| Review by Mitch | posted 449 days ago | 4049 views | 0 times favorited | 7 comments |  |
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- DeWalt DWS520SK Track Saw
- Brand: DeWalt | Category: Circular Saws
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I have been drooling over the thought of owning a tracksaw for a few years now, and i finally broke down and bought one a couple days ago! I have always been the type to wait and buy a tool when i need to put it right to work. I am working on a big trophy/show case job right now and wanted to make all the backs of these cases out of 3/4” oak plywood in order to have some good meat there to mount all the adjustible shelf tracking too. I really didnt want to wrestle all these sheets (about 12) through my tablesaw trying to cut them to 47” wide or taking 16” off the ends of them. I have always done the straight edge, two clamps and a cicular saw type setup in these situations before, but always hate how you dont seem to get a super straight cut! Now, with this tracksaw theres no question about a straight cut, man this thing is awsome! I am upset that i have been in business for all these years without one. Like I say, I only bought this saw a couple days ago so i still have some “playing” to do with it but for ripping and crosscutting these sheets of veneer plywood up it has been great! Its easy to fine tune the track guides on the saw to take out any side to side slop, and easy to adjust the height too. I would have like to see them make the height adjustment knob and indicator out of metal, insted of plastic…...feels kind of cheap, but it seems to work fine. Dust collection seems to be good, i dont have great DC setup in my shop but i think the guys with really clean shops wont be dissapointed with how well this catches most of dust it produces. I havent had a chance to cut and bevels or miters with it yet, but im anxious to see how they come out. I do like the zero clerance strip that comes on the track, you have to cut this strip with the saw the first time to referance the blade. Having this feature makes for a very clean cut, even on the crosscuts! So far I am very impressed with how smooth this saw runs and cuts! Its variable speed too! wonder when i will use that feature? lol
-- Hardwick Construction and Woodworking
7 comments so far
ShipWreck
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534 posts in 1918 days
#1 posted 448 days ago
Very nice tool. I wish more people would invest in one of these. They are much safer than trying to wrestle full sheets on a table saw.
Bagtown
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1636 posts in 1896 days
#2 posted 448 days ago
Nice.
I wonder about the variable speed too. Does it give rpm’s or is it a numerical scale?
Is there much tearout?
Thanks for the review. Can I ask what the cost was ?
Mike
-- http://www.heartofsackville.ca/
renners
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1878 posts in 1135 days
#3 posted 448 days ago
I’ve got one of these and can’t rate it highly enough. I’ve done cuts on site with mine that you wouldn’t be able to do on a table saw in a workshop.
The only way I think Dewalt could improve this is to make the blade change allen key 3mm at one end for the guide rail joining bar.
I’ve found two uses for the variable speed, cutting perspex (at 1) and trimming oak end grain – go down to about 3-4 to stop burning.
-- Do or do not, there is no try
John Franklin
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321 posts in 1964 days
#4 posted 446 days ago
nice saw and review – thanks! did you look at the festool and makita track saws before deciding? what made you choose this one? (i’m leaning toward the makita at the moment based mostly on price)
-- John Franklin - Central PA - http://affyx.wordpress.com
Domer
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211 posts in 1532 days
#5 posted 446 days ago
I talked to a couple of people at the Woodworkers Show last month. Several people think that the track saw will replace the small table saws in the next few years. Lots safer and easier to use and about the same price right now. If lots of folks change, the price will probably come down.
It seems to me that the cost of the DeWalt is similar to the Festool. Both good saws.
Domer
vernonator
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67 posts in 817 days
#6 posted 445 days ago
Recently got one of these myself, though mine is a tailess version. As you state – it makes OUTSTANDING cuts both rips and xcuts. I have a basement shop and cannot get full sheets of ply down to it so I was using a portable saw in the garage to rip and a circular saw to xcut – and always oversizing so I could get good clean cuts on my shop table saw. Well no more – the DeWalt tracksaw makes finish grade cuts and with the ZCI they are spot on….I too wonder why I waited so long, oh now I do the dang things are pricey – though I got a great deal on the cordless from Amazon….
Mitch
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6 posts in 455 days
#7 posted 445 days ago
@ bagtown, the variable speed control is just a numeriacal scale….the only material that i have cut with this saw so far has been 3/4” oak veneer plywood. I have been very impressed that there doesnt seem to be much tearout at all on the good piece. The offcut piece though, will have tearout on it. The zero clearance strip on the track makes for a very clean cut. I gave 489.00 for this saw and it came with a 59” piece of track. I purchased the special clamps for the track also, I think they were 20 bucks a piece.
@JC I went with the Dewalt becase i love yellow! lol I am also good friends with the dewalt rep in my area, and I might be disowned if i bought something other than dewalt! ;) I have heard that the festool saw is very nice though….
I could see where this saw could replace alot of tasks that a small tablesaw would be used for, definitely much safer to use than a table saw. The only thing the tracksaw might not be as handy for would be ripping small strips off of skinny boards. Other than that, I love this thing!
-- Hardwick Construction and Woodworking
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