Breaking down the track saw lineup

[mediumwillystyle]

I need a track saw for the usual track saw stuff (small space, dust collection, working indoors, etc. etc. etc.) but was unclear on the functionality in practice of the 60 vs 55 with the electronic anti-kickback vs the riving knife. Also the TSV-60 with the scoring blade looks very cumbersome, are these things prone to just butchering veneers without that feature or is the TSV-60 a very specialist tool for people doing only nicely veneered ply all day long? I've never messed with anything that doesn't just end up getting painted but would like to expand my limited skills at some point.

 

[tjbnwi]

My shop owns, 5-55’s, 1-60 and a 75.

We experience no issues with chipping on wood veneered plywoods. If we’re cutting melamine we make a backwards cut 1mm deep the finish the cut forward. This yields a great cut.

Unless you see a need to bevel or crosscut @ 45º thru 1-1/2” material often the 55 should serve you well.

Tom

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Agreed with [member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] - the 55 is pretty much the go-to for almost every application except bevel cutting through thicker 1.5"/40mm material which the extra depth of cut will enable you to do (the 55 won't quite go through it when cutting a 45-degree bevel)). I'd also repeat the tip about setting the cut depth to 1mm and doing an initial  backwards scoring pass down the rail when cutting melamine or similar. This works because the sawblade's teeth are cutting downwards into the laminate surface rather than bursting up through it and potentially causing chip-out if your saw's splinterguard is worn and less effective than a new one. As you say - the length of the TSV60 is cumbersome, and it's really only applicable to guys who cut melamine or laminate boards all day long.

Anti-kickback vs riving knife = there's beeen a lot of discussion on here about this topic. The riving knife's there to stop the rear of the cut from closing up on the blade, pinching it tight, and potentially causing a kickback. When you're cutting man-made materials (ply, MDF, melamine etc) this isn't an issue since the cut doesn't close up. For 'proper' timber though, you have to remember that a saw cut can often release all sorts of tensions in the material, especially if it isn't completely dry. The chances of the cut closing up on you are therefore far greater.

As professional user of both a TS 55 and a TS60 who cuts oak, sapele and other sometimes unseasoned hardwoods at least a couple of days a week as well as everything else I cut, I have to say that in practise, the lack of a riving knife on the TS60 has never been an issue - indeed, the TS55's major competitor (Mafell MT55) never had a riving knife from the get-go. The TS60's anti-kickback works extremely well, only having been activated a couple of times since new. The motor stops instantaneously. 

As to which saw to buy (55 or 60) - the best analogy I can think of is a 2WD pickup with switchable 4WD. 2WD is just fine for almost all of the year, but having 4WD at your fingertips on those occasional off-road/winter conditions when you need it is a real bonus. If the extra $$$ is affordable to you, I'd personally go with the TS60 - just for those occasional winters.

Hope you get fixed up.
Kev

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I totally agree with Tom and Kevin on this. The TS55 is still the "daily driver" for most users. (The core, if you will) The others 60, 75, and TSV are expansion capabilities. It all depends on what you need to cut.
I have the main three, 55, 60, 75, and use them all fairly frequently. The 60 is my go-to for everyday stuff. I keep a specialty blade for Corian on the 55 and mostly use the 75 for thicker solid wood.
As a pro, in a cabinet shop, I could run across nearly anything.
As they both said before me, the TSV is a very specialty thing (I'm surprised/impressed that they actually put this into production. It could have been stalled in the prototype/proof-of-concept stage)
I'm sure it is exactly what some guys needed, but there can't be that many of them.

I have never had chipping problems with veneer, even with melamine the only time you need to go to the trouble of the scoring is if you need both sides of the cut to be perfect. The part under that rail will always be good, it's only the off-cut that may experience some chipping. If you don't need that part, it doesn't matter.