Chad - we gave up on stickers to support the tracksaw cuts years ago and went to a sheet of foam insulation. It solves so many problems. You’ll spend $25 on a 4x8 sheet of 1” EPS but it’ll last for a year or more.
Right a piece of foam insulation the cut to the same size of his nice work bench top and he could have used either of those two accessories with no problem.
At the 8 minute mark, you say that you can use the parallel guides off of the long end to get consistent small cuts on the opposite side, but it seems to me that the minute you make a cut, your reference size is no good anymore, so you would have to readjust the measuring tapes to account for what you cut off unless you were cutting from a fresh sheet each time.
PS. I aLso precisely cut a set of “rip sticks” for every common width we produce. 23.25”, 17.25”, etc. They are labeled and a set lives at ea. end of my cut table. We use these instead of tape measures or any other way to measure for the placement of the track. Because we often use a track saw to break down full sheets and then make final cuts on the table Saw, they are also color-coded to prevent using a 15.25” on one end and a 15.375” on the other. This one thing has made our cabinet carcasses and flat panels WAY more consistent- plus it’s faster.
Great video Chad I think I am going to get the parallel cutting tapes to complement the Kreg adaptive cutting kit I purchased recently. I really like the system and the table folds up and stores out of the way reasonably fast and easy.
I own the complete AccuCut System. Kreg wants you to either cut on their table or on a sheet of solid foam insulation. Not only do they support the material, and allow for correct use of their accessories, because the material is supported, you get zero chip out on the bottom, which you probably will not get supported on two 2X4's Today, I used the Rip Guides for the first time. There is some set up and calibration time involved. After I did, I laid a sheet of maple plywood on a sheet of rigid foam insulation. I set the stops to 8". I then cut two pieces. Cut both perfectly. Additionally, after I was finished, I could remove the guides set as they were, and store them. Then, should I want to cut more 8" boards, I just have to slide them back on the track, tighten, and cut more. As Chad said, you must zero the guide accurately in the beginning or you will have problems.
Really Good video with valuable Insight. You answered some questions I had as I have been wondering which of the 2 accessories I should add to my Kreg ACS and Track Saw which in my small shop acts as my Table Saw. Thanks Very much.
Primarily my Kreg track saw is used to break down sheet goods. For the final cuts, I use my table saw. At $100 per accessory, there's no reason for me to purchase those accessories for a job that a table saw can do more precisely. But if you don't have a table saw then these would be a good option. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a table saw. Thanks for the video.
Festools tracksaw guides are pretty good. They have the small part thing figured out as well. I have a cnc now but I used to use the tracksaw a bunch just so I wouldn't have to put full sheets across a tablesaw all day. Got to where I was just mostly crosscutting on the tablesaw. Before the tracksaw I used a heavy piece of square tubing or a 4ft level... I tried a drywall T square but they don't tend to stay all that square in my experience.
You are not using the Kreg table to take advantage of Rip-Guides, either that or use a foam board as sacrificial cutting material if you dont want to cut into your table.
So I guess for the weekend warrior these attachments would help. But for efficiency sake I can pull my tape , make my marks, and cut faster than you can set those guides. For someone like me these attachments would be a waste of money. If I need to make multiple cuts I'll just stack my material and bunk cut. I appreciate the video thank you
I love the track saw concept. I have been wondering, if you already have a circular saw and "door boards", is there any real benefit to a track saw other than dust collection?
The chipout is better, especially on the MFT as it supports both top and bottom of the work piece. The track is generally just nicer and supports the saw better unless you have a highly modified one for your circular saw. The Kreg ACS really shines with the whole MFT setup. I wouldn't give up either though, as my circular saw is more useful for quick cuts on outdoor projects, and things like that. The track saw can't be used without the track.
