Spent $500 on a track saw setup and it totally burned me on a job

I bought a basic track saw kit from a big box store back in March to help with cutting down sheet goods for a kitchen remodel in Austin. The tracks were cheap aluminum and they bent after maybe a dozen cuts, making every joint look uneven. I had to scrap two full sheets of plywood because the cuts wandered by like 3/16ths of an inch. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand that won't flex on you like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.jana1mo ago

Stand there scratching your head wondering how they can sell something that obviously ain't gonna hold up... it's the same with everything these days, cheap materials dressed up to look professional but they fall apart soon as you put real pressure on them. Happens with tools, happens with furniture, happens with clothes you buy online that look great in the picture but the fabric feels like tissue paper. I honestly think companies are banking on people not returning stuff or just dealing with the hassle, so they keep cutting corners. Track saws are supposed to be precise tools, not toys you gotta replace after one job, so I feel your pain on the 500 bucks going up in smoke.

-2

patking1mo ago

Did you catch that article about how some companies are now using recycled plastics in track saw components that just aren't meant for the torque? @palmer.jana is dead right about cutting corners, seems like they figure people will just pay for the name and not look too close at what's actually inside the box.