HV Hobby workshop · Hamar

Decision record · 3 August 2026

What should the second saw be?

The complete answer after buying the SKIL mitre saw: what it cannot do, what a track saw adds, why the first “decent” recommendation became too expensive, and the cheapest setup that is still useful and safe for a beginner.

01 · Begin with the workshop, not the catalogue

Your situation determines the answer

This is not a generic tool comparison. It is for the workshop that now exists.

  • You own a SKIL 1321 sliding mitre saw. It is the primary saw for crosscuts, repeated lengths and angled cuts.
  • You own four Stanley work trestles and have built a stable 1200 × 800 × 12 mm birch-plywood bench.
  • The garage has a gravel floor. Stability and a clear walking line matter more than a sophisticated cutting table.
  • The Fabia Combi's easy flat-panel limit is about 1520 mm. Your most convenient panels are therefore around 1200 × 800 mm.
  • You own a Kärcher wet/dry vacuum and Ryobi ONE+ batteries, but a track saw will normally be tethered to the vacuum hose anyway.
  • An eleven-year-old participates in the projects, but use of either power saw remains adult-only.

The central conclusion: a mitre saw plus a track saw is a capable small-workshop pair. But owning the first does not create an immediate need to buy the second. Buy it when a real cut requires ripping—not because the tool list has an empty slot.

02 · Jobs, not brand names

Which saw solves which problem?

ToolExcellent atCannot do wellPlace in this workshop
Sliding mitre sawCrosscuts, repeated lengths, mitres, posts, rungs, shelf boards up to its capacityRipping a board lengthwise; breaking down a wide sheetAlready the primary saw
Track saw / dykksagLong straight rips, sheet breakdown, trimming doors and worktops, plunge cutsCurves; tiny pieces; clean square inside corners; fast repeated narrow ripsBest future second saw when ripping begins
Ordinary circular sawCheap rough and general straight cuttingRepeatable furniture accuracy without making and clamping a separate guideCheapest route, but duplicates the track-saw job less elegantly
JigsawCurves and completing inside corners/notchesLong straight furniture cuts; perpendicular cuts in thick stock if technique/blade are poorUseful specialist later; not the ripping solution
Oscillating multitoolFlush cuts, repair work, awkward installed piecesLong cuts, clean furniture edges, efficient sheet cuttingNot a general second saw
Table sawFast repeated rips, joinery, narrow stripsCheap storage, simple sheet handling, low-risk beginner useSkip for now

A track saw does not replace every other saw. It replaces the ordinary circular saw for accurate straight work. The blade is round, so a stopped plunge cut leaves a curved underside and can overcut the top when used for a small square notch.

03 · Correcting the overreach

“Decent result” and “professional machine” are different

The initial Makita recommendation answered “which track-saw system is genuinely excellent and likely to last?” It did not answer “what is the proportionate next purchase for a new hobby workshop?”

Recommended starting point

Meec CI-W HOME 300

999 kr

1200 W, 165 mm blade, 56 mm cut depth and two 700 mm rail sections included.

  • Available locally at Jula
  • Everything needed to begin except clamps/support
  • Rail joint and general refinement are the compromise
DIY-quality step up

Einhell TE-PS 165

≈2,300–2,700 kr

About 1,388 kr for the saw at the August check; the guide rail is purchased separately.

  • Independent test's budget “good buy”
  • Smoother and faster than Scheppach in that test
  • Meaningfully dearer once the rail is added
Excellent, not necessary

Makita SP6000

≈3,900–5,300 kr

1300 W, excellent one-piece rail system, fine blade, case and high-quality adjustments—depending on the exact kit.

  • Best long-term system of these choices
  • Cuts are not four times straighter
  • Buy only after the hobby proves the investment useful

Correct recommendation: do not buy a track saw for the current bookshelf. When the first real rip-cut project arrives, the 999 kr Meec is the proportionate experiment. If it is used enough that its rail or adjustment quality becomes frustrating, sell or keep it as a rough-work saw and upgrade with evidence.

04 · The market considered

Why these models—and why not the others?

