The Circular saw discussion

I haven't used my corded saw in so long that I don't even know where it is. Where plywood is concerned an 18v 6.5 inch blade cordless is all you need, just be sure you use good blades, like Freud. You only need a corded saw if you're cutting dimensional wood.

I love my Ridgid 3200 (boo hiss, from some I'm sure) http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R3200-Circular-Saw/EN/index.htm

While also magnesium, it's not the lightest in the world (which at 6' 3" 245 and deadlifting 600 lbs I don't really concern myself with too much ) but it is 9/10 in the comfort/ease of use category and has made thousands of excellent cuts...by far the two most important aspects of a circular saw in my judgment. The 12' cord is also infinitely valauble in many scenarios to me.

I think the 3202 is the most recent model, I'm not sure. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=100618252&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100618252&ci_kw={keyword}&kwd={keyword}&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-100618252&ci_gpa=pla#.UMCuOnfrSSo

The fact of the matter is that there are numerous excellent choices to be had for $100-$130 and I find the power tool brand-wars to be as juvenile and cretinous as the ford/chevy debate-diarrhea.

James

Part 2 of my post is that what I used to use my corded circular saw for I now use a sliding compound miter.

I use these two circular saws. The track saw supplants a table saw for most sheet goods cutting. No more manhandling large sheets of ply for me.
The slider chop saw is very quiet, light and super accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-SP6000K-2-Inch-Plunge-Circular/dp/B001MEK8WS/ref=sr_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1354809355&sr=1-1&keywords=makita+track+saw

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LS0714-2-Inch-Sliding-Compound/dp/B000AU1VJE/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1354809713&sr=1-1&keywords=makita+miter+saw+7+1+2+inch

I jumped on the Eurekazone deal too. I notice in the tracksaw forum that they recommend that you spend the little bit extra to get the 5008MGA, because the thickness of the track/extra base can severely limit your depth of cut. The downside is that you'd have to invest in new/bigger saw blades. I've got a porter cable mag 324 myself, but haven't gotten the chance to mount it to the EZ base yet.
Aaron

I have a Makita Hypoid circular saw that was a gift from a former employer. I don't have any complaints though I'm not sure how adaptable it is to the Eurekazone tracksaw system.

I use a Festool TS55R and it is just great in every aspect except for being a bit expensive.
http://www.festoolusa.com/products/plunge-cut-circular-saws/ts-55-eq-plunge-cut-circular-saw-561432.html

When I set up my Eurekazone tracksaw, I started with a Makita 5007MG, then upgraded to a 5008MGA after a year or so for the additional depth of cut.

The Makitas are good saws, but in my opinion, they flex a little bit too much. I had to modify both slightly to tighten up the pivot. Even after modifications, I am not 100% happy with the rigidity.

The Skil HD5687 seems to be a decent 7.25" saw, the pivot feels a lot more rigid than the Makitas. I have one, but have not got it set up for the track yet.
Edited by lilmike - 12/10/12 at 9:47pm

Hi guys, I'm just curious what the advantage this track system has over clamping a straight edge to the piece being cut, and running the circular saw against that? I'just not seeing the $200 to $400 advantage.

On the track, the 5007 can almost get through a 2X4 with the Freud Diablo blade, and can cut through with the OEM blade (or any blade that is a full 7 1/4" diameter).

Other saws don't quite cut as deep. The Hitachi C7SB2 is another saw I have direct experience with. It will not cut a 2X4 on the track, but is a decent saw in all other regards. Personally I think the Skil's pivot is the best I have looked at, I just need to make a proper base for it. That will happen one of these days....

I upgraded to the 5008 because I thought I needed the brake, and I wanted the additional cutting depth, because I do work with thicker materials from time to time. The cutting depth is great, but if the saw flexes off vertical in a deep cut, there is no real benefit of having it, you just ruin workpieces.

If you're working with sheet stock, a 7 1/4" saw is all you need. As the saw is smaller, it will likely flex a bit less.

