Circular Saw Dust Collection

Liam Crickard

New User
Bill
I use a circular saw in the shop to break down and if possible make finish cuts to sheet goods. For me it's easier to take the tool to the work when working with large panels. I can get good accurate cuts with minimal tear-out but even though my saw has a dust port I still get sawdust everywhere and on everything. I can't afford a Festool or other name brand track saw and what I really need is decent dust collection. It looks like plunge saws would be best but that's a pricey option. With black Friday around the corner, what would you do to knock down the saw dust. I have a filter to pull particulate out of the air, I'm more concerned with the bigger stuff.
 

mdbuntyn

Matt
Staff member
Corporate Member
Search Youtube, and you'll come across several ideas. I tried one of the easier ones. It worked ok, but my patience didn't allow me to fine tune it.
 

Martin Roper

Martin
Senior User
I have the Makita SP6000J track saw. I bought the Ryobi Miter Saw Dust Bag for it for $10 as it inexplicably doesn't come with one. It catches most of the big stuff. I've seen the Makitas on sale for $299.

I bought the Powertec 55” Guide Rail Set and they are excellent. I also bought the Dewalt clamps, but I haven't really needed them yet.

That comes to $522 compared with the Festool TS55 at $590 which comes with only one 55" rail, no connectors, and no clamps. Add all that up and you're looking at over $800. The pi**y thing about Festool is that the track connectors are $20 apiece and you need two of them.
 

UncleJoe

Joe
Senior User
What ever you do, do NOT get a Festool. I made that mistake. I cut all the plywood for 20 cabinets and every cut was perfect, I could not believe the quality of the finished edge, and I had a small dust pan of saw dust left over on the shop floor. What a big mistake. I was so impressed I bought a Festool sander. Wow another stupid idea. The sanding finish was the best I have ever used and there was not airborne dust and no dust on the floor. What a mistake. Don't even get me started on the router. Yikes. The precision and dust free and easy setup.

This is obviously a dubious plot to get all my money, please don't fall for it. Once you make the first cut with that track saw you are hooked for life.
 

Liam Crickard

New User
Bill
What ever you do, do NOT get a Festool. I made that mistake. I cut all the plywood for 20 cabinets and every cut was perfect, I could not believe the quality of the finished edge, and I had a small dust pan of saw dust left over on the shop floor. What a big mistake. I was so impressed I bought a Festool sander. Wow another stupid idea. The sanding finish was the best I have ever used and there was not airborne dust and no dust on the floor. What a mistake. Don't even get me started on the router. Yikes. The precision and dust free and easy setup.

This is obviously a dubious plot to get all my money, please don't fall for it. Once you make the first cut with that track saw you are hooked for life.

If only
 

mdbuntyn

Matt
Staff member
Corporate Member
I should add that I did end up getting a cordless Makita plunge saw. Thank goodness for CC rewards
 

JSJ

Jeff
Corporate Member
What ever you do, do NOT get a Festool. I made that mistake. I cut all the plywood for 20 cabinets and every cut was perfect, I could not believe the quality of the finished edge, and I had a small dust pan of saw dust left over on the shop floor. What a big mistake. I was so impressed I bought a Festool sander. Wow another stupid idea. The sanding finish was the best I have ever used and there was not airborne dust and no dust on the floor. What a mistake. Don't even get me started on the router. Yikes. The precision and dust free and easy setup.

This is obviously a dubious plot to get all my money, please don't fall for it. Once you make the first cut with that track saw you are hooked for life.

I second UncleJoe's comment!! I too fell for that scheme. First a FT track saw...then NEEDED the FT vacuum, and then the domino joiner. Now I hope Santa is brining me a FT oribital finish sander! Damn Festool and their quality tools!
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
I found my saw (Festool TS55) at a Pawn shop - I think I paid $250 for it, another $100 for the track and I will NEVER turn back!
What a GREAT tool!
(don't worry that it was stolen - my guys have the Sheriff in there weekly checking for stolen goods - so my conscience is clean too!)

Craigslist seems to have them often, but I am less certain of the provenance...
 

Billm0066

Bill
User
Not sure what your budget is but I bought a used Festool track saw for $325 and the powertec rails for $129. Dust collection is superb and it makes breaking down sheet goods so freakin easy. Festool comes up rarely so set up an alert on craigslist and jump on one as soon as its available. Ive bought 5 festool items this year that way. Facebook marketplace is another resource as well. Also festool owners group. I bought my domino from there and had it shipped. As others have pointed out once you have one you need another. My first buy was a sander/vac combo and I could not believe how well they worked. Then the track saw, then the domino, then the router, lastly the kapex. I officially have everything I want from them. Well maybe a jigsaw at some point.....
 

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