Track saws...

[Larry Prem]

I don't think a track saw is a table saw replacement. Even if the track is perfectly straight, positioning it is done with a measuring tape and a pencil. How accurate can that be?
The average accuracy of TS is not comparable with that of a tuned table saw. For cabinet building (long cuts), I'd use a TS only for making rough cuts. The table saw with the digital fence produces better cuts faster.

That being said, track saws are portable. It's great to have one on a job site.

[Michael Heffernan]

Okay, so Fedex delivered the replacement 102" track today, no damage. As AmazonSupply didn't want the other one back, I'm offering it for sale. Check the classifieds. Can't imagine how much they lost on this deal with all the back and forth with shipping, damage, cheap price. Glad I got mine tho'

[Dan Friedrichs]

CEVA safely delivered the big track today (quite securely packed in a hardboard box - it would have been very difficult to damage), while UPS brought the small track and the saw.

Unfortunately, there was some damage (see first pic).

Apparently it got hot enough to melt the glue that holds the foam blocks in place inside the tool case. I'm outraged! I'm going to chew out Amazon, UPS, the mailman (just because), the president, and possibly the easter bunny (when he comes).

Actually, I'll probably just tear those off and throw them away, because I can't figure out where they originally were...

The saw is nice! So far, I've only used it to cut up the box that the long track came in, but I like it. I can't figure out what the "anti-kickback" lock on the baseplate is supposed to do, though - the manual for this thing is horrible.

To answer Adrian's question about the Festool vac hose: The port on the saw is bigger than the port on Festool sanders...BUT - the I.D. of the DeWalt port is the O.D. of the Festool hose. So you can just stick the hose right inside the port, and it holds very tightly.


Thanks again for the heads up on this, Frank! I can't wait to find a casework project to try this out on - I'm very excited to be ditching my previous "track saw system" (a scrap of hardboard and a $20 Walmart circular saw).

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[frank shic]

you're very welcome everyone but i'm DYING over here until i get the track saw in my hands lol

[Rick Potter]

Got the missing long track today. It was waiting on the porch when I got home, AND the wooden box looked undamaged......until I turned it over. One end was chewed up a bit and broken open. The rail itself has minor damage, mostly to the rubber edge on one side. I will give a call to Amazon again. Maybe they will send me a new rubber (plastic?) piece.

I also had some loose foam blocks (see Dan's post). They were loose inside that neat, custom made, stackable, black DeTainer the saw came in. Saw looks great. Haven't had a chance to turn it on yet.

My only (really minor) complaint so far is that the saw is made for left handers. Cutting narrower 8' strips off a sheet of ply and keeping the track on the larger piece, you will be going left to right and using your left hand, because the blade is on the right side of the saw. I am probably being picky, since it will be captured on the track, and not difficult to control.

Stay tuned for Amazon's reply. Even with the damaged rubber piece, it will work fine so I am very pleased so far. I have been wrestling with this purchase for a year now. Don't tell anyone, but I was at my rich buddies house the day before I ordered this, and told him I had decided not to get one. Fickle me.

Thanks Frank and Tri,

Rick Potter

[Adrian Anguiano]

Thanks Dan. That makes me feel okay to go with the dewalt saw pending you alls review.


Keep us posted on performance.

[Greg R Bradley]

Got the missing long track today. It was waiting on the porch when I got home, AND the wooden box looked undamaged......until I turned it over. One end was chewed up a bit and broken open. The rail itself has minor damage, mostly to the rubber edge on one side. I will give a call to Amazon again. Maybe they will send me a new rubber (plastic?) piece.

I also had some loose foam blocks (see Dan's post). They were loose inside that neat, custom made, stackable, black DeTainer the saw came in. Saw looks great. Haven't had a chance to turn it on yet.

My only (really minor) complaint so far is that the saw is made for left handers. Cutting narrower 8' strips off a sheet of ply and keeping the track on the larger piece, you will be going left to right and using your left hand, because the blade is on the right side of the saw. I am probably being picky, since it will be captured on the track, and not difficult to control.

Stay tuned for Amazon's reply. Even with the damaged rubber piece, it will work fine so I am very pleased so far. I have been wrestling with this purchase for a year now. Don't tell anyone, but I was at my rich buddies house the day before I ordered this, and told him I had decided not to get one. Fickle me.

Thanks Frank and Tri,

Rick Potter

That is not how anyone uses a track saw that I have ever seen. I believe all track saws are blade-right saws. Blade away from you for safety.

[Craig Michael]

That is not how anyone uses a track saw that I have ever seen. I believe all track saws are blade-right saws. Blade away from you for safety.

Plus with the saw is on a track so you can really use it many different ways since you only need moderate down pressure and a little pressure moving it forward.

[frank shic]

how frustrating is this? i'm on my way to work and at the stop light i see a rather LARGE truck pass by labelled CEVA logistics! aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh... felt like that moment from that movie "the empire strikes back" as luke and vader sense each other's presence as their ships pass!

me: "SAW!!!!"
dewalt track saw (muffled): "MASTER!!!"

[Neil Brooks]

Fear of Shipping (I'm a former logistics guy....) was partly why I ordered two shorter rails, and a connector.

I haven't used my DeWalt, yet. I hate when life gets in the way of having fun

Enjoy, all !!!

[Mac McQuinn]

If you're only going to cut down ply goods for cutting to size on the TS, a clamp on straight edge and good quality circular saw w/ appropriate blade does fine and will save you a lot of $ over a track saw. I can easily hold 1/32"-1/16" accuracy w/ my set-up and then you only take a sliver off cutting to size on the TS, creating minimal dust. I started using this process years ago when dealing with 3/4" Nova Ply and two bad disc.....
Mac

I'm with you there! Cutting full sheets of plywood on a tablesaw is one of my least favorite things to do in the shop. It's really hard to control, you have to spend a bunch of time setting up roller stands, etc. And the accuracy always leaves something to be desired.

That said, I still picture myself only using my track saw for breaking sheets down. I have a sliding table attachment on my table saw, I can easily square up rough-cut pieces and get parallel sides using the rip fence.

[Rick Potter]

Greg and Craig,

I understand what you are saying. I am talking about narrow strips where the track is too wide to set on the strip you are cutting off. In this case it looks to me like you would have to do it left handed.I would have trouble reaching over 4' to cut it the other way. For most cuts it would be fine.

Am I missing something here? A senior moment is not out of the question.

Rick Potter

EDIT: I just talked to Amazon again about the damaged 102" rail. They are sending another one. Very nice of them. Amazon rocks.

[scott Stilin]

you're very welcome everyone but i'm DYING over here until i get the track saw in my hands lol

Frank, how on earth did you ever find this deal?

[Greg R Bradley]

Rick,

Actually, now that I think about it more, I see your point. I sometimes forget that some people can't reach up and touch an 8' ceiling with their feet still flat on the floor.

I am more likely to make long cuts first and find that cutting on top of rigid insulation works great. Otherwise, my 4' x 8' workbench would have to stay empty enough to actually set plywood on top of it and that would be more work than to just make long cuts on the floor.

I'm thinking that if you are trying to work across the end you are cutting then you would have to keep sliding the rest of the sheet toward you so that you could do the next piece.

I just try to never have any part of my body on one side of a blade and some other part on the other side of the blade.

[frank shic]

Frank, how on earth did you ever find this deal?

i found it on jlconline.com under the trim carpentry section but you what the funny part was? they actually got the deal from the sawmill creek forum deal section for contributors!