I'm cheap too. I made plenty of speakers with a cheap aluminum straightedge, then I upgraded to a poor-boy's tracksaw (a zero-clearance straightedge).

When the straightedge slips or bows due to the side pressure, the cuts are not straight.. When the saw comes away from the guide edge on the shop-made guide, the cuts are not straight. I've experienced plenty of these issues....

There is no side pressure when using a saw on the EZ track - the saw is constrained, it can only move fore and aft.

Also, the accuracy of the EZ track is very good when compared to the other straightedges I have used. If you're working to the 8th, a simple straightege should be adequate with a bit of care and time. I routinely cut to the 32nd, and I can do it more quickly with my Eurekazone tracksaw than any other method I have found yet.

I have worked in a commercial cabinet shop, with commercial table saws and panel saws. I own a Delta Unisaw with an excellent fence system. I do most of my cutting with my tracksaw.

FWIW, this is the specific model I have. It's a little heavier than the direct drive models and spins a little slower.

Nice saw, but the blade is on the wrong side for a "typical" track setup. Not saying it can't be done, just that it is a bit more difficult.

Hey lilmike,

What's your opinion about using the Eurkazone setup instead of a table saw for cutting relatively small horn pieces with compound angles? (maybe a 12"x4" piece of plywood, to be cut diagonally with a bevel)? I've been using a custom made sled for these, which works great for accuracy, but it takes a while to align for each cut. Would a tracksaw be an easier thing to manage for that?

The Makita tracksaw might seem expensive but, of course, it includes the saw so there's no need to use your regular miter saw and the setup time involved. I found a factory refurbished unit that looks and functions like a new unit. I think I only paid about $350 with track and shipping included. I doubt that the track only systems are as accurate as the Makita, Festool and Dewalt purpose built track saws. The cut edges are silky smooth, dead straight and you can cut bevels. The Makita's advantage is that you can lock in the bevel and it's the most powerful of the three.

Also, you can keep a super high quality blade on the track saw that would reserved for cabinet quality work. Use your regular saw with a cheap blade for less demanding work.
Edited by rajacat - 12/6/12 at 11:20am

I am working on exactly that. Cutting compounds is fiddly no matter how you approach it, because you have to "reverse" things to cut both sides of a conical horn flare.

Only issue I have left to resolve with the tracksaw approach for cutting compounds is setting the blade bevel angle accurately. I can set my miter fence to a tenth of a degree left or right of my track very easily and 100% repeatably. I have a few ideas for how I will get the blade bevel angle set that accurately, but have not made any of those ideas into something I can actually use yet. Currently, I just grab the digital angle meter and fiddle with the blade bevel angle (just like every other saw in the shop, SCM, RAS, and TS), but I would like a more fool-proof approach, where I can just set it and go, knowing it is spot on.

Andrew,

Since you have the Eurekazone tracksaw kit -- and seem to be going gangbusters on your projects -- you'll probably find that you want to get two saws so you can leave the EZ base on one at all times.

I bought the Makita 5007mg for the Eurekazone kit as well...only problem is I've been waiting for one of Dino's sales and haven't bought the EZ stuff yet. I am kicking the hell out of myself for not getting in on the BF deal -- too busy with family at the time and forgot to get back and order it. I tend to grab my Porter Cable 324mag blade-left for most general usage. Speaking of slide saws, still loving my Dewalt 708 12" monster after 12 years.

As for purchasing, I've had real good experiences buying refurb tools from well-known online outlets (Toolking, any of the CPO outlets, etc.). I got the 5007 for $90 and the 324 was $55 (both purchased in 2011)...they arrived virtually indistinguishable from new.

I have a 5007mg setup for eurekazone track. It has worked pretty well. I've never needed more cutting depth. However, there are two things that I wish were better:

1. The brake sounds really nice. You won't have to sit and wait for the blade to spin down. And you will be less likely to damage the track if you get impatient and lift the saw. I didn't realize how useful the brake would be before i got the setup, but i will *definitely* get a saw with a brake if I ever replace my saw.

