Milwaukee 6-1/2” Track Saw 2831-20
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The saw had zero issues cutting any of these hardwoods and its motor didn’t bog or slow dow, cutting the material with ease.
I was curious how the Milwaukee M18 track saw power compared to our ¬¬¬cordless Makita track saw when cutting so we did some side-by-side cutting to compare.
We also used the corded Festool TS 55 FEQ track saw as a benchmark
For this comparison we installed a new 40 tooth blade on all three saw and made a series of cuts through ¾” Purpleheart and 1-1/2” Poplar. Purpleheart wood is rated 1,860 on the Janka scale. Poplar has a rating of 540 but was double the thickness.
We ran each saw though the Purpleheart, using the sound of the motor to guide our push rate.
The corded TS 55 FEQ Festool saw was clearly the more powerful saw when cutting the ¾” material but not in the 1-1/2” material.
When cutting 1-1/2” inch Poplar there was no discernable difference in motor strain or resistance between the corded Festool and M18 Milwaukee saw.
Both saws cut at the same rate and resistance.
We did notice a difference between the 36-volt Makita and the 18-volt Milwaukee with the Milwaukee being slightly more powerful in the Purpleheart and clearly faster when cutting the 1-1/2-inch Poplar.
Precision
We found the Milwaukee track saw accurate out of the box at 90 and 45 degrees.
Additionally, the saw blade lines up perfectly on the splinter guide track strip at both settings. We’ve seen other saws cut into this strip when set to 45 degrees.
Track and Blade Compatibility
Milwaukee was smart; they designed their saw to be compatible with other manufacturer tracks [i, e., Festool, Makita] and put a 6-1/2 blade with a 20 mm arbor to be consistent with all the other tracks saw blades.
Milwaukee tracks come in three lengths:
• 31” Guide Rail
• 55” Guide Rail
• 106” Guide Rail
Depth of Cut
• 90 degrees 2-1/4”
• 45 degrees 1-5/8” [comparison e.g., Festool cuts 1-7/16]
• Bevel range -1 to 48 degrees
Dust Collection
The dust port has the most common port which is 1/7/8” and fits their vacuums as well as standard compatible vacuum hoses. My Festool hose fits inside the dust port nicely.
The blade viewing window guard and splinter guard did seem to help with dust collection and we used it quite a bit.
Electric break
The electric brake safety feature on the Milwaukee track saw is super-fast. Not much more to say about that; I’ve seen a few saws go around a bit, but not this one.
Riving Knife
Another safety feature on the Milwaukee track saw is its spring-loaded riving knife. The riving knife is designed to maintain a gap between the board and cut off board. It prevents the kerf gap from closing, and causing pinching on the blade, which can sometimes initiate a kickback.
The hole just above the riving knife exposes a star-drive screw that allows you to adjust the riving knife or remove it for plunge cutting.
Mystery Hash Marks
If you look closely there is a unique feature that many tool reviewers missed on the M18 track saw.
There are four hash marks near the riving knife, as well as at the front of the saw. These marks also appear on the clear dust guard, and black splinter guard.
The hash marks are designed to let you see where the saw blade starts and stops to prevent overcutting or if plunge cutting.
To use the hash marks, you need to line up the front and rear blade position indicators with your cutting line.
These lines show where the blade will cut when plunged.
1. The two inner hash marks are set for ½” depth
2. The next two are set for ¾” depth
3. The next two are for 1-inch depth
4. The outer most has marks are set for full depth of cut.
The build quality on the saw is robust and if I had to use one word to describe it, I’d say “outstanding.”
Milwaukee Accessories
o 3 tracks
o Guide Rail Bag (Only fits the 31” and 55” rails)
o Clamps
o Track joining bars
o 5 different sw blades
Milwaukee Track Saw Blades
o 24T General Purpose Track Saw Blade
o 40T Finish Track Saw Blade
o 48T Fine Finish Track Saw Blade
o 4T Fiber Cement Track Saw Blade
o 52T Laminate Track Saw Blade
Price
The Milwaukee track saw sells for $399.00 as a bare tool and $859.00 kitted.
