I'm looking, or thinking about buying a track saw. What

>>1037822
when it comes to power tools.

there's only a couple things I look at.

Induction > Brushed;motors
Amp rating, are you right around 14 or so amps for a standard 120? okay you've got the power, move on.
RPM of the motor/blade itself, typically you want something with HIGH torque, and lower RPM [1000]s or High RPM, with lower torque, [3000]s

then everything comes down, how would the track feel? is it plastic? is it flexable/flimsy? generally cheap?

and finally, how does the tool fit in YOUR hand?


and for a question for you OP. why do you need a track saw? do you plan on cutting lots of MDF/PLYWOOD? that's all their really useful for. other stuff they "could do" but its either sketchy, or just plain easier on a tablesaw.

>>1037822
you'll be fine with any of the top brands.

>>1037822

Since its in the pic and is s brand rarely mentioned I thought I'd chime in with my two cents.

I've had a Triton portable table with saw, also a Triton router that works like a dream. Can also be set up for a jigsaw, if you don't have a bandsaw, I'm pushed for space so the tiny table suits me to a tee and can be used with sawhorses or a trestle table to extend for larger sheets or lumber.

Been very happy with the whole setup. Both the saw and router are solid and reliable. I bought the whole lot secondhand as a bundle so I don't know how price compares.

I'm not at home atm but I think it's a WCA201, may be an earlier model though.

File: pic.jpg (2MB, 3264x2448px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 3264x2448px

Do not ever perform plunge cuts with them. I have a Makita track saw that was the subject of the most terrifying woodworking incident I've experienced.

The Makita track saw doesn't have a splitter. I tried to use mine to cut straight lines in the middle of a sheet of plywood, and the saw ripped itself out of my hands, nicked the track, and became a missile of death that flung itself across the room. I've used table saws for years and never had a shit my pants moment like that.

>>1037822
The Festool Tracksaw is pretty much the only Festool brand tool that is worth paying the money for.

That said, if you dont plan on using it daily you probably dont need to pay the premium for it.

>>1037932
pretty close to what happened to mine. it jumped up and flew backwards on the track the same way as your photo, but much deeper. i was cutting on the floor and was sitting with my thigh on the guide behind it. it went straight past my thigh, cut open a tool pocket on the side and continued across the guide, almost cutting it in half.

>>1037822

>>1037932
same guy.
>>1037945

i have really good thigs to say about the dewalt saw when you're talking about plunge sawing and similar cutting
if youre able to try the saws in the shop i would recomend testing the dewalt. it works a bitt different than the others(havent tried Triton so wouldn't know about that one)

i bought the makita one and used it daily as a joiner, it was the cheapest and im a makita fan in general

Op here.

Basically I have a contractor table saw that is very heavy and space consuming, space I don't have so it's being sold.

I have a mitre saw and band saw so I thought I'd replace it with a track saw mostly for ripping down large sheets.

Where thickness is an issue I can cut down a lot of things on my Bandsaw as it's 14" so has plenty clearance and where I can, I have a 12" thicknesser.

I had a chance to use a TS55 festool yesterday, slightly older in design than the current TS55 but it was a very nice saw, but as someone mentioned, it comes at a premium price.

That's where my curiosity comes in. I know a lot of people are particular when it comes to track saws, so is it worth that premium of a festool or even mafell or would it be just as well to buy a cheaper makita or dewalt.

>>1038396
The biggest benefit Festool offers is the detachable power cord. And that's if you have a Festool dust extractor. Seriously.

Because it is detachable Festool users don't need to fiddle with a separate power cable and vacuum hose. They can just tape it right to the hose. Plus the dust collection is highly efficient, but my Makita is so good with capturing dust I can't see the Festool being much of an improvement.

>considering anything other than festool

What is the benefit of using a track saw vs clamping a guide to the work piece and using a circular saw?

>>1039081
>Mafell

Spotted the festool brand shill

>>1039124

Speed and accuracy. Consider most guides will be some sort of timber or ply. These can't be considered 100% accurate 100% of the time when compared to an extruded aluminium track.

Also the quality of the cut. It's pretty common knowledge a track saw will leave you with a cleaner cut than a track saw.

>>1037822

I own a secondhand festool tracksaw, it's the model before the current one, i've had it for 2 years or so now and have had zero issues with it. I've bought an extra track so i can cut the full 2400mm / 8' sheets.

I also have a table saw, but in my limited space garage trying to accurately cut down full sheets was a major hassle. It has made my life a lot easier.

At least here in australia finding secondhand festool tracks online is pretty easy but i've only ever seen a few makita ones. maybe that's something to keep in mind if you think you'll purchase more.

>>1039277
I'm sure I've read somewhere that the majority of tracks are interchangeable by brand?

>>1039262
>not using steel angle

>>1039262
>a track saw will leave you with a cleaner cut than a track saw
>a track saw will leave you with a cleaner cut than a track saw
>a track saw will leave you with a cleaner cut than a track saw

>>1039920
He probably meant "track saws cut cleaner than table saws" which is total bullshit.

>>1039954
>He probably meant "track saws cut cleaner than table saws" which is total bullshit.

He probably meant "track saws cut cleaner than circular saws with guides" which is not total bullshit.

If anyone wants to know what makes a Festool chooch and what your getting for your bucks, here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oezp-_DcUgg

>>1041481
That guy is absolute trash,
I watched a couple of his videos and he is so full of shit.

Because he's edge doesnt mean he's right.

>>1041481
Love his videos, very informative

Plus he's Canadian, so you know he's the edgiest

>>1039920
Sorry, not sure what happened there.

>>1039954
No that's not what I meant.

>>1041457
This is what I meant.

>>1041481
The thing is, as much as I enjoy some of AvEs content(I didn't even look at the link, I just knew), he makes money from it. Pulling in viewers is not uncommon by going the route of edge.

For festool to charge what they do, they need to be certain their tools won't fail and leave them with a bad reputation.

working with plywood on a $600 table saw compared to $600 on a track saw with 4' and 8' tracks, is probably where most people think a track saw will win when you compare the two

since a $600 table saw is just barely getting into decent new saw territory, and is damn near great used saw territory

at least from where i'm sitting, i'd get way more use out of a track saw over a table saw, since i'm mostly going to be making stuff out of plywood