I love this Track Saw!

YellowHammer · December 20, 2019, 08:55:23 PM

Quote from: mredden on December 20, 2019, 01:37:18 PM
How is the torque on these saws? Better than a normal circular saw or about the same? I could see them being about the same but cutting better because the saw is more controlled in the cut.

Mine will buzz through 2 inch rock maple, no problem. Much stronger than standard circular saw. The saw also has a built in clutch, it has a good bit of torque and if it hangs it want to kick back but the clutch really helps smooth it down.
Get the Festool Ripping blade, its called the Panther. Its significantly faster than the all purpose blade they put on. Also, I have couple screwdrivers handy to jam in the saw kerf on real long cuts to keep the wood from closing up and binding.
The good news is that the blades can be resharpened, so that helps some. The saw is a hog, it will cut max depth with no problem.

DR Buck · December 20, 2019, 09:16:10 PM

I've been looking at the track saw option for a whiles as well. The depth of cut is what has held me up ..... and the Festool cost to get the required depth.

I would only use it for live edge stuff to relieve the issue with using a straight-edge clamp on the table saw or putting them back on the Wood-Mizer. I have a panel saw for sheet goods and that was by far one of the best shop tools I bought. Especially since I work alone almost all of the time.

Maybe next spring I get serious about the Festool TS-75 and the really high dollar track.

WDH · December 21, 2019, 07:29:19 AM

I bought two of the festool 75" tracks and put them together to straignt-edge 10' long slabs. Works fine. If I had known that the Makita track would work with the festool tracksaw, I would have gone that route, and I would prefer a single track, but I believe 118" is the longest track that Makita makes.

terrifictimbersllc · December 26, 2019, 08:01:05 AM

How do you secure the the track to the work?Does everyone use the festool clamps? It doesn't seem that they are sold with the saw and track package, only separately. Arent they essential?

YellowHammer · December 26, 2019, 08:19:08 AM

I spent a ton of money on clamps and all kinds of accessories. None needed. Find a big flat table and put down the piece of two inch piece of foam board. Then put the board on the foam. The weight of the board will hold itself to the foam especially if its a 2 inch slab. So no slipping.

Then just place the fence on top of the board, either rough sawn or planed, and the fence has some real soft rubber backing that itself grabs the board and keeps the fence from slipping during cuts.

Put the saw on the track, and its weight pushes the fence down even more, zero slip, zero hassle, zero clamps. Its magic. :D

WDH · December 26, 2019, 09:56:57 AM

Yep, I have the clamps and have never used them once.

Nebraska · December 26, 2019, 10:42:06 AM

I had to chuckle a little, I just sat down with a cup and thought I would look this thread up again. Here it is right on top. I have a little christmas money burning a hole in my pocket. So I 'm stewing on a purchase, so the bigger Festool has the nod from the group?? I'm not sure how much I will need it vs justifying the price of the festool. Yellow hammer's picture of the saw in use pretty much tells me to just suck it up and do it. Oh yeah and while I'm at it, I also need a jointer, three or so good work tables, and well about a 40x 60 heated shop.

Oh yeah and my third electrical phase reattached at the pole if I'm gonna dream.

Brad_bb · December 27, 2019, 12:01:21 AM

@Nebraska , well you just have to prioritize. I have not purchased the festool vacuum yet. I see though that they have improved from their original design by putting the cord in the vacuum hose so it's one thing to deal with instead of the hose and the cord. Don't take my word on this though. I only heard this. I'm not sure how they deal with the existing power cord. I better go watch some youtube videos on the vacuum. It also automatically switches the vacuum on and off when you turn the saw on and off I believe. It's a good thing. Good filtration I understand too.

