I Don’t Know What DeWalt Was Thinking With This Track Saw…

June 2, 2023

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When I first got my hands on the DeWalt 60V cordless track saw, I really wanted to like it. On paper, it checks all the boxes—cordless power, solid build, and that signature DeWalt styling. But after spending serious time with it in the shop, one thing became clear: there’s a design flaw that’s just too big to ignore.

And at $619, I expected better.

The Big Flaw That Broke the Deal

Let’s cut to the chase. My main issue is with a critical alignment problem in the saw’s design—one that directly affects the quality and accuracy of your cuts. For a brand as established as DeWalt, this kind of oversight is hard to understand. And what’s worse? It’s been around for a while, and they still haven’t fixed it.

I’ve been vocal about this flaw, and trust me, I’ve heard from more than a few DeWalt diehards. But I stand by it—accuracy matters, and this saw misses the mark where it counts.

A Surprise Fix (That Actually Helped)

Just when I thought I was done with this saw for good, something unexpected showed up—a mystery package containing a third-party fix designed to address the exact flaw I couldn’t get past. It was enough to convince me to give the saw a second chance.

And to be fair, the fix did improve things. It made me reconsider whether this saw could have a place in the shop if you’re willing to make a few modifications.

What DeWalt Got Right

Not everything about this saw is a miss. There are some genuinely solid features:

Great storage case
Generous track length—longer than most out of the box
Kickback lock and spring-loaded riving knife for safety
Cordless power that actually delivers under pressure

I swapped out the stock blade for a CMT blade, which gave me noticeably better results. When testing on plywood and hard maple, the saw handled the cuts with confidence—but not always with consistency.

The Cut Quality Problem

One weird thing I noticed: the offcut—the side of the board I wasn’t keeping—often came out smoother than the actual workpiece. That’s backwards. I traced it to blade alignment and the saw’s overall geometry, which just wasn’t dialed in from the factory.

The Four Biggest Design Misses

After a lot of testing, here are the biggest problems I found:

Misaligned riving knife – causes friction and binding
Double-hinged plunge mechanism – overly complex and imprecise
Terrible bevel indicator – hard to read and not reliable
Inaccurate depth scale – and no easy way to calibrate it

None of these should exist on a $600+ tool.

Final Thoughts: Potential With Caveats

I want to be clear—there’s potential here. With a better blade and some aftermarket help, the DeWalt track saw can perform. But it’s not ready to go right out of the box, and for that price point, it should be.

If you're already deep in the DeWalt ecosystem and don’t mind tinkering, it might work for you. But if precision and plug-and-play accuracy are your priorities, there are better options out there.