for instance. The Evolution is a 15A saw that can use a 7 1/4 inch blade, however, and it is inexpensive. So it has advantages. But personally I think it's worthwhile to get a plunge cut saw. It's kind of part of the track saw advantage. But I also think it would make sense for circular saw makers to put a dado on their baseplates for a track. It would cost a few dollars but would add significant functionality. For a lot of people it might be enough of a track saw to meet their needs. It's harder to keep the Evolution saw on the track while fighting the pivoting blade guard, however. That stupid blade guard is a major disadvantage of a circular saw to me.

I will also add that the Evolution saw with a 60 tooth Diablo blade gives me cuts equivalent to my DeWalt track saw. So I'm not sure table saw like cut quality is unique to track saws. I haven't tried that blade on my Milwaukee circular saw but I am pretty sure it would give me equivalent cuts.

[Clifford McGuire]

Having a cordless option for tools designed to be hooked up to a dust extractor never made much sense to me. Until someone invents hoseless dust extraction, I dont see the benefit.

I felt the same way....until I moved to a basement shop. I bought a Makita Cordless Tracksaw to break down sheet goods and do straight line rips. But now I do them in my driveway (or in one case, at the store). It's much easier to move the smaller pieces into my basement. And the cordless is so convenient.

But if I was doing a lot of cuts, battery life would be an issue.

[Keegan Shields]

That’s fair. I tend to use my tracksaw in a shop where I don’t want dust everywhere. For construction jobsites, I imagine a circular saw would work better (as shown by their wide use). Situations where a tracksaw is the best tool for the job and where dust collection isn’t needed seem limited for my uses. All of my cordless tools are Milwaukee, and I do like them. The M18 Fuel trim router works well. I didn’t have good luck with the M18 sander - continuous running tools seem to drain batteries pretty fast.

[Jim Becker]

More and more contractors are finding track saws to be an essential on the job site these days, not as much for dust collection as for more precise cutting and for the guided plunge capability. A lot of sheet materials used in construction now require accurate spacing to insure that their warranties are valid and you cannot beat an absolutely straight cut for that. A track saw is faster and easier for that then "assembling" something from a board and a circular saw, especially if you are up on a ladder or lift. Some are cutting several sheets (crosscuts or rips) right on top of the bunk using track saws while is a heck of a lot more convenient than using a portable table saw and the cut is as precise as they want it to be. Cordless ups the value for obvious reasons in those scenarios.

Not for everyone for sure, however...

[Pat Germain]

More and more contractors are finding track saws to be an essential on the job site these days, not as much for dust collection as for more precise cutting and for the guided plunge capability. A lot of sheet materials used in construction now require accurate spacing to insure that their warranties are valid and you cannot beat an absolutely straight cut for that. A track saw is faster and easier for that then "assembling" something from a board and a circular saw, especially if you are up on a ladder or lift. Some are cutting several sheets (crosscuts or rips) right on top of the bunk using track saws while is a heck of a lot more convenient than using a portable table saw and the cut is as precise as they want it to be. Cordless ups the value for obvious reasons in those scenarios.

Not for everyone for sure, however...

Considering the cost of sheet goods, likely a track saw helps contractors to get the cut right the first time. The proverbial "do-over" is now pretty expensive. And with modern lumber packs for new homes, I don't know if there's any extra material for do-overs.

[mreza Salav]

Really liked that nibbler. Very cool.

[Bryan Hall]

I'm not a big fan of cordless tools for jobs where you need to hold the tool in your hand that use a lot of power. Either the battery just doesn't last or the battery is so large and heavy the tool becomes awkward to use. SO I've held off getting a cordless circular saw. But I have come into a situation more than once where I need to make a limited number of cuts so battery power would be nice. Also when ripping a sheet of plywood with my 8' straight edge having to manage the cord is an issue. It sucks cutting 3/4 of the way through a cut only to have the cord get caught in the cut or on the edge of the track/ straight edge. It would be nice to have a saw that could do double duty. Both a regular circular saw (for cutting things like a 2x4 and also a track saw for ripping sheets of plywood.

