Ryobi Track Saw Review
Top 20 FAQ About the Ryobi Track Saw
This track saw is by far one of the most requested tools I’ve had to review on the channel. I got over 100 questions about this track saw, and I’m going to answer the top 20.
Ryobi Track Saw - https://homedepot.sjv.io/ZQbvDq
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Ryobi Track Saw Dust Cover and Track Protectors - https://wittworks.shop/products/wen-track-saw-starter-set
Full disclosure, Ryobi sent me this to try out, but I’m not sure they’ll send me anything else after this.
When you get your Ryobi track saw, you get the saw itself, a 40-tooth blade, a riving knife, a battery and charger, two tracks that are about 27.5” long that connect together to make a 55” track, and one track clamp. Not sure why we couldn’t get two clamps in the package. It seems kinda silly since you need to clamp down both ends of the track.
Q1 – How does this perform on thick cuts, and how much does it bog down?
Q2 – How does it perform on a regular battery?
I’ve got a 1 and 7/8 inch thick piece of walnut. We’re going to see how powerful this saw is, whether it bogs down any or not. I’ve had several people ask me about that specifically, as well as how it performed on a regular battery versus a high-output battery. The high-performance battery performed well. I thought it powered through pretty good. You could hear it bogging down, and it was much more of a drain on the saw than the Milwaukee was, or the Festool, or Kreg, or Wen when I used those. Ryboi struggled a little more to get through that, but it did fine as long as you took your time.
When I put the regular battery in the Ryobi track saw, it cut for about 18 inches and then just stopped. It just gave up like it was too much. I had to back it up a little bit, then start over and finish the cut. You will definitely want to use the high-output battery.
Q3 – How straight is the track?
A number of people asked about the track, how straight it is, and whether or not you could get it straight. Yes, you can get it straight. What I did was take a straight edge, hold it against the side of the track, and then tighten down those joining strips. Once you do that, it’s straight and seamless.
You can feel when you’re pushing the saw where it goes over the track. It’s not the track itself that’s not lining up, it’s the rubber strips that it’s running on. There’s a little bump that’s very minor, but it’s there. It doesn’t seem to cause any issues like when I was cutting plywood with it. We all know 55” isn’t enough to rip a full sheet of plywood, 8 feet long, so you would need to pick up two more tracks. Would you be able to get all four sections perfectly straight? I have a hard time believing that it would be exact like you would if you just had two tracks from say Kreg or Festool, or any other competitors.
So why did Ryobi decide to go with two 27.5” tracks? Just my theory, with zero information to back it up, but I think they wanted something they could put in Home Depot in a box people could just grab and carry to check out. They would have their entire track saw kit in one easy to carry box without needing an extra box for the track. This keeps everything nicely packed.
Q4 – How much of an issue is the riving knife?
This saw has a riving knife, and that’s a good thing. The Milwaukee has a riving knife, and so does Kreg. Several models have that feature so you don’t get the wood to pinch and prevents kickback. The problem with this one is that it does take away from the saw. When you plunge with it, the way this saw is designed, the riving knife is under the blade. You can’t plunge cut with it. In the manual it actually tells you to take the riving knife off if you want to do a ‘pocket cut’, which is what they called it. This is poorly designed in my opinion. The riving knife shouldn’t get in the way. As a matter of fact, it got in the way a couple of times with me because you have to get the track back far enough so that you can plunge.
In comparison, on the Milwaukee whenever you plunge, the riving knife is moving separate from the blade. On the Ryobi, it just gets in the way. I’m glad it’s there, but I wish it was further back or designed more like the Milwaukee.
Q5 – What does the dust collection look like?
It’s okay. It does not come with a dust bag, which kinda surprised me. All the other ones, as far as I remember, came with some sort of dust bag. This didn’t. You’ve got to connect it to a shop vac, and it doesn’t connect to any standard size. It’s just kinda its own thing. You’re going to need some sort of adapter. It just should’ve been a standard-sized port. As far as dust collection goes, it’s okay. One of the main things I add to all of my track saws are these dust covers from Wittworks. I love his products, and they all fit really well. He did send me this, full disclosure. This is one of those things that will definitely improve your dust collection. If you look at the dust port, the dust is getting constricted. Both Festool and Milwaukee have a nice clear hole that’s getting more air flow. Dust collection is mediocre.
Q6 – Is this a significant upgrade over the Wen?
I really don’t think so. The only thing you’re getting over the Wen is the cordless ability. WEN Track Saw https://amzn.to/3JSSRi0
Q7 – How accurate is it? Is there any deflection?
