Track Saw
Affiliate link — we may earn a commissionA track saw (also called a plunge saw) is a circular saw that rides on an aluminum guide rail. The saw body clips onto the rail and slides along it, making perfectly straight cuts without a fence or clamp setup. A rubber strip on the underside of the rail prevents it from sliding on the workpiece. The blade plunges into the material from above (unlike a standard circular saw that enters from the side). Track saws produce table-saw-quality rip cuts in plywood and sheet goods without needing a table saw or a dedicated shop space. Festool, Makita, DeWalt, and Kreg all make track saw systems.
Why It Matters
If you break down a lot of plywood but don't have room for a table saw, a track saw does the same job in less space. The cut quality is cleaner than a circular saw with a straightedge because the rail eliminates wobble and the splinter guard minimizes tearout. It's also safer for sheet goods than wrestling a 4x8 panel across a table saw.