Track saw recommendations

[Sam Knight]

I'm looking into purchasing a track saw. I normally do woodturning so not much flat work in my shop but the wife wants a built-in wall cabinet in the bedroom so I'm thinking maybe here's an opportunity to purchase another tool. lol. Anyways, I'm not ready to drop the dough to purchase a Festool so maybe there is a quality budget track saw out there someone can recommend. I've watched videos on the Evo and Wen. Anyone have firsthand experience with these or can suggest another brand? Thanks. Maybe I'll win the Festool track saw in the raffle.
Thanks,
Sam

 

[Henry W]

Serach back to January or Feb 2021- I posted a 'first impressions' of the Wen.
I have continued to use it on occasion - and think it was good value and a worthwhile expense.

 

[Oka]

I have a Wen it is a good entry track saw for those who do not want to spend 600-800 bucks

 

[tvrgeek]

The Bora jig will mount about any saw. I very much like my 5 1/2 Makita 18V. I did not like how the guide mounted, so I actually just use a strait edge. Moving upscale from a Wen, the Makita and DeWalt systems are both well reviewed. Even there, getting pricy. Never seen an Evo, but WEN seems to be the champ of cheap tools that work.

 

[Phil S]

I own the Festool but only use it as a plunge saw on doors. For breaking down sheet goods I use the 6 1/2 Makita 18v saw with a straight edge. The base is sturdy and parallel to the blade so i just set the guide 1 1/4 off the cut and go. Great saw for $120 and the blades are cheap

 

[Martin Roper]

I have a corded Makita SP6000J track saw and the Powertec 71387 track set and am happy with both.

I hook it up to my shop vac with Cen-Tec Systems 94434 Antistatic Wet/Dry Vacuum Hose. The supplied adapter fits the Makita exactly. The dust collection is pretty good but not perfect.

I also have DeWalt track saw clamps.

The rubber backing on the rails will prevent the track from sliding on the stock if it is flat, but if it's not, like a slab, it won't necessarily, so I find the clamps useful. If you're just working with sheet stock, you might not need them.

 

[BKHam]

I have the battery powered Makita and I really like it. i hoped it would be steadier on long miters but the weight of the saw makes the track flex a little. thats a pretty specific, small portion of my usage. i love the track saw.

 

[Bas]

Makita track saw owner. Works great, very happy with my purchase, but in retrospect I wish I'd gotten the cordless version. Just one less thing to worry about when cutting.

 

[Rwe2156]

Your decision, but for one project, I would resist the urge b/c even 200 bucks sitting sitting on the shelf 90% of the time isn't a wise use of funds - better spent on some nice lumber IMO.

You can do a very acceptable job with a circular saw, a good quality blade, and a straight edge guide. I did it for years and built a lot of cabinets that way. The best ones are DIY bases you that run in a track.

For plywood, a Freud 60 tooth blade is very good. Also, a zero clearance base which can be simply 1/4" MDF double sticked to the base.

 

[tvrgeek]

In truth, when I down size panels, I just draw a line and my cordless Makita ( good blade) cuts a darn good line. One could easily sand to perfection. Back up 50 years, and a nice sharp Diston crosscut saw can split a pencil line.

 

[Graywolf]

It really depends on how much flat work want to get into beyond this one. For years I’ve gotten by really well with a straight edge and a circular saw. I now own the Festool and I like just fine. I have to cut large panels accurately durning cabinet installs so it’s a real time saver for me. Far be it for me to try and talk someone out of spending money if their mind is made up, but I’d recommend using a straight edge and a skill saw, but only if this a one off project. Good luck.

 

[mquan01]

Your decision, but for one project, I would resist the urge b/c even 200 bucks sitting sitting on the shelf 90% of the time isn't a wise use of funds - better spent on some nice lumber IMO.

You can do a very acceptable job with a circular saw, a good quality blade, and a straight edge guide. I did it for years and built a lot of cabinets that way. The best ones are DIY bases you that run in a track.

