Top three battery plunge, rail, track saws in 2024
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Looking to buy a new plunge saw in 2024 read this definitive guide to three of the best budget plunge saws which are reviewed by myself on weight, size, versatility, rails, cost battery power and many other important factors when purchasing a rail saw without further ado lets begin.
I am slightly bias on the first plunge saw which is Bosch Professional BITURBO GKT 18V-52 GC Cordless Plunge Circular Saw this is a neat and small battery powered plunge saw with equivalent to that of a 1620 W corded plunge saw with a compact design that lets you cut 10mm up to a wall or skirting boards ideal for taking out an existing floor to replace it.
We can see by the compact design of just 209mm x 374mm x 234 which means the saw can fit into tight spaces like the corner of a room with the 8v battery fitting compactly within the 209mm width of the saw, without the battery the unit weighs only 4.1kg.
With 1620 wats of power with an 8v battery and a cut depth of 52mm without the rail and at 32mm with the saw at 45 degrees.
With the rail the saw will cut a depth is reduced slightly to 46mm at 90 degrees which will cut through a worktop or door, the depth of cut at 45 degrees is 32mm.
Key information
- Weight (without battery): 4.1 kg
- No-load speed: 2800–5500 min-1
- Saw blade dia.: 140 mm
- Saw blade hole dia.: 20 mm
- Base plate: 305 x 169 mm
The Bosch rail system is compatible with Festool, Mafell, and Makita Bosch Click & Clean System as well as the and with all Bosch Professional 18 V batteries and chargers (Professional 18V System). For maximum power you must use ProCORE18V ≥ 5.5 Ah or larger I use a 8v battery but you can also use a 12V the saw is also compatible with AMPShare, the multi-brand battery alliance which is one feature that none of the other saws offer.
The speed of the blade can also be adjusted via the app or on the tool itself the app lets you fine tune the speed of the cut for maximum efficiency for different materials and the Bosch blade provided cuts most materials with a very good break off this is down to the quality blade and adjustable speed.
The rail system is basically a Mafell rail with good quality rubbers the saw sits nicely on the rails with you can buy in either 1400mm or 900mm rails and the connection for the rails system is very good quality I use mine without the clamps and it works well on sheet materials.
All in all the Bosch Saw is high quality with a large range of attachments to add on after your purchase of the saw and you can get a three year warranty when you register on the Bosch site.
Upsides of the Bosch plunge saw
- High quality blade and rails
- Light and small dimensions
- Mains power without the lead
- Large array of rails and attachments
- Long warranty 3 years when registered online
- Bluetooth connectivity
Downside’s of the Bosch plunge saw
- Depth of cut could be more
- Bevel only goes to just over 45 degrees
- Batteries expensive
- Could be more powerful
Makita DSP600ZJ (36V) Twin 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless 165mm Plunge Cut Saw
Next up we have the Makita DSP600ZJ (36V) Twin 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless 165mm Plunge Cut Saw which uses 2 18V batteries to give 36v of cutting power The Saw has a large cutting capacity of 56mm at 0 degrees, 40mm at 45 degrees and 38mm at 48 degrees.
Key information
- Weight (without battery): 4.1 kg
- No-load speed: 2800–5500 min-1
- Saw blade dia.: 165 mm
- Saw blade hole dia.: 20 mm
- Base plate: 305 x 169 mm
The Makita is a capable and powerful battery operated tool giving 6300 RPM with both batteries at full power which is slightly more than the Bosch but it also has a better cutting depth but no Bluetooth connectivity to adjust the speed to a finite setting.
Bevel capacity of -1 degrees to 48 degrees with a positive stop at 22.5 degrees. The precision accurate cutting delivers a splinter-free mirror finish, easy to set depth adjustment with large scale and locking lever to hold the blade in position so the at the wrench can be inserted through the hold in the blade case for easier blade instalation.
The rails come in 1.5 m sections and can be used on the Bosch saw well but the connectors for the rails are lets say flimsy compared to the Bosch which are much more sturdy than the ones below as a carpenter they just look and feel like they might not keep the rails straight when you are connecting to cut sheet materials.
I find that I don’t need to use the clamps on the Bosch saw but the Makita rails are quite reasonable price and good quality.
To round up this is a great little saw at a reasonable price £379 including a case without batteries of course but those buying it will already have some Makita kit so won’t be to bothered about that. The good things about the saw are.
Upsides of the Makita DSP600ZJ (36V) Twin 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless 165mm Plunge Cut Saw are.
- Great cutting depth 56mm
- Good ergonomics and tilt
- Price reasonable
- Soft start and electronic brake
Downsides of the Makita DSP600ZJ (36V) Twin 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless 165mm Plunge Cut Saw are.
- Weight with the two batteries it is heavy compared to the Bosch 5.1kg without batteries
- Rails and connectors aren’t as good as the Bosch.
- Rails only have one slide to lock into saw the Bosch has two
- Can only cut 18mm next to a wall compared to 10mm from the Bosch
Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm
Moving on to the newer more powerful Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm one I haven’t personally used yet but hopefully if Dewalt answer my tweet soon I will update this post to include what I don’t know.
Key information
- Weight (without battery): 1 kg
- Speed 5000 RPM
- Saw blade dia.: 165 mm
- Saw blade hole dia.: 20 mm
- Base plate: 500x 280 mm
The saw runs on the Dewalt flex-volt system which is known for extreme power from the power plant of 54v Flex volt system where batteries come in at a reasonable 130 at the time of writing this saw comes in at a larger price tag of 699 this particular offer includes the Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm -2X 6.0ah + Guide Rail 1.5m.
It is probably cheaper to buy the whole kit in one go the best thing about this saw is the depth of cut on the rail which is 55mm that’s a whole 10 mm more than the Bosch BITURBO GKT 18V-52 GC Cordless Plunge Circular Saw but there’s a size difference in the size 50 x 50 x 28 cm its a lot bigger than both the Bosch and the Makita but the rpm is not as much only putting out 4500 rpm compared to the Makitas 6500 this means even with the flex volt system this saw is underpowered.
Compare this to the Bosch BITURBO GKT 18V-52 GC which has 1900rpm it still seems enough to power through most jobs and can make the Bosch seem underpowered although Bosch claim the 1600 wats of power through a more efficient motor.
The rail for the Dewalt is more sturdy than both the Bosch and Makita brands being a full 30mm wider than the other brands but the joint pieces are again smaller start bars not as good as the Bosch system.
As we can see the batteries fit neatly on the back of the machine for good ergonomics one or two batteries can be used to power the machine the saw also has variable speed switch for different materials the rails also have rubber onto of the aluminium to help the saw slide as its heavy with the batteries on.
To round up this is a good bit of kit the price £859.99 including a case with batteries of course but those buying it will already have some Dewalt kit so won’t be to bothered about that. The good things about the saw are.
Upsides of the Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm
- Great cutting depth 56mm
- Great rail system
- Good ergonomics and tilt
- Long battery life form the flex volt system
Downsides of the Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm
- Weight with the two batteries it is heavy compared to the Bosch 5.1kg without batteries
- Bulky
- Rails and connectors aren’t as good as the Bosch.
- Rails are bulky that might not out some of
- Not as powerful as Makita
- Can only cut 18mm next to a wall compared to 10mm from the Bosch
Dewalt DCS520T2 54v XR FLEXVOLT Cordless Plunge Saw 165mm
Nationaltradesmen.co.uk is committed to bring you the best reviews from myself Greg Nelson a time served master carpenter with many years on the tools and in management, now I run this site to help workers find jobs and employers find workers I also write the news and reviews for the site.