The saw you hope for does exist Alex. The mafell kss 40. Lightweight, circular saw, crosscut saw, track saw, all in one. The mafell tracks are the EXACT same as bosch tracks other than color, buy the bosch for a fraction of the price. Mafell is also on the cordless alliance battery system so metabo batteries (who make the mafell batteries) work in it for a fraction of the cost.

It's pricey. The weakness of mafell is that Timberwolf tools controls 100% of the sales in the US and they appear to also be the ones in control of expanding sales to other stores. As such, the kit costs $1315 which includes saw, crosscut track, flexi track, systainer, two batteries. For your needs, this would cover everything. Having a rollup track might be intriguing to you for simply doing plywood cuts.

The only weakness I see in this saw is that it has a small blade and wont cut a 2x4 when on the track. Depending on the type of work you do, this might not matter.

As far as the milwaukee goes: It's good to see them continue to grow and I have unlimited milwaukee batteries. I already have the mafell cordless tracksaw so I wont be seeing red soon.

Truly, the saws I want to see more of are the crosscut saws. Mafell is essentially the only company with an assortment of them. Festool has at least one with a corded and cordless option, but is rumored to be underpowered. Metabo makes some that are compatible with crosscut tracks, but the track and saw don't play together well. I like my mafell enough that it eliminated a 4" 6-1/2" and 7-1/4" circular saw from my truck. I use it to make general cuts, light framing work, trim work, scribing, flooring, and basic tracksaw duties. If I could get a 6-1/2" lightweight milwaukee crosscut saw... that would be a dream.

[Alex Zeller]

Coming from a circular saw and straight edge I would mark the cut and then clamp the straight edge the correct offset. Being a circular saw you can see the blade which is nice just in case I got the offset wrong. The dust collection on a track saw looks like you can't see it. That being said it must help reduce (or eliminate) flying chips. That's probably the worst thing about cutting sheet goods with a circular saw.

[Jim Becker]

But with a track saw, Alex...there is no offset. The edge of the rubber on the track IS the cut line. That's one reason they are so nice to have and use.

[Alex Zeller]

The saw you hope for does exist Alex. The mafell kss 40. Lightweight, circular saw, crosscut saw, track saw, all in one. The mafell tracks are the EXACT same as bosch tracks other than color, buy the bosch for a fraction of the price. Mafell is also on the cordless alliance battery system so metabo batteries (who make the mafell batteries) work in it for a fraction of the cost.

It's pricey. The weakness of mafell is that Timberwolf tools controls 100% of the sales in the US and they appear to also be the ones in control of expanding sales to other stores. As such, the kit costs $1315 which includes saw, crosscut track, flexi track, systainer, two batteries. For your needs, this would cover everything. Having a rollup track might be intriguing to you for simply doing plywood cuts.

The only weakness I see in this saw is that it has a small blade and wont cut a 2x4 when on the track. Depending on the type of work you do, this might not matter.

As far as the milwaukee goes: It's good to see them continue to grow and I have unlimited milwaukee batteries. I already have the mafell cordless tracksaw so I wont be seeing red soon.

Truly, the saws I want to see more of are the crosscut saws. Mafell is essentially the only company with an assortment of them. Festool has at least one with a corded and cordless option, but is rumored to be underpowered. Metabo makes some that are compatible with crosscut tracks, but the track and saw don't play together well. I like my mafell enough that it eliminated a 4" 6-1/2" and 7-1/4" circular saw from my truck. I use it to make general cuts, light framing work, trim work, scribing, flooring, and basic tracksaw duties. If I could get a 6-1/2" lightweight milwaukee crosscut saw... that would be a dream.

