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Track Saw Help Please

8K views 60 replies 31 participants last post by  knotscott 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
As an owner of a circular saw and some DIY straight edges, but having never used a true track saw system, can someone explain how they justify $500-$600 for what looks like a good circular saw and a proprietary aluminum track? I can buy a really nice circular saw for a bit over $100. Can aluminum track really be that expensive? There must be more to it than what I see….


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#2 ·
I use to think the same thing until I found a used Festool tracksaw on CL and decided to give it a try. Things that I think make it worth the extra money are you lay the track down directly on your layout mark and cut instead of offsetting a guide, very clean cuts on plywood, easy to plunge cut, dust control exceptional and very little chance of saw getting off the cut line from guide shifting during the cut. It's probably in the top 3 of my favorite tools in my shop.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Things that I think make it worth the extra money are you lay the track down directly on your layout mark and cut instead of offsetting a guide
- todd4390
A proper homemade guide does not have to be offset at all. Your saw rides on top of the guide's base and the guide provides a backing for the cut to help reduce tear out. Like having half of a zero clearance insert.

While the track saws are nice, I found I used my DeWalt circ saw and homemade zero clearance guide just as much and didnt have any noticeable difference. So I decided the expense wasn t worth it. Haven t looked back.

- Robin1
Like Robin says. Same system I use, works great..

But I fully agree with the reference to the golden aluminum.

I have the same problem justifying the cost of quality router tables.
How can a flat router mounting surface with a fence and legs cost more than a table saw complete with motor, blade, tilt and lift mechanism.
 
#8 ·
A proper homemade guide does not have to be offset at all. Your saw rides on top of the guide s base and the guide provides a backing for the cut to help reduce tear out. Like having half of a zero clearance insert.

- crank49
I agree that a proper home made guide will account for offset and provide ZCI. However there's three areas that I can see a track saw being better at (from experience)
  1. You have to go the extra step to create a track and channel for the saw to run on, otherwise you have the risk of the saw wandering. Not to say you can't try and do the same for a track saw ()
  2. Some track saws include a riving knife and anti-kickback features
  3. The open design on the circular saw makes it more of a challenge to retrofit
 
#9 ·
Scott - great question.

You are quite the reputable guy on the forum. Great advice form you over that last year. I would have thought you had one already. I ran into my first cut 4 weeks ago where I said out loud "Now I see why people spend money on a track saw!" It would have made a cabinet project a lot easier. Tried my circular saw with a guard and ended up building a smaller cabinet section that I would manage on my table saw instead.

I think you should skim over this review if you have not seen it. Best and most complete review I have seen for a tool lineup like this.

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/track-saw-review/

I will hold off as long as I can, but one day…
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
The one track saw I used (Festool) felt like it was designed for that task. From the balance and handling of the saw to the way the adjustments where made and the plunge action it was all designed primarily to work on a track breaking down stock. Where most of the circular saws I have used feel like they where designed to cross cut 2X's which is really what they where built to do even though they can be made to work as a track saw. It's a specialty tool designed for a single task that it does really well where a circular saw is a multi tasking tool that can do several things ok but doesn't excel at any one of them.

I still use a circular saw and straight edge but I don't break stock down that way very often. What little plywood I do work with of late has been in sheet sizes able to cut down on a table saw.
 
#13 ·
I didn t realize a track saw could make that small a cut, Brian. Even the Grizzly ones?

- CharlesA
Charles, for sure. And with zero ship out. The grizzly was the worst of the lineup in this review:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/track-saw-review/

So maybe it has a little slop to it, but it could make that cut. The track laying on your finish product, should stick to it, and make any cut you want and any depth.

A circular saw is, as Richard said, made for playground and deck projects. Not a woodworking too for fine finishing. That is the difference with a track saw that will remain straight, avoid chipping, and avoid being pinched in the material.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have the grizzly saw. It's not a bad saw at all, and there are ways to make it better. You can first make a scoring cut which will completely get rid of all tearout on the top face, and if you cut it on top of some rigid insulation, it gets rid of tearout on the bottom face. Additionally, the foam helps with dust collection.

