Tracksaw

[themack]

Hi all, I'm in the market for a tracksaw and have been researching the forum and other sites as well as watching Peter Millards videos. I will be using it instead of a table/panel saw (no space) for making small furniture and general woodwork. I narrowed it down to a Bosch GKT 55 or the Erbauer ERB 690. Does the Bosch justify the higher price? Or is there something completely different ? I know that Screwfix will not have spare parts for the Erbauer, but I think for that price and with the guarantee it is not a big deal.
Thank you (again)

 

[sams93]

I know it doesn't help decide between your two options, but I absolutely love my TS55 which I purchased second-hand for about £150.

Whatever you choose, make sure you check what track profiles it is compatiable with. For my Festool I can use the cheaper Makita tracks.

 

[Etaf]

a bit old now , but maybe check out skill builders video , they compare 10 tracksaws and I think have an individual video for each
i know i was in the market for a tracksaw and watched quite a few including peters

they compare the bosch and the Erbauer , in amongst the 10

links in the text below the video - to each individual tracksaw review

 

[Spectric]

You cannot compare that Erbuar to the Bosch, they are in completely different classes and upto a point you will only get what you pay for. The Bosch tracks get good reviews on track alignment when joining but are a different profile to Makita / Festool and the Bosch has many similarities to the Maefel except cost. Another good saw to consider is the Makiti SP6000 and is what I use and can be purchased for reasonable money.

https://its.co.uk/pd/makita-sp6000j...onnector-piece-2x-clamps-_maksp6000j1kit6.htm

Apart from the saw and tracks you can also get accessories to use the track on a worktop with 20mm holes from Benchdogs, just another option along with things like track squares and parallel guides.

https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/hinge-system

https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/rail-square

https://benchdogs.co.uk/products/33...em-festool-makita?_pos=1&_sid=e4aa78257&_ss=r

 

[themack]

You cannot compare that Erbuar to the Bosch, they are in completely different classes and upto a point you will only get what you pay for. The Bosch tracks get good reviews on track alignment when joining but are a different profile to Makita / Festool and the Bosch has many similarities to the Maefel except cost. Another good saw to consider is the Makiti SP6000 and is what I use and can be purchased for reasonable money.

https://its.co.uk/pd/makita-sp6000j...onnector-piece-2x-clamps-_maksp6000j1kit6.htm

Apart from the saw and tracks you can also get accessories to use the track on a worktop with 20mm holes from Benchdogs, just another option along with things like track squares and parallel guides.

https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/hinge-system

https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/rail-square

https://benchdogs.co.uk/products/33...em-festool-makita?_pos=1&_sid=e4aa78257&_ss=r

Oh, that's very interesting. I didn't take Makita into account at all. Will investigate, thank you !

 

[Etaf]

my son-in-law got the makita after looking at all the reviews , and it was on offer a couple of years back - Just as a DIYer but very pleased with it, added a couple of saxtontool blades as well

 

[Spectric]

Makita do a 3 metre track if you want long cuts and no joints in the tracks.

You need to keep saw blades with the same offset to prevent multiple cuts of the rubber strip which would defeat it's purpose .

Look at this thread, post 3 gives explanation of the blade and rubber.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/does-the-kerf-size-decrease.138101/#post-1592482

 

[Bungster]

I have the Bosch and it is probably my favourite tool in my workshop. It is around 6 years old now and runs as well as it did when I first got it from Axminster in the UK.(it was a few hundred dollars cheaper than buying it here in Oz and free delivery.)
I was making dining tables at the time and it had no problems handling hardwoods such as Ironbark, Spotted Gum, Red Gum and Jarrah. I have found no deflection when joining the tracks and dust collection via my shop vac is excellent. The Bosch blades are pretty good too and I have not needed to go upmarket to Diablo etc. I rarely use my table saw now but that's 'cause I'm too lazy to set it up and I find the track saw real handy for what I need it for. The portability also makes it easier to lend it to your mates. When I look back I have flogged the guts out of it and it has never let me down.

 

[Sam Kilby]

I have the makita 6000 and rate it. I found it secondhand, with 2 x 1.4 and 1 x 2.8 track for about £200, but did have to travel 50 miles to pick it up. I’ve used a few onsite and the bosch and festool seem similar enough in terms of quality and operation to the makita. The festool of course has the added bonus that when canting it over for angled cuts it doesn’t trim off the splinter strip, which on every other saw (far as I remember) renders the track useless until you painstakingly remove and reapply then retrim the strip..

Whatever saw you choose, a bit of gaffs over the blade change hole (or a 3d printed insert) vastly improves dust collection.
Dust port elbows are notoriously annoying on most of them, really I always want it sticking up in the air so again tape it into this position to prevent sag. Some people buy inserts for the end of their rails that stop the cable and or hose catching, or some rail squares have a kind of thing built in for this..

Whilst I do think plunge saws have their uses - to make them functional to break down sheet material even remotely squarely you do need significant additional investment.. rail squares, parallel guides and or working from an mft or mft style top with dogs, maybe a Fence with stops, maybe a rail hinge etc. all starts to add up significantly.

If it’s mainly for breaking down sheets to put onto a small table saw for example, would a cheapish circular saw and maybe a homemade track suffice ?

Workflow wise probably better to work on the floor on a large polystyrene sheet than on saw horses bolstered with cls.

 

[Peter Sefton]

If you already own a 180mm circular saw you could just get the tracks and mounting plate from Milescraft, it has been a very popular product this year.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/milescraft-tracksawguide/

Cheers

Peter

 

[mc281]

I know it doesn't help decide between your two options, but I absolutely love my TS55 which I purchased second-hand for about £150.

Whatever you choose, make sure you check what track profiles it is compatiable with. For my Festool I can use the cheaper Makita tracks.

Deffo love my TS55 and have decided after several years as a Circular Saw on the Festool CS folding saw bench with sliding side table that I prefer the MFT and guide rail using Axminster rail clips and dogs.

 

[themack]

If you already own a 180mm circular saw you could just get the tracks and mounting plate from Milescraft, it has been a very popular product this year.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/milescraft-tracksawguide/

Cheers

Peter

Hi Peter,
I do have a Makita 5704R 110 v circular saw a builder left me years ago incl. a transformer ( didn't come back to finish the job), but I use always 220 Volt and so it sits more on the shelf. It's also quite worn and battered. Currently I only owe that and a mitre saw.
It looks like I have two choices now...Bosch or Makita

 

[themack]

Perhaps I open a vote/poll? I seriously cannot decide, but at least I know it won't be an Erbauer. So I let the forum decide .
Risky I know ....
Thumbs up for the Bosch, thumbs down for the Makita.

 

[Gus900]

Makita SP6000 for the win! Well worth the investment. With a 1m rail and a rail square you can cut panels with decent precision. TBF, I'm sure the Bosch is good but Makita rails being interchangable with Festool means the number of accessories is huge.

 

[mc281]

Makita SP6000 for the win! Well worth the investment. With a 1m rail and a rail square you can cut panels with decent precision. TBF, I'm sure the Bosch is good but Makita rails being interchangable with Festool means the number of accessories is huge.

Decent precision? Obviously not a Festool guy!

 

[Sam Kilby]

Well.. it’s more the whole method of just relying on a rail square is slightly flawed in term of accuracy rather than the tools used to achieve it !
But probably fine enough for certain jobs.

 

[AndyP]

Another vote for the Makita sp6000. I've had mine for about 3 years and it's been very good. I have a Makita track but I think you can use the cheaper Evolution ones.

 

[petermillard]

If the OP is prepared to spend Bosch money (and yes, totally worth the extra over eg the Erbauer) then they’re into the ‘top five’ of Makita, DeWalt, Bosch in the middle and Festool and Mafell at the top end, assuming you’re only looking at mains power corded tools. If you throw cordless into the mix then you can add Milwaukee and Metabo into the battery powered offerings from that list above.

Try and get hands on with the tools if you can, as they all ‘feel’ different and at this level it’s as much about subjective personal preferences as the capability of the tool.

HTH P

 

[TomGW]

Definitely Makita, because of the Festool system compatibility.
I started off with a Parkside (again compatible with Festool rails) and now have a Festool TS55. To be entirely honest, the Parkside is an excellent tool and when fitted with a good quality blade gives top class results. I still have it and it has done a huge amount of work and still performs very well.

 

[themack]

If the OP is prepared to spend Bosch money (and yes, totally worth the extra over eg the Erbauer) then they’re into the ‘top five’ of Makita, DeWalt, Bosch in the middle and Festool and Mafell at the top end, assuming you’re only looking at mains power corded tools. If you throw cordless into the mix then you can add Milwaukee and Metabo into the battery powered offerings from that list above.

Try and get hands on with the tools if you can, as they all ‘feel’ different and at this level it’s as much about subjective personal preferences as the capability of the tool.

HTH P

Hi Peter, I have looked at Metabo, but unfortunately they don't do corded track saws. It's a shame really as I like their tools ( I have a corded drill and jigsaw ). I have got cordless tools, but not Metabo and running different battery systems and charger soon adds a lot of money. I went to Germany in December and hopped into a tool shop to look at track saws and the Metabo felt really nice. Makita wasn't on offer (out of stock) and the Bosch came second.. I'll go to a local shop and have a look at the Makita today.