There definitely is deflection, even with just minor pressure. The whole saw flexes from the base. The Milwaukee doesn’t do that. The Festool doesn’t do that. Where that starts showing up in on thicker pieces of wood. On plywood, it didn’t matter at all. The cut was square, so all you’re doing is breaking down sheet goods, you’ll be fine.
Q8 – What other brands of track is Ryobi compatible with?
No. It’s a proprietary track, and I really wish Ryobi went with a more standard track like Milwaukee, Festool, Makita, any of those other ones. All of those use the same track system. I wish Ryobi had done that, too.
Q9 – What is the kickback potential?
With the riving knife you shouldn’t have any trouble because it’s preventing that wood from being pinched. The only time I think you’ll really notice that is when you try to plunge cut without the riving knife into hard woods.
Q10 – How does it compare to the Milwaukee?
I would compare it like this – night and day. The difference is in build quality, cut quality, and price. With your more budget-friendly track saw, you’re going to give up a lot. When you step into the Milwaukee, this is very similar to the Festool, and I rate them very similarly.
Q11 – How does it compare to the Kreg?
I think the Kreg is a better option for most people. I really think the Kreg is a solid middle ground for a track saw. It’s not overly expensive, but it’s also not so expensive that it’s out of reach for most people. I was very impressed with the Kreg. It’s got a lot of features going for it. It’s not perfect, but it’s a really good option withing a reasonable budget.
Q12 – Is there any reason to not buy this if you’re already in the Ryobi platform?
If you already have Ryobi batteries, and if all you’re going to do is break down sheet goods with it, then that’s basically what I think this track saw is for. This is really not a good option for cutting thick stock.
Q13 – Is this best for DIY or Pro?
I’m really thinking this is a DIY hobbyist.
Q14 – Is the blade change easy?
Yes, it’s very easy. Does it have a carrying case, no it does not. Most track saws come with some type of case. Kreg had a bag. Milwaukee had a packout box. Festool has a sustainer.
Q15 – What is the warranty?
Ryobi has a 3-year warranty on all of their 18v tools.
Q16 – Are track saws replacing table saws and radial arm saws?
No, they’re not. There’s some things a track saw can do better than a table saw, and then there’s a lot of things a table saw can do much easier, better, and faster than a track saw.
Q17 – How sturdy is it at 45?
Cutting on a 45, it does have that anti-tip feature, which I do appreciate. That will keep it from falling off of the track. Not all track saws have that. Where this is limited is power. It struggles to cut through regular pine at 45. And you’ll see here it’s not going all the way through. It just didn’t have enough cut depth. I tried it a couple of times to make sure I was getting full depth, giving her all she’s got. She just didn’t have it. As far as accuracy, though, it was more accurate at 45 than it was at 90.
(One of my questions is they left off a splinter guard for some reason, and I’d like to know why. Milwaukee has it. Kreg has it. Several other models have this drop down splinter guard. It really does help reduce the tear-out. I also think it probably helps with dust collection a little bit because it just seals up a little bit more.
Also, the depth adjustment, track adjustment, and the anti-tip feature isn’t the best. All three have thumbscrew knobs that aren’t very easy to adjust. You look at something like Milwaukee or Festool, when you tighten those knobs up there’s a little bit better tension underneath.
As with any track saw, if you decide to pick up the Ryobi track saw you’re going to want to get some accessories. I would recommend looking at Wittworks. He’s a friend of the channel, as well as has his own channel. He has these green end protectors to keep them from getting damaged. He also has an attachment that will give your hose a way stay protected from the edge of the track. He also has a dust port cover, and track racks for storing the track on a wall or garage door.
Q18 – Does this have a scoring feature?
Yes, it does. There’s a toggle switch on top to set the blade to drop barely below the track surface. That way you’ll be able to make your scoring cut on plywood to minimize tearout.
Q19 – How do you pronounce Ryobi?
I pronouce it Rye-o-bee, but the company pronounces it Ree-o-bee.
Q20 – Who is this track saw for?
Who’s buying this track saw? Do I think it’s just terrible? No, I think it has a specific purpose, and that’s breaking down plywood on crosscuts. Full rip cuts require four sections of track, and you have to start thinking about is it going to stay straight over the connection of four tracks. I wouldn’t want to do that. Precision cuts, deep cuts on thicker woods, I really would recommend you look at something like Kreg.
Please understand, I’m not meaning this to be a bash-fest on Ryobi. I really like their tools so far. I did ‘The Haters Guide to Ryobi’, and I was impressed with the quality of the tools I got in that kit. If they will do just two things in Version 2, this will be one of the top contenders as far as the mid-tier track saws go: make the base more structurally sound, in other words widen the base out. The second thing is make the motor just a little more powerful.