Plunge saw buying recommendations £150-250 budget

[alex4564]

Hello,

I'm trying to find something useful to do with my weekends instead of eating biscuits and watch crap and possibly becoming diabetic, so I need to sort out some wardrobes and cabinets to better organise all the things I don't need.

I was looking at track saws and then started leaning more towards plunge saws. I started looking at Evolution track saws but I was not sure if they are any good for that price range, and then watching some YouTube videos I came across the Erbauer plunge saw that is around £160. I'm aware of some of the drawbacks with no spare parts and perhaps being a bit flimsy, but 3 years warranty and returns allegedly with no questions asked could be a good bet. I would love to buy Festool at £550+, but in reality I'll not use this much, and paying nearly 4 times more doesn't mean I'll do the work 4x better, quicker or accurate, after all I would be more concerned about chopping my fingers off.

Anyway, any thoughts on alternatives? Lidl doesn't have any pluge saw at the moment, the £60-80 model that was around a while ago is nowhere to be found.

 

[robgul]

YT and @petermillard 10 Minute Workshop has lots of info on track saws from Lidl upwards - very useful stuff.


I bought a MacAllister from Screwfix - cheap and cheerful but does the job for me - and sounds like it would for your needs.

 

[johna.clements]

Hello,

I'm trying to find something useful to do with my weekends instead of eating biscuits and watch rubbish and possibly becoming diabetic, so I need to sort out some wardrobes and cabinets to better organise all the things I don't need.

I was looking at track saws and then started leaning more towards plunge saws. I started looking at Evolution track saws but I was not sure if they are any good for that price range, and then watching some YouTube videos I came across the Erbauer plunge saw that is around £160. I'm aware of some of the drawbacks with no spare parts and perhaps being a bit flimsy, but 3 years warranty and returns allegedly with no questions asked could be a good bet. I would love to buy Festool at £550+, but in reality I'll not use this much, and paying nearly 4 times more doesn't mean I'll do the work 4x better, quicker or accurate, after all I would be more concerned about chopping my fingers off.

Anyway, any thoughts on alternatives? Lidl doesn't have any pluge saw at the moment, the £60-80 model that was around a while ago is nowhere to be found.

I purchased an Erbauer track/plunge saw a couple of months ago. I am using it with the supplied blade but it seems to give a reasonable cut for my new bench. When I start making shelves for indoors I will buy a better blade.

When the Erbauer dies I will have an understanding of track saw use and will then be able to evaluate if I want a better saw because of its features etc or I will buy another "cheap" saw.. it is certainly better than using a hand saw.

As robgul noted watch Peter Millard's videos on youtube.

 

[alex4564]

YT and @petermillard 10 Minute Workshop has lots of info on track saws from Lidl upwards - very useful stuff.


I bought a MacAllister from Screwfix - cheap and cheerful but does the job for me - and sounds like it would for your needs.

I've been watching his videos, I'm inclined to get the erbauer model at £160, I think Macallister doesn't exist anymore over there. But then I'm checking makit models as several people are telling me to not try a budget model as I will regret it, but again, it is going to be nearly twice better?

I purchased an Erbauer track/plunge saw a couple of months ago. I am using it with the supplied blade but it seems to give a reasonable cut for my new bench. When I start making shelves for indoors I will buy a better blade.

When the Erbauer dies I will have an understanding of track saw use and will then be able to evaluate if I want a better saw because of its features etc or I will buy another "cheap" saw.. it is certainly better than using a hand saw.

As robgul noted watch Peter Millard's videos on youtube.

I'm reading some posts saying you can't get blades for the erbauer model, are they using some sort of odd/proprietary blade size?

 

[MintSauce]

I've been watching his videos, I'm inclined to get the erbauer model at £160, I think Macallister doesn't exist anymore over there. But then I'm checking makit models as several people are telling me to not try a budget model as I will regret it, but again, it is going to be nearly twice better?



I'm reading some posts saying you can't get blades for the erbauer model, are they using some sort of odd/proprietary blade size?

This fits the Erbauer track saw and the Erbauer model number is mentioned in the description.
https://trenddirectuk.com/trend-csb-18548-craft-saw-blade-185mm-x-48-teeth-x-20mm.html

 

[johna.clements]

I've been watching his videos, I'm inclined to get the erbauer model at £160, I think Macallister doesn't exist anymore over there. But then I'm checking makit models as several people are telling me to not try a budget model as I will regret it, but again, it is going to be nearly twice better?



I'm reading some posts saying you can't get blades for the erbauer model, are they using some sort of odd/proprietary blade size?

I have seen blends that fit in B&Q and as lambcrafter noted trend do blades. The blade is slightly bigger than those used by most saws.
I would imagine that trend etc will keep supplying blades as long as the saws are still being sold.

