Generic question about track saws

[Keith Pleas]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on the Dewalt kit (saw, short & long tracks) and had a question - not about that particular saw, but something that would apply to any / all of these tools.

I see that Festool has a 32" track (advertised for cutting up to 26"), whereas Dewalt's shortest is 46", presumably for cutting 40".

How often do people use these tools to cut shorter lengths? And is there any sense in having a short track (which, for Dewalt, means using the Festool track or whacking down a 46").

[Mike Heidrick]

I own the 59 and 102 dewalt tracks. Never needed or wished for a 46 and personally not cut down a 59.

[Steve Baumgartner]

I'm more likely to use a short track to guide the router for a dado, but once in a while there is a saw cut short enough to use it. In such cases it is mainly a question of whether you are willing to wrestle with the longer track, which can be pretty unwieldy but otherwise works just fine.

[ian maybury]

I'd imagine that it depends what you use the saw for. Many use them for sawing up sheet where a long track is likely to make more sense - some of the track joiners for example are not as robust/reliable as they could be.

Short free cuts are probably not what the system is designed for. It can be done, but is hard to get lined up and probably not the safest given the way these saws can ride up out of a cut and out of control given a chance. I've used my Festool for short cuts, but found it more controllable and precise to build a worktable to which i could screw down one end of the track, and clamp the other. (it's important to figure out a means to clamp down the work too) A sort of a poor man's MFT: http://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-m...nctional-table

I'd want to be very sure i was handling short stock all the time to cut down or buy a short track - a longish one (not the very long types) while slightly less convenient is likely still usable in the above situation...

[Ole Anderson]

Standard half sheet track will be fine.

[Sam Murdoch]

If you are just parting out ply the 46" track will be fine but - at least for me - I use the shorter track often. I just prefer not needing to make room for a longer rail when making shorter cuts. Still, it was the last guide rail I purchased after using the 42, and 55 and the next size up. Not a necessity but certainly is handy.

[Keith Pleas]

Wow! 5 responses in a little over an hour! Seems like a Friday afternoon in winter might be a great time to pose a question.

The clamps also confused me at first - I'd written up a question about them until I realized that they slid under the track. But this is the first mention I've seen of this issue:

...given the way these saws can ride up out of a cut and out of control given a chance...

So...what happens then? Does the saw want to take off, kind of like a reverse kickback?

I have a walkaround 4x8 table (basically two 8' sections of base cabinets with (2) 4x8 sheets on top) but holy cow it's hard to keep stuff off of it! So I was really trying to think through whether I'd keep one end of it clear to use the track saw instead of setting up my folding Ridgid TS or SCMS.

[Kevin Wolfe]

Not sure why it how the saw would ever ride up. The riving knife eliminates blade binding. If your festool is riding up then you may want to take a serious look at how you are operating it.
I have the dewalt with two tracks. I also bought a festool replacement MFT top with bench dogs. I can make perfect 90 cuts not. A shorter track might be a little more convenient for these shorter cross cuts but I would not stop sacrifice it for 48 inch cross cuts.

[Peter Quinn]

Wow! 5 responses in a little over an hour! Seems like a Friday afternoon in winter might be a great time to pose a question.

The clamps also confused me at first - I'd written up a question about them until I realized that they slid under the track. But this is the first mention I've seen of this issue:



So...what happens then? Does the saw want to take off, kind of like a reverse kickback?

I have a walkaround 4x8 table (basically two 8' sections of base cabinets with (2) 4x8 sheets on top) but holy cow it's hard to keep stuff off of it! So I was really trying to think through whether I'd keep one end of it clear to use the track saw instead of setting up my folding Ridgid TS or SCMS.

If I read Ian's post correctly he was referring to what can happen when using a circular saw free hand, which you might be inclined to do for short cuts if you didn't have the short track, not to the likely hood of a kick back with a track saw. You can make a track saw kick back when making a plunge cut in the middle of a panel if you allow the saw to move backwards as you plunge once engagement has begun. There is a back stop to prevent this form happening. I haven't used the short track but I have made shop made sleds to guide a festool for cross cuts that were just too narrow for a 55" rail, like say 18"-22". A short track sure would be handy for cuts between 12" (beyond the SCMS) and 26" (where the long tracks can make sense. I've used drops of the same thickness to balance a long rail on a shorter cut, this doesn't make sense in ever circumstance but works for some things.

[ian maybury]

A track saw is relatively safe and stable when fully buried in the cut so that the platen/sole is running on the work surface Kevin, and there's some downwards pressure (the cutting force in this situation anyway pulls the saw downwards) - the riving knife if fitted should also protect against the cut closing on the blade.

It's not foolproof though. The lowest part of the blade projects below the riving knife, and if this horizontally forward moving part of the blade contacts something solid (e.g. a piece of wood under the board being cut) it can result in the entire saw being propelled backwards and up out of the cut quite forcefully. Accidentally lifting the blade in the cut can also have this effect when the exposed part of the blade contacts the end of the kerf. The potential for this is much greater in plunge cuts with the riving knife removed. (this is necessary on my old ATF 55)

This is why i suggested some caution about routinely making short cross cuts in smaller pieces with the rail balanced on them, and probably a packer underneath to prevent the blade scoring the surface - there's enough instability for one or other of the above scenarios to arise if something moves or slips, and after that it's down to luck - that there's no part of your body (or your knee if you are working on the floor) in the way. The MFT or a similar DIY set up enables the clamping down of the rail, the work and any packers - hence the suggestion that it's probably safer to handle short cuts that way...

[Michael Heffernan]

I've got the DeWalt track saw with the 102" and 59" rails. A shorter rail would be nice, probably around 32", but IMO not necessary. I have the router attachment for the rail and use it to do dadoes sometimes in narrow boards. That's where a short rail would come in handy. But I manage with the 59 incher. I would have liked to have the long rail a bit longer, 110" or so. This would help with breaking down full sheets of plywood, but I manage just fine with the 102" rail.

[Greg R Bradley]

LOTS of use for a 32" track but longer tracks can be cut into two shorter tracks for convenience. However, for occasional use too long is just inconvenient but too short is too short! That's the good news.

The bigger problem with the Dewalt saws is the awkward plunge and lack of longer tracks. 102" is too short, even the 106" festool/makita tracks are sometimes too short. I repeat, too long is just inconvenient but too short is too short.

Makita saw bought on-sale is THE lower cost alternative to Festool. I paid $336 for the last one.

[Mike Heidrick]

A few other dewalt points if anyone is checking them out.

There are anti kick back rollers on the dewalt that keep the saw from rolling back on the track as well if you decide to enable them. They can be turned off.

The plunge on the dewalt is linear and your wrists stay in the same position for the entire plunge and the festool rocks and like the festool.

The outer face is thinner on the dewalt than the festool so you get closer to the 90 degree face if a cut like that was ever needed.

More amps and watts on the dewalt

You can use the dewalt on a MFT if you want

The dewalt can use all the festool blades if you wish

The dewalt can be used on both sides of its track or on any festool track

The dewalt is WAY cheaper these days. $550 will get you the dewalt and a 59 and 102 shipped if you look

[Keith Pleas]

... and lack of longer tracks. 102" is too short, even the 106" festool/makita tracks are sometimes too short.

When is 102" too short?

[Wade Lippman]

I have Festool 32 and 55 inch tracks. I use the 32 95% of the time. Using a big track for crosscutting a 25" panel would be a big pain.

I suppose if you only use it for breaking down plywood a 32" would be unnecessary; but I rarely use it for that.