[Closed] Circular saw options

Track Saw.
Pretty much made for what you describe.

Fantastic for cutting ply.

You can actually cut pretty thick timber too with the right blade. I've cut 2'' Oak with mine, in steps of course.

They're very versatile, much safer and can produce far finer and more accurate work than a trad circular saw.
Game changers.

Festool* FTW

More seriously, yes a track saw of some description. Brilliant bits of kit and very very versatile.

*I say that as a newby that has a long term loan of a Festool. If the owner ever gets it back, I'll be dead and he'll need a crowbar to loosen my grip 😆

And the seemingly obligatory Peter Millard YouTube video looking at the Middle of Lidl option

Unless you need to lift floorboards
Then a circular saw is handy. You can set it shallow and at 45 to scarf the joints.
Those little ones are handy for roofers and tricky access cuts, but a multi tool will do the same, just slowly
Sliding mitre with guide bar may also worth a look for lump wood. But for 12mm sheet ply track saw is the best, circular saw with a clamp on some 2x1 as a guide will do the job, get a 40t blade

The bigger saw will be much easier to keep straight. Of the two I'd go for that for the cutting you mention. I'd also echo the above that a track saw will be the perfect tool. The budget track saws are pretty good now so you don't need a festool. Love my track saw, it's a significant step up from just a circular saw. Makes cutting simpler, quicker, safer and more accurate.

need some plywood cut (12mm~) with nice straight cuts.

^Track saw, definitely.

(My Lidl one has been absolutely awesome, but if you can't get one, the Triton ones are also OK, but (usually) a bit dearer).

I second the track/plunge saw. The budget ones are fine, just some quirks about rail compatibility but if you're just using with the supplied rail, not a problem.

Spent years with a circular saw measuring offsets and clamping on guides, being able to just plonk a rail down exactly where you want to cut, and it stays put while you do it, saves a huge amount of time. If you need square cuts (cabinets, etc) then a cheap MFT style top and some dogs makes that super easy for another £50 or so.

If it's just a one off job, either borrow one or get the cheapest circular saw and make a cutting guide (we woodworkers call it a fence) out of a couple of pieces of scrap. If you envisage doing more projects in future get the rail saw that stretches your budget by an acceptable amount.

Cheap track saw proper blade

I've been putting in some kitchen units over the last few days & have borrowed a circular saw.

Getting straight cuts was a concern, but I just ended up clamping my large spirit level to the piece of wood with a couple of quick clamp things.
Obviously you need to measure the distance of the blade from the edge of the footplate to offset the guide.

Depending on how frequently you expect to be using it & how large the cuts are you will be making, this might be a suitable alternative.

Track saw is a fab tool...
I got a screwfix one - 1.4m of track (bought more in teh end) and it's great.
Watch the youtube videos on HOW TO SET IT UP AND MAKE THE FIRST CUT... i didn't, and messed up my first track!

Can use it for LOADS of projects.

DrP

I've just taken receipt of one of these:
HYCHIKA Saw

Seems to look good, although I haven't used it yet as my materials haven't arrived.

The one thing I'll say as a warning if you do buy a Track Saw. Is that it wont end with the Track Saw.

E.g. I've just received and tested my new dust extractor....

And am busily eyeing up a random orbital sander with suitable dust ports.

I've just realised, I've got so many plans underway I can no longer remember why i got this track saw in the first place.

Screefix sell a titan hoover with a pto you can plug your rsil saw into
When ypu saw it sucks, when you stop, it stops.

Another vote for tracksaw. I got a cheap McAllister one from Screwfix last year.

Really good for ripping sheet material. Even used it to create a bevelled edge on some oak worktops, as I don't have a router. Did a surprisingly good job.

I've just got a circular saw like the OP shows to go along with my Mitre saw. Can you get a universal track saw rail to adapt to a standard circular saw ? - Otherwise I'll use some timber clamped to anything I want to cut as a guide.

Jigsaws aren't great at straight cuts.

fossy

I’ve just got a circular saw like the OP shows to go along with my Mitre saw. Can you get a universal track saw rail to adapt to a standard circular saw ? – Otherwise I’ll use some timber clamped to anything I want to cut as a guide.

Kreg do a couple of options - a Rip-Cut saw guide & an Accu-Cut rail.

Rip_Cut

Accu-Cut

I’ve got one of the compacts and have used it in the past with 12mm ply, was a pain after the first couple, switched to the full size, mainly due to the compact blade starting to melt 😂

The compacts great for what it’s good at, in situ awkward stuff, but for bigger, more precise stuff, it’s not that good.

