DEWALT Festool and Makita Track Saw Head to Head
Power
Winner: Makita SP6000J
By the numbers, the Makita and DeWalt are tied here as far as amperage (at 12.0 Amps) but the Makita SP6000J boasts a 1,800 watts out which during operation which made the Makita feel faster and more powerful. Making it our winner in this category.
The DeWalt has solid power as well, with 1,300 watts out, and has no problem ripping stock quickly, putting it in second for this category. The Festool has less power overall compared to the other two saws, at 10.0 Amps with 1,200 watts out, and slows down a bit more quickly than the others in more difficult materials putting it last in the Power category.
Ergonomics and Comfort
Winner: DEWALT DWS520
DEWALT is the winner here, “hands” down, with very well-formed and comfortable handles with lots of overmold grip. The plunge mechanism on the DeWalt is done with linkage rather than a pivot. This means no odd wrist rotation when starting the cut but is also a little odd to use at first as it feels very different from the other two saws in the test, but regardless the major investment in ergonomic research from the folks at DEWALT paid off here.
Makita’s SP6000J places second with nicely formed handles that are very comfortable to use but don’t surpass the comfort of the DEWALT. The plunge action is very similar to that of the Festool, very smooth and comfortable, but again the awkward placement of a few adjustments hold the saw back as far as comfort, like the back bevel buttons mentioned previously and the oddly placed bevel detent override knobs.
The Festool TS 55 REQ features more of a stick style to the handles, with just a bit of over mold on the back of the primary handle. Bottom line, they simply aren’t as nice to put your hands on as the other handles.
Safety
Winner: DEWALT DWS520
DEWALT comes with a unique anti-kickback device that is integrated into the base plate of the saw as well as a riving knife, making it the safest saw based on our observations in the test. The Festool TS 55 REQ comes with an accessory, read NOT included, anti-kickback stop that is attached to the track and it also has a riving knife putting it in second in this category.
Finally, the Makita SP6000J has a unique anti-tip feature that engages with a groove on the track to prevent the saw from tipping, especially when making bevel cuts. But with the lack a riving knife or any anti-kickback device we put the Makita in last. Although, the lack of riving knife proves to be quite useful during some plunge applications, as the riving knife can sometimes cause more problems than its worth.
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