The rip guides were designed for ripping the edges of boards not sheet goods. Thereby the board would be supporting the entire length of track. Mine worked great,besides sacrificial boards are a must for almost all hand saws. Besides with your experience why would you support sheet goods (which bow w/ any bit of weight) on the ends and not down the length? I may not agree with the method used to test ,but I subbed nonetheless .
I think you've just convinced many people to buy a table saw instead of a track saw. Making two independent measurements to do a rip cut isn't anywhere near as easy, repeatable or as accurate as locking in a fence on a table saw.
@@WasimBarri Primarily yes, but a tracksaw is going to be safer than a table saw. The "dead wood" concept of woodworking is gaining traction in my workshop. I just build 3 larges 36" tall, 29" deep, 14-22" wide cabinets, with 18 drawers, and really it didn't take longer using only the Kreg tracksaw and MFT than my table saw. The time it took to break down the plywood into manageable pieces, then move over to the table saw to make the final cuts, i was making final cuts immediately off my truck onto the MFT. I work 50-70% in plywood and other sheet goods, so it made sense to invest. All depends on what you want to build.
@@clobbyhardy I use the guard on my table saw all the time so I would say the track saw is only marginally safer but not a good enough reason to get a track saw over a table saw. Also, I had to rip 40x1" strips the other day, I couldn't imagine doing that on a track saw with perfect accuracy, repeatability and speed. I know this is a personal preference choice but I still believe that track saws are at their best breaking down sheet goods and the table saw is basically better at everything else
I break down sheet goods with a circular saw and a straightedge guide, then do the "money cut" on the table saw. I think track saws are very limited in that they can't generally do "set the stop or fence once and make lots of even cuts." They're not good for mitering joints, resawing, cutting rabbets and dadoes, doing tenons, bridle joints, half laps, etc. etc. etc. I love my table saw and use a shop-built sliding cut-off table jig all the time. Where I volunteer (a furniture bank) we cut dozens of 4x8 sheets of particle board into 2" to 4" strips all the time. A good infeed and outfeed table help a lot. Though we cut the larger pieces of melamine on a panel saw (fewer cuts per sheet).
I have never seen these tools in person. Looking at an advertisement for this product shows a Kreg multifunction table in combination to these tools. McFeeley’s should of sent you the whole shebang. It might of very well changed the entire review? No disrespect to you Chad at all and I’m a fan and follower of your channel. Now wondering what McFeeley’s was thinking of?
Chad, as I've said, you've made it to 50k as I knew you would. I'm very happy for you. I still believe that if you were to do a little more comedy with all your great content the subs would come much faster.
If you just use the tape measure system to rip small pieces you'll have to reset it for every cut, and it won't work with any board under about 14 inches. I think just setting the feet on the same 2x4 as the sheet ought to do it. Compared pricewise to dedicated machines designed to handle sheet good, I reckon track saws are a pretty good investment, it's a pain for one person to handle a 4x8 sheet on a table saw. In my opinion a track saw would be great for roughing plywood down to manageable sections and then finishing the cuts on a table saw. Although, a track saw would also be handy for cutting the back board of a sub 48" wide bookcase :D
At 4.50. that is not quite true because if you are a tad off your pencil line or you marked off a tad from one of your pencil marks from the tape measure you will have the same issue. This system fails the point with no surprise really. you are probably better off gettin 2 bits of wood cut at the same length (a jig in a way) and butt up the back of the rail , the other end of the wood flush with the back, a bit of time making them but $$$$$ less and you get to repeat the cut. This is likely to be as accurate as these silly tape measures.
These add-ons look very gimmicky! From previous use of Kregg products other than the pocket hole jig, I’m not really impressed! Thanks for your opinion And the video Chad.
