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Tool: 9 1/4″ 36V Track Saw XSH10 Shop Now
Manufacturer: Makita
MSRP: $542
As the owner of a sawmill, I have a variety of sizes of lumber that I work with regularly. Recently, as I’ve gotten into bigger pieces of live-edge lumber, I’ve found a need for a hand-held solution for cutting slabs to length or width that was more accurate than my chainsaw. It turns out the 9 1/4” 36v track saw from Makita fit the bill.
The saw, available from Makita, operates with two of their 18v batteries for a total of 36v. To me, the biggest appeal of this saw is that it’s lightweight when compared to a traditional “beam saw,” and that it still offers a total cut capacity of 3 3/8“. This means that can rip and cross cut nearly everything I need to, straight off the sawmill.
Makita had designed their saw to fit their track system. This means that, with the track, you can make accurate rip and cross cuts. A pair of tracks with a connector kit allows for a total cutting length of nearly 110″. In addition, if you use the Makita saw in your shop (which I occasionally do), it comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. This feature allows it to control a similarly equipped Bluetooth dust extractor instead of the extractor being controlled via a power cord (on traditional corded tools). If your dust extractor isn’t Bluetooth, Makita sells an adapter to convert any plug-controlled dust extractor into a Bluetooth-enabled one.
The 36v Brushless saw is loaded with torque and will make 110 cuts in 3″-thick oak with twin 5ah batteries (not included). If you need even more cutting capacity than the XSH10, Makita also offers a 40v XGT that comes equipped with a 10 1/4” blade and a cut capacity of nearly 4″. If you’re looking for a large cordless circular saw without going to a beam saw, the Makita XSH10 is for you. — Bob Reynolds
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