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Matt Outlaw tests DeWALT's two-way track saw and its missing feature

The 731 Woodworks review pairs a versatile base plate with hardwood cuts, battery tests and a concern about keeping the saw upright.

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731 Woodworks Story of November 1, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? 908,373 views so far, and here is what is inside it.

DeWALT Finally Did What Festool Couldn’t...

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3:26Outlaw demonstrates push-button depth adjustment, bevel stops and tool-free track tension knobs.
6:06The title's promised feature is a base plate that lets the saw face either direction on DeWALT tracks.
6:58Walnut and plywood cutting tests are followed by inspections of the cut edges.
8:12Forced kickback tests trigger the motor brake and red indicator, while leaving scuffs on the track.
9:02Outlaw compares performance using PowerPack, PowerStack, standard XR and compact battery packs.
11:53He identifies the missing anti-tip feature during comparisons with other track saws.

A saw that fits its guide rail facing either direction is Matt Outlaw's answer to the promise in "DeWALT Finally Did What Festool Couldn't...". But his workshop review also finds something DeWALT left out: an anti-tip feature.

On 731 Woodworks, Outlaw puts the DeWALT 20V MAX XR DCS525B through more than a feature tour. He cuts thick walnut and plywood, swaps battery packs and deliberately provokes kickback to test the motor brake. The motor stops and a red indicator lights up, though the testing leaves scuffs on the rail.

The headline feature arrives around six minutes in. Outlaw demonstrates a base plate that lets the saw face either way on DeWALT's own track, and also works with universal tracks. He presents that flexibility as something the more expensive Festool cannot offer.

Some viewers challenge the practical importance of that comparison, arguing that their other saws preserve the splinter guard when making bevel cuts without needing to turn around. Others focus on the plunge mechanism: an owner of the earlier DeWALT says the initially unfamiliar motion becomes preferable with practice.

Outlaw's reservation comes later, when he points out the missing anti-tip provision, intended to help keep a saw from tipping during bevel cuts. It doesn't stop him placing the tool in his S-plus tier, but it gives the review a concrete trade-off rather than an unqualified endorsement.

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What viewers say

As an owner of the original track saw by Dewalt, I found the plunge super easy to use and much more practical than the rear plunge of the other saws available. I understand the first time you try it, it might feel strange, but once you’re used, I prefer it.
@lawrencekhoury9616See it on YouTube
I can’t believe you tried the kick back test on your festool track.
@jeremyharris5817See it on YouTube
Thanks for the review. As someone heavily invested in Dewalts 20v platforms I have been waiting for this saw for a while.
@networkguy3152See it on YouTube

2 more comments

It’s technically not an anti kick-back, its a kick back brake since it doesnt prevent kick back but just shuts off the motor when it happens
@MegaPicklezSee it on YouTube
The festool you’re talking about doesn’t need to go both ways because regardless of the angle of cut, the zero clearance splinter guard has the same left cut into it.
@420HereticSee it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube