WEN Cordless 6.5-Inch Track Saw, Brushless with Variable Speed (Tool Only, 20V Max Battery Not Included) (20691BT)

I needed a track saw, but only for occasional use, so I didn't want to spend $600, and this one, with track, was only $200. It got good reviews, so I bought one.The saw itself is made mostly of plastic and it has lots of plastic knobs and stuff on it, but it works great, and so far it has stood up to all the abuse I can throw at it. If I were going to use a track saw all the time, I would probably buy a more sturdy (and expensive) one, but for occasional use you can't beat the WEN. It's got a lot of great features, like a kickback preventer, so it plunge cuts well, and it has several blade settings, including a scoring setting and a blade-change setting. It's easy to set up for repeatable depth of cut. Very safe and easy to use.The track itself is just fine, too. It is extruded aluminum and screws together (with an odd-size Allen key, so don't lose the one it came with) and it's plenty long to do a whole sheet of plywood, which is why I bought it in the first place. The track stays together and stays where you put it. They sent me two clamps to secure the track to the work surface, but the cuts I've made so far have been straight with or without the clamps.So you can't beat this saw for price, features, and usability, if you want something for occasional use. It's accurate and it has all the features I need and more. It's not as durable-looking as the $600 one, but then it didn't cost that much, either, and may prove very durable in the end. This was an excellent purchase for me.

The most important point of my review is that you should NOT get the Oshlun 160mm blade that other reviewers have suggested. You will want to buy a better blade than the stock one, but the correct size is 165mm, which means the least expensive good option is the Dewalt DW5258. Without the correct size blade, the depth gauge will be off and the scoring function won't work.Note that I found the WEN CT9502 100-Inch Track Saw Track Guide Rail worked fine and I did not need to spend more on the Powertec guide rails as others have suggested, though they sound good as well.So how does the saw work? Pretty darn well, especially considering the price. I did remove the anti-kickback cam as others have suggested. After doing that, carefully adjusting the two guides that slide on the track, and waxing the sole plate and track with some SC Johnson's paste wax, it slides wonderfully smooth. Regarding removing the anti-kickback cam, I removed it because it was a PITA to work with, but remove it at your own risk. I did experience some kickback once when I was stupid and started to slide the saw backwards with the blade still down, but with both hands on the saw it was pretty manageable.With the stock blade, cuts in baltic birch plywood were ok, but not great. With the Dewalt blade they started looking quite good. To get perfect cuts across the grain of the top veneer, I needed to use the scoring feature. This feature is an easily-actuated stop that cuts a 2.5mm deep cut first before you make a 2nd pass to cut all the way through. I'm not sure that extra step would have been necessary if I had a Festool, but given the price savings, I can't complain.Dust collection is mediocre, even with the blade change hole taped over. Again, a Festool is likely superior in this regard, but from reading the reviews, the Makita and Dewalt track saws might not be all that much better.My biggest complaint is that there is no hard case. I wish there was at least an option to buy one separately. Oh well, I'll have to try to make the cardboard box it came it last forever.Considering the cost of the alternatives, this is an amazing saw. I understand why some might choose to get a Festool over this if they need perfection, but I don't think the Makita or Dewalt offers enough compelling advantages to justify their much higher cost, except if you really need a hard case and want to save a little over a Festool. The Wen on the other hand saves a tremendous amount over all the alternatives.

I've wanted a track saw for YEARS to help break down large sheets, but I couldn't stomach the idea of paying more for a handheld saw than my table saw! I've had good luck with my Wen drill press, so decided to give this tool a try. I purchased the full kit (saw, 100-inch track, and clamps) for about $225. That's less than HALF the price of the cheapest Makita or Dewalt saws ALONE.I've never owned a track saw before, so I don't have much to compare to. But I think it's a pretty solid kit.First, the saw is great. Accurate cuts, simple adjustments, good dust extraction, decent blade, enough power to glide through 3/4" baltic birch plywood. I particularly like the "scoring" setting that makes it very easy to perform a shallow cut through veneer before you cut the whole sheet, then instantly switch back to regular depth. My only worry is that the entire thing is plastic, so not sure about its durability.The track is just ok. Unlike other reviewers, I think it's pretty accurate and consistent when properly assembled. But the fatal flaw is the connection point between the 2 sections. I've had loads of trouble getting the two sections to join flush and maintain a perfectly straight line. The clamping mechanism is a pain: you have to flip the track to get to adjust both connecting bars, but every time you move the track you have to double-check that it's still straight. This is going to make it a real pain for occasional use, whether I disassemble the track between uses or not.Also, though 100" seems to be standard for these tracks, it would really make cutting an 8-ft sheet easier if it were just a few inches longer.The clamps are simple and provide plenty of grip to keep the track in place. They claim you can use the track without clamps, but that seems too risky for me, and clamping only takes a sec.Bottom line: I was able to achieve factory-quality cuts through plywood and laminate with just a few minutes of setup, at a fraction of the cost of any comparable solution. I'm happy.