Table of Contents
Introduction
Suppose you’ve ever worked with wood, you’re probably familiar with track saws. A track saw is a power tool used to cut through wood. Whether you’re a DIY champ or a professional woodworker, a saw should be part of the power tools in your toolbox.
There are different types of saws, even though 2 out of them stand out. The track saw is also called a plunge saw, and it is used to make plunge cuts in your workpiece. A track saw is a very lightweight piece of equipment, it doesn’t require much effort to carry a track saw around, and it can be used to replace a circular saw and still do the job excellently. A track saw has a similar style to a circular saw, but instead of having an exposed blade that spins on its arbour, its edge is hidden within the machine which allows it make plunge cuts effortlessly.
How Does a Track Saw Work?
A track saw is quite similar to a table saw but a bit different in functionality and even appearance. The track saw is accompanied by a metal track that helps to stabilize the saw so that you can be sure of a firm placement.
To make a precise cut, you first have to position the rail across the material(wood). The track will show you the saw’s precise path through the wood, and its quite sticky base makes sure that it doesn’t slip and rides on the rail, creating an excellently straight cut. Also see; how to use a right angle drill what metals are saw blades made from
Key Differences Between a Track Saw and a Circulaw Saw
You may be wondering why you should get a track saw over a circular saw despite the affordability of the circular saw, well here are a few differences between a track saw and a circular saw;
- cut types
- flexibility and portability
- cut types
CUT TYPES; a unique difference between the circular saw and the track saw rests on their performance at different cutting capacity. A track saw can execute cross cuts, intricate angled cuts and rip cuts too. On the other hand, the circular saw can mostly achieve two cuts, crosscuts and rip cuts. The track saw can perform as a circular saw and even better.
FLEXIBILITY AND PORTABILITY; A track saw is lightweight because it is designed to carry on hand quickly, while the circular saw is heavier, and cant be carried in hand, it also requires to be clamped down before use unlike the track saw. The circular saw is not as portable as the track saw, which makes the track saw enjoy more flexibility when in work mode.
STRUCTURE; Another significant difference between the two saws is in their formation. The track saw is accompanied by a rail on which the blade works and also has a dust collecting option while the circular doesn’t have this feature.
A track saw is an upgraded version of the circular saw. It has a long rectangular track, which is where it gets its name, it is also handheld and gives very accurate cuts.
Uses of a Track Saw
- A track saw can be used to provide mobility and easy use with accurate cutting.
- A track saw is used to cut through wood, drywall, hardboard and so on
- It is used to make very accurate cuts in a straight line.
- It is used for laying wood flooring
- It is used to cut down large boards into smaller sections.
- A track saw is capable of making long rip cuts, angular cuts and crosscuts accurately.
Benefits of a Track Saw
The principal use of a track saw is it gives the most accurate cuts, in a straight line. Although it has an impressive list of benefits, which you’ll find out soon. Below are some of these benefits;
CUTTING LARGE BOARDS
A track saw is excellent at cutting large wooden boards. Using a circular saw, it’ll be a challenging task to cut large pieces of wood with superior accuracy, which can be easily achieved with a track saw. It makes clean cuts without tear and any visible chipping, the track saw is a worthy investment, for deriving high-quality outcome, All you have to do is line up the edge of your track to know precisely where the blade will cut, and this saves a reasonable amount of time.
DUST COLLECTION FEATURE
Cutting through drywall or wood, in general, can get very messy and dusty, but with the track saw, you have no worries. Once you fasten up a vacuum hose to the dust end, you can enjoy a clean, debris-free workplace.
CONVENIENT USE
A track saw is as accurate as the table saw but even more convenient to move around its lighter, and even more compact. It doesn’t use up as much space either; it is very safe and provides extra portability. It has a metal track attached to it, so you simply have to put the metal track on the marked spot and begin cutting.
Is a Track Saw Worth The Money?
You may be wondering if a track saw is worth the money. Tracks saws are quite versatile tools, easy to handle and lightweight. At first sight, it may look quite similar to regular circular saws but cost more. A track saw can make exact cuts, has a track that helps you make accurate cuts on a straight line and works with more speed and efficiency.
Also, you can expect a neat working area with the vacuum/dust collection feature of the track saw, so yes, the track saw is worth the money and will give you excellent results.
Conclusion
If you are looking out for high quality, accuracy, portability and power, the track saw is the right choice, and it will make your woodwork easier with very neat plunge cuts too, it has a lot of advantages, and that makes it wise to consider adding a track saw to your toolbox.