Dust extraction and track-saws

[robgul]

I seem to get a massive amount of dust squirting out of my track saw - MDF is obviously worse than plywood . . . . OK it's a cheapie Screwfix saw and the dust extraction suction is from a Henry vacuum cleaner, through a cyclone and collecting box/bin . . . I've tried taping a hotel plastic keycard over the blade bolt hole (YouTube suggestion) but that makes little difference.

Am I missing a trick here? - or is just that the suction might be under-powered?

 

[bjm]

What's the bet that someone will be on soon to tell you you should have bought a Festool??

 

[Eric Roy]

With a Nilfisk Aero directly attached to my Dewalt track saw, I am getting better than 95% dust collection. Have you tried the Henry without the cyclone?

 

[shed9]

Henry hoovers are fairly decent, you can actually buy HEPA filters for them.

What diameter size hose is it?

 

[artie]

What's the bet that someone will be on soon to tell you you should have bought a Festool??

Na stick to Lidl
Parkside track saw and lidl wet and dry vacuum with power take off catches 90% or more of the plywood dust, I don't do MDF

 

[robgul]

Henry hoovers are fairly decent, you can actually buy HEPA filters for them.

What diameter size hose is it?

The hose is about 40mm diameter - and about 2metres from the cyclone - I have a "shop hose" that I can connect to a blast gate for cleaning down the benches etc . . . when the Henry is running that has a lot of suction power (tested by putting my hand over the end of the nozzle) - and again suction at the hose if I disconnect from the saw is pretty strong. Perhaps it's the shape of the air-flow in the blade guard?

 

[robgul]

What's the bet that someone will be on soon to tell you you should have bought a Festool??

I did try painting a green stripe on my saw to make it think it was a Festool - no improvement

 

[DBT85]

Have you tried it just with the vac?

 

[AJB Temple]

This won't solve your problem but my experience with a Mafell track saw is that I get about 95% extraction efficiency - some dust escapes from the bottom kerf. This is hooked up to a Festool Midi extractor with the wide diameter hose, run at full power. I don't know if the Screwfix saw is a similar design, but it is basically a cowling over the blade, so with enough suction I would be surprised if you could not collect most of the dust.

 

[Doug71]

Are you cutting on top of something so the blade is always encased or is the blade free underneath the cut, that makes a big difference?

To be honest my Festool makes more dust then I expected but I do use the thinner hose and they recommend the thicker one.

 

[custard]

I use a Festool track saw on an MFT that's hooked up to a Festool vac.

To paraphrase the great Jay-Z,

"I got 99 problems but dust ain't one of them."

 

[D_W]

not familiar with the saw, but have (and don't often use) a makita track saw. Same as the comment above - never noted much dust trouble (there's always a little) unless the bottom of the cut was open. If the bottom is trapped in insulation or whatever your preferred backer may be, no real issue.

I do most of my sawing with handsaws and literally ingest more dust that way.

 

[petermillard]

Am I missing a trick here? - or is just that the suction might be under-powered?

Not missing a trick exactly, it’s just that the dust collection on the entry-level saws simply isn’t as good as those that have dust extraction designed in from the start. Entry-level tracksaws can cut straight and can cut clean with a decent blade, but there’s a reason why the bigger brands cost 2-3 times as much - and it isn’t just ‘marketing’

 

[Marineboy]

With my Festool I’ve cut large sheets of ply and MDF in my lounge. That’s how good the dust extraction is. Peter Millard is right - cheaper track saws will probably cut nearly as well but they won’t have the same dust extraction efficiency. But as someone else has observed the underside of the sheet you are cutting must be on a sacrificial sheet in order for the extraction to work at its best.

 

[robgul]

Not missing a trick exactly, it’s just that the dust collection on the entry-level saws simply isn’t as good as those that have dust extraction designed in from the start. Entry-level tracksaws can cut straight and can cut clean with a decent blade, but there’s a reason why the bigger brands cost 2-3 times as much - and it isn’t just ‘marketing’

Thanks - given my limited use of the saw, and I'm doing less and less MDF and more and more plywood with less dust, I'll have to live with it ..... all cutting with the saw is done just skimming a sacrificial sheet of 6mm MDF under the work material.

 

[owen]

I had one of the cheaper track saws before I bought my festool, I burnt the motor out on it after about a years work. The festool is way better at dust extraction, plus it gives a squarer cut and seems easier to use, I use a festool extractor with it and dust isn't an issue, I have used a Henry on odd occasions though and that has been fine too. The only time the extraction doesn't really work well is when cutting close to the edge of something

 

[Rorschach]

The dust extraction on my Parkside saw is OK but not perfect. I do have the hole on the side covered with a piece of tape but there is a big hole at the pivot/spring point that I can't cover easily and I think that is the main culprit.

Using with a vacuum is certainly a massive improvement over just using the saw on it's own and for my needs I am happy with the results I get. If I were using the saw for dozens of cuts everyday then it would be a different story of course, but if I were in that situation I would also be wanting other features from a higher end saw anyway.

 

[chris.gid]

Is the problem the hose diameter, i use an old samsung hoover with a 6m hose with my festool track saw and get great dust extraction. The hose is 32mm diameter so whilst you don't get the same volume of air being sucked through the saw vs a larger diameter hose, it is at higher velocity so may catch more dust.

Quick google shows the henry comes with a 32mm hose so may be worth trying the original hose and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Doug B]

Not missing a trick exactly, it’s just that the dust collection on the entry-level saws simply isn’t as good as those that have dust extraction designed in from the start. Entry-level tracksaws can cut straight and can cut clean with a decent blade, but there’s a reason why the bigger brands cost 2-3 times as much - and it isn’t just ‘marketing’

I couldn’t agree more, one of the things that staggered me when I bought the cordless Mafell was how very little dust escaped with just the clip on dust bag let alone an extractor.

 

[DBT85]

Something else to consider when taping up that bolt hole is that you just covered up a way for air to get into the machine. If air can't get it it can't get out which means it can't carry any dust with it.