Dewalt Track Saw

[tom goede]

I am ready to pull the trigger on a track saw. I have decided on the Dewalt. Decision based on economics, reviews and tool experience and reliability.
The one piece that is not clear from reviews is the need for the long track or join 2 tracks. Does the joint cause a potential spot for the saw to hang up is one concern and how difficult is it to true the 2 pieces to ensure a straight cut. Any experience feedback is appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

[Jim Dwight]

Tom,

I have had a DeWalt track saw for several years but I have never joined the tracks. I got it as a 3 piece set with the 102 inch track and the 59 inch track so I have never needed to join tracks. Later I bought the 46 inch track. From what I read, it is very possible to join the tracks and get it straight but those with Festool or other brands frequently talk about using two connectors which we cannot do. The threads I've seen talk about trueing the joined tracks with a long straightedge. There is also a device that claims to align the tracks without this step but I don't know if it works on the DeWalt tracks. I like having the long track and put it on my lumber rack (horizontal) when not in use. My current shop lacks ceiling height to store it vertically.

There is a thread on a parallel guide on this website which is good. I built mine but have switched to using a track positioning jig I've posted pictures of because I like clamping the track - be sure to get the DeWalt clamps. Our tracks also do not work with Grizzly track clamps and probably also other brands. I have the router jig from DeWalt too and have used it. It works well. Kind of pricey for what it is but I still recommend getting it.

Lastly you will need some sort of worktable to get the most out of your tracksaw. I built a 3x7 workbench with holes on top (like a Festool MFT) and a crosscut jig based upon Ron Paulk's plans. I like it a lot. I used the woodrave router base and pegboard to create the holes. There are lots of other ideas on the Festool owners group website. They are pretty polite to those of us with different brand tools.

I encourage you to proceed, I am confident you'll like the DeWalt a lot, and consider getting the 3 piece setup with some clamps.

Jim

[Cary Falk]

I have the DeWalt and started with 2 short tracks and a connector. I eventually got a good deal on the long one and have not used the connector since then. I didn't have a problem with getting the tracks straight. It was pretty easy with a strait edge. My tracks did cause the saw to hang up where they met. You can bend the tracks slightly to get them to meet better and not catch the saw. I worry less about flopping the long track around then I did with the 2 and the connector. It could go out of alignment if you don't handle it correctly If you have a piece of plywood with a twist or cup/bow it is going to cause a problem at the connection point .

[Jim Becker]

My experience has been the same as Cary's...I started with two shorter ones and the joiner, but eventually bought the longer rail for those times when I needed the length. (Mine is Festool, but the principle is the same) I would say that if you believe you are going to be making those longer cuts with reasonable frequency, the longer rail is worth the investment, IMHO.

[Ben Rivel]

Tom,

I have had a DeWalt track saw for several years but I have never joined the tracks. I got it as a 3 piece set with the 102 inch track and the 59 inch track so I have never needed to join tracks. Later I bought the 46 inch track. From what I read, it is very possible to join the tracks and get it straight but those with Festool or other brands frequently talk about using two connectors which we cannot do. The threads I've seen talk about trueing the joined tracks with a long straightedge. There is also a device that claims to align the tracks without this step but I don't know if it works on the DeWalt tracks. I like having the long track and put it on my lumber rack (horizontal) when not in use. My current shop lacks ceiling height to store it vertically.

There is a thread on a parallel guide on this website which is good. I built mine but have switched to using a track positioning jig I've posted pictures of because I like clamping the track - be sure to get the DeWalt clamps. Our tracks also do not work with Grizzly track clamps and probably also other brands. I have the router jig from DeWalt too and have used it. It works well. Kind of pricey for what it is but I still recommend getting it.

Lastly you will need some sort of worktable to get the most out of your tracksaw. I built a 3x7 workbench with holes on top (like a Festool MFT) and a crosscut jig based upon Ron Paulk's plans. I like it a lot. I used the woodrave router base and pegboard to create the holes. There are lots of other ideas on the Festool owners group website. They are pretty polite to those of us with different brand tools.

