Scrappydue Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Looking at tracks saws. Dewalt and makita both make models around 450-500. Festool seems to be the best money can buy at 750 with a track. Am I best to splurge and get me the best right off the bat. This will eventually be used for more than boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I can't speak for the Makita or Dewalt but the Festool is incredible for box building. If you spring for the vacuum, you're virtually dust free. I bought mine to build boxes but have used it multiple times for other projects. It's one of my favorite tools. No matter which brand you go with, be sure you have enough track to rip an 8' piece of ply. It normally involves buying another section of track and a couple joining clamps. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Track saws are great but if you're cutting full sheets or large panels a good table saw is essential. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Track saws are great but if you're cutting full sheets or large panels a good table saw is essential. I couldn't disagree more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Track saws are great but if you're cutting full sheets or large panels a good table saw is essential. I couldn't disagree more. Building cabinets 30+ years and never had a problem. Any good straightedge and circular saw can replace a tracksaw. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan611 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 No room for a table saw Steven? I recently bought a Bosch portable table saw, and it's matching stand. Luckily, it is almost the same height as the cut table I built for building my THT. I plan on retrofitting the cut table to fit the table saw, and getting straight edge clamps from JustClamps.com for longer cuts. However, if your set on the track saw I'd get the Festool. It was the best reviewed when I was researching track saws. Or, on just clamps there are clamps that basically turn any circular saw into a track saw of sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I also disagree if your making a lot of 8' cuts that have to be accurate. But one cut with a circular saw with fence guide is fine as long as the blade doesn't walk on you. JJK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Any good straightedge and circular saw can replace a tracksaw. I did that for years, there's no comparison to a track saw, especially if you need to plunge. You have cabinet building skills that most do not. A table saw that will rip 4x8 sheets of ply needs a large table and a way to keep the board flat from beginning to end of cut. I realize you know this, just making a point. You also have to wrestle the panel and be sure you don't cock it even slightly throughout the cut. For someone who is NOT a cabinet builder such as myself, the track saw is SO much easier. Lay the panel on some 2x4's clamp the guide and rip. There's nothing to figure out as far as subtracting for the saw and kerf. It's 0 tolerance to the pencil mark. Just split the pencil mark with the clear guide, clamp and rip. It's so much faster and more accurate than guides, at least for me it was. It will also rip a bevel the same way. No figuring, lay the guide and go. I always had hell with that when using guides. Again, an experienced wood might not but the track saw is light year ahead of any method I've ever used. The place I bought it told me that a lot of cabinet makers cut way back on their table saw use once they got a good track saw. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paducah Home Theater Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 (edited) Any good straightedge and circular saw can replace a tracksaw. Yeah, at least for the purpose of box building, but it takes forever comparatively. Track saws are much faster and don't let you screw up. But generally speaking, this is exactly right. As for a table saw for a full sheet of plywood, that's kind of a ridiculous chore to even think of doing by yourself especially with a smallish consumer grade table saw. It's awkward even with two people. There is a very large custom wood shop here in town with multiple full time people and they won't even try that on full sheets, they have large floor mounted panel saws for this purpose, they're big enough that an entire sheet will fit on top and one person can easily operate them. They even kinda look like a big table saw but technically they're not. Edited September 18, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Track saws are great and i have nothing against them, i just learned things the old school way and feel comfortable with it so most of my work is done that way. If i had the room for a panel saw it would be a great option but there is just no way to fit it in my garage/shop as good ones are huge. If the track saw works best for you then by all means use it. Different strokes for different folks. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minermark Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Track saws are great but if you're cutting full sheets or large panels a good table saw is essential. I couldn't disagree more. Building cabinets 30+ years and never had a problem. Any good straightedge and circular saw can replace a tracksaw. You Both are correct, iv built full tables and god knows pushed a few sheets through by my self, Friggin nightmare and im talkin a 5Hp FULL table. If you have limited room such as CeC, Track saws are my Fav now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 (edited) Looking at tracks saws. Dewalt and makita both make models around 450-500. Festool seems to be the best money can buy at 750 with a track. Am I best to splurge and get me the best right off the bat. This will eventually be used for more than boxes. It sounds like you have some small plans for the drivers soon to arrive. I think I smell some ported sub, lol. Edited September 18, 2015 by derrickdj1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalcomfort Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 A hand saw with a good 4ft homemade jig works great. All I have ever used on big panels when I build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 We lost scrappy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Looking at tracks saws. Dewalt and makita both make models around 450-500. Festool seems to be the best money can buy at 750 with a track. Am I best to splurge and get me the best right off the bat. This will eventually be used for more than boxes. It sounds like you have some small plans for the drivers soon to arrive. I think I smell some ported sub, lol. no room for ported. Will build four indentical boxes to what I have now. And then two special boxes for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 We lost scrappy no I'm just super busy at work today. Not much time between jobs like usual. In fact I was gonna wait till tonight to even post but I figured it would get a good bit of conversation going before I got home. So my dad told me to save my money and get a worm drive and a straight edge. I however have already watched a bunch of videos and a track saw is the way I wanna go. Looks faster. Looks like less of a hassle. Looks like you can't mess a cut up once setup right. Plus I will only be using Mdf for sub boxes. So the dust collector will be nice. Not sure I will splurge on a festool vac if I go that way. Seems like a shop vac with the right attachment would work. Plus I don't have a shop vac perfect reason to Buy one lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 I can't speak for the Makita or Dewalt but the Festool is incredible for box building. If you spring for the vacuum, you're virtually dust free. I bought mine to build boxes but have used it multiple times for other projects. It's one of my favorite tools. No matter which brand you go with, be sure you have enough track to rip an 8' piece of ply. It normally involves buying another section of track and a couple joining clamps.sonyour vote is clearly to splurge. This will be my first saw purchase. And my one and only saw for now. My dad has any others saws I would need and can borrow from him but I hate borrowing all the time. Need some of my own things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Not sure I will splurge on a festool vac if I go that way. Seems like a shop vac with the right attachment would work. A shop vac will certainly work. The festool vac is nice because you plug the saw into the vac, not the wall. When you run the saw, the vac turns on. Get off the saw and the vac turns off. It also has hepa filters (NO dust back in the room) and is variable speed. I've also used it with my da sander on drywall and the on off function makes it really convenient. You might be able to get a power strip to function in a similar manner if you find one that senses a load. You're jumping right to the top of the sand pile with that saw. I worked my way up through several methods of panel cutting and REALLY appreciate the thought put into that tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paducah Home Theater Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 no room for ported. Yet you have room for ten 18's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 4 mini Marty's or 8 sealed. I'll take the sealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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