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I tried EVERY straight edge guide for my circular saw and saved $964 in the process.

Pocket Woodworking

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I tested EVERY track saw alternative and straight edge jig that I could find to see if can supercharge my circular saw, and save over $800 versus buying a dedicated track saw. We are ranking 8 different methods—including a secret tool from Japan—to find the ultimate woodworking hack for the small, pocket-sized workshop.

If you’re tired of "Pro" tool snobbery and want to build high-quality furniture in a closet-sized shop without breaking the bank, hit that subscribe button and join the Pocket Woodworking community!

Tools and jigs in this video:
Milescraft TrackSawGuide
Milescraft SawGuide
Kreg Portable Crosscut
Swanson Speed Square
Milwaukee Rafter Square
Harbor Freight PITTSBURGH 24 in. Clamp Edge and Saw Guide
Tajima SD250
A DIY zero clearance jig made from MDF

👇 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:21 Freehand/freefoot?
1:03 Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Clamp Edge and Saw Guide
3:03 Speed Square or Rafter Square
4:17 Kreg Portable Crosscut
6:01 Milescraft SawGuide
7:34 Tajima SD250
8:57 Milescraft TrackSawGuide
11:41 Why use a real track saw?
12:16 DIY Straight Edge Zero Clearance Edge
13:40 Final Results

20 Comments

@Pocketwoodworking Creator 7 months ago Pinned

Subscribe for more practical woodworking content, no super shop or unlimited budget needed

@ITWorksSoftware 3 months ago

My circular saw was a huge mess, so much saw dust everywhere especially on me. Best thing I ever bought was my Milwaukee Track Saw... No saw dust mess, no cords, super accurate, and I can use it as a track saw or circular saw, best money ever invested. I'm not going back, lol.

@ivanxyz1 7 months ago

A track is still the best option. A jig like the Kreg parallel cut jig is a good idea in theory. But the problem is when we cut, we still make imperfections. And the side with the imperfection becomes the guide for the next cut. So that imperfection gets transferred over to the next cut. If you rip a sheet of plywood into several strips, those imperfections start to compound and add up to a big imperfection. A track saw gives you a new straight cut every time. No compounding of imperfections.

@stevenharris8286 3 months ago

Milescraft products are surprisingly well designed.

@TBIZ8325 8 months ago

Make the jig out of a stick of trex decking. Laser straight and will never rot.

@stevedockery3534 3 weeks ago

Excellent video and info my friend. Steve

@iamacheezit 5 months ago

Just picked up the Milescraft 1409 on a whim and later found your video. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I'm happy to see it at the top of the list!

@Hunter-vl6ft 3 months ago

That clamp on style was good enough for Norm Abrams.

@dangdoldangdol 3 months ago

If you do finish carpentry, it's definitely worth the investment of a good track saw. The circular saw is great for framing carpenters.

@katelikesrectangles 3 months ago

this is great, even if just seeing how these various things are actually used. that isn't always clear from a product photo! thank you

@toddashton9696 3 months ago

Banished to the spare bedroom for the video.
Great video, thanks for this, getting to the point quickly with nice demo's.

@NormRidg 8 months ago

Thank you on showing the options. Got me thinking.

@kellysmith2303 3 months ago

I really love my milescraft “track saw”. I have it with the miles raft track square and that was almost a necessity for what I cut. It would be perfect if it could cut miters. But if someone gave me a track saw, I’d take it. If I could choose, I’d get a 7 ¼” track saw, like the Wen one. I cut thick slabs and the small blades wouldn’t do me much good. I like being accurate and precise. Thanks for the vid!

@DavidCGergowitz-g1y 8 months ago

i use a straight board and a clamp on both ends.

@awwbeans 8 months ago

Weren’t kidding about those clamps being aggressive 😂

@bigal25938 1 month ago

I bought a Kreg 8’ guide and it really works well. The instructions on how to assemble it and how to use it were not great but I figured it out. I had to add some weight to it as I use it because the saw base wanted to work it’s way up under it because plywood has some bend in it but it made great 8’ cuts.

@Prince-Adam 1 month ago

I was hoping you compared the Kreg Accu-Cut also

@melandterryshu 8 months ago

Wow! Very thorough. I like your style.

@mitchellwnorowski6747 3 months ago

I have gotten consistent clean square cuts using the Pittsburg fence especially on large plywood sheets & more precise than my compact craftsman table saw

@danielshults5243 3 months ago

I've got the homemade jig. Mine's about 30" long, and I'm considering making a second larger one for bigger sheets. I use it as a freehand guide sometimes, but I also often clamp it down to prevent it from drifting. I'v also found it useful to drill a few holes in the fence portion so you can screw it down to a surface, as I've occasionally found niche cases where that is useful.