ModelApprox. price at checkRail in package?Assessment
Meec 015607999 krYes, 2 × 700 mmBudget recommendation. Enough capacity for furniture materials. Check the rail joint with a long straightedge and use clamps.
Einhell TE-PS 1651,388 kr saw; ≈2,300–2,700 completeNoMiddle recommendation. A comparative test found good finished cuts and named it the value choice.
Scheppach PL55≈1,966 kr with 2 × 700 mm railsYesSkip at this price. The same test found it slower, less refined and with a less stable two-piece rail than Einhell.
Ryobi RPLS18X-03,999 kr without batteryYes, 2 × 700 mm; one clampToo expensive for the advantage. Cordless is attractive, but the dust hose remains attached and a strong 4–5 Ah battery is desirable.
Makita SP6000J/J1≈3,923 kr at the lowest online checkVaries by packageBest buy-once system. Confirm in writing that the package includes the 1400/1500 mm rail, case and 48T blade.
Bosch GKT 55 GCEProfessional tierFSN 1400 in the named kitExcellent but unnecessary. 1400 W, 57 mm depth and a fine 48T blade; buy only on an exceptional deal.

The Jula Hamar selector showed 19 Meec saws on 1 August 2026. That is a dated stock observation, not a promise: recheck before driving. Extra Meec rails were 499 kr for another pair, but a long chain of joined budget rails is not the ideal way to gain 2.4 m precision.

05 · The price of a usable cut

The saw price is not the whole setup

The workshop already owns the expensive support components: four trestles, a stable bench and dust extraction. Therefore the budget setup should not include a new table.

The supplied 24T Meec blade is suitable for general wood cutting. Try it before buying more. Add a 48T blade only if the visible face splinters too much for the work being made.

Cut quality comes mainly from: a straight rail, a sharp suitable blade, full support under both pieces, shallow blade projection, steady forward movement and a correctly trimmed splinter strip. A more expensive motor improves the experience and repeatability; it does not rescue poor setup.

06 · Most of your real cuts

Use the bench you already built

For 1200 × 800 mm transport-sized panels, remove the unplugged mitre saw and place a sacrificial foam pad on the existing bench. No permanent conversion is required.

Side section — the table is support, not the precision device

The rubber edge of the rail marks the cut. The foam supports both the wanted part and the offcut, preventing either from falling and pinching the blade.

  1. Move the unplugged mitre saw safely aside. Do not work around it.
  2. Confirm the bench still does not rock or walk.
  3. Place 30–50 mm XPS on the top. It can be a collection of closely fitted pieces; it need not be a single expensive sheet.
  4. Place the panel on the foam. Nothing should teeter.
  5. Support any substantial overhang with the two spare trestles brought to the same height.
  6. Set cutting depth to panel thickness plus only 2–3 mm.

Never cut directly on the 12 mm birch-plywood bench. That weakens the top and risks hitting its screws. The removable foam is a consumable cutting surface.

07 · Only when a project truly requires it

A full sheet needs a cutting bed, not a cabinetmaker's table

The easiest current workflow is still to let the store make the first cut, because a 2440 × 1220 mm sheet does not fit flat in the car. If a delivered full sheet must be cut at home, temporarily turn the four trestles into a fully supported bed.

Top view — four supports across the sheet

Approximate support positions from one end: 200, 850, 1550 and 2250 mm. Exact numbers matter less than full support, no rocking and a clear walking path.

  1. Work on a flat driveway if possible. Walking 2.4 m beside a live saw on loose gravel is the greatest setup weakness.
  2. Open all four trestles fully and place firm pads below feet that would sink or rock.
  3. Put a roughly 1200 mm sacrificial cross-batten on each trestle so the full sheet width is supported.
  4. Lay one 1200 × 2400 foam board—or four 600 × 1200 pieces—over the supports.
  5. Put the sheet on top and press every corner and cut-side region. Nothing may lift, click or tip.
  6. Support the offcut everywhere. It must not drop at the end of the cut.

Do not put a sheet and foam directly on uneven gravel. The work rocks, the rail moves and the saw can bind. A low cutting bed on a flat driveway is safer than a beautiful tall table on poor footing.

08 · The rail is the fence

Choose rail length from the cut, not the sheet name

  • 1400–1500 mm: enough to crosscut a 1220 mm-wide sheet, with space for the saw to enter and leave while stable on the rail.
  • Two 700 mm sections: enough for the same crosscut, but the joint must be checked straight. This is what the Meec and Ryobi budget packages supply.
  • 2400 mm lengthwise rip: requires roughly 2700–3000 mm of rail so the saw is supported before and after the material.
  • Two 1400/1500 mm rails: the practical long-cut solution for the Fabia; join and verify them carefully.
  • One 3000 mm rail: best alignment, worst transport and storage for this workshop.

