infeed and outfeed stands. He then was going to roll back to the job and he and his crew would set everything up. With any luck they’d have all the rips completed by the end of the following day. What blew my mind was that neither of them gave their plan so much as a cursory second thought. The hard costs and time lost would have been devastating. For that to not register or even send up the smallest red flag tells me there is a disconnect somewhere. So, without so much as a word, I grabbed my saw and rip guide, stacked and squared the fascia material, clamped it, set the rip guide to the correct rip width, and with one pass of the saw, produced eight pieces of ripped riser material, all in a 30-minute time frame. Until then, neither guy had given using a rip guide a moment’s consideration. When asked how they do not see the disparity between the two methods, they said they “just hadn’t thought about it.” That’s a scary thought, especially to the person responsible for and obligated to pay for the oversight (me). Somewhere along the line, we lost sight of simplicity as a solution and in its place developed an appetite for the extra complex, time-intensive answer. Complexity does not equal quality. Where we once used a pencil and a fender washer to scribe trim to fit (thanks, Angelo), we now seek out and purchase a $29 scribe tool for the task. Seems silly, wasteful and non-sensical to me. Now, I am NOT some bitter old dinosaur. These are just things based in logic and critical thinking. Throughout the years, my tool kit has grown, and the one common theme my tools all share is they provide a demonstrable, tangible benefit in their use. A great example is Makita’s Cordless Track Saw System, 6-1/2” Cordless Plunge Cut Saw, and 55” Guide Rails.
a bare tool only is $349. Quite a savings, but your mileage may vary.
The Saw (XPS02ZU)
The XPS02ZU is the heart of the system and has some unique features. Powered by two 18-volt, 5 Ah LXT batteries, the resulting 36 volts and the Makita-made brushless motor make short work of cuts in hardwoods and composites. The saw is fitted with a variable speed control with adjustability from 2500-6300 RPM as well as the Automatic Speed Change Technology, which electronically adjusts the cutting speed and torque to match the demand and optimize cutting performance. This makes the saw ideal for cutting large panels of different wood veneers, but also provides for cutting of multiple materials, such as MDF, melamine, aluminum and even solid surface materials such as Corian. Makita also produces several material specific blades for this saw. In addition to the speed control, the saw also incorporates a soft start and electronic blade brake. The 6-1/2” Plunge Cut Saw has a cutting capacity of 2-3/16” at 90 degrees and 1-9/16” at 45 degrees. Bevel capacity is from -1 degree to 48 degrees with positive stops at 22.5 and 45. The bevel function is unique in that it is supported front and rear, which provides extreme rigidity and thereby increases the accuracy and precision of bevel cuts. The saw is also capable of close-to-the-wall cutting, with the blade and table offset only 11/16” as opposed to most saws at 1-1/2”. One complaint that many had voiced was the inability of cordless tools to trigger the automatic operation feature of many shop vacs and dust collectors. To address that, Makita now offers many of their cordless tools with AWS (Automatic-start Wireless System), which through
The Makita Track Saw System
KITTED VERSION comes with two Makita LXT 18v Ah Lithium-Ion batteries.
The parts that comprise what I refer to as the Makita Track Saw System are: Makita 6-1/2” 36 Volt Cordless Plunge Cut Saw with AWS; 55” Guide Rails; Guide Rail Connector Kit; Two Port Multi Fast Charger; Lithium-Ion 5.0 Ah batteries; Auto-Start Wireless Universal Adapter. Although they can be purchased separately, most of the time Makita will bundle certain items and often these deals are exceptional values. A quick internet search shows the saw, guide rail, rail clamps, dual port charger, and two 5.0 Ah batteries, plus two Makita-branded Systainers to store everything in for $499, whereas the saw as Spring 2021
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