Why you'll own one—sooner or later.
Why Every DIYer Needs a Track Saw
Updated Sep. 10, 2024
When I first laid eyes on a track saw, I thought, “I have a table saw. I have a straightedge to guide my circular saw. Why would I spend $500 (or more) on one of these contraptions?” I was sure it was another tool gimmick for suckers. Then I talked to track saw owners, from cabinetmakers and flooring installers to trim carpenters and remodelers. Every single one of them told me that buying a track saw was a smart move. Now I own one, too.
A track saw is similar to your framing saw—the way a Porsche is similar to a dump truck. It’s engineered to be smooth and precise rather than rugged, and you’ll feel the difference the first time you pull the trigger.
You push, the blade plunges
Unlike your circular saw, this has no clumsy blade guard to fight. On the DeWalt and Festool, a riving knife follows the blade, reducing kickback and blade-pinching
Precision guidance system
Unlike a straightedge, the rail won’t let the saw veer off course. Adjustment knobs fine-tune the fit between the saw’s shoe and the track, so there’s zero slop.
Accurate adjustments
All three models feature easy-to-read scales, solid depth stops, and front and rear bevel locks. Forget the ballpark settings on your circular saw; with a track saw, what you set is what you get.
No-slip track
Those sticky rubber strips on the bottom of the track don’t slip; there’s no need to waste time clamping down the track in most situations—even when trimming doors. Cutting clampless is scary initially, but you’ll learn to trust the sticky strips. For those rare times when you need them, get clamps that lock into the track.
Dust collection that really works
The shroud on a track saw doesn’t just enclose the blade; it also creates an effective dust trap. Add a vacuum hose and you can do things you wouldn’t dream of with any other saw.
Video: How to Cut Straight With a Circular Saw
Exact track alignment
Just align the track with your marks and you’re ready to cut. The plastic edge shows you precisely where the blade will cut. No test cuts, no double checking, no guesswork. Again and again, track saw owners told me, “I’ve never screwed up a cut with this saw.”
Nice for tight spaces
A track saw can make big cuts in a small space. If you had to, you could slice up a full sheet of plywood in an 8 x 10 foot room. Unlike with a table saw, there’s no need for infeed or outfeed space. A track saw is also a space saver in your truck or van.
Easy to move
A track saw does most of what a table saw does, but moving between job sites is much easier because it fits under your arm. Safer, too: Carrying a track saw, you’re less likely to bang up door casings or wreck your back. Plus, you can call Mom while you load up your truck.
Cut long miters
With a miter saw, a table saw or even a panel saw, the length and angle of the cut are limited. Not so with a track saw. You’ll get an accurate miter no matter how long or how steep the angle.
There is one downside, however. Unlike those other saws, a track saw doesn’t have a built-in miter gauge, so setting up miter cuts can be slow. If you do lots of long miters, you might want to spend $50 to $100 on a miter gauge that locks onto the track.
Saw cut comparison
I made test cuts with track saws and a top-of-the-line cabinet saw. Whether the material was solid wood, plywood or MDF, the track saw cuts were just as smooth as the table saw cuts.
To test for tear-out, I added a circular saw to the contest and cut melamine. The track saws did the best, producing almost perfect cuts, with only a few tiny chips on the top of the waste piece. The table saw left tiny chips on the face-down side. The circular saw did just what you’d expect.
A finished cut the first time
To avoid wrestling heavy sheets across a table saw, many of us perform a two-act play: We rough-cut with a circular saw, then make finish cuts on a table saw. With a track saw, you can skip the second act. The first cuts will be your final cuts—every bit as straight, smooth and accurate as you’ll get on a table saw.
Connect the tracks, cut for miles
The ends of the tracks are dead square, so you can lock them together for super-straight, super-long cuts. (I heard from a gym-floor installer who lays up to 100 ft. of track for a single cut!) The connectors cost about $17 each. One connector is good, but two is better. Most rails fall into one of two general categories: long enough for a 4-ft. cut (about $100) or long enough for an 8-ft. cut (about $200).
FAQ
Is my table saw obsolete?
Nope. If you get a track saw, your table saw may get some long vacations, but it won’t go into retirement. Cutting small parts with a track saw is clumsy, and cutting much deeper than 2 in. is impossible with most models. And when it comes to identical repeat cuts—ripping wide boards into cabinet stock, for example—a track saw is a slow, sorry substitute for a table saw.
Originally Published: September 03, 2024
