Had to pick between a miter saw or a track saw for a big deck job

Got a job building a 400 square foot deck in Springfield. Client wanted composite decking, so every cut had to be clean. My old miter saw was okay, but the blade was getting dull. The track saw was new to me, but a buddy swore by it for long, straight cuts. I went with the track saw because I could cut the long boards right on the sawhorses. It took a minute to get the hang of setting up the track, but after the first few boards, it was smooth. Made all the cuts in about half the time, and the edges were perfect. No splintering on the composite material. Anyone have a good trick for keeping the track from sliding on really smooth lumber?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakotacraig1mo ago

Wait you did a whole deck with just a track saw?

shane_wilson1mo ago

Just a track saw" makes it sound like a toy, but a good one with a long rail is basically a portable table saw. I did my whole deck with it and the cuts were cleaner than my old circular saw.

wyattc7613d ago

Used to roll my eyes at guys dropping track saw money on a "fancy circular saw" but then a buddy let me borrow his for a closet shelving project and yeah, I get it now. The plunge action alone makes it way easier to start a cut perfectly in the middle of a board instead of having to line up the blade from the edge. I still use my old circular for framing and rough stuff, but if I need something to actually look good, the track saw is what I grab.