While it appears to me that Kreg is trying to capitalize on the popularity of track saw systems, it also appears that they have definitely gone "cheap" on the system accessories to keep the price tags low and affordable. Unfortunately, this severely limits the usability of the system. In contrast, Festool's parallel guides with extension set provides both functions in a single package, is MUCH more robust (all solid aluminum) and work very well for these tasks. While Festool's guides do not allow you to go over 27" (approx.), anything over that would be more of a hassle than laying it out with a tape as you showed in the video. There is a reason these systems are gaining in popularity in the trades. It is much safer and easier to use than doing these tasks with a jobsite table saw. If you are in a stationary shop for all tasks, it may not be the fastest solution, but on a jobsite, there really is no faster method.
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Chad - we gave up on stickers to support the tracksaw cuts years ago and went to a sheet of foam insulation. It solves so many problems. You’ll spend $25 on a 4x8 sheet of 1” EPS but it’ll last for a year or more.
Right a piece of foam insulation the cut to the same size of his nice work bench top and he could have used either of those two accessories with no problem.
At the 8 minute mark, you say that you can use the parallel guides off of the long end to get consistent small cuts on the opposite side, but it seems to me that the minute you make a cut, your reference size is no good anymore, so you would have to readjust the measuring tapes to account for what you cut off unless you were cutting from a fresh sheet each time.
PS. I aLso precisely cut a set of “rip sticks” for every common width we produce. 23.25”, 17.25”, etc. They are labeled and a set lives at ea. end of my cut table. We use these instead of tape measures or any other way to measure for the placement of the track. Because we often use a track saw to break down full sheets and then make final cuts on the table Saw, they are also color-coded to prevent using a 15.25” on one end and a 15.375” on the other. This one thing has made our cabinet carcasses and flat panels WAY more consistent- plus it’s faster.
That is a GREAT idea. Thanks for sharing
Great video Chad I think I am going to get the parallel cutting tapes to complement the Kreg adaptive cutting kit I purchased recently. I really like the system and the table folds up and stores out of the way reasonably fast and easy.
Instead of cutting on 2x4s, just use a piece if 1" foam as a flat sacrificial surface. Great video, thanks.
Great advise that is what i did on my new track saw table. Thanks for vide
I own the complete AccuCut System. Kreg wants you to either cut on their table or on a sheet of solid foam insulation. Not only do they support the material, and allow for correct use of their accessories, because the material is supported, you get zero chip out on the bottom, which you probably will not get supported on two 2X4's Today, I used the Rip Guides for the first time. There is some set up and calibration time involved. After I did, I laid a sheet of maple plywood on a sheet of rigid foam insulation. I set the stops to 8". I then cut two pieces. Cut both perfectly. Additionally, after I was finished, I could remove the guides set as they were, and store them. Then, should I want to cut more 8" boards, I just have to slide them back on the track, tighten, and cut more. As Chad said, you must zero the guide accurately in the beginning or you will have problems.
Really Good video with valuable Insight. You answered some questions I had as I have been wondering which of the 2 accessories I should add to my Kreg ACS and Track Saw which in my small shop acts as my Table Saw. Thanks Very much.
Nice video Chad looking forward to the next video with the tips
Thanks for all your work and tips.
Primarily my Kreg track saw is used to break down sheet goods. For the final cuts, I use my table saw. At $100 per accessory, there's no reason for me to purchase those accessories for a job that a table saw can do more precisely. But if you don't have a table saw then these would be a good option. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a table saw. Thanks for the video.
Festools tracksaw guides are pretty good. They have the small part thing figured out as well.
I have a cnc now but I used to use the tracksaw a bunch just so I wouldn't have to put full sheets across a tablesaw all day. Got to where I was just mostly crosscutting on the tablesaw.
Before the tracksaw I used a heavy piece of square tubing or a 4ft level... I tried a drywall T square but they don't tend to stay all that square in my experience.
Did you ever make the video on jigs mentioned at the end of the video?
You are not using the Kreg table to take advantage of Rip-Guides, either that or use a foam board as sacrificial cutting material if you dont want to cut into your table.