As others say, get a decent blade as well, lots of stuff come with cheap or jack of all trade blades as standard, a decent one will make the job easier

Occasional use ? A Makita 5402NA should have you sorted no matter WTF you want to cut 😆

400mm blade. About 160mm depth of cut.

Can you get a universal track saw rail to adapt to a standard circular saw ? – Otherwise I’ll use some timber clamped to anything I want to cut as a guide.

You can make a ‘poor man’s’ version by fastening a straight batten to a matching strip of ply then ripping the edge off with the saw against the batten. Saves measuring the blade offset every time.

I used to be one of those people who said it was every bit as good as the real thing. But it isn’t.

I'm no pro, and it's occasional use, as was the Mitre saw.... Said Mitre saw got 'loaned out' by my son for 6 months - I was not happy as you find uses for these things when it's not there... y tools are there to be used when I need them, going into the garage and finding them missing, and a 'mate' can't be arsed to return them..... grrrr.

I stopped lending out tools when my neice returned my tile cutter blade burnt out, despite me saying change the water every couple of cuts... Then my son gives them away.....

And am busily eyeing up a random orbital sander with suitable dust ports.

Festool Rotek are just amazing - very fast at removing material, superb finish and the dust extraction is almost 100% on a flat surface.

You can make a ‘poor man’s’ version by fastening a straight batten to a matching strip of ply then ripping the edge off with the saw against the batten. Saves measuring the blade offset every time.

I used to be one of those people who said it was every bit as good as the real thing. But it isn’t.

I started off like that, then bough a cheapish Bosch track saw - night and day difference! Perfect cuts every time, really quick to set up the track - cuts exactly where you expect etc.

I have a Makita LXT 5” cordless - brilliant little saw and very versatile. I’ve also got a 10” mains saw that previously spent most of it’s life fixed to a saw bench. It’s pretty scary on it’s own, everything needs to be clamped down firmly and you need 2 hands on it at all times.

And am busily eyeing up a random orbital sander with suitable dust ports.

From what you've told us so far, is this in a shop or your mates garage 😉 😆

A track saw sounds ideal dor the job if you can get one in budget.

I’ve got both a normal circular saw and one of those little plunge saws. The normal circular saw scares me more than my petrol chainsaw tbh - it’s got a bit of a kick and I don’t like it at all.

The little plunge saw however, is brilliant. If you could make a guide rail somehow for that it would rip through 12mm ply no problem. Mine is a Worx one I think. Still got to pay it a healthy respect but it’s much nicer to handle than the big saw.

I have pretty much the cheapest tracksaw I could find, a Silverline 624327- cost me £85 including the rails. I can't compare it to any of the more expensive tools but it's done brilliantly, I absolutely love it. Only concern is that I don't know for sure what other rails it can be used with- think it's Festool compatible but I'm not 100%. It does come with 2 700mms.

If you want to try those mini-saws I have the exact Erbauer you linked. It's fine, but I found it hard to get a really good straight line even with a guide. I was going to stick it on ebay but I could do a STW rate just for an easy sale if you want it. But I replaced it with the tracksaw and so that ought to tell a story 😉

Well, the opinion is track saw, but I think that's a bit over the top for what I'm doing.

From watching various videos, I think a cheap full size, with the proper blade for the job will do the trick. Along with some timber to aid alignment along the cuts.

TBH, I'd love to know why using a jigsaw is causing me such bother. Many instruction videos on YT show love neat and clean, straight and vertical cuts. I have a good Ryobi, all solidly built. Even when cutting slowly and being a careful as possible, the cuts I get are straight, or vertical, but never both.

I had one of those Kreg accu-cut jobbies for turning your regular circular saw into a tracksaw.

It was ok..... but it was a bit fiddly and awkward to use. These are not good atributes in the context of a running circular saw! You are better off putting the money into a cheap tracksaw IMO. I sold the kreg thing on gumtree and bought the Makita - 300x better (approximately).

in my opinion, if you are buying a tool anyway - you should get the right one for the job that you are doing - even if that means spending a little more. Same goes for those mini circular saws: fair enough if you have a specific use-case, but too often have I bought something like that, only to go and buy the proper full size version soon after.

From what you’ve told us so far, is this in a shop or your mates garage 😉 😆

A) Shipping Container territory not garage
B) I already have his Sander (well, one of them, hes one of lifes horders and a retired builder), it's just not very good and has no dust port 🙃

I'm a bit stuffed really, I've read enough about "dust" now to worry about what it could do to the dog, let alone me. So anything that's going to make a lot if it needs extraction.