2. The pivot and bevel adjustment on the saw do seem a bit less precise than I would like. I don't feel like I can trust the bevel scale on the saw, but I don't have a better technique for setting the angle.

I have the eurekazone dust collection stuff for my 5007, and it works well.


When cutting bevels, you can't line up the cuts with the zero-clearance edge. You either remove the edge insert, or use the second groove in the shoe, or both, and then line it up by distance. I put the saw on the track and line up the blade on one side, and then make the track parallel withe the cut line. It isn't too hard to do, but you do have to work harder to get the precision. The easier bevel cutting is one aspect of the festool, etc. track saws that sounds attractive to me.

Despite these nits, I am very happy with my eurekazone / Makita setup overall. It makes cutting sheets super easy. The cuts are easy to line up and always come out straight.

-Max

BTW the Makita track saw has variable-speed dial control (2,000-5,200 rpm) , electric brake and plunge cutting ability.
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWS5026-TrackSaw-Track-Clamps/dp/B001J31PJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1354902533&sr=1-1&keywords=Makita+track+saw+clamps

I bought these special clamps to hold the track in place while making cuts. IMO they're a little over priced but they work very well. I did the research and the consensus is that the Dewalt clamps are better than the Festool and Makita versions.

One of the reasons I went for the Makita saw is that it's essentially plug and play with very little fiddling around to get set up.

Edited by rajacat - 12/7/12 at 9:53am

This is coming from a guy that loves to buy tools...And I also think track saws are really cool.

Unless you are making beveled cuts, a track saw is useless for building speakers. I'm sorry, but I just could never justify the cost of a track saw when I can build and use a shooter board and still get the same kind of accuracy that a track saw would give...and a shooter board costs nothing if you have scrap ply laying around. I use two of the below pictured guides, 1 - 4' for cross cuts and 1 - 8' for rip cuts. If I need to make a bevel, I cut to rough dimension and then swing over to the table saw. Hell, you could even use a table mounted router with a drawer lock bit to create a locking joint that would be far superior to a bevel/miter joint.

Point is, if someone is on a really tight budget and they're trying to buy one tool to do the job of multiple tools, then you should really consider making a shooter board. Plus you can use any circular saw that you want. Worm drive, old school, it makes no difference.

I do like the the way the Eureka tracks are connected. It looks very accurate and secure.
The Dewalt clamps function similarly to the Eurekas. They slide in an extrusion slot on the underside and don't hinder the cutting in any way. They also have the quick clamp feature which saves time.
I recently purchased the Makita and have used it for a couple of months. I haven't had the need to use the speed control feature yet. I suspect it would be of use if I was cutting laminate or some other material other than construction grade ply.
It's easy to use the depth control and there's a fixed setting that just cuts a very shallow pilot groove so as to protect from any possible chip out when you complete the full depth cut. The saw itself is a precision tool. It's very popular among pro custom kitchen cabinet contractors.
I bought the Makita to build speaker boxes for the SEOS project. (SEOS 18/ BA750/TD15M. It just so happens that I'm in the middle of a house remodeling project and it's been a very handy tool since I cut a lot of sheet goods.
Edited by rajacat - 12/7/12 at 2:33pm

I have the $130 DeWalt circular saw, it does fine for my needs.

Great -- getting a saw with a brake is something that I just didn't understand before I got it, but that I really wish I had gotten. The main benefit really isn't safety -- it's not having to sit there and hold the saw on the track at the end of the cut until the blade spins down. If you don't wait, it is easy to tear up the track inserts. Since your saw has a brake, you may never notice, but without a brake you spend a fair amount of time waiting for the saw to spin down, and since it's at the end of a cut you are often in a semi-uncomfortable position.

The dust port and clear plastic shield thing work great for me. I have a Duty Deputy cyclone to collect the dust (rather than clog my shop vac filter), and I use a Sears AutoSwitch to turn on the shop vac when the saw is running. It collects most of the dust and doesn't cause any problems.


The clamps on the Eurekazone track work very well -- simple, effective, and easy to use.

-Max