Good and reasonably priced track saw

I'm tooling up to do my first resin table and I'd rather not spend the $600 for the Festool track saw I'm seeing in all the videos. Is there a comparable model that performs as well? I definitely won't be a high volume producer. Don't need it to do any specialized functions. Just need it to have settings for cut depths and use a vacuum system.

EDIT: After seeing how much the alternative track saw systems are I'm probably gonna have to cheap out here considering all the money I've spent on new tools already.

Can anyone recommend a good deep cutting regular circular saw that would work well with an improvised straight edge guide system (maple board and clamps)?

Hi,
A few years ago I bought the Triton track saw with four lengths of track so that I could rip 2.4 m lengths of plywood. Now, that cost me almost $1,000 so although it was one of the cheaper models it certainly wasn't cheap. It's performance is OK or rather acceptable as far as accuracy goes. Hope this helps.

Honestly, since you are in the US, and you're asking on an aussie forum, I can't imagine that we're going to be super helpful to you. Sure, there's members from the US, but the volume of user base here is unlikely to have an idea of tracksaws available in the US.

Look at Kreg.

Makita 5007NK will do it. You'll just need a good straight edge and make test cuts to get the angle 100% accurate.

Grizzly/Shop Fox/Woodstar/Scheppach all sell a very similar track saw and there seems to be another type sold under Wen/Detroit/Bayer brands. One of those plus a 1400mm track shouldn't be very expensive - they are around USD200 here in Australia (pre any discount), so I imagine USA will be a little cheaper than that even. The important thing is making sure your track is straight and surprisngly, even with these cheap saws the tracks are predominantly very good. I've had a Woodstar for awhile now and it is loud, it is stiff, the dust collection is abysmal, but it cuts straight.

I have the Scheppach. I also only need to use it occasionally. It ticks the reasonably priced box. It also cuts fine. However I wouldn't put the tracks themselves in the "good" category. In fact I'd like to know if it fits another brand of track. The supplied clamps are not in the "good" category either. In fact the clamps have their own category. I believe it is called the "embarrassment to the industrial age" category.

Good and cheap seldom go hand in hand i'm afraid.

I've got the Makita track saw, here in Aus it has an asking price of around $1k, not exactly cheap. Is it good? it works well enough for what i do, but there are days when i wish i had the Festool. Its pricey for a reason.

On a separate note, if you're concerned about the price of a track saw, i'm surprised you're not concerned about the price of resin!

There's a few YouTube videos out there of people making their own track saws using circular saws

I have progrip guides. Peachtree woodworking sell saw and router bases as well as a universal base. I use them a lot and I wish I could still get progrip stuff in australia. The 100" guide is plenty for ripping 8' ply mdf etc.

How deep do you need and do you need plunge to do blind cuts ?

Online Catalog

YouTube

amazon sells the stuff also. I can't actually see the edge guides only the bases etc.

I have these and a table saw. I can't comment or compare to festool or anything else.

2c

I also have a Scheppach. Only modification I did was to make an extra key to better align the tracks together when joining them.
i have has no problems with the saw, tracks or clamps and it’s rips down large boards accurately.

I have a metabo CS that fits onto a standard track. While it does the job of cutting a straight line it is not a proper track saw. I've used Festool and Schepach track saws and they are so much better than a standard circ saw. I will be purchasing a real track saw in the near future. Probably a Makita cordless as I already have Makita battery tools. It's going to set me back over $1000 but I think it is worth it over a standard circular saw, even one that rides on a track

I'd get a cordless either a track saw or a circular saw and make my own track.