 

[Spectric]

YT and @petermillard 10 Minute Workshop has lots of info on track saws from Lidl upwards - very useful stuff.

Also search these forums, it is a subject that has come up on many occasions and one of the threads is what persuaded me replace my Bosch saw and length of angle iron for a Makita track saw, thanks @JobandKnock . Both can do the same job but the tracksaw is easier and quicker.

 

[TRITON]

I'd buy 2nd hand. You'll get a pro tool for the same or a bit more than your current budget.

 

[alex4564]

Also search these forums, it is a subject that has come up on many occasions and one of the threads is what persuaded me replace my Bosch saw and length of angle iron for a Makita track saw, thanks @JobandKnock . Both can do the same job but the tracksaw is easier and quicker.

I'm keeping the Makita SP6000J on my list, £289 new, second had Festool are a bit pricey, it would make more sense to buy new, but if Makita offers something close to Festool, I may go for it and get the evolution rails for £77

I'd buy 2nd hand. You'll get a pro tool for the same or a bit more than your current budget.

I was looking for but they seem to be going very close to new price

 

[TRITON]

I was looking for but they seem to be going very close to new price

The answer to that then is save up those pennies

But seriously, there are bargains to be had on ebay, you sometimes just need to wait. If you've an ebay page, scout around the house, gather up all the stuff you dont want or can no longer use and sell it on. Funds go towards your new saw.

For decades ive been collecting high end bike components. One day, decided i needed an Ebike, so sold 2/3 of the collection, and that put nearly £4k towards my new bike,

Currently I need a new bandsaw, which is going to cost £1250. So Im selling the rest of the bike bits collection, and some other odds and sods and that will probably cover the cost.

I look at it as a redistribution of assets. We all gather cupboards full of junk, why add to it with more but instead have a clearout and use those funds towards something else.

Buying a pro tool is always a good investment. You buy an Erbauer or Draper , cant get on with it for whatever reason. You wont get anywhere near what you paid so are effectively throwing money down the drain.

Buy a festool or mafell, cant get on etc etc. People are clamouring to buy it off you, and you get back most of what you paid, or even after a year or two's use, as long as you look after it, you still get back nearly what you paid.

 

[Spectric]

The Makita is a good saw, even has a scoring feature and anti tipping feature, the only thing to be aware of is the depth scale does not take into account the track but thats easy to compensate for. The main advantage of Festool is extraction so if you can live without super efficient extraction then save the cash and just wear a mask.

 

[alex4564]

The Makita is a good saw, even has a scoring feature and anti tipping feature, the only thing to be aware of is the depth scale does not take into account the track but thats easy to compensate for. The main advantage of Festool is extraction so if you can live without super efficient extraction then save the cash and just wear a mask.

I guess I can live with that for £200 less. It seems to be 70-80% of what a TS55 is

 

[CMax]

Unless you're a pro, I don't see any value in getting a Festool. I owned one and although a nice tool, it doesn't cut any cleaner or straighter than a cheap circular saw on a track with a decent blade. At the end of the day, they're mostly used for cutting down sheet goods; we're not talking the finest of furniture. I flogged mine with an MFT.

I now use a cheap MacAllister, and for breaking down sheets (or even cross cutting 2x4s), it produces exactly the same result as the Festool for a fraction of the price. For extraction, I just use a Henry hoover. Works fine.

So, I would say go cheap and spend a bit on a couple of decent blades/extra tracks unless you have penty of money and/or will be using it professionally/every day.

 

[alex4564]

I'm planning to start making drawers and building some cabinets, so I would be inclined to get something good. I've no idea how happy/frustrate I'll be by finding it out that I made the wrong decision and having to buy again. There is so much mixed feedback about the cheaper side of the scale with plunge saws that I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Spectric]

Even pro's don't all belong to the festool fan club, Bosch and Makita are probably more common but don't you now miss the addictive green bits?

Look at this, it is a cordless version but it may be what you need to see to avoid the very cheap end and go for a trade rated tool and not OTT with festool

 

[CMax]

I'm planning to start making drawers and building some cabinets, so I would be inclined to get something good. I've no idea how happy/frustrate I'll be by finding it out that I made the wrong decision and having to buy again. There is so much mixed feedback about the cheaper side of the scale with plunge saws that I'm not sure what to do.

Drawers and cabinets are just basic boxes, though. Nothing fancy is required to make these. The crucial thing is the track; that'll get your straight, square cuts.