It's all about the batteries for me. I have lots of them too. Milwaukee has really stepped up it's game when it comes to the number of cordless tools they sell (like most of the other large brands). I have plenty in the basement shop, out in the garage, and in my other shop. So if one's dead I always have a spare sitting on the charger (which I have 4 of) ready to go. The only non M18 cordless tool I have is a Milwaukee M4 screwdriver with 2 batteries. It's mainly for the wife but I swear finding the second battery takes more time than just using a regular screwdriver some times.

[Alex Zeller]

But with a track saw, Alex...there is no offset. The edge of the rubber on the track IS the cut line. That's one reason they are so nice to have and use.

That's what I guessed. Not being able to see the blade means not being able to use the saw for anything other than as a track saw. I still would like to be able to just take one saw if working at a jobsite. One that could cut 2x4s and plywood.

As it turns out Milwaukee makes a M18 cordless circular saw that's track saw capable. They just don't sell it in the US. I'm not sure if they will ship it to the US or how much it would cost. I'm not even sure if parts would be available if needed in the US. So it's possible they will sell it in the US sooner or later.

482332

[Bryan Hall]

It's all about the batteries for me. I have lots of them too. Milwaukee has really stepped up it's game when it comes to the number of cordless tools they sell (like most of the other large brands). I have plenty in the basement shop, out in the garage, and in my other shop. So if one's dead I always have a spare sitting on the charger (which I have 4 of) ready to go. The only non M18 cordless tool I have is a Milwaukee M4 screwdriver with 2 batteries. It's mainly for the wife but I swear finding the second battery takes more time than just using a regular screwdriver some times.

Haha it's all about the tool for me! The moment I gave up on trying to be a one battery platform it opened up endless possibilities. I simply focus on getting the best tool now, not the best tool for my batteries. I understand that some people aren't willing to spend that money, but for me, the financial investment of an extra set of batteries pays for itself with years of using a better tool.

Milwaukee undoubtedly has the best in certain categories, but not all.

[Brian Tymchak]

...Festool also has the cord manager and recently updated it...

Thanks for that tip Jim. I picked one up today. ...a little pricy, $25, but as the sales guy pointed out, it IS Festool afterall. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for that tip Jim. I picked one up today. ...a little pricy, $25, but as the sales guy pointed out, it IS Festool afterall. :rolleyes:

I only learned about the update recently on a Bent's Woodworking video. My original one is missing and I'm using my track saw a lot more now with the temporary shop being as it is and that may even continue in the new shop. The new design is a nice enhancement over the original with that little bit more coverage to the very edges of the rail end.

[Michael Schuch]

I've never used a track saw, are the tracks different between each brand? Right now I use a regular circular saw with an 8' Lufkin straight edge but have thought having a track that breaks down would be useful. 8' is kind of difficult to transport and being wood weather can be an issue. Like most, I'm invested on one companies brand of cordless tools. Started off with Makita when they were the only real brand (7.2v) but when I started having problems with their drills I switched to Milwaukee after using a friend's cordless impact. I wonder if Milwaukee will make an upgrade for their tilt-lok saws so it'll work with the track.

There are several different track profiles. The Freud track is probably the most common and a lot of other brands pretty much directly copy it. Dewalt uses their own proprietary track that has a cut strip on each side of the track which is pretty inventive. I went with a Maffel saw which shares a common track system with Bosch track saws. I went with the Maffel because the track system is said to do a much better job locking 2 tracks together (end to end) and keeping them perfectly aligned for a perfectly straight cut. I "read" that other track systems are more prone to alignment errors when linking tracks. I am very please with my Maffel track saw but have only used other brands a hand full of times.

If you are happy with your current straight cut system you will probably never miss having a track saw. If you do buy or even just use a track saw you will never want to go back to your old straight edge.

I work in my shop. As much as a cordless track saw would be a really neat toy for me I would never be able to justify the expense. I have plenty of outlets and pull down ceiling mounted cords so have never found battery powered tools to be that much of an improved convenience in the shop. For around the house and such battery powered tools are great but I can't see "me" using a track saw much outside of the shop.