For plywood, a Freud 60 tooth blade is very good. Also, a zero clearance base which can be simply 1/4" MDF double sticked to the base.

+1

 

[JimD]

I own a DeWalt and one of each length of track they offer. I think they are 103, 59, and 44 inches. I encouraged my church to get a track saw for the volunteers I help with would have one without me having to bring in mine. It is an Evolution. We have two Wen 50 inch tracks and two Powertec clamps. I use DeWalt clamps with mine. I've used the church's Evolution saw to make a couple cabinets so far.

I've used my DeWalt a lot more but I think it is safe to saw it is a better tool. If your budget will cover it or the Makita I think they are both worthwhile. Most reviews rate the Makita above the DeWalt and similar to the Festool in capability but a little tougher to use. My depth of cut adjustment, for instance, is a plastic knob thumbscrew that can be a bit tough to use. The Festool has a squeeze and slide adjustment that looks like the one on my Domino XL. It is very easy to use. The DeWalt depth scale indicates depth below the track, not below the saw base. It may be the only track saw that does this and I think it's a lot better.

Assuming you want to stay with a $200-300 price range I would seriously consider the Evolution (Evo?). It has a 15A motor, bigger than any of the others. It can use track saw blades or 7.25 inch circular saw blades. But they do not reside the same distance from the guide rib of the saw so they will cut the sacrificial edge of the track differently. The 7.25 is out further than the track saw blade will be. I recently put a 60 tooth Freud blade on the Evo and it cuts very cleanly now, about the same as my DeWalt. That is a $20 blade, cheaper than the DeWalt blades for my track saw. I moved the glide strips and the sacrificial edge of the Wen tracks so they would work with the Evo. That is not hard on new track, just pull them off and reposition. The 50 inch tracks work but I think it is probably better to get the slightly longer Powertec tracks. The Powertec clamps don't work as well as my DeWalt clamps but they work and were reasonably priced. The Evo is not a plunge cut saw. It's blade guard pivots up like a circular saw. I like the plunge better and for making a cutout it is far easier to use but for most things I don't think it makes a difference. Evo makes a big deal about the ability to cut metal. I've never tried it. I presume it would do it but I also think it would be very noisy.

The big thing any of these track saws offer is the ability to make clean accurate cuts without having to worry about staying tight to the guide piece. I used a circular saw and guide for decades but I could not really do what I do with my track saw with them. For instance, I built a 10 foot long dining room table earlier this year. I prepared the edges of the 6 boards in the table top by ripping them with my track saw. No way I would even attempt that with a circular saw. I make finish cuts with a track saw, not break down cuts. Finish cuts with a circular saw were dicey for me.

 

[Henry W]

....The Evo is not a plunge cut saw. It's blade guard pivots up like a circular saw. ....

Plunge cutting is a feature worth considering - unless you think/know that is not important to you.
This is the biggest single reason I did not choose Evo.

 

[NCGrimbo]

Even considering the cost of a sheet of MDF, you can't go wrong with a circular saw and a guide rail like this:

 

[Bming1]

Nobody else has mentioned Bosch, but I did a lot of research before buying mine, and the things that swayed my decision were:
1. The mechanism to join two pieces of track is both simple to use and very accurate
2. The Bosch is literally a less-fully-featured/cheaper version of the Mafell track saw, which many people consider the best track saw on the market.
I've been extremely happy with mine so far. I am sans table saw at the moment, so it performs many functions that it may not usually be called upon to perform.

 

[Fred J]

I own a WEN track saw with the 100” rails. I purchased it to try out and see how well it works. It does feel like cheap plastic but it works great. I think it has enough power, cuts great with the stock blade, and has good dust collection. It makes breaking down plywood very easy.

It was a good $200 investment for me but as others have stated it’s your decision. You could always purchase a track saw for the project and when it’s no longer needed, sell it. There’s always a market for used tools.