Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link.Why Trust Us?

A track saw lets DIY woodworkers tap into pro-level speed and ease.

We've spent quite a bit of time this summer testing Ryobi's track saw, a cordless 18-volt DIY version of a professional power tool that operates with a plunge cut mechanism and slides on a long aluminum track. Most hobbyists lack a full-size table saw or other professional-grade equipment that makes it safe and easy to saw up big sheets of plywood.

Aside from making test cuts with the tool, we've also used it on three recent projects in the Popular Mechanics shop: to rip oriented strand board to width for making stair stringer templates, to rip plywood to width to build our closet organizer, and to rip and crosscut the plywood that formed the top and clamp rails for the ultimate work surface.

The Ryobi sped all three of those jobs to accurate completion.

Track saws are popular in Europe, where mobile cabinetmakers and woodworkers use them to operate out of small shops or set up on the job site. These saws are principally designed for flawless cuts in plywood and other sheet materials. It’s no exaggeration to say that they have revolutionized woodworking, putting unattainable speed and accuracy in the hands of woodworkers limited on space or supplies. With Ryobi's introduction of a smaller, simplified, and less expensive version of this power tool, homeowners can also make straighter, safer, and smoother cuts in sheet materials. Track saws, whether corded or cordless, are circular saws that slide down an aluminum track that has a no-slip bottom surface. The track may simply rest on the sheet material being cut, or it can be held by a specialized clamp. The saw’s blade and motor pivot on a spring-loaded housing. To cut with these saws, place the track on the cutline and slip the saw into the track’s grooves. When you pull the saw’s trigger and push down on its handle, the safety guard on the saw body retracts as the blade pivots downward, slicing into the lumber. Hold the trigger down and push. Slide the saw forward.

The design was introduced into the U.S. market by the German company Festool, which is still regarded by many professionals as the gold standard of this product. In case you're wondering, Festool declined our invitation to participate in any track saw coverage.

There are two things you need to know about track saws that make them different from any other method of using a circular saw.

First, these saws rely on a woodworking principle called zero clearance. This is where the blade or bit makes extremely close contact with a guide or support of some kind. Zero clearance is a misnomer; there is clearance, but it is extremely small. Most of these saws come with a track that has a long rubber strip along the cut edge. The first cut you make with the saw slices off almost all of this strip. Thereafter, the tiny piece of strip that’s left (along the cutting edge) has two purposes. The strip’s black color is a visible edge that makes it easy to place the track on the cutline. Also, by pressing down along the surface extremely close to the saw blade’s teeth, the strip supports the wood as it is cut and prevents splintering.

Second, the track is always placed on the “keep” side of the cut. That is, you place the track on the piece that you want to keep, not on the side that becomes waste (sometimes also the side that becomes the next cut piece). This way, the kerf left by the saw does not reduce the width of the piece you are trying to make (the “kerf” is material removed by the saw blade). If you inadvertently put the track on the wrong side of the cut line, your finished workpiece will be too narrow by the thickness of the blade.

The Ryobi is a 6-1/2-inch saw powered by an 18-volt 4-Ah battery and a brushless motor. With the battery, the saw weighs 8.6 pounds. Note that this weight refers to the saw purchased as a kit. If you buy it bare and mount a smaller battery, that will obviously affect its weight and run time. Its depth of cut is nearly two inches. So long as you don't try to overfeed the saw by pushing it too rapidly into the lumber, you'll have no problem with its power. It easily cut the plywood we put it on and left a clean and straight sawn edge every time.

The saw's bevel capacity is 48 degrees, and its depth of cut is nearly two inches when the blade is perpendicular to the lumber. The Ryobi rides on non-slip 55-inch track made up of two sections that lock together with a sliding bar held in position with Allen head set screws. You can double that track length with an accessory track kit.

Track saw manufacturers have wisely anticipated that wear and tear on both the saw base and track, as well as temperature changes, can affect the width of the aluminum track or the plastic saw base. The result is that the saw could make a sloppy and less accurate fit on its track. The Ryobi is equipped with two adjustment cams that turn out on the saw shoe. These cams take up the slack between the shoe and the notch saw rides in. You turn a third latch to lock the saw to the track. Latching the saw to the track prevents you from lifting the saw off the track at any point during its cut; however, the latch does not reduce the saw's ability to smoothly slide.

You can lay the track on the workpiece and simply push the saw down the track to make a fast and accurate cut. For increased accuracy or to more firmly hold the track in place on bowed plywood, Ryobi supplies a clamp to lock the track to the workpiece. Slide the clamp into the notch on the bottom of the track, and tighten the clamp's knob. If the track is shorter than what you want to cut, simply stop the saw, loosen the adjustment knobs and clamp (if used), and slide the track forward.

Using the saw couldn't be simpler. Place the track on your cutline, then place the saw on the track and take up the slack with its adjustment knobs and latch. Thus locked, press the safety latch and trigger and press down on the handle to pivot the saw blade down into the cut. Slide the saw as far forward as you need it to go. After our recent tests, we've been converted to the need for these saws. If we were uncertain about them in the beginning, we aren't anymore.

Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.

The Best New Tech at IFA 2022

How to Move a Hot Tub

Solution to the Jetpack Splashdown Riddle

First Drive: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla

How to Clean a Hot Tub

If Jupiter’s Orbit Shifts, Earth Could Be Paradise

Build a Shaker Step Stool From Scrap Wood

China Plans Three Moon-Mining Missions

Russia Is Buying Weapons from North Korea

The Air Force Wants to Retire the F-22 Raptor

Japan is Building the Biggest Warships in Asia

A Part of Hearst Digital Media

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link.

©Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.