Never “leapfrog” one short rail halfway through a live cut. Stop-start repositioning almost guarantees a kink and can leave the saw poorly supported. Use a rail long enough for the entire cut.

How to join two budget rails

  1. Place both sections upside down on a flat surface.
  2. Insert and lightly tighten the connector hardware.
  3. Lay a reliable long straightedge against the rail's working edge—not the rubber splinter strip.
  4. Adjust until there is no gap or step at the joint.
  5. Tighten incrementally, alternating between screws, and recheck.
  6. Make a scrap test cut before using an expensive panel.

09 · First use

A beginner-safe setup sequence

This guide does not replace the saw's manual. Read it before connecting power. Eye and hearing protection are mandatory; extraction is strongly recommended; the child stays outside the operating area.

Build and test the support

Press every corner and both sides of the future cut. Correct rocking, overhang or a soft trestle foot before the saw appears.

Adjust the saw to the rail

Remove sideways play with the saw's guide adjusters while keeping free forward sliding. Excessive tightness makes the user push and twist.

Prepare the splinter strip

Follow the manual's first-use procedure. The initial controlled pass trims the rubber strip so its edge becomes the exact cut line for that saw and rail.

Mark both ends of the cut

Position the trimmed rubber edge on the waste side of both marks. For a critical dimension, confirm which side contains the blade kerf.

Clamp the rail

Anti-slip strips often hold on a clean broad panel, but a beginner should clamp whenever possible—especially on narrow stock, dusty material or a joined rail.

Set shallow depth

Use material thickness plus 2–3 mm. More exposed blade does not cut better; it increases risk and damages the support unnecessarily.

Route hose and cable behind

Connect the Kärcher with an appropriate adapter. Keep both hose and cord from tugging sideways on the saw or snagging at the rail joint.

Make one steady forward cut

Use both hands, start with the saw stable on the rail, reach full speed, plunge and push steadily. Do not pull a rotating blade backwards.

Finish before lifting

Keep the base stable, release the trigger and let the blade stop and retract completely before removing the saw or reaching toward the work.

Inspect the scrap result

Check straightness, square edge, splintering and rail-joint marks. Correct the system on scrap—not on the bookshelf material.

10 · Do not manufacture a reason to buy

The current bookshelf does not need it

Bookshelf operationCorrect toolWhy
Cut 48 × 48 posts and rungs to lengthSKIL mitre sawFast square crosscuts with repeat stops.
Cut 200 mm shelf boards to lengthSKIL mitre sawThe board width is within the sliding saw's capacity.
Cut approximately 49 × 49 mm front corner notchesJigsaw plus hand-saw cleanup, or handsaw/chiselA track saw's round blade cannot leave two clean square inside corners without overcutting.
Rip a wide panel into 200 mm shelf stripsTrack saw or store cutting serviceThis is the long, straight lengthwise cut the mitre saw cannot do.

The finalized low-cost design deliberately uses ready-made 200 mm shelf boards so no rip is required. Purchasing a track saw would not reduce the present structural material bill. Keeping the existing white bookcase saves far more money than changing saws.

11 · A purchase gate

Wait until one of these sentences is true

“I have bought a panel wider than the final part, and the store cannot or should not make the precise rip.”
Buy or borrow the Meec and learn on scrap.
“I have used a budget track saw repeatedly, and rail alignment or adjustment is now costing real time or material.”
Consider Makita—not before.
“I need curves or the bookshelf corner notches.”
A track saw is the wrong purchase. Use a sound jigsaw with the correct blade and technique, or a handsaw/chisel.
“I only need one full sheet reduced so it fits the car.”
Pay the store for the first cut. That service is cheaper than any saw and avoids full-sheet handling.

Final staged plan: finish the bookshelf with the SKIL and hand/jigsaw methods. Keep the 999 kr Meec as the named future purchase. Do not buy foam, extra rails, clamps or blades until the same project that requires the saw also defines their sizes.

12 · Prices change

Sources and verification notes

Price date: research checked 1–3 August 2026. Prices and Hamar stock are snapshots. Recheck the exact model, rail, blade and clamp contents before purchase.