Plunge saws, also referred to as track saws, use tracks or rails to produce clean, straight cuts.
Their precision and versatility has made them popular with both DIY and commercial wood workers. They remove a lot of the user error associated with freehand saws, so they’re a great choice for beginners.
If you’re looking for a saw that can make long straight cuts for things like doors, cabinets or decking, plunge saws are an excellent choice. The tracks ensure that you create a consistent cut every time, leaving you with a uniform finish.
In this article we’ll analyse some of the best options available on the market today, considering their cost, rotational speed, and unique features. We’ll also look at some the key questions associated with track saws to help you to make an informed purchasing decision.
Best Options At A Glance
Product Summaries
Einhell 4331300 Plunge Saw
- Brand - Einhell
- Dimensions - 34.3 x 24.2 x 23 cm
- Weight - 4.75 kg
- Rotational Speed - 1900 RPM
- Special Feature - Adjustable Tilt/Depth
Firstly we have the Einhell 4331300 Plunge Saw. It’s currently selling for £115/$146 on Amazon.
This 1200W plunge saw is a great affordable all rounder for cutting materials like wood, panels and plastics. It has a max cutting depth of 42mm at 45° or 56mm at 90°, giving you loads of versatility when it comes to material thickness. The 1900 RPM rotational speed is more than enough for the majority of DIY of commercial jobs.
It’s also highly adjustable. You can adjust the cutting depth and tilt angle of the saw without the need for additional tools like chuck keys, and Einhell’s blade lock system makes it easy to switch between blades.
If you want to improve the precision of the saw or cut especially long pieces, you can buy extra tracks separately. This is perfect for upgrading your saw in the future without the need to buy a whole new tool.
This plunge saw from Einhell is a well-rounded affordable option that will get the job the done.
Buy the Einhell 4331300 Plunge Saw from Amazon for only £115/$146:
Draper 57341 Plunge Saw With Rail
- Brand - Draper
- Dimensions - 28.4 x 10.8 x 10 cm
- Weight - 6.9 kg
- Rotational Speed - 5200 RPM
- Special Feature - 2 Year Parts Warranty
Next we have the Draper 57341 Plunge Saw With Rail. It’s currently selling for £125/$159 on Amazon.
This track saw from Draper is an excellent balance of affordability and power. It has an impressive rotational speed of 5200 RPM which is far faster than many of it’s closest competitors, even when looking at some of the more expensive options. The saw has a max cutting depth of 55mm at 90º and 42mm at 45º so you have plenty of range for deep cuts.
It’s also supplied with two 700mm guide rails as standard so you don’t have to buy any additional extras. This makes it far easier to cut longer materials, especially with the included anti-slip grips.
Draper supply this saw with 24 months parts warranty and 12 months labour warranty as standard. This covers you in the unlikely event that something goes wrong after purchase – this is a great bonus for no added cost.
If you’re looking for a plunge saw that balances affordability with power, this saw from Draper is a great choice.
Buy the Draper 57341 Plunge Saw With Rail on Amazon for only £125/$159:
Makita SP6000J1/1 Plunge Saw
- Brand - Makita
- Dimensions - 149.9 x 30.5 x 35.6 cm
- Weight - 7.5 kg
- Rotational Speed - 4500 RPM
- Special Feature - Bevel Capability
Another impressive plunge saw is the Makita SP6000J1/1 Plunge Saw. It’s currently selling for £455/$579 on Amazon.
Makita have become a market leader in the power tool space, and this capable 1800W plunge saw lives up to the name. It has a impressive max rotational speed of 4500 RPM, giving you plenty of power to cut a wide range of materials.
It’s supplied with a long 1.4m guide rail, so there’s no need to worry about working with long sheets of materials. It’s worth mentioning that this is one of the longest guide rails supplied with a plunge saw as standard.
It has some other interesting extras as well. This saw has a bevel capability as well as depth adjustment, so you can create specially crafted cuts to match any aesthetic. Makita offer a 1 year warranty as standard with this saw, so you’re covered if something goes wrong after purchase.
This plunge saw is a great choice if you’re looking for a reliable all rounder from a household name like Makita.
