track saw dilema

[mr_skittle]

I've been eyeing a track saw for a couple of years now but have never had the "extra" funds to pay for one. After doing a custom built-in I suddenly have the "extra" funds. I put "extra" in parenthesis because I've never had money that couldn't go towards bills or retirement or something responsible like that. And to make the problem even more complicated, there is a recent chain of events that has left me conflicted. It all started a couple months ago when the ACME tools catalog came in the mail...

I'm not really in the market for any new tools but I always like to look through the catalog anyway, because I'm that kind of tool nerd. When I got to the Makita pages the plunge cut track saw caught my eye. Then I remembered an article in the most recent woodsmith mag comparing some of the track saws on the market. I didn't pay much attention to the article because, as I said, the price tag was out or reach but I do remember that the Makita saw got great reviews. When I noticed the price in the ACME catalog I was floored. Makita has a deal now that throws in extra batteries and an accessory for the tool so this set cam with a saw, charger, 4 batteries, and a 55" track for $350!!! I was blown away!! I put away a bit from a couple paychecks and called to order it a couple weeks later. I was crushed to hear that the catalog price was a misprint and that the saw wasn't available for the price. At this point I was again resigned to not owning a track saw. 

That seems like a disappointing but reasonable end to the situation, but it goes on. A month down the road I walk into the woodshop at the school I'm subbing in and there sits a brand new Makita track saw. I told the teacher my disappointing story and the claimed to have gotten the saw for the $350 from the catalog. On top of that he couldn't stop raving about how darn good the saw worked. "Best saw he ever used" was what he claimed. That seems like a pretty solid endorsement from someone in the profession for 20+ years. Again I was committed to getting a new saw but this time I went to the local ACME store to talk to a specific salesman. To my surprise, the shop teacher was mistaken and he actually paid the current list price of $499. Again my hopes where dashed but not abandoned. 

Now that I have 400 of the $500, a rave review from a veteran woodworker, and a hell of a deal on a great tool, I'm left torn on what to do. Can that money be spent elsewhere? Yes. Can I survive without it? Yes. Would it be an investment in a quality tool that would make my shop time more enjoyable and efficient? Absolutely!  

Why the hell do these things cost so much anyway?

[Gary G™]

Build a plywood track base for your circular saw.
Easy peasy; one and done.

[jteneyck]

If you own a good quality circular saw do what Gary said and use the money for something you don't already have.  If you don't own a good circular saw buy one - with a power cord.  You'll still have plenty of money left for something else.  

John

[mr_skittle]

I don't own a circular saw that can make really nice cuts, especially crosscuts in plywood. I have a Kreg ripping guide that it's used for now and it does a decent job. What a track saw would be used for most is cross cuts and angled cuts in sheet goods. I also understand the non slip feature of the Makita track works well. With my small shop it can be a big PITA to get a straight edge or shop-built track clamped in place with a full sheet on the sawhorses. I would love to cut things on a sheet of foam on the floor with little or no need for clamps.

[ez-duzit]

Build a plywood track base for your circular saw...

If you own a good quality circular saw do what Gary said...

No and No.

There is simply no comparison between a homemade guide with builders saw and a true track saw. I found my Festool TS55 kit on c/l for $350. It has truly revolutionized my shop, producing splinter-free, glue-joint-ready cuts in expensive veneered plywoods. No need to clamp the track--just lay it on your tic marks, at any angle. It is a dream for straightening the edge of raw lumber, with the 10' track. Best money I've spent on ANY tool.

[jteneyck]

No and No.

There is simply no comparison between a homemade guide with builders saw and a true track saw. I found my Festool TS55 kit on c/l for $350. It has truly revolutionized my shop, producing splinter-free, glue-joint-ready cuts in expensive veneered plywoods. No need to clamp the track--just lay it on your tic marks, at any angle. It is a dream for straightening the edge of raw lumber, with the 10' track. Best money I've spent on ANY tool.

Actually, yes and yes.  You will get a splinter free cut with a quality circular saw if you put a good blade on it and use a ZC guide.  The only advantage I see in a tracksaw is the clamp free feature of the guide rail and dust collection which aren't enough incentive for me to buy one.  I'm happy you like yours but there really is a low cost alternative that gives you the same quality if not the same level of convenience.   

Skittle, I cut plywood on the floor all the time.  I lay it on 2 x 4's on edge which puts the plywood far enough off the floor for a clamp to have clearance underneath.  I store the guide on one of my racks, no different than you would have to do with a tracksaw track.  

If I cut sheet goods on a job site all day long I'd buy a tracksaw.  If I cut sheet goods all day long in my shop I'd buy a slider.  

John

[jlanciani]

I'm a huge fan of track saws but as a serious hobbyist I would never consider a battery powered one. I expect my Festool to last in the neighborhood of 20 years based on how I use it and how long other tools typically last for me. I doubt any of the brands will support replacement batteries for that long, and even if they did the long term cost of replacements will be significantly more than the slight added convenience is worth to me.

One of the huge benefits of the track saw to me is the dust collection. The vacuum hose is a much bigger PIA than the cord ever is.

[ez-duzit]

j--excellent point. I would never consider a cordless track saw.

[Bill Wilson]

I don't own one and likely never will, but I think another advantage of the track saw is that the path of the saw is constrained by the track and there is no chance of the saw wandering off of the guide.  Whether or not that is enough of an advantage to warrant the price is strictly up to the individual.

[handi]

Built my own. Two sections, clamp together accurately for ripping more than 96”, and has an adjustable sled to guide the router too.