While these saws aren’t a cheap investment, I’ll argue they’re your best solution for sheet goods, and they’ll cut lumber and other materials, too, with the correct blade. VIDEO: Why You Need a Track Sawįive years ago, when I tested track saws last, there were only three contenders, but the category has grown to six options now for the U.S. And in truth, the cutting results are every bit on par with my cabinet saw. I use my track saw almost exclusively for sizing down expensive and cumbersome sheet goods, because it’s easier to feed over 4x8s instead of wrestling the sheets across my table saw. Most of the motors on these saws have soft start, variable speed and electronic feedback circuitry like a good router, and a dust port on the blade guard whisks away debris before it has a chance to escape. It reduces the incidence of lifted fibers or chipping where an ordinary circular saw could leave a ragged mess. The edge or edges of the rail also have a pliable sacrificial strip that supports the workpiece where the blade teeth exit on the top side. A track saw’s base fits over the channel of an aluminum guide rail and follows it for making laser-straight cuts. It enables these saws to either plunge into a surface - a great thing for flooring contractors or remodelers - or be fed into the edge of workpieces conventionally.īut for us woodworkers, there are other advantages. Their blades retract into a shrouded guard until you thumb a release lever and pivot the motor assembly down to begin cutting. Track saws may look similar to a circular saw you can buy for a fraction of the price, but that’s where the common ground ends. Which of these six saws edges out the rest for top honors in our test? Track saws are ideal for slicing up sheet materials cleanly and accurately, and they’ll cut lumber and other materials, too.

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