Wen track saw - initial user impressions

Re: Wen track saw - initial user impressions

J Barrett Irby Jr

I have no experience with Wen track saws. I have some experience with Festool track saws. I have two that I got at estate sales.

I sympathize with your lack of experience as I have suffered through the earning curve as well. I recently cross cut some white oak slabs and the TS55 cut them like butter. They were about 2" thick. So, based on that, your Wen saws may be underpowered.

Sounds like you may have gotten a good deal if you got the kit for the prices I looked up. There is a learning curve and I am still in the steep part. Keep plugging away, it gets better.

You can buy the splinter guard strip separately, from Makita and Festool. Like everything Festool, I was shocked at the price. You may be able to pull your loose and move it over enough to work like new.

Re: Wen track saw - initial user impressions

Jesse Cloud

Like Barry, I have no experience with the Wen, but a lot with Festool and some with the DeWalt and Makita track saws.

The thing about the "anti kickback cam" in the track concerns me. The cam in the track on the foot of the Festool saw is adjustable for the tightness of fit on the track. A looser cam slides more smoothly but there is a compromise in quality of cut if you go too loose. Its not advertised as anti-kickback though.

Most track saws have a riving knife that descends when the blade plunges. I don't see one on the Wen. That could be a problem if the cut wants to come together and seize the blade.

Low price saws often ship with pretty crummy blades. You might want to look around for a better blade.

Note that the strips on the track are considered consumables. After a certain amount of wear and tear they cease to show accurately where the cut will be. Also, if you use multiple blades (say one for rough cuts and one for fine cuts) you will have to change your strip whenever you change your blade. Buy a roll of the strip material.

The track saw also becomes much more useful when you buy an attachment for your track that sets the cut to 90 degrees. Google "TSO products".

Correct - no riving knife

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Thanks Jesse. I may end up getting a better blade, but for now the one in there suffices.

You are correct that there is no riving knife, but with my intent to use this (primarily) to break down sheet goods, and possibly to trim doors occasionally, I don't consider a knife particularly critical.

Henry

Functional saw at value price

Henry (Raleigh NC)

This was my way to test the track saw waters. Most of my woodworking has been without needing large sheet goods. My current project of a 9' high x 11' wide built-in cabinet and shelving is almost all sheet goods!; my 14x20' shop is too small for 'convenient handling' of these (there is nothing convenient about 4x8'). At least with a track saw all I have to do is maneuver the sheet onto the bench; from there I can break it down without having to further move it.

If I can find value pricing on a Makita or Festool track saw (without spending hours and hours at auctions!), then I will jump (if you see one cheap , please snag it - I will buy it from you at your profit). For now I think this Wen saw will suffice (at least get me through this project).

Henry

Re: Functional saw at value price

Wiley Horne

Henry,

If your track saw does this job without hurting anyone, you did fine! I was in a similar situation—job where the only effective solution was a track saw. And like you, I knew I would be using it at about the frequency of Halley’s Comet.

Upon looking around, there was no sensible track saw I could find. I bought the Makita for $430 + CA tax, because the alternative was a Festool for $1,100 or whatever (which is great for professionals of course).

The Makita price was ridiculous for what it is, and I see it hasn’t come down in the meantime. Does work fine. If yours works, you’re good!

Wiley

$$ Wen

Henry (Raleigh NC)

The Wen is nowhere near the cost of the Makita - less than $120 I think for the saw itself. I believe I paid more for the track than for the saw...

It will get me where (I hope) I am going!

Henry

Square cuts

Barry Irby

I looked at the TSO type products and the competitors and could not stand the price. I made a Rail Square out of a piece of plywood. A couple of bolts with hex heads that fit in the slot and counter bored on the under side of the plywood. Bigger than the real ones but works great and cost nothing. I will keep my eyes peeled for a real one but for now I like mine. I have a short rail section with my Rail Square usually attached so it's easy.

Google things like Auctions and Estate Sales in your area and you may find more than you knew existed. Attractive tools and deals on them are pretty space, but doing it on a computer does not take long. I have bought more lumber that way than tools. Look closely, much of it is bug infested.

Re: Wen track saw - initial user impressions

Mark Nowicki

Good review.

Your experience is very similar to mine.

My saw is a Festool 55, an older model without the anti-kickback feature.

Wen TS: price-supply issues? Track length

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Update 2/8/21

Posts on other boards indicate that the current Amazon price has tripled. When I was looking 4-6 weeks ago, HD listed these, but had no stock. All this may indicate supply issues.

At Amazon's current $329 price I likely would not recommend this saw, unless the savings over a bigger brand name was really important to you. Recall that this is a polymer saw body, plate, and adjusters - the only metal here is likely in the motor and wires... that may be better than cheap pot metal parts, but only time will tell.

