Home DIY

My many years working as a professional carpenter and joiner has taught me that:

A plunge saw can only be used accurately and easily on a track. They are sold as being able to be used off the track but this isn't really the case as in order to cut a straight line freehand you need to be able to see the blade.

A track saw and a circular saw are the same speed to set up as almost all decent circular saws will run on tracks.

Circular saws will plunge cut and do it to a set depth if you know how.

I can actually rip a 5m long beam about 10 times quicker with my circular saw (even one of my little ones that won't make the cut in one pass) Vs a circular saw because I'm able to accurately follow a pinged chalk or ink line and I don't have to spend aaaaaaaaaaages lining the tracks up with the cut accurately to avoid a wobbly cut.

Circular saws can crosscut on timber that is less than 1' wide. Plunge saws can't easily as the tracks aren't stable enough even clamped.

Circular saws can drop cut thus allowing me to quickly and easily cut tenons when I'm making an oak frame. Not possible for a plunge saw as again you cannot see the blade when cutting.

When set up with dust extraction a circular saw is ~70% efficient. A plunge saw is ~95% efficient which is why chippies started using them as it meant you no longer needed to set up an outdoor cutting area when working in someone's house. The saws themselves were originally designed to break down sheet goods as getting a sheet of ply/MDF/MFC through a table saw is dangerous.

Just to repeat my earlier point a circular saw can do everything a plunge saw can do and more as it is a more versatile tool.

EDIT I can give you more examples if you like