Buy the Makita SP6000J1/1 Plunge Saw from Amazon for only £455/$579:
Dewalt DWS520KT Plunge Saw
- Brand - Dewalt
- Dimensions - 30 x 28 x 26 cm
- Weight - aprx. 7.5 kg
- Rotational Speed - 4000 RPM
- Special Feature - Anti-kickback Function
Next we have the Dewalt DWS520KT Plunge Saw. It’s currently selling for £587/$746 on Amazon.
This Dewalt track saw kit is a great option if you want to get all of your essentials in one place. It comes with two 1.5m guide rails, connector clamps, and a handy carrying case as standard, giving you everything you need to get started.
It’s impressive max RPM of 4000 combined with it’s 48 tooth blade and 55mm max depth gives you plenty of cutting power for a range of different materials and thicknesses. It’s perfect for cutting kitchen worktops, wooden flooring, fibreglass sheets and more.
The innovative anti-kickback function prevents the saw from sliding backwards along the rail, preventing rough cuts or unnecessary damage. You can also adjust the speed at a moments notice to create a slower more controlled cutting motion.
If you’re looking for a high-quality plunge saw that comes with some useful accessories as standard, this is a great offering from household name Dewalt.
Buy the Dewalt DWS520KT Plunge Saw from Amazon for only £587/$746:
Festool 577211 Plunge-Cut Saw
- Brand - Festool
- Dimensions - 39.4 x 33.4 x 29.2 cm
- Weight - 8.3 kg
- Rotational Speed - 5800 RPM
- Special Feature - Control Electronics
Finally we have the Festool 577211 Plunge-Cut Saw. It’s currently selling for £599/$761 on Amazon.
This Festool pluge-cut saw kit is a premium offering with all of the bells and whistles. It boasts a shockingly impressive max RPM of 5800, and it’s concentrated torque allows it to cut around twice as fast as some of it’s competitors.
It’s also highly adjustable. You can precisely adjust the cutting angle between -1° and 47°, and you can also adjust the cutting depth to the millimetre. This granular control gives you everything you need to create complex precise cuts with ease.
One of the more innovative features is Festools’s control electronics. This system allows you to control the speed for temperature monitoring, a quick-action break and exact adaptation to the material you’re working with. This increased electrical control makes the cutting process even more convenient for the user.
This premium plunge saw from Festool is more than capable of tackling any DIY or commercial job. If you’re looking for something that’s top of the range, this might be the saw for you.
Buy the Festool 577211 Plunge-Cut Saw from Amazon for only £599/$761:
FAQs
Plunge saws are one of the best tools for creating long, consistently repeatable cuts.
Their guiderails give you a means of aligning your saw against a truly straight line, guaranteeing a perfect cut every time. It’s difficult to match the consistency produced by their guiderails with a freehand saw, even if you’re a seasoned professional.
They’re convenient as well – with a circular saw you would typically need to start your cut at the edge of your material, but a plunge saw allows you to start your cut anywhere. This versatility can be really helpful when working with large, unwieldy pieces of material.
If you need a tool to create long cuts consistently, a high-quality plunge saw is difficult to beat.
As with any saw, you can use a plunge saw without the included tracks.
This can be useful when you’re working with an unusual shape, as the guides may interfere with your cut, but it’s generally not recommended. The tracks are what makes plunge saws so reliable when it comes to long consistent cuts, so if you remove the tracks you likely won’t be able to achieve the same level of precision. That being said, the versatility you gain from removing the tracks can definitely be useful in some scenarios.
Plunge saws are best suited for long straight cuts on flat surfaces.
They’re often used to cut things like decking, doors, cabinets, table tops and skirting boards. If you’re working on a project that needs consistent lengthy cuts, a plunge saw is likely a good choice for the job.
Plunge saws are perfectly capable of cutting worktops in most cases. As long as your guide rails are suitable length for your material, there shouldn’t be any issues.
Circular saws are usually the go to choice for worktops, but there’s no reason that you can’t use a plunge saw/track saw instead.
Thanks for reading our article. If you’re shopping for a new saw, it might be worth checking out our article on the Best Scroll Saw UK.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or queries that you’d like us to take a look at – we’d be happy to help.
