This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

On 3/9/2018 11:45 PM, Michael wrote:
This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179



FWIW the tracks on all of the brands are relatively thin around, IIRC
5mm. and the longer they are the more flippy they feel. To rip a
standard piece of plywood length wise you need greater than 8 feet. The
saw needs to plunge before you push into the wood. I have a 75" and a
55" track that I use together for this purpose. I am very careful with
the unit when both are in that configuration. So the flimsy feel may
just be an inherent trait that new users need to get used to dealing with.

The under powered thing may also be a perception of being under powered.
The Makita saw is variable speed. If it's anything like the Festool saw
it too sounds under powered. The Festool as well as perhaps the Makita
monitors blade speed and constantly adjusts and you can hear that going on.

Keep in mind also that you are looking at a relatively small circular
saw. Many may be expecting too much out of it.

I guess the question is are the users unfamiliar with the saw's
characteristics or are the claims legit. If legit I would keep looking.

Are you looking at new? What is the return policy. Some brand track
saws give you a 30 money back guarantee.

On Fri, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 -0800 (PST), Michael
wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

I briefly looked at that saw before I bought my Festering saw. The
price difference wasn't enough to steer me away from the Festool and
the Festool had a lot more compatible tools, accessories, and tracks,
for their saw. The decision wasn't difficult. SWMBO probably wishes
I'd bought the Makita. ;-)

On Friday, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I
might be able to get a good deal

no experience with the saw but experience with shills giving bad
reviews to the competition


the whole track saw thing just seems like a solution to an operator
problem or lack of skill with a circular saw

which is ok as it is a real problem but with practice and a worm
drive or hypoid clean straight cuts are possible with practice

and you can always get a clamping straight edge and save yourself
money and not need another piece of equipment

On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 11:45:14 PM UTC-6, Michael wrote:
This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

The same Festool combination is $590, with the 55" guide rail. Festool has 10 amps while this Makita has 12 amps. So I'd be skeptical of any power comparisons. My Festool is plenty strong and good for cutting through 3/4" plywood and other thin hardwood. Have not tried it on 2+" hardwood, maximum depth. So its good and strong and works perfectly well for me. Your link shows $409 price for the Makita setup. For a $181 difference, I'm not sure I would "risk" going with the less well known Makita, that may or may not work with other Festool tools. But if your price is quite a bit less than the stated $409 price, then I'd probably give it a go.

On Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 10:35:40 AM UTC-6, wrote:
On Fri, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 -0800 (PST), Michael
wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

I briefly looked at that saw before I bought my Festering saw. The
price difference wasn't enough to steer me away from the Festool and
the Festool had a lot more compatible tools, accessories, and tracks,
for their saw. The decision wasn't difficult. SWMBO probably wishes
I'd bought the Makita. ;-)

Thanks Leon and Notreal. I wish it had the 8 feet track, and I see where that track is not cheap (almost 2 bills).

On 3/10/2018 1:21 PM, wrote:
On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 11:45:14 PM UTC-6, Michael wrote:
This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

The same Festool combination is $590, with the 55" guide rail. Festool has 10 amps while this Makita has 12 amps. So I'd be skeptical of any power comparisons. My Festool is plenty strong and good for cutting through 3/4" plywood and other thin hardwood. Have not tried it on 2+" hardwood, maximum depth. So its good and strong and works perfectly well for me. Your link shows $409 price for the Makita setup. For a $181 difference, I'm not sure I would "risk" going with the less well known Makita, that may or may not work with other Festool tools. But if your price is quite a bit less than the stated $409 price, then I'd probably give it a go.



Food for thought if considering the Festool set up. The TS 55 with a
55" track costs $690. $590 WITH OUT the track.

The larger TS 75 with a 75" track costs $820. That is $130 more than
the TS 55 with 55" track.

If you want to rip 8 foot long sheets of plywood you need to add a 75"
fence to the TS 55 combination or a 55" track to the TS 75 combination,
plus the two union bars to hold the tracks together.

The 55" track costs $145.00. The 75" track costs $225.00.

If you add the cost of the TS 55 combo plus the cost of the 75" track
you have a total of $915 for both tracks and saw.

If you add the cost of the TS 75 combo plus the cost of the 55" track
you have a total of $965 for both tracks and saw.

Basically you need both tracks to cut 96". The Larger TS 75 is only $50
more expensive than the TS 55 with the same track configurations.

A few weeks ago I was plunge cutting through 4 stacks of 1/2" birch, 2"
thick, veneer 9 ply plywood to build the work bench saw horses. I did
this with my TS 75 and a section of track.

On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 10:05:16 -0800, Electric Comet
wrote:

On Friday, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I
might be able to get a good deal

no experience with the saw but experience with shills giving bad
reviews to the competition


the whole track saw thing just seems like a solution to an operator
problem or lack of skill with a circular saw

which is ok as it is a real problem but with practice and a worm
drive or hypoid clean straight cuts are possible with practice

and you can always get a clamping straight edge and save yourself
money and not need another piece of equipment

Stop giving advice. You're clueless.

On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 13:42:24 -0600, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 3/10/2018 1:21 PM, wrote:
On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 11:45:14 PM UTC-6, Michael wrote:
This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

The same Festool combination is $590, with the 55" guide rail. Festool has 10 amps while this Makita has 12 amps. So I'd be skeptical of any power comparisons. My Festool is plenty strong and good for cutting through 3/4" plywood and other thin hardwood. Have not tried it on 2+" hardwood, maximum depth. So its good and strong and works perfectly well for me. Your link shows $409 price for the Makita setup. For a $181 difference, I'm not sure I would "risk" going with the less well known Makita, that may or may not work with other Festool tools. But if your price is quite a bit less than the stated $409 price, then I'd probably give it a go.