One thing nice about the tracksaw is that you could do some quick edging after drying with it. It beats using the mill, or an edger, or worse yet a table saw. I'm using it to edge a bunch of barnwood for wall paneling. It will fit tight together this way. You could set up a regular circ saw to edge like shown in the following video, but it relies on you holding the saw to the straight edge, and it will move with any waves or surface defects on the board. The track of the tracksaw will keep the saw straight and consistent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkBsNvEHV30

EOTE · December 27, 2019, 12:19:39 AM

Quote from: mredden on December 20, 2019, 01:37:18 PMArrrrgh! Now, I want a track saw but - as a weekend warrior - I just can't justify the price of the Festool in my mind The DeWalt is tempting and I'm also considering Triton since I love their router so much. Since I mill at 9/4 and plane down with my router, I don't think I need the extra depth of cut.

I picked up the DeWalt Track Saw last year with the 5' and 8' tracks and a joiner bar and clamps. I use it mostly on my big admin edit tables to edge 12' boards. I absolutely love the thing. I tried the Festool at our local temple of tools but could not justify the price difference compared to DeWalt.

WDH · December 27, 2019, 07:56:18 AM

The Bosch Vac090A dust extractor works with the Festool tracksaw. It has filter auto-clean, and also comes on and off with the tool. It is 9 gallon.

The 6.9 gallon Festool is $200 more.

rastis · December 27, 2019, 01:39:09 PM

TS 75 is on the way. I have a couple of upcoming projects that this would be far easier for than trying to clamp a straight edge and use a circular saw. At least that's what I'm using for justification

Hooterspfld · January 01, 2020, 07:55:23 PM

I bought the Grizzly 6 1/4" track saw with an extension kit. For the money $350ish with the extension kit, it's been great. I made custom trim for all the door openings in the house. Was quoted $2500 to have it milled in poplar, bought the saw and made it out of MDF for about $400/plus $350 for the saw. Quality of the track and saw are good, but the blade is crap, bought a Freud blade for it right out of the gate. I made a few jigs out of scrap for what I was cutting and have no complaints, I'm able to replicate my cuts over and over. I also use the foam board trick! I ended up getting 2 clamp kits, that gave me 2 of the inserts to connect the track. Helps with the making sure your track stays square. (along with my jig) Depth of the cut is the only problem I've had with it. I think I I get just over 2 1/8"

alan gage · January 03, 2020, 04:08:42 PM

Gave the Festool its first real use last night. Needed more battens to finish some siding work so I plunked down some 10" planks, made some quick marks and started cutting with the long (118" Makita) track. It worked great on 9' boards and in no time had a pile of battens.

The adjustable exhaust port was nice but it's obvious that before I start straight-lining the big piles of lumber stacked in the shop I'll want some dust collection hooked up.

I'm using the more aggressive ripping blade and I could push it through faster than I would normally walk with a saw. That's through 1" spruce. The cut isn't as smooth as the blade that came with it but I'm looking for speed, not glue line rips.

The only thing I don't like about the saw is that it seems to be setup for lefties. I want to push the saw from right to left but it's setup to go from left to right. Last night I was able to stand on the back side of the pieces so that I could use my right hand but that wouldn't work for wider stuff or sheet goods. I'm sure it's something you get used to.

Alan

terrifictimbersllc · January 06, 2020, 08:26:37 AM

Anybody using blades other than the 36 tooth one that comes with the saw?

YellowHammer · January 06, 2020, 09:54:03 AM

I never use the stock blade, it's good for crosscut but not for ripping. I use the 16 tooth Panther ripping blade with much better 2" deep rips and easily resharpend. It will crosscut slabs fine, also. I've also used a couple other ripping blades, but keep going back to the Panther.

I also keep a couple screwdrivers stuck into the foam board. Whenever the wood starts to bind the saw, I'll jam a screwdriver in the kerf to jack it open. That's works really well.

alan gage · January 06, 2020, 10:15:39 AM

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on January 06, 2020, 08:26:37 AM
Anybody using blades other than the 36 tooth one that comes with the saw?