So I guess for the weekend warrior these attachments would help. But for efficiency sake I can pull my tape , make my marks, and cut faster than you can set those guides. For someone like me these attachments would be a waste of money. If I need to make multiple cuts I'll just stack my material and bunk cut. I appreciate the video thank you
Great video Chad.
thank you, my friend,
Very interesting product review! Thanks for this well explained video
It's just my opinion. I'm sure others are happy with both. I, however, was not.
I love the track saw concept. I have been wondering, if you already have a circular saw and "door boards", is there any real benefit to a track saw other than dust collection?
The chipout is better, especially on the MFT as it supports both top and bottom of the work piece. The track is generally just nicer and supports the saw better unless you have a highly modified one for your circular saw. The Kreg ACS really shines with the whole MFT setup. I wouldn't give up either though, as my circular saw is more useful for quick cuts on outdoor projects, and things like that. The track saw can't be used without the track.
@@clobbyhardy I couldn't agree more with you. Thank you for the comment. A track saw is NOT the answer for all situations.
Good stuff, as usual, Chad.
As always great vidieo....I have great success with my track saw using 1\2 foam insulation to cut on...
I believe you would be correct and maybe the rip guides would work better in that situation.
I spent $80 on the Kreg tracksaw system and have never been able to get a square cut out of it. It is always 1/32 off.
Contact Kreg. They will either get it working for you or send you a new one.
The rip guides were designed for ripping the edges of boards not sheet goods. Thereby the board would be supporting the entire length of track. Mine worked great,besides sacrificial boards are a must for almost all hand saws. Besides with your experience why would you support sheet goods (which bow w/ any bit of weight) on the ends and not down the length? I may not agree with the method used to test ,but I subbed nonetheless .
I think you've just convinced many people to buy a table saw instead of a track saw. Making two independent measurements to do a rip cut isn't anywhere near as easy, repeatable or as accurate as locking in a fence on a table saw.
I totally agree with you. But some might argue moving a big sheet of plywood would be too awkward for them
@@ChadStanton If you often handle full size sheet goods then that too me is the only reason for getting a track saw.
@@WasimBarri Primarily yes, but a tracksaw is going to be safer than a table saw. The "dead wood" concept of woodworking is gaining traction in my workshop. I just build 3 larges 36" tall, 29" deep, 14-22" wide cabinets, with 18 drawers, and really it didn't take longer using only the Kreg tracksaw and MFT than my table saw. The time it took to break down the plywood into manageable pieces, then move over to the table saw to make the final cuts, i was making final cuts immediately off my truck onto the MFT. I work 50-70% in plywood and other sheet goods, so it made sense to invest. All depends on what you want to build.
@@clobbyhardy I use the guard on my table saw all the time so I would say the track saw is only marginally safer but not a good enough reason to get a track saw over a table saw. Also, I had to rip 40x1" strips the other day, I couldn't imagine doing that on a track saw with perfect accuracy, repeatability and speed. I know this is a personal preference choice but I still believe that track saws are at their best breaking down sheet goods and the table saw is basically better at everything else
I break down sheet goods with a circular saw and a straightedge guide, then do the "money cut" on the table saw. I think track saws are very limited in that they can't generally do "set the stop or fence once and make lots of even cuts." They're not good for mitering joints, resawing, cutting rabbets and dadoes, doing tenons, bridle joints, half laps, etc. etc. etc. I love my table saw and use a shop-built sliding cut-off table jig all the time. Where I volunteer (a furniture bank) we cut dozens of 4x8 sheets of particle board into 2" to 4" strips all the time. A good infeed and outfeed table help a lot. Though we cut the larger pieces of melamine on a panel saw (fewer cuts per sheet).
I still think the EZ-Smart system from eureka zone is still one of the best, being able to support a 10" saw is a nice feature.
Could you have used a longer piece of 2x to hold up the rip guides? It seems like they would work well under different circumstances.
It's possible. For me, I'd rather just add an auxiliary fence on my circular saw with a good plywood blade.