My parents gave me the top of the line 18v Dewalt XRP drill about 30 years ago and I still use it frequently with LiIon and NiMH after market batteries. I have stuck with the Dewalt tools and they have always done everything I have asked of them so I have never had a reason to switch. I bought up a lot of used Dewalt 18v tools when everyone was dumping them for the newer Dewalt 20v tools hence I have a lot of Dewalt 18v tools that I would have never been able to justify paying retail for.

[lawrence munninghoff]

Talked to a Milwaukee person today. He could not say what material the shoe of the saw will be made of. He did say the saw should be in stores by the end of August, contrary to it being reported as being available in October. Only time will tell.

[Justin Rapp]

I keep thinking of a track saw being added but I don't break down sheet goods that often and so far i've been getting 'close' cuts with a clamp down strait edge and a 30 year old pos circular saw. Now that I have a festool vac, I guess it's a future upgrade :)

[Jim Becker]

Justin, I've found the track saw to be quite useful for a bunch of tasks that are not "breaking down sheet goods". Somewhat recently, for example, I used it to make a base cabinet a half inch shorter during my laundry room renovation. (I've done that kind of thing quite a few times over the years) The one thing I would do if I ever replaced the TS-55 I have now is go battery operated for even more versatility. Bent's Woodworking on the 'Tube has a really good video from not that long ago when he had the opportunity to work with the new cordless Festool vs his existing tailed versions. He makes some good points about that. I've kinda got a taste for how useful a battery operated circular saw is "in general" with a Bauer I picked up last year to do some rough carpentry. The lack of a tail was really liberating and I use that thing a lot more than I ever expected to. I might use my track saw even more because of that kind of thing if so configured.

[Justin Rapp]

Justin, I've found the track saw to be quite useful for a bunch of tasks that are not "breaking down sheet goods". Somewhat recently, for example, I used it to make a base cabinet a half inch shorter during my laundry room renovation. (I've done that kind of thing quite a few times over the years) The one thing I would do if I ever replaced the TS-55 I have now is go battery operated for even more versatility. Bent's Woodworking on the 'Tube has a really good video from not that long ago when he had the opportunity to work with the new cordless Festool vs his existing tailed versions. He makes some good points about that. I've kinda got a taste for how useful a battery operated circular saw is "in general" with a Bauer I picked up last year to do some rough carpentry. The lack of a tail was really liberating and I use that thing a lot more than I ever expected to. I might use my track saw even more because of that kind of thing if so configured.A track saw might have been useful when I needed to take 1/8" off the bottom of the panels on the side of the fridge. We retiled the entire downstairs and the new floor is now 1/8" higher. The only place it was a small issues was those panels and I used my 30 year old saw and a straight edge clamped down. The track saw would have been a lot less of a pain to make that cut.

[Jim Becker]

I actually shortened the base of an armoire I built years ago when it had to move to the rooms upstairs in the 250 year old portion of our home because it couldn't be stood up without whacking the ceiling when rotating it. :) That was an "in house" track saw engagement and I was very thankful for the CT extractor, despite having to carry it upstairs for the short piece of remedial work. I happen to have a short Makita track that I bought from another 'Creeker awhile ago and it's been very handy for these kinds of trimming tasks. The latest version of Festool's tracks have provision for hanging them vertically or at any angle on a wall for precision cutting on a vertical surface.

I used the tracksaw when I was re-doing the wide pine flooring in the first floor of that space as it was too wide to cut without flipping on the miter saw and the miter saw was also bolted down in a built-in setup at that particular time of my shop's evolution.

Some tools have the ability to be problem solvers, even if they don't have the "main gig".

[Rich Engelhardt]

My "Thank God I have a track saw" moment came about when I made a corner cabinet.
I suppose I could have cobbled together some sort of questionable method of making the precise angled cut for the top, bottom and two shelves, but, the track saw did the job so easy it was a non-issue.

Another place it came in real handy was just a week ago when I had to straight line some pieces of red oak - worked like a champ.