Cheap or expensive, they are all just motors powering a blade on a track. They all basically work the same and are 'good' in respect to cutting square boards (blades being equal). The only thing you're getting from a much more expensive model is stronger materials and maybe better QC -- though even that isn't guaranteed. Warranty can add value, but then you still have the hassle of having to send it away to be repaired. My personal decision was to go cheap. If it breaks, I'll simply buy another (and end up with more tracks and spare parts). Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[TRITON]

If it breaks, I'll simply buy another

Well theres a false economy. Buy cheap, buy twice.

Anyway, I hear the macallister one has been discontinued, so you'd better stock up and buy a couple more.

 

[CMax]

Well theres a false economy. Buy cheap, buy twice.

Anyway, I hear the macallister one has been discontinued, so you'd better stock up and buy a couple more.

Economic wise, for the little I use it, it makes sense to me. I could buy 4! Mac Allister's for the price of 1 Festool: Mac Allister 1200W 220-240V 165mm Corded Plunge saw MSPS1200 | DIY at B&Q and still have change for a kebab.

I would never get the value from an expensive saw. And having owned a Festool before, I don't think there's enough of a difference in performance to warrant the cost. You can still end up with a faulty machine, even with the bigger brands.

But everyone has to make that calculation for themselves; I'm just offering my experience. As it happens, some of the cheapest tools I've bought have been ones that have lasted me the longest, so it's not always 'buy cheap, buy twice.'

That said, I bought an expensive bandsaw recently over a cheap one, so I'm not wedded to any one philosophy: each buying decision comes with its own considerations.

 

[TRITON]

It might make sense to you, and maybe using it once a month, or a few times a year it woould be fine
I worked in a cabinet shop, and the boss had the same rational. Instead of pro routers and sanders, he kept buying B&Q models. We had a box with 20 or so of each, all worked to death in under a year. Spare parts ? we had them in abundance, but nothing usable really.
I used my own. 5 years there, sanding and routing daily in Oak,Teak,black Walnut and i've still got my machines and they still work great.

It does really mean how often its going to get used, and the OP is probably more the hobby user, so something cheap would probably do fine. But one thing i found about cheap power tools is build quality is lacking. Motor power is lacking and accuracy, especially on things like routers is well, pretty much non existent.

Pro tools, even if used occasionally can always be relied upon to work without issues. Not to struggle in use, not to prematurely wear out due to a sudden need to do a short production run.

I accept all that you've said except comparing a pro festool or mafell to a macallister tool. The difference is plain, and they cannot be held in the same high esteem. One is not equal to the other.


* I was going to point out your expensive bandsaw

 

[petermillard]

I have plunge saws ranging in price from ~£60 to ~£600, and they’ll all cut a straight line in sheets goods. The ‘expensive’ ones are nicer to use than the ‘cheaper’ ones - shocker - but they’ll all do a decent job, admittedly with a £14 blade change on the entry-level models.

Dust collection, spare parts, guiderail compatibility, blade size, noise, weight etc… - these are all relatively objective things and easy to assess for your use. Much harder are the subjective things like handling, ease of use, finesse - and sure, let’s throw ‘desire’ in there too; who wouldn’t want a Mafell or Festool?

You’re fishing in shallow waters in the ‘mid-range’ though - the pickings are pretty slim and in all honesty you don’t get much more for your money than the entry level saws until you get to the big six - Makita/DeWalt, Bosch/Metabo and Festool/Mafell

FWIW I have a video coming along that compares mid-range new (Triton) with ‘quality’ (Makita, Mafell) used, but it’s still a few weeks away.

I’ve compared the Erbauer with the larger Triton; they’re very similar, but the Triton has spare parts available. That said they’re so similar it wouldn’t surprise me if parts were interchangeable. They both use an odd blade size though - 185mm - and weirdly neither company offers blades as spares, so your choice is limited to what third parties supply. The larger blade gives a slightly deeper cut than the usual 50mm on plungesaws, but you have to balance how useful that is to being able to pick up a spare blade when you need one.

The Parkside/einhell/excel saws are great value, but have a wider than usual base, which means they won’t work out of the box with Makita-pattern guiderails because of the anti-tipping lip those rails have. Hilariously, this leads to anomalies like the Excel plunge saw being incompatible with the 1.5metre Excel guiderail, which is tragic because the excel 1.5m is the best value rail you can get.

Makita-pattern rails are amongst the most widely-available - so cheapest - and while you can trim the lip off the rails how much effort do you want to go to for a cheaper saw?

My recommendation for a mid-range saw would probably be the Triton; big enough brand, very similar visually to the Titan/MacAllister but with a slightly bigger motor and soft-start, availability of spares etc…

But, the Triton is ~£180; I paid £145 for my used Makita, and £210 for the Mafell.

Personally I’d buy new all day long, unless it was from a known seller. You pays your money and makes your choice.

Not sure if any of this helps! All my tracksaw videos are in a playlist here - TW P1; What's a tracksaw & why use one? [video #277]

P