TBH, I’d love to know why using a jigsaw is causing me such bother.

It's just the wrong tool for a long straight cut. Narrow blades makes it easy to turn, whether you want it to or not.

Evolution do a circular saw that comes with rails which is not particularly expensive. Challenge would be finding a straight bit of timber to use as a guide otherwise. Also the High tooth count blades to get a nice finish aren't cheap, so circular saw + plus blade + straight edge and you'll be into track saw money.

I'd go track saw as well.

I bought a cheap Bosch circular saw from Gumtree a few months back, I only wanted something cheap to do a job and then I was going to sell it on or chuck it as I didn't want power tools like this in the house with my young lads around, but I wish I'd picked up a track saw instead/as well, just loads more accurate, especially now as I need to cut down 3 sheets of 2.4m 25mm ply...it'll be a poor man's fence for me.

Picked up a S/H Titan mitre saw on the weekend, once used it's going in the loft with the fuse taken out of the plug and the blade removed, so it stays out of harm's way.

Even when cutting slowly and being a careful as possible, the cuts I get are straight, or vertical, but never both.

Narrow flexible blade only fixed at one end that will get hot and more flexible as you cut long runs combined with a much smaller base than a circular saw or tracksaw.

TBH, I’d love to know why using a jigsaw is causing me such bother. Many instruction videos on YT show love neat and clean, straight and vertical cuts.

Good, sharp blades help (I rate the Bosch ones) but it’s still not a given.
Make sure that the blade is appropriate for the material too.

I think you’d be wasting money on a circular saw - a cheap track saw is not much more expensive than the circular saw in your first post.

I was going to sell it on or chuck it as I didn’t want power tools like this in the house with my young lads around

Blimey!
Take the fuse out if you're that worried!
(Do you not have knives and forks either?)
😉

TBH, I’d love to know why using a jigsaw is causing me such bother.

I've tried a Jigsaw against a metal straight edge, even with a decent Bosch jigsaw it was impossible to keep it flush with the edge and the blade wanders a bit. Wrong tool for the job. For long straight cuts a track saw is the best tool.

I think a jigsaw actually cuts worse if you try to run it along an edge. Slow and steady freehand, following a line seems to give the best results. As mentioned before, you need the right blade. Its still miles from a circular saw in terms of ease and finish but I have had some pretty good results (usually when rough cutting before routing the edge, then I get a perfect edge 🙄 )

I think a jigsaw actually cuts worse if you try to run it along an edge.

You are probably right, with freehand you're continually correcting it, whereas pushing along an edge once you realise it has started wandering its too late to correct and you have to arc back to the line, so you get a long wandering edge.

If I was buying afresh I'd go with a traksaw. Whatever is within budget

I have a makita circular saw and I use it quite a lot, although most recently it's used for chopping up old pallets

Don’t discount a bench saw. I’ve just given away an Aldi workzone bench. It had good side and front rear extensions with dust extraction. An easy to use fence too. Slightly noisy but the ability to cut thin strips was brilliant, used many, many times with lots of different wood thicknesses. Only got rid as it took up a lot of room and was awkward to carry up the garden. Replaced with an Evolution folder.
Hope this helps.

Don’t discount a bench saw.

OK for small material but if you try and feed an 8x4' sheet of ply into a small one, you'll just move the fence as you have 8' of leverage in your hands.

Obs if you have a full size table saw that can take a full sheet, then it's a different matter. I have a small DeWalk thing and I quite often run everything through twice as the fence clamp isn't strong enough and it often moves a few mm when I run larger stuff through it. I then run everything back through it to trim to the final size.

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I would get something like this as a minimum.

If not, then a tracksaw really is the best option for diy folks.
Absolutely brilliant and versatile machines that'll bring accuracy and relative safety to whatever you need to do.

You can cut panels on these small site saws but it's a pita, you'll rarely get a straight cut, plus your only straight reference edge is the crappy factory one that's knocked around a builders yard.
You'll also tend to get significant breakout across the grain.

A track saw gets around all this. You can get a quick and really nice reference edge, then crack on.

We've got a decent sized panel saw in our workshop as I do it for a living. However,I still break panels down with my tracksaw.
It's so much easier than man-handling an 8x4.

I'm cutting up shed loads of mdf today as it happens.
All cut to width with a tracksaw, to length with the panel saw.