Food for thought if considering the Festool set up. The TS 55 with a
55" track costs $690. $590 WITH OUT the track.

The larger TS 75 with a 75" track costs $820. That is $130 more than
the TS 55 with 55" track.

If you want to rip 8 foot long sheets of plywood you need to add a 75"
fence to the TS 55 combination or a 55" track to the TS 75 combination,
plus the two union bars to hold the tracks together.

The 55" track costs $145.00. The 75" track costs $225.00.

If you add the cost of the TS 55 combo plus the cost of the 75" track
you have a total of $915 for both tracks and saw.

If you add the cost of the TS 75 combo plus the cost of the 55" track
you have a total of $965 for both tracks and saw.

Basically you need both tracks to cut 96". The Larger TS 75 is only $50
more expensive than the TS 55 with the same track configurations.

A few weeks ago I was plunge cutting through 4 stacks of 1/2" birch, 2"
thick, veneer 9 ply plywood to build the work bench saw horses. I did
this with my TS 75 and a section of track.

If I were to buy now, I'd definitely buy the TS75. While the TS55 has
cut through everything I've wanted to cut, it does seem a little
underpowered. I'd rather have the newer imperial gauge, too, but it's
not worth $600 to get. ;-)

On 3/10/2018 3:46 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 10:05:16 -0800, Electric Comet
wrote:

On Friday, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I
might be able to get a good deal

no experience with the saw but experience with shills giving bad
reviews to the competition


the whole track saw thing just seems like a solution to an operator
problem or lack of skill with a circular saw

which is ok as it is a real problem but with practice and a worm
drive or hypoid clean straight cuts are possible with practice

and you can always get a clamping straight edge and save yourself
money and not need another piece of equipment

Stop giving advice. You're clueless.



It astounds me, those that give advice but build nothing.

On Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 1:42:42 PM UTC-6, Leon wrote:
On 3/10/2018 1:21 PM, wrote:
On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 11:45:14 PM UTC-6, Michael wrote:
This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I might be able to get a good deal on this model, but it sounds like the rails are flimsy and the saw is underpowered. Does anyone have any experience with this saw? Thanks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...00J1/204338179

The same Festool combination is $590, with the 55" guide rail. Festool has 10 amps while this Makita has 12 amps. So I'd be skeptical of any power comparisons. My Festool is plenty strong and good for cutting through 3/4" plywood and other thin hardwood. Have not tried it on 2+" hardwood, maximum depth. So its good and strong and works perfectly well for me. Your link shows $409 price for the Makita setup. For a $181 difference, I'm not sure I would "risk" going with the less well known Makita, that may or may not work with other Festool tools. But if your price is quite a bit less than the stated $409 price, then I'd probably give it a go.



Food for thought if considering the Festool set up. The TS 55 with a
55" track costs $690. $590 WITH OUT the track.


I misread the Festool website. It is $590 WITHOUT any rails. $690 with the short 55" rail. Good or bad, right or wrong, I have the 55", the short 30" rail, and the super duper great 3 meter rail for cutting full sheets of plywood. And the TS55 saw. Its big enough and works for cutting anything I want. But the TS75 big saw might be preferable if I envisioned cutting 8/4 maple or oak, ripping. For 2" deep rip cuts in hardwood, the extra power would be welcome over the smaller nimble TS55. But for my work the TS55 is superb. More than strong enough and easy to handle. Not too big like the stronger TS75.

There are similar conversations about the two Domino machines. Small, nimble, easy to handle 500 Domino (TS55), or big, heavy, unwieldy, but more versatile 700 Domino (TS75). Good AND bad with all of the choices.





The larger TS 75 with a 75" track costs $820. That is $130 more than
the TS 55 with 55" track.

If you want to rip 8 foot long sheets of plywood you need to add a 75"
fence to the TS 55 combination or a 55" track to the TS 75 combination,
plus the two union bars to hold the tracks together.

The 55" track costs $145.00. The 75" track costs $225.00.

If you add the cost of the TS 55 combo plus the cost of the 75" track
you have a total of $915 for both tracks and saw.

If you add the cost of the TS 75 combo plus the cost of the 55" track
you have a total of $965 for both tracks and saw.

Basically you need both tracks to cut 96". The Larger TS 75 is only $50
more expensive than the TS 55 with the same track configurations.

A few weeks ago I was plunge cutting through 4 stacks of 1/2" birch, 2"
thick, veneer 9 ply plywood to build the work bench saw horses. I did
this with my TS 75 and a section of track.

Electric Comet on Sat, 10 Mar 2018
10:05:16 -0800 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
On Friday, 9 Mar 2018 21:45:11 wrote:

This saw gets a lot of bad reviews on the Home Depot web site. I
might be able to get a good deal

no experience with the saw but experience with shills giving bad
reviews to the competition


the whole track saw thing just seems like a solution to an operator
problem or lack of skill with a circular saw

which is ok as it is a real problem but with practice and a worm
drive or hypoid clean straight cuts are possible with practice

I have said, of many skills, if I was doing this 30 to 40 hours a
week, I could learn it. I'm not, so who do I ask to learn this?

and you can always get a clamping straight edge and save yourself
money and not need another piece of equipment

Sounds smart too.
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?