There is a wobble in the track as stated. I haven't done it yet, but others have made a foot out of ply by tapping into the aluminum housing in front of the blade. It performs dual duty by stopping the wobble, and it makes a zero clearance insert for the non-track supported side of the kerf.

Not my photo but it shows the modification.
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Also, just like tablesaws and mitersaws, the stock blade isn't really any good. Toss a good one on and it should significantly help it.

For me, there was no way I can justify spending $600 on a track saw for breaking down sheet goods. But, I can drop half that and do an hour's worth of tinkering for sure.

For what it's worth, I do think it's better than a circular saw and a guide. Better dust collection, plunge cuts, depth stops, riving knife, and you don't really need clamps for it. Additionally, the blade retracts into the housing when you aren't using it so it won't bang on anything when you move it around the shop. Rubber strips on the bottom are non-slip so you can cut without having to clamp and reclamp every time you need to make a cut.
 

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#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Bora is touting this as the new track saw alternative.


I didn t realize a track saw could make that small a cut, Brian. Even the Grizzly ones?

- CharlesA
Supply for these suckers have been scarce to non-existent. I talked to BORA and they appears to have some in the US, with more shipments coming later this month I believe. I was lucky to get my 50" WTX, 50" extension, and I have this set and have mixed opinions on it. I'll post reviews when I have a chance to use it more.
  • 50" WTX - Read my review. I love it and am on the hunt for a 24" one.
  • Saw Guide Base - The saw guide base meets several of the requirements after a large number of setup headaches to align it. I wouldn't rate it a 5 star product. It provides a track-like experience with any clamping straight edge (HF, BORA WTX tested) and is in my book an advantage over a homemade guide. It does NOT offer zero clearance and dust is still a problem.
  • Extensions - The 50" extensions does a great job to provide extended rip capacity but have a major flaw. The screws that attach the rails sit on the bottom of the track where the material will rest. That's screaming gouge and dent risk. Haven't tested it with an 8' run of sheet goods yet.
 
#17 ·
Track saws are good, but a home made guide will work just as well and cost practically nothing to make. Mine is the same as Robin and Crank49's guides. I can't understand why someone would spend $675+ for a Festool guide that is little better than a home made one. It just doesn't make sense to throw money away. That is my honest opinion and I'm sticking with it.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Track saws are good, but a home made guide will work just as well and cost practically nothing to make. Mine is the same as Robin and Crank49 s guides. I can t understand why someone would spend $675+ for a Festool guide that is little better than a home made one. It just doesn t make sense to throw money away. That is my honest opinion and I m sticking with it.

- MrRon
What I have noticed is that people tend to focus exclusively on the track and ignore the saw. You can buy the Festool track for $130 so obviously the vast majority of the price of one of these things is the saw not the track. One might argue that a saw built specifically for the purpose of using as a track saw isn't worth the premium but the price difference is a lot more about the differences between the saws than the difference between the tracks. That Bora option above is after all about a $75 or so option that still requires a existing circular saw so the difference in premium between that and the Festool track which is probably the most expensive option is only about $50.

True track saws like the Festool have a lot of small features like the dust collection, riving knife and plunge switch on the handle that make them great at the task they are designed to do. Are they $500 or so better when compared to a good circular saw? That's a harder question to answer and really a personal decision in the end.
 
#20 ·
Have you used a track saw? Because I ve used a circular saw and guide and it does not work just as well as you claim.

- jmartel
Exactly. Price should not be the justification for wether a tool is better or not. The track saw, festool included, is really a lot better. The price is nuts, but it is theirs to set and I imaging there is a lot that goes into it.
 
#21 ·
Add me to the camp that would like to have a track saw but can not justify the cost. I would not use the tool often enough and can not imagine where I would store it.

I attached a piece of t-track to a circular saw, built a wooden guide with a slot for the track to ride in. The edge of my guide lines up to the cut and the track keeps the saw from wandering during the cut.