I have never seen these tools in person. Looking at an advertisement for this product shows a Kreg multifunction table in combination to these tools. McFeeley’s should of sent you the whole shebang. It might of very well changed the entire review? No disrespect to you Chad at all and I’m a fan and follower of your channel. Now wondering what McFeeley’s was thinking of?
Chad, as I've said, you've made it to 50k as I knew you would. I'm very happy for you. I still believe that if you were to do a little more comedy with all your great content the subs would come much faster.
Actually, the comedy is what has held me back all these years. My numbers have grown faster without it. But thanks for watching
@@ChadStanton I didn't realize that. I enjoyed your skits so much that I must have blinders on. Thanks for all your videos.
I mean can I just say....... safety dan.
This is interesting, Chad. I've been debating about a track saw (Kreg or Makita) versus the Kreg ACS. Maybe I'll pass on both.
I found track saws are very limited for the work they can do. It's good for sheet goods, but that's about it. My circular saw is way more functional.
The Kreg ACS is much more than a track saw. It is a miter saw, a jointer, and a track saw,
You're supposed to use a big peice of Styrofoam insulation to use this track saw for all cuts with all accessories.
Dude, it's awesome that you have an 80's haircut to give props to "Stranger Things - Season 3" ... Very cool
(I'm joking, you're the best man.)
At 50, i'm just happy i still have hair :-)
After purchasing their pocket hole clamp which quickly went in the garbage. I am hesitant to consider what I would consider diy entry level tools.
I have never heard this before from anyone. Even if it has shortcomings, I havent owned anything worth throwing in the trash.
Multiple amounts it’s real to be cut at the same dimension, would that not be the perfect Job for a tablesaw
I totally agree with you. But some might argue moving a big sheet of plywood would be too awkward for them
If you just use the tape measure system to rip small pieces you'll have to reset it for every cut, and it won't work with any board under about 14 inches. I think just setting the feet on the same 2x4 as the sheet ought to do it.
Compared pricewise to dedicated machines designed to handle sheet good, I reckon track saws are a pretty good investment, it's a pain for one person to handle a 4x8 sheet on a table saw.
In my opinion a track saw would be great for roughing plywood down to manageable sections and then finishing the cuts on a table saw.
Although, a track saw would also be handy for cutting the back board of a sub 48" wide bookcase :D
At 4.50. that is not quite true because if you are a tad off your pencil line or you marked off a tad from one of your pencil marks from the tape measure you will have the same issue. This system fails the point with no surprise really. you are probably better off gettin 2 bits of wood cut at the same length (a jig in a way) and butt up the back of the rail , the other end of the wood flush with the back, a bit of time making them but $$$$$ less and you get to repeat the cut. This is likely to be as accurate as these silly tape measures.
These add-ons look very gimmicky! From previous use of Kregg products other than the pocket hole jig, I’m not really impressed! Thanks for your opinion And the video Chad.
I do have a concern about all the plastic in these products. I wonder it will hold up over time. It seems kind of thin and weak in areas.
While it appears to me that Kreg is trying to capitalize on the popularity of track saw systems, it also appears that they have definitely gone "cheap" on the system accessories to keep the price tags low and affordable. Unfortunately, this severely limits the usability of the system. In contrast, Festool's parallel guides with extension set provides both functions in a single package, is MUCH more robust (all solid aluminum) and work very well for these tasks. While Festool's guides do not allow you to go over 27" (approx.), anything over that would be more of a hassle than laying it out with a tape as you showed in the video. There is a reason these systems are gaining in popularity in the trades. It is much safer and easier to use than doing these tasks with a jobsite table saw. If you are in a stationary shop for all tasks, it may not be the fastest solution, but on a jobsite, there really is no faster method.
It's better to watch this in 1.5x speed
A workpiece that size, I'd just run it through my table saw. Both of these look pretty mickey mouse to me. Tape measures, Really?
Yup I’ll pass thank you 🙏