Like Yellowhammer I'm using the panther blade for ripping. Had to cut up some plywood over the weekend and left the panther blade in. It cut fine but definitely not as clean of an edge as the factory blade, but that didn't matter for this application.
Had a chance to use the saw quite a bit over the weekend. Had a bunch of 1.5" pine and cottonwood I needed to straight line. It certainly worked the saw harder than the 1x spruce did but it worked well. Very glad I bought it.
I did find myself tripping the breaker repeatedly when on the same circuit as the shop vac (dust collection). No problems when I switched circuits.
I bought an Oneida dust deputy to use in conjunction with the shop vac. I've always thought they were a bit over priced and that I should be able to rig something up for much less. Well I've been thinking that for 5 years and I still haven't taken the time to rig something else up for less so I just bought the Oneida as I needed something now. It works very well.
Alan

YellowHammer · January 06, 2020, 10:43:40 AM

Yes, this tracksaw will use every bit of a 20 amp breaker. During the summer, I had a fan blowing on me, and between the fan and the saw, I would pop the breaker a few times.

Another thing to do if the saw gets pinched is to use the plunge function and raise and lower the saw a few times and let the carbides chew the kerf wider than the saw plate. On a really bad board, I may have to walk the saw a few times to get through the bind.

tawilson · January 07, 2020, 02:10:06 PM

Quote from: alan gage on January 06, 2020, 10:15:39 AM
Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on January 06, 2020, 08:26:37 AM
Anybody using blades other than the 36 tooth one that comes with the saw?
Like Yellowhammer I'm using the panther blade for ripping. Had to cut up some plywood over the weekend and left the panther blade in. It cut fine but definitely not as clean of an edge as the factory blade, but that didn't matter for this application.
Had a chance to use the saw quite a bit over the weekend. Had a bunch of 1.5" pine and cottonwood I needed to straight line. It certainly worked the saw harder than the 1x spruce did but it worked well. Very glad I bought it.
I did find myself tripping the breaker repeatedly when on the same circuit as the shop vac (dust collection). No problems when I switched circuits.
I bought an Oneida dust deputy to use in conjunction with the shop vac. I've always thought they were a bit over priced and that I should be able to rig something up for much less. Well I've been thinking that for 5 years and I still haven't taken the time to rig something else up for less so I just bought the Oneida as I needed something now. It works very well.
Alan

I picked up a dust deputy too. Then when I saw how well it worked bought 3 more for other shop vacs I had around. I've put HEPA filters on the vacs and it has solved some of my dust control issues. Combined with the automatic vacuum switch makes me glad I got the 110v version of the Makita tracksaw. I keep one vac setup connected to my miter saw too.

oakiemac · January 14, 2020, 07:30:39 PM

I've had the ts-75 for about 4 years now and love it. I bought a device (not festool) that gives you a perfect edge when you connect two pieces of tract together and I do sometimes use the clamps when ripping long slabs. I've had the blade get pinched and then I have to pound a wedge in the kerf behind the saw to unpinch it. Did this once and the track moved so I know use the clamps but only needed on long rips. I also bought a square device that fits on the track and allows you to cut perfect square cuts. handy thing to have.

Brad_bb · January 14, 2020, 10:08:52 PM

Quote from: oakiemac on January 14, 2020, 07:30:39 PM
I've had the blade get pinched and then I have to pound a wedge in the kerf behind the saw to unpinch it.

It did this even though it has a riving knife?

terrifictimbersllc · January 14, 2020, 10:49:36 PM

Picked up a TS75 & track at a local hardware store last week. Got a fine tooth blade and 2 of the quick clamps online. Cut up 2 sheets of 3/4 maple plywood so far. Slid them off the tailgate of truck onto sawhorses and used oak stickers and a furring strip under them. After trimming the splinter guards used the 75" and 55" tracks to cut out a 25 x 56 " piece from each one, where I completed the last inch of these cuts with my Fein oscillating saw. Several more cuts easily transformed the rest of the sheets into pieces that went into the shop and were finished on the table saw.