I believe my costs for the saw was <$110, Powertec tracks $115 for a pair of 55", and a pair of 6"Wen clamps was $15.

I would have been really disappointed in this saw for $330; in fact I likely would have returned it.

Adding the fact that I think the Powertec tracks are 55", which I like for a 48" crosscut; check the length of the available Wen tracks, which I think are 48". I expect I could adapt to shorter tracks, but without cutting full depth (and I don't cut full depth, I just add 1/8 to 1/4" to material thickness) it would seem the start and end of a 48" cross-cut would not be complete with a 48" track. To me that's a good reason to get 55".

Henry

Re: Wen TS: price-supply issues? Track length

Barry Irby

When you first posted this I looked up the cost and IIRC it was around $250 to $275 and I agreed with you that was a bargain. But the question is are you willing to take lesser performance and cut quality to save on the tools? Will it work well enough to produce the project to your standards. If you are just breaking down sheet goods and are going to refine the cuts later on a TS or with a router then most any saw would do.

I just looked up a Makita track saw and It is $502 and additional rail is $89 on Amazon. So, at $250 the Wen saw might be a bargain, but for $350 it's becoming marginal.

We all have "our number". My Dad's number was $1000. Under that, he was like "If you want it, get it", at about a thousand he started "I don't know, you should think about it, do you really need it?" My friend knew my Dad's Number. He was recently looking at a fancy riding mower and it was $2700. He was all about buying it at $2500 but the price went up and he was huffing and puffing and indecisive. I laughed and said "I guess we found your number." He laughed and bought the mower.

I recently saw a YouTuber using a Bosch saw with some sort of plastic track. The track appeared to be an extrusion of black polymer with tabs on the end for joining. The video was filmed outside the US. Looked on Amazon and did not see the track. Interesting.

And, you are right about the length. 55" is much better than 48" for breaking down plywood. Just barely long enough. Two 55's joined are OK for ripping plywood. 48" one would be a giant PITA

Cut quality

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Barry - Hah agreed, we all have number. Mine is approaching your fathers, as I just took the plunge on a Domino (though not without serious thought about plunging into the 'green pool').

Cut quality?

The material I used is pre-finished one side maple ply. Cut from the back side, the cut quality is excellent on the front side. Back side cut quality did seem to depend on the rate of movement: faster cuts resulted in unacceptable splintering (IF that side showed), slower cuts left a decent surface. The back side veneer was quite thin (although it may be normal - I don't work with a lot of sheet goods). In this case the pre-finished side is the inside of the base cabinet; the back side will not be visible in any way and so cut quality does not really matter.

The other portions of the project (upper open book shelves) will be 'paint-grade' and I will use a different (unfinished) plywood. Most pieces will only show on one side, except the shelves themselves, which will be hardwood faced. I will use my learning to cut more slowly on these '2 side showing' pieces.

I am cutting directly to final size, not breaking down and then cutting on the TS. If necessary for the '2 side visible' parts, I could cut oversize and re-cut on the table saw (but I'd rather not, that decreases the utility of this tracksaw considerably).

On another board a Wen saw user suggested to me a blade upgrade that for him 'eliminated all splintering'; this was a 56 tooth Makita, available on Amazon. I do not recall what type of sheet goods he was cutting.

All of that is to say that this Wen saw will for me for the need at hand (and your numbers are for saw+tracks+clamps). Only time will tell whether I find much use for it, and whether this produces work at a level required for other projects.

Re: Cut quality

J Barrett Irby Jr

I think the Makita blade will make a difference, might be a good idea to try it.

I really struggled with the purchase of the Domino. Finally found a very lightly used one on eBay and got it with the other systainer of bits and dominoes for the price of the Domino. Very lucky. I find more and more uses for the machine. Learn to use it. It's a game changer for me. MUCH better than biscuits, which I also have had for years.

I have hundreds of sticks of maple (birch?) about 16" long, 7/8" wide and 3/8" thick. They are unfortunately about 1/100", maybe 2/100" too thin to use as 10mm dominoes, but are perfect to thin down to 8mm. Just take a little off each face and sneak up on 8mm and cut them to 50 and 40mm lengths and you have dominoes you can use with reckless abandon. (I'm too cheap to buy real ones) I made up several hundred of 40's and 50's and am still using them. Come to think of it it's about time to make a new batch. I also made some that are slightly undersized for doing dry assemblies. The point to this is if you would like some of the sticks, I will send you some, just send me your address.

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Wen TS - there are different models

Henry (Raleigh NC)

The saw I bought is a 6.5' blade (10 A?) saw that cost me $110; you might have difficulty finding that saw today (HD had no stock when I bought, even though it is listed).

When I go to the source link I used to purchase, I am taken a different saw. The new one is more expensive ($330) and is a 7.25" blade model with a 12 A motor.

We now need to specify models if we discuss Wen track saws.

Henry