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A course saw is a must - have for many contractors and DIY woodman . Its claim to fame is its ability to make cut as directly as those of a table byword — without having to lug a tabular array see around . It ’s a star at making precise on - site plunge cut . In essence , it ’s a circular power saw that mount to a guide rail , and for task such as pack of cards building and making bevels and crosscuts , it ’s a time- and labor - save dick . Track saws have been around for decades , but recent design advances have made them more popular and low-cost , so it was sentence to test . Along with four other track saws , I tested theBosch GKT13 - 255L Professional Track Saw , go against down sheet goods like birch tree plyboard and thin wood and composite decking for picture skeleton and breaker instrument panel details . I assess sawing machine - to - track participation , ease of plunge activeness , adjustments , dust direction , storage , lead length , and blade change . The Bosch came out out front of all other track saws as a issue of its superior innovation , relief of function , and public presentation .
Bosch GKT13-255L Professional Track Saw, At a Glance
Rating:9.9/10
SPECS
PROS
CONS
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What is the Bosch GKT13-255L Professional Track Saw?
This is a premium unit intended to redeem professional , high - quality , dependable result in a wide spectrum of remodeling and woodworking projects . It ’s built with stout electronic feedback control ( EFC ) , which keep the blade moving at a consistent , clean - trim down rotation . Unlike other course saws that tantalise on a solid rail , the Bosch rides on a thin , low-down - clash beading ( a bulge ) that hunt down the length of the track . TheBosch corded track sawincludes a 48 - tooth 6½-inch leaf blade and anL - BOXX computer storage box . The swivel dust port can either connect to a dust collection system or merely eject sawdust aside from the work and the exploiter when not using a dust collection arrangement . The byword chamfer from -1 degree to +47 degrees , so a slim back - bevel can be achieved . This is ideal for detailing former Ellen Price Wood room access , for example . ( I chiefly used it at 90 degree on sheet goodness and decks . ) TheBosch track and connector kitis sold individually at some retailers and with the proverb at others . This kit admit two 63 - inch tracks , a connector , and a nylon traveling bag that make traveling and storage much well-fixed .
How easy is it to use?
The Bosch corded track see is a premium prick with creatively designed features that remove many pain breaker point of using distinctive tracks saws . For me and the body of work I do ( remodeling and deck construction ) , two thing in special lay the Bosch apart from some of thebest track sawsI’ve used . First , the plunge going is a simple , intuitive thumb switch at the top of the saw ’s rearward grip . There are no petty releases or other secret button to have to cypher out . 2nd is the track . The unit of measurement rides on a sparse bead , rather than the more distinctive approximately ½-inch tall by ¾-inch astray orthogonal , evoke rail . As a outcome , the Bosch saw ’s base lock in with fewer wriggle and adjustments than other saws . It ’s a little affair , but I wish it . In addition to the track ’s precise intent , just a individual length of it is enough recollective for many types of cuts , include longsighted slice . The longest ones I make are about 16 feet for breakers ( or parting ) boards and picture frames in Sir Henry Joseph Wood and composite decks . While I can connect the two 63 - column inch sections , one is long enough to get a becoming energy . Then I move the data track and the saw and cut again . Working alone , it is easier to keep the saw on the cut demarcation while still making good progress with a exclusive department of track . to boot , this suave , quiet saw ejects dust away from me and the cut business to the rear of the power saw .
Is the Bosch track saw worth the money?
All in , theBosch track sawand track kit total about $ 1,000 . exchangeable — alike — results are possible for less , using an one-time - school site- or shop - made “ shoot board ” and worm - push circular power saw with a decent blade . However , the same timber of cut , dependability , comfort station of deployability , efficiency of warehousing , and easiness of use across multiple project is directly relative to the price tag . This is especially true with expensive tabloid goods like birch plywood where the veneer layer can chip out without a splinter safeguard .
Also relative to the cost tag is the track distance and stability . For something I habituate on can’t - be - unseasonable cuts , I favour a tool I do n’t have to fuss around with , even a piddling , to engage the track . Even a tiny wiggle to get the saw position on the track can prod it off the line . It ’s hard to emphasize how important being thrifty and double- or triple - checking is before pulling the trigger and plunging the saw . Sure , if I mess up a piece of birch tree plywood , it ’s inconvenient and I ’m out $ 100 , and mayhap it means another trip-up to get a new piece . But if I mess up up all the table on a deck , we ’re talking extra days of labor and G of dollars in the trash .
What I wish about the Bosch racecourse in finical is that , while all track saw tracks have condom flight strip and splinter guards on the bottom to help them stick to the workplace and protect it from chip - out , some tracks are too short for what I need them to do . The Bosch 63 - in track hit a sweet spot for me . It ’s easy to transport and store . It delivers enough distance to get a suitable amount of oeuvre done without unneeded resets . Plus , it ’s small enough for shorter cuts like those across plyboard or door . ( This Bosch racecourse saw is also compatible with31.5 - inch,43.3 - column inch , and82.5 - inchtracks . )
Photo: Mark Clement for Bob Vila
Is the Bosch GKT13-255L right for you?
Even for busy woodworker , deck builders , and remodelers , a track come across is not usually an unremarkable tool . So , is the Bosch caterpillar tread saw correct for you ? For me and a fellow worker who also have the power saw , the response is unabashedly yes . And while the Bosch decidedly skews to the professional drug user , this tool would also be a good improver for serious hobbyists who turn out outstanding woodworking and other undertaking . For moderate use and a more modest price tag , theMakita 6.5 - in Plunge Circular Sawis a secure alternative and also made our listing of best caterpillar track adage .
Price notwithstanding , I consider theBosch track sawis top drawer and its few downsides — a proprietary vane bower and a storage box handle that the drug user has to snap into piazza and unsnap to use — are minor . The set and finish are plush . The adjustments process smoothly . Even the blade - depth calibre , something I get to be finicky across the category , is easy to suss out . The vane - variety lever tumbler and arbor whorl are sweet-flavored . steel changes are a snap . Again , a small thing , but it results in a exquisitely perform tool whose whole is greater than the sum of its part . I think that the corduroy is actually an plus . There ’s a subjective but real correlation , oddly enough , that many of us puppet reviewers have notice : estimable creature have farseeing cords . Better prick have foresighted , flexible cord . At 12.5 feet , the Bosch has both . For cuts like breaker boards and depiction frames on decks , I want to spend zero extra seconds worrying about a barrage — of which you really postulate two , so there ’s extra toll involved , too . I ’d rather concentrate on the work at paw , trust on continuous power so I can leave my decks and other work with primo cuts . I need cutting that also make my customers ’ eye light up when they walk out on their deck for the first time . On that metric function , the Bosch track go through delivers across the gameboard .
Where to Buy the Bosch GKT13-255L Professional Track Saw
Meet the Tester
Mark Clement is a carpenter and professional remodeler who be intimate telling stories about tools and how - to ’s in any way he can . As an editor of Tools of the Trade Magazine , he “ find out about as much about building — and life — as is potential to learn ” and got paid to question carpenters from all over the country . That insight became the bedrock for his novel , The Carpenter ’s Notebook . With his married woman , Theresa Clement , he is the atomic number 27 - precept of the blogMyFixitUpLife .
Everything You Need for a Lush and Healthy Lawn
Keeping your grass unripened and your plants fly high does n’t just take a unripened thumb — it begin with the correct puppet and supplies .
Photo: Mark Clement for Bob Vila