I’ve cut plenty of 8 x 4 sheets without any problems using the workzone model. It has a really good table size. Use an assistant if necessary.
I’ll post when I’ve used the Evolution model.

Another one with a track saw here, but I managed to buy a broken Festool TS55 on ebay for £50 (It had been dropped) and then bought spares (£30). Works a treat.
It has caused me to then buy a fair few more Festool items (all listed as for repair):
extra rails
extractor
jigsaw
router
I may have a problem....

i wish i had bought a track saw when i bought my circular.

Dont get me wrong, circular is fantastic, and with a bit of care and a straight edge you can get some neat cuts, but they are different tools for different jobs.

Circular saw is for framing, and cutting up 2x4s for studwork.
for doing precise, straight cuts it has to be the track saw.

Having said that, you cant really use a track saw for rougher work as you will quite likely scuff up the base or bend the track, so you actually need both.

Mains track saw.
Battery circular saw.

TBH, I’d love to know why using a jigsaw is causing me such bother.

cause they are crap! Jigsaws are quite a niche tool that is sold as a do it all tool. As soon as the blade starts to wander off centre, (and therefore bevels the cut on anything with any thickness) it self perpetuates and gets worse and worse.
The blade is rarely acutally parallell to the shoe, my dewalt jigsaw has a clever quick release, that holds the blade at about 2 or 3 degrees to the shoe, its awful.
Since i got the circ and the track saw i very very rarely get the jigsaw out.

A track saw gets around all this. You can get a quick and really nice reference edge, then crack on.

Track saws are very good, but mainly for board material, and theres a number of jobs it cant really do.

Yes it can cut solid timber, but its not the thing for repeatable cuts, ripping a board into identically width strips.

I'm thinking of selling my sawbench in favour of a RP Sabre 350 bandsaw and Festool plunge saw. But theres some jobs i will still need a sawbench for.. Namely I've some Dentil to make for a mantelpiece, and cant do that easily on a tracksaw, i will need a sawbench and crosscut sledge.

I would get something like this as a minimum.

Nah, no motorized fence 😆 If you're going to spend £9-11K, must have a motorized fence.

but its not the thing for repeatable cuts, ripping a board into identically width strips.

Cross cut jig?

but its not the thing for repeatable cuts, ripping a board into identically width strips.

Eh!? With the right attachment it's the perfect tool for that.

Well not really Nick, because you have to set the track each time for each cut.You're making the cut, then measuring for the next, and so on and so forth.

This is the job for a sawbench. Its always been the job for a sawbench,and why they were invented. Same job on a track saw is going to take 10x longer.

IMHO For seadog, a circular saw over a tracksaw would be the better option. He can build a table and mount the saw in it should he need it for that.  Which would be much cheaper for him. More versatile.

because you have to set the track each time for each cut.You’re making the cut, then measuring for the next, and so on and so forth.

If it's the same size cut then you don't need to measure each time. Just set the parallel guide once and cut away. No need to move the timber. Much easier if you are working with big sheets in a small space. Usually faster too.

I think I said this in the big tracksaw thread but, the reason I'm so in love with mine isn't that it does anything I couldn't have done with my old circular and some clamps and a bit of wood etc. It's that I do things I wouldn't have done that way. It makes every job you use it for so much quicker and easier that it basically makes pain-in-the-arses easy and enjoyable, and too-long-to-bother jobs quick. So it's a much bigger enabler than it seems.

(also, I'm a "think it out while working" sort of a diy'er and again, the speed of setup etc suits the way my brain works much better, and allows things like doing multiple cuts to size things down to fit, lots of nice bodgey tricks. Being able to turn ideas into cuts so quickly is great. Obviously also massively increases the speed you can **** up!)

I would get something like this as a minimum.

****STEALTH AD I'm selling one very much like that if anyones in the market for one - a Minimax with a 3m sliding bed 🙂 /STEALTH AD*****

Footflaps - the fence on that dewalt of yours might need a service / fettle/ adjust - I've got the same one and the fence is by far the best thing about them - so quick and reliable to set and use - I've had a dozen folk working with me over the past 20 months and collectively we've pushed somewhere in the region of a £1/4million worth of timber and plywood through it and the fence doesn't budge.

I think I said this in the big tracksaw thread

This is nothing 😆 Im on a woodworking forum, and the tracksaw fanboi tantrums* on there if you so much as even state a downside is argument city 😆

*Not here, just chit chat

Yes, same as you would use on a circular saw. Though the circular saw also has the added benefit of a deeper cutting depth and is more suitable for self built sawbenches.