I encourage you to proceed, I am confident you'll like the DeWalt a lot, and consider getting the 3 piece setup with some clamps.

Jim

Any chance youve got a link to that thread by chance?

[Rich Riddle]

I have a Festool track saw and several tracks. No matter how hard I tried, getting the smaller tracks connected never offered results I liked. Some might have better experiences and more skill at aligning the tracks. I didn't.

[Eric Schmid]

The two 59" tracks are going to give you more room to start and end the cut without running out of track; compared to the 102". The joined tracks are also more difficult to handle once assembled. The 59" tracks travel and store easier. There are pros and cons to both, but you can get the same cut with the joined tracks; within acceptable tolerances.

Remember the saw follows the raised portion of the extrusion and the saw is adjusted to remove the slop in the guide base of the saw itself. Align the tracks at the guide in the middle of the extrusion and put the anti splinter strip on the line. I use a level to align the tracks; put the edge against the guide point on the rail and squeeze the tracks closed.

With a little practice the joined 59" rails work just fine. On sheet goods or jointing edges of long boards, I make all my long cuts first; tracks joined. Sometimes I have a stack, so I make room for a long surface to set the tracks when rotating sheets/boards. The tracks need to be handled from the center, one hand on each track. Once joined and aligned the tracks usually stay that way, with proper handling, through the task at hand.

One rail is easier to handle in use, but I personally think the 102" track is short for full length cuts in sheet goods; which takes away the one reason to have the longer rail. Some have mastered those tight starts and stops, but I prefer some running room on either end which keeps the saw base engaged in the guide bar. Festool makes more rail lengths and the Dewalt saw is designed to run on their rails, but prices are a bit higher.

[Van Huskey]

Some have issues with the 102" track not being long enough, I would like and extre few inches BUT after the first few times using it for 8' cuts i learned where to place it and have no issues, it just requires a little more care getting it in the correct place for starting and overrun at the end than a longer track would.

My suggestion is get the long track, if the shorter tracks had positive resistration and required zero fiddling and checking I might feel differently but it is nice to never have to question "straight". The only issue is storage or transport, mine rarely if ever leaves the shop and you just need to find a place (like above cabinets) where it is out of the way and not in harms way, I kept the wooden shipping box for storage.

[Jim Dwight]

Any chance youve got a link to that thread by chance?

You already heard from the author, Cary, on this thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...arallel-guides

It's a good solid design that works somewhat like the Festool parallel guide. By that I mean it lies outside the workpiece and thus blocks clamping the track. That is the only drawback I see. I do not see any way to avoid it because Cary used the only area available, the underside of the rib that guides the saw, and that requires the parallel guide to be outside the workpiece.

I built a set and then came up with these. They are not nearly as clever a design but they allow me to clamp the track which is often an advantage. They slip over the guide rib on the top and position the track but they are not in place when you make the cut. I have one for cutting a piece ahead of the track and another one for then the track is on top of the "keeper" piece. I position the track at one end, clamp it, and then move to the other end, and then come back and check the first end. Not nearly as quick as using Cary's parallel guides but the track doesn't move when clamped, it sometimes will (for instance with a warped board or plywood) if it isn't.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a Grizzly track saw, and have used two connectors to join two tracks together, and it worked quite well. I am not convinced that using just one connector would have done that.

Doc

[tom goede]

Thanks Jim I agree I thing the few extra bucks for the long track makes sense.

[tom goede]

makes sense, thanks

[George Bokros]

I have the Eureka Zone track saw and it uses three connectors and I do not have any trouble keeping the two tracks joined true.

[matt dale]

Has anyone had problems with the rail on the tracks not being the same size? I just bought the dewalt with a 59" and 46" track, but the rail the saw rides on is slighty larger on one track than the other. So I have to the adjust the saw to each track when just using one but if I join the tracks I have adjust to the larger rail and then deal with the slop on the other track. Is this normal or should the tracks be dead on the same size?/

Thanks
Matt

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Save Money. Get both tracks first.