Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

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Argyll
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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by Argyll »

I used mine for the first time in anger today. I also used an evolution track guide rail ST2800 and the Triton saw blade that Peter Millard had recommended on YouTube. I was cutting a solid door length ways. I wanted to take 2mm off. After making the first cut on a scrap piece of timber to align the blade with the plastic edge and then taking off the 2mm off the door I noticed the tool seemed to struggle and several times the blade almost stopped. I wasn't forcing the saw, I was letting it cut on it's own steam but it seemed that it wasn't enough. The blade also did not cut in direct line with the cutting edge. I'm not sure if this had something to do with the small trim I was cutting off and perhaps the blade was being kicked off line I don't know. At one point the blade was rubbing alongside the door and not actually cutting the edge. Maybe it's not designed to take off so small a trim. Let me know your opinion.

I also noticed the two red knobs on the saw that keep it tight against the track loosened a couple of times even though I tightened them up with an Allen key.

I'm going to continue with it for a couple of weeks but I can see myself returning it and buying the DeWalt. Ideally I'd like to try the DeWalt and Makita track saw as it's the first time I've used a plunge saw so I can't compare it to anything else.

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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by Rorschach »

You are not the first to have some issues with the latest version of the saw unfortunately.
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Argyll (Wed Jul 03, 2019 7:30 pm)
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London mike 61
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Post by London mike 61 »

Thanks for sharing the video :thumbright:
I was thinking of buying one but I’ll wait for a few more reviews on its use before I go and get one.

Mike
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!
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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by darrenba »

How many teeth on the blade? You need a blade suitable for ripping, something like a 24 tooth.

For 2mm I would have planed it
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Argyll
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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by Argyll »

darrenba wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 7:48 pm How many teeth on the blade? You need a blade suitable for ripping, something like a 24 tooth.

For 2mm I would have planed it
I upgraded from the standard blade to the 48t Triton blade. I'd imagine a 22 tooth wouldn't make a neat cut.
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Post by Argyll »

I just bought the Titan one from SF. I collect on the 5th. Im taking the Parkside one back tomorrow after reading Rorschach's comment about people having issues with them.
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Post by darrenba »

A 48t blade is great for cross cut or mdf/ply but useless for ripping solid wood along the grain.
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Post by Rorschach »

It's this most recent batch (C1 I think) that are having the troubles, they are hit and miss, some are perfect, some are not.

Previous batches I have not seen any bad reports about them at all. I have one from the first batch and it is great.
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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by big-all »

ok general notes
any cut that doesnt hold the blade "captive" with any saw will push the blade sideways this can be exacibated by any slack slop or deflextion in the machine or blade
by captive i mean the blade is cutting a width greater than the blade so solid waste is left on the floor after a cut rather than mostly rubbing on the side that will tend to push the blade sideways
and as you found the solution is often several passes where each pass will rub more bumps off until the blade has little sideways push so near to where you want it

this will happen with most saws especially with slop and thin kerf blades
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Argyll (Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:02 am)
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we are all ------------------still learning
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Argyll
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Post by Argyll »

big-all wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:02 pm ok general notes
any cut that doesnt hold the blade "captive" with any saw will push the blade sideways this can be exacibated by any slack slop or deflextion in the machine or blade
by captive i mean the blade is cutting a width greater than the blade so solid waste is left on the floor after a cut rather than mostly rubbing on the side that will tend to push the blade sideways
and as you found the solution is often several passes where each pass will rub more bumps off until the blade has little sideways push so near to where you want it

this will happen with most saws especially with slop and thin kerf blades
I'm still not impressed by it so I'm returning it tomorrow.
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Argyll
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Post by Argyll »

darrenba wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:29 pm A 48t blade is great for cross cut or mdf/ply but useless for ripping solid wood along the grain.
I wouldn't say useless. Maybe a bit slower but it shouldn't have been that bad.
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Post by ayjay »

Argyll wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:03 am
darrenba wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:29 pm A 48t blade is great for cross cut or mdf/ply but useless for ripping solid wood along the grain.
I wouldn't say useless. Maybe a bit slower but it shouldn't have been that bad.
Ripping down the grain efficiently is a completely different operation to cutting across the grain.

The teeth don't cut the wood fibres, they chisel them away.

I still have a hand powered Rip Saw (check google images and they're so out of fashion that it won't even find one). It only has about 2 or 3 points (per inch) compared to a crosscut saw which for general use will be 8 - 10 pt, (mine actually has finer teeth at the front of the blade to make it easier to start a cut and larger teeth further down the blade).
One day it will all be firewood.
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Post by fin »

ive got several 48 tooth blades for my festool track saw and also for ripping i think a 28 tooth and a 12 tooth. i use the 48 tooth mostly for laminate worktops. oak worktops id normally go the 28 tooth or whatever tooth count it is... or maybe the 12 even. obv theres finishing off needed anyway on the cut that youve made in most instances
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Post by sammy.se »

Sounds like you've had some bad luck there Argyll, sorry to hear that.
The right blade makes a big difference - you must use a ripping blade (~24t) for cutting along the grain. The difference (when ripping) using a ripping blade vs cross cut blade is night and day, even on an expensive saw.
Those tension knobs do tend to slack off - it's annoying - I do have to check them before every cut. You do have to make sure they are both equally tensioned, so that you have the saw and blade perfectly parallel to the track.
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Parkside Plunge Saw-Not Impressed

Post by tombarry »

Oh dear I have'nt used mine yet or that blade thanks for heads-up
cheers
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