A decent tracksaw isnt cheap, but a good quality circular saw is by comparison far cheaper. Problem is unless its a pro saw, theres too many low end track saws jumping on the bandwagon, you arent really getting something thats versatile, plus of good enough quality.

Cheap saws are cheap because they lack the real benefits of a good quality tracksaw, so its designed for the diyer, not really suitable for the job.

I would say, for the average diyer(which im guessing Seadog is), a circular saw is going to be the better bet.

Im not bias. Ive got all the kit anyway. But i will recognize the limitations because ive used everything from professional panel saws, big rip, moulders etc etc. Im just thinking whats best rather than whats popular.

I'm mainly looking at what can be done with a circular saw, its benefits, how you can set it up for a bench, its increased depth of cut, its safety features(ie plunge saws dont have riving knives)

ie plunge saws dont have riving knives

Some don't, some do, just like circular saws.

**STEALTH AD I’m selling one very much like that if anyones in the market for one – a Minimax with a 3m sliding bed

Oh man, wish I had the space...Oh yeah, and the money.. 😂

ie plunge saws dont have riving knives

Some don’t, some do, just like circular saws

True dat. My Makita circ saw doesn't have a knife.

Track saws are very good, but mainly for board material, and theres a number of jobs it cant really do.

Yes it can cut solid timber, but its not the thing for repeatable cuts, ripping a board into identically width strips.

Yes I agree they're not designed for sawn solid timber, but the op mentioned plywood. You can crosscut ply with a circular saw but you'll likely get horrendous breakout. Not with a tracksaw.

I was making repeatable cuts today, using parallel guides. Very good.

I think as Northwind alludes to, when you're used to doing diy stuff with circular saws against a bowed 2x4 or a jigsaw that bends and wanders, a tracksaw and the ease of getting great quality, accurate cuts, is a complete revelation. 😊

Low end, cheaper track saws really do not lack that much in features compared with the pro saws , its all about the track.. and I think they are all much safer than traditional circular saws, I have had a few and still have some from the original festo/festool atf55
the Mafell 55 , Parkside(Lidl) and Makita corded, and the last but one Festool TS55, they all do the job , riving knives are far from universal regardless of cost, anti kickback implemented in various ways or not.
Enclosing the blade and having it inside a sprung enclosure keeps it out of the way and allows dust extraction, the more predictable sliding in the track feeling allows you to judge the cutting speed and pressure based on the material being cut without the lottery of surface finish and bias of following a diy guide.
Traditional saws do have larger capacities but it does really depend on how much 40mm plus work is planned and what cannot be done with a handsaw or mitre saw. The big old Dewalt one I have will actually run on a Festool track , I think its about 35 years old, a band saw is the tool if capacity is needed for larger section timber , but this a bit off topic for the occasional DIY
Table saws are for the dedicated , they need respect.

So for the OP 12mm plywood - track saw , nice to have feature or technique
= scoring cut , probably worth investing 20 quid for a 40 tooth blade Freud are good value on ebay.
The table/bench/floor you work on is what will be quite important , a sacrificial material under your ply will help with clean cuts and support of the waste side to avoid split/tear/chip.

Oh man, wish I had the space…Oh yeah, and the money.. 😂

Dont worry about the money - take a zero off the price you'd expect to pay! - can't help with the space though 🙂

but its not the thing for repeatable cuts, ripping a board into identically width strips.

a pair of combi squares and youre laughing. Use the square to push the track back each time. (take into account your blade width when you set the square)

Or just buy a circular saw that is compatible with a guide rail, then you can use either as a standalone saw, or as a tracksaw. I've got a bosch 18v saw with their guide rail, it's spot on.

Thread drift

Are more expensive(ish) combi squares worth having?

Are more expensive(ish) combi squares worth having?

Yes. Try to get a cast iron one. But tbh they're not hugely expensive,and 30 quid will see you ok.

I have a few combi squares. The Bahco and Axminster ones are fine but no more accurate than the ancient ones in my toolbox. What I find essential is one that is imperial only. None of those pesky inches which are always on the wrong side when you want to set to a length. I have a few, 150mm and 300mm. The way to test if it's square is to scribe a line on a known straight piece of wood, flip it over and scribe another next to it. If they're not parallel - bin it.

For short, square cuts with a circular saw, I use a speed square, really handy bit of kit. I use it a fair bit. Effectively gives me a square guide

I have a metric swanson one but they're all pretty similar