My local yard had another woodworking tool ‘event’ this wkd with tool reps and displays.
I never miss these ‘events’ and have bought most of my tools at ’em at really good prices. DeWalt, Fein, Bosch, Milw. Delta all there today.
I’d been thinking about the Dewalt tracksaw and today it was 399$ including one short track. He threw in another length of track to get 8,’ the clamps and the connector and I was sold.
Looking forward to trying it out soon on building some cabinets and whatnot for the place I’m working on.
Work great for cutting those heavy melamine sheets for concrete counter molds too.
Replies
I don't do enough fine finish work to ever justify me buying one of those, but I will admit, they are damn sexy saws. Enjoy her, she likes it!
If you saw plywood in half, or rip it, this still might be the saw for you!
I'll use it a lot for straightening stock too--getting one dead nuts straight edge on a board to start from.
For $399, that's a no brainer especially with an extra 4 ft track - the Festool would've cost more than that with 2 tracks, plus - they goddarn keep raising their prices every darn year!I use my 6' level to align my 2 Festool tracks - makes for a nice HD straightedge for doing so.Julian
Most of the time, the plywood that I'm sawing in half gets covered up with shingles or siding. I'm more worried about the shingles or siding being dead nuts.
How familiar are you with the festool saw and their guide rails. I'm pretty sure the tracks are different, I think I heard the dewalt will work on the festool rails but not vise versa. Anyway, do the clamps, and rail accessories look like they would work with the festool stuff? I have the festool saw, track and vac, I just hope the competition gets festool to lower their prices.
I have NO idea what the festool is all about... I've seen one across the room and that's it.
All I knowis it's more than 400$
Now that I have it, I will say this about the dewalt track--i got two pieces to join for 8' rips.
When I first joined them with their steel, 4-allen-bolt wedge unit, I wasn't happy at all with how sloppy it was. It's hard to fit the pieces tightly enough that it's not gappy at the joint allowing the ends to move off the line.
Dewalt guy later said this isn't a problem and that when the track is on the material, just make sure that it's "on the line" and then go. It doesn't move around when sawing.
Ok...
I filed a little 'daylight' into the middle of the joint--off both sides--so that the outer portions of the tracks meet better and prevent that slop. Seems to work much better.
That's all I know...for now!
How does the festool system join tracks? What length tracks do u have?
The join with two connectors that are just 10" long pieces of metal that use two set screws into each side of the guide rail. You need to connectors for it to line up right. One thing with the festool that is probably the same for the dewalt rails, is be careful with the rails. The dewalts probably attach the same as the festool, or similarly. You want to tighten the screws but don't crank them down, you will go right into the aluminum and dimple it.The dewalt will work similarly to the festool saws, so look on festool owners group, sawmill creek, etc for some tips. One I'll give you that people need it when your doing a plunge cut, keep the pressure straight down on the saw as you go into the wood and go slow enough to let the blade do the cutting. Often people push too hard and the saw will jump the track and end up cutting the track and making a very dangerous situation.Even the the track stays very well on wood, I like using clamps then you don't worry about it moving slightly at all. When I first got it I didn't want the clamps, now I use them almost always just for piece of mind and its easier and safer. But definitely get the quick clamp style, they are so much faster than the screw style and doing the screw style under the material is not very comfortable.http://www.festoolusa.com/accessories/guide-rails
The festool is only $475 and $90 for the extra rail that will make it almost 10'. I think I'd rather have the festool. I've never been happy with dewalt as a precision too, and I can't stand their blades. They are tough, but not nearly as refined as the festool.
I have the festool with a 9' track and a 5' track. I know the that single 9' track is always going to be straight. Do they make a long track for the dewalt?Steve
Edited 1/19/2009 7:37 pm by mmoogie
They do--it appears to be a couple hundred bucks.
I would get the long one if I were you...or even if I were me. I use mine a lot to make a true edge on S2S stock, or to straighten the edge of a warped board. As well as all kinds of other stuff. I find myself screwing it to the sides of buildings to cut stuff off more than I would like. Sure you can make-do with the two shorter ones and a straightedge, but I didn't spend all that money just to make-do.Steve
That's how I feel about it.. I want the thing to be the straightedge...slap it on and go.
Why have a tracksaw if you have to fudge the track straight?
Timely discussion here. I'm shopping for a track saw right now. Can anyone tell me the deal with Festool's tracks and lengths. I'm leaning toward the TS 55, which comes with a 55" track. I'd like a one piece track for full length rips on 8' sheet goods. Festool sells a 95" (in stock at Rockler), then onto a 118" rail that ships special from the manufacturer. Does the 95" provide enough track to cut the 96" sheet cleanly? I can't tell from the literature.-dukeBig Red Const. & Elect LLC
I don't have the longer tracks but from using my TS and the two 55"'s that I have. You will be able to use the 95" for a 96" sheet good but you'll be plunge cutting every time and because of the blade curve you'll be starting the saw with some of the back off the track. Get the 106" track, you'll have plenty with that. The easiest way to cut with the TS is to have the track 7 or 8"'s off the piece on the start side, the end side doesn't matter since the front of the saw cuts through while the rest of the saw is still on the track. Any way, you drop the saw down before the wood without cutting anything, then move the saw down the track and start cutting. Plunge cuts are fine but you need to keep pressure on the saw and drop slowly, if you push fast and the blade doesn't cut the wood at the same speed, you'll risk the saw jumping the track.If it ever gets in the budget, I'll get the 106" track. I have two 55"'s now and I made a bag for transporting them. I could not easily store the longer rail nor transport it so the smaller ones work for me. They do align easily and work fine.http://www.festoolusa.com/products/guide-rails
Thanks for the input.
One other thing I forgot. You can buy the rails anywhere since all festool prices are the same no matter where you buy them. I don't like that socialist european #### like that, hopefully they'll smarten up some day.If the retailer doesn't stock what you want, festool had a map that showed the delivery times for shipping directly from festool. They have an east and west warehouse so its not like it's going completely across the country. I think shipping to anywhere was at most 3 days.So just get what you want. Also, beware of the price increase coming up soon, mcfeely's has the listing with all the increases in % and dollar amounts.