To say my homemade guide is as good or the same as a track saw would be a stretch. I can make clean and accurate cuts but the cut is not glue ready like some track saws are capable of, the dust collection on my version is terrible. It does a good job for what I need.
 
#22 ·
I don't understand the word "justify" in a hobby setting. I can understand "justify" in a business decision.

If you in a cabinet business where you have to pay the bills and make a profit then you can't justify a 100,000 CNC machine if you only make 2 kitchens a year. You'd go broke in no time.

In a hobby setting its about it's about fun, satisfaction, pleasure etc. You don't need to "justify" a tool purchase. You just need to want it and be able to afford it. So go ahead and buy that Festool track saw and ever time you use it you'll smile and say to yourself "I love the saw, it's such a pleasure to use. I can't wait until I need to use it again.

Take an honest look around your home, did you justify everything you have? How did you justify the 50" flat screen TV? There are guys I work with that have 50,000 Motor Homes and only have two week off a year to use it and sometimes they don't even get to use it some years.

I think it's more about " Priorities" than justifying.

Just the way I look at it.
 
#23 ·
When I first started building things with wood, all I had was a circ saw. I built an edge guide, but it ended up curved and I didn't notice right away. I also had a tendency to let my saw wander off of the guide. I ended up going with the Eurekazone track to solve those problems. It probably would have been cheaper to refine my technique and build my skills, but I just wanted some straight, accurate, easy cuts.

Now that I have a tuned contractor saw with a good fence, I reach for circ saw and track less frequently, but it's still good for breaking down sheets. In fact, I'm thinking of getting the router guide/plate for the next time I need to do router dados with it.

I've never used the more expensive track saw systems, so I can't comment on them, but the EZ system leaves me with no chipout on either side of the cut, and I can clamp the track to some very small pieces if I need to.

Thanks,
Aaron
 
#24 ·
I don t understand the word "justify" in a hobby setting. I can understand "justify" in a business decision.

If you in a cabinet business where you have to pay the bills and make a profit then you can t justify a 100,000 CNC machine if you only make 2 kitchens a year. You d go broke in no time.

In a hobby setting its about it s about fun, satisfaction, pleasure etc. You don t need to "justify" a tool purchase. You just need to want it and be able to afford it. So go ahead and buy that Festool track saw and ever time you use it you ll smile and say to yourself "I love the saw, it s such a pleasure to use. I can t wait until I need to use it again.

Take an honest look around your home, did you justify everything you have? How did you justify the 50" flat screen TV? There are guys I work with that have 50,000 Motor Homes and only have two week off a year to use it and sometimes they don t even get to use it some years.

I think it s more about " Priorities" than justifying.

Just the way I look at it.

- AlaskaGuy
Priority is a measure of importance, to justify proves if something is reasonable. If woodworking is my hobby or business does not matter.

My priority is mortgage payments and kids tuition, not basketball tickets. Is a track saw a reasonable purchase as I will rarely use it? I can not justify the purchase.
 
#25 ·
In a hobby setting its about it s about fun, satisfaction, pleasure etc. You don t need to "justify" a tool purchase. You just need to want it and be able to afford it. So go ahead and buy that Festool track saw and ever time you use it you ll smile and say to yourself "I love the saw, it s such a pleasure to use. I can t wait until I need to use it again.

- AlaskaGuy
Point well made, what you are saying is the pleasure we get from using a Festool track saw will justify its high cost.
For my shop I need:
1= a decent dust collector( desperately).
2=a table saw with a riving knife.
3=an 8" used jointer.
4=spray gun/hvlp system
And I will be using most of these tools everyday , I would use a Festool track saw once or twice a year.
I do understand your point about pampering myself by buying the festool but it would not be a case of "money well spent".
 
#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
No right or wrong answer here. If you can justify the cost and think it will meet your expectations for you then go for it. But for me a homemade guide that was pennies in comparison works great and has meet my expectations.

I've seen this debate on many woodworking sites and so I have saved the link below for anyone wanting a guide that won't break the bank and functions well. I have used this version for years and believe it's simple, accurate, and cheap
v
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/a3602/4283497/
 
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