The track saw cuts all made finished edges on cabinet parts. Maybe can't get to 1/64" but within 1/32 is easy. No more strategies depending on preserving the factory edges, cutting oversize with a circular or saber saw, all the cut edges are just as good as the factory ones. Didnt have to get my wife to help me on either end of the table saw pushing through a full sheet, either.

Sure changes the equation. This thread was expensive.

YellowHammer · January 14, 2020, 10:53:29 PM

The riving knife isn't as thick as the plate of the the saw blade. I have had some thick and stressed live edge slabs try to stall the tracksaw, but the TS75 has a built in clutch to keep from burning the motor.

However, there are a couple low impact techniques for sawing stressed wood that is trying to pinch the saw. First is stick a couple narrow bladed screwdrivers into the foamboard, out of the way, about where you stick your marking pencils into the foam board for storage. When sawing a highly stressed slab, as the saw kerf starts to close, take one of the screwdrivers and gently push it into the kerf while still sawing. The screwdriver will stabilize the opening of the kerf so there is no binding. The fence won't move and just keep on sawing.

Another tip is to use the carbides to open up the kerf, just like a strobe saw on an edger. If the blade starts to bind, unplunge the saw, while it's running and plunge it back down. This is the beauty of it being a plunge cut saw. The as the carbides as raised and lowered back into the cut, they will scrape the wood off the side of the kerf and no more binding. It works great.

Also, never cut a cupped board or slab, especially, with the cup up like a bridge. As the saw cuts the board, the cup will try to collapse and will pinch the saw. So with the cup set upwards, like a smile, the cup will fall open and and release the saw kerf so there will not be any binding.

Paying attention to the cup direction is very important, especially on heavy and big slabs. I have stalled out my 15 hp SLR by ignoring the cup direction.

alan gage · January 15, 2020, 09:30:38 AM

I've been using my TS-75 steadily over the last week in preparing lumber to line the walls of my shop. After the rough sawn stock goes through the planer I use the track saw to straight line one edge and then it's back through the Woodmaster, now setup as a rip saw, to final size the boards. I also used the TS-75 to straight line both edges of the 1 1/2" boards that are now my loft floor. I've probably done 150-200 boards so far and it's working great. Last night I joined the 118" and 39" (Makita) tracks to do some longer material, which also worked well.

For a "table" I just lay some 2x10's across sawhorses and then top it with a piece of 1 1/2" foam I had laying around. I never would have believed the board would stick so well to the foam and that the track would stick so well to the board when cutting. I figured for sure that once the rubber bottom got coated with sawdust it wouldn't work anymore. But so far no problems.

I really debated about spending the extra money on the TS-75. I thought the extra weight might be a burden and questioned how often I'd actually need the deeper cut. So far I haven't needed the deeper cut but the weight hasn't been an issue and after hearing how hard the saw worked when ripping 1" hickory and 1 1/2" cottonwood I'm very glad I got the more powerful saw. For sheet goods no doubt one of the smaller saws would be fine but I think the bigger TS-75 is more appropriate if you'll be doing a lot of solid lumber.

For dust collection I've been using an Oneida dust deputy and my shop vac. I'm amazed how well the dust deputy works. I've collected at least five 5 gallon buckets of sawdust so far with virtually none of it getting into the actual shop vac. As long as the saw blade is buried in the kerf virtually no dust escapes the saw either. It does get a little messy when shaving off a piece narrower than the blade since the sawdust can easily spill off to the side of the cut rather than being sucked up. I've plugged up the dust collection port on the saw a few times when the sawdust gets long and stringy.

Alan

alan gage · January 15, 2020, 10:03:47 AM

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 14, 2020, 10:53:29 PMthe TS75 has a built in clutch to keep from burning the motor.

Is that what causes the chattering noise (not a good description but best I can do) when the saw really starts to work? I was wondering last night if that noise was normal and I suppose a clutch might explain it.

Alan