Hesitant Handyman Reviews - Kreg Adaptive Cutting System Master System
The tool I didn’t know I needed…
I first became aware of the Kreg ACS shortly before Workbench Conference 2019 as different folks got to preview it before the March release. From what I could see in everyone’s videos, I was impressed, but was it really something I needed?
Short answer — Yes, yes it was.
I attended Workbench Conference for the first time in February 2019 and was excited to see that Kreg would be demoing the ACS at the event, so I could get my hands on it and try it out. I wound up livestreaming the session, then got hands on with the saw for the first time. It was love at first cut.
I’d never used a track saw before, much less a track saw that pairs with a work table. What I could tell you going into this day was that I occasionally need to break down plywood, and my best means of doing it was having the guy at Home Depot cut it for me because the closest thing I own to a table saw is my grandfather’s 1956 Shopsmith, which doesn’t have so much as a riving knife or a lower guard–it’s literally a spinning blade of death pushed up through a slot on a tiny table that’s much too small to break down plywood on. The idea of using it as a table saw has never gotten me enthused. On top of that, the idea of losing fingers in a horrific accident has made me wary of table saws in general–while having one would be fantastic for this task, honestly if I’m going to invest in a table saw, I’d like it to have Sawstop printed on the side when I do.
Now, I clearly wasn’t going to full a full opinion with a whopping one cut of my own and watching the other folks at the demo try it out, but I left Workbench Conference hoping at some point I’d get the chance to try one out a little more.
A big launch day surprise…
The ACS launched with much fanfare in March 1, 2019, and it was a big deal, so you can forgive me for almost passing over the e-mail from Kreg’s Digital Marketing Specialist as just a reminder “Hey, remember that cool saw you got to try at Workbench? It’s out today!” But when I opened the e-mail, I realized it was much, much more–specifically, I’d dropped my business card into a drawing for an ACS master system at Workbench, and as it turned out I was the winner. As a result they were sending me the whole kit and caboodle – saw, track, and project table!
It’s been seven months since I received my prize, and I finally feel like I’ve put in enough time with it that I can provide some insights on it.
So what’s in the box?
Well, first off, it was boxES. As in there were four of them.
- First box contained the plunge saw itself
- Second box contained the 62″ track
- Third box contained the project table base
- The last box contained the project table top, including the hardware to mount the track onto the table, guides, and the versa stops
How bad was setup?
It wasn’t bad at all–I won’t do a video about how to set it up because Kreg did a great job of explaining it on their Youtube videos (Embedded below), I had no problem getting it set up and dialed in.
How to set up the project table – credit Kreg
The thing I would stress the most is being precise when setting up the table guides. They walk you through everything, but the main issue is calibrating the rulers to be accurate, which involves squaring the guide track to the bench dogs, cutting a kerf line in the table top, then aligning the guide tapes with a measuring tape stretched from the kerf line. It’s a bit of a process–it probably wouldn’t have been too long to set up, unfortunately in my case I was doing it in moments I could snatch away from my family and sometimes in hours where I couldn’t run a saw, so it took me longer than the average person to get to an operational status. Everything is dialed in after some trial an error with it.
So what are my thoughts on it?
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Kreg’s put out a great system with the ACS, not just the saw and track, but the table as well. I don’t know if it will be replacing anyone’s Festool, but from a price point perspective if you’re wanting a track saw, this is definitely a good start. The complete Master System that includes the saw, track, and project table is $899.98 (Affiliate Link), or if all you want to buy is the saw and track, the package is only $399.99 (Affiliate Link). And if you’re reading this prior to December 31, 2019, if you purchase the Kreg ACS through Kreg’s website, they’re running a special that gets you some extras–with the purchase of the track saw & guide kit you get an extra 62″ track and the track connectors, which is normally an additional $139.00. If you purchase the master system and you get a free track horse and extension brackets. (The Kreg links aren’t affiliate links–I don’t get anything out of it but you get a smoking deal on them!)
The table itself is set up nicely–it folds up and can be rolled out of the way when not in use. It’s super portable, and I discovered that the tailgate of my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 is the right height for an improvised out feed table.
On a recent project, I experimented with something new, cleaning up edges of 2×4 material to join them together as a table top. the nice thing with the ACS being properly dialed in, the faces are square to each other and the cuts are smooth, making joining them together a breeze.
Overall, I’m happy with the saw–it’s a great saw and it helps me accomplish cuts that I was previously unable to without help from the panel saw guy at Home Depot. If you’re looking to get into the track saw market, this is really a solid, affordable choice.
