I am doing some horse trading with a relative, and getting rid of my old TS 55 in exchange for some tools he owns that I want.  I plan to replace it with a TS 75.  In looking at some of the specs (not to mention some promotional information) it occurred to me that this thing cuts to the same depth as my table saw, or close enough as it doesn't matter.  THEN, I got to thinking, I could sell my table saw, which is a European combo machine, replace it with a jointer/planer combo, and perhaps live happily ever after.  I probably would not contemplate this if I were making tons of cabinets, but I do mostly turning, with some custom furniture thrown in to keep things interesting.  I've got the Kapex already, and I have a Min Max MM 20" bandsaw for rough ripping of rough lumber if it comes to that.  The TS 75 would probably see most of its duty on sheet goods and occasionally some dimensional lumber. 

I would like to hear from some of you here if you have done this.  Is it feasible, or am I nuts to start thinking in this direction? 

I have a TS75 and an ATF55. I replaced an older large table saw with a smaller portable contractor saw.
There are times I use the contractor saw quite a bit, mostly for trimming thinner parts, door frames and such.
If you get rid of your saw I think there will be times you will wish you had one.

In 1996 I sold a large and successful cabinet making shop only because my career as a movie executive did not leave me spare time for my side venture. With that shop I sold all my large cabinet saws. In early 2005 I bought a decent contractor's 1.5hp 10" saw for my condo. Then in January 2006, realizing in my condo I had no room for a proper cabinet table saw, I bought a TS55, a CT22 and several rails. I never looked back, but I also did not give up my contractors table saw for all the lumber which is part of cabinets. I know a TS55 could do that, but to me it is easier to do so with a small table saw if one is available.

If I were still just making a few cabinets I would not need a big table saw. Personally I would want both a jointer and a thickness planer. I have tried combos, but to me they are a royal PIA. In the real world you make a pass over the jointer and then run the other side of the same piece on the planer. It does not work to run a batch of pieces on the jointer, then re-configure it to use it as the planer. While waiting the lumber tends to warp.

This is what I have done also, although I haven't needed the TS75 yet. Cutting down sheet goods on a table saw is horribly space intensive so I save a lot of space with this setup.

Eventually the space savings is going to let me purchase a bandsaw and a planer/joiner.

My Unisaw cuts to a max depth of 3 1/8", the TS75  will only go to 2.95" (and think that assumes no track in the way?). This is important to me because when making guitar necks, you start with a 3" blank and must cut that 3" thickness on a 15 degree angle (you then flip that cutoff around and glue it back on to make the neck with the angled headstock and have lots of glue surface). The only way to do this is on a table saw with a homebuilt angle jig.

So for me, would be a problem unless:

1) make up a bunch of neck blanks, more than I'll ever need, before I sell the saw
2) realize that there is enough slop waste on this procedure that I could start with a narrower blank (need a narrower headstock then too)
3) figure out how to use Domino's to make that joint and therefore cuts that could be made with a chop saw
4) use a handsaw to cut through the last little bit and hand plane it flat
5) admit to myself that I may never build another guitar.... :-)

anyway the point is, make sure you think of all those outlier situations first!

I'm not visualing this very well, but couldn't you do all of this on a bandsaw?

Kev

I'm in a similar situation - I've got a combo with sliding table saw (Minimax 300 Smart) as well as an MFT and ATF55 (and other Festools).  I overbought when I started woodworking (had just taken an intro woodworking class, and then got a big bonus at work - treated myself to stuff way over my head).  I'm finally coming back to all that fancy stuff in the garage  (years later - work and other stuff kept me away) and wondering if it's right for me.

The combo takes up a lot of real estate, and I just have a 5.5' slider.  My current project, before I tackle making my kitchen cabinets, is to build some cabinets for the garage (akin to the Chaos Theory stuff).  I decided to put Festool to the test and see if it can make the sliding tablesaw become a distant memory.  It's working ok, but it's not as slick as the slider with the multiple stops on the outrigger fence.  It was great to just have the full sheet of plywood in one place and do the long cuts with the Festool tracks rather than having to flip the piece over/turn it around in preparation for the next cut, but it's much slower.  Timewise, the slider would have been a lot faster.  It also would have been more easily accurate, but that's probably just me being rusty (one piece was just a skosh off).  I know with more time and experience I'd speed up using the tracks to break down the plywood, but I still don't expect it to be as fast as the slider.  I'll finish my rolling systainer using just the Festool, but the rest of the cabinets are going to be done on the slider.  The slider has also been great for lots of long, repeated rips that I've had to do for my exterior and interior trim.

But that's me and my future workload.  When I finish all the cabinets, I'll probably revisit the question.  I think no matter what happens, though, I'll keep some form of tablesaw around.

i don't know if it's an issue with your combo, but mine's not easy to move - it's a bit of a process to get it in place for work.   I don't have enough room to leave it in the best spot, either, so that's part of what I'm struggling with.  I've realized while thinking about it, though, that a jointer/planer would need to occupy about the same spot with similar mobility/occupying space issues.  It just wouldn't have the slider space to deal with.

I guess this is a long-winded way of saying - you're not nuts.  I don't have an answer for you, though, but hopefully some of my thoughts help you.

Not me, I sold my European Inca Table saw and bought a Powermatic 66 with a sliding table and couldn't be happier.  I appreciate all of my Festool tools but, giving up my Table saw and Jointer, Planer, Band Saw, Shaper, etc, is not in my future.

Jack

I also tried it for awhile - soid the Laguna TS and relied solely on my TS75 and I really missed having the table saw.  I haven't pulled out my TS75 since getting my Hammer K3.  Festool does a lot of things extremely well but certain things are really best done on a table saw i.e. ripping thin pieces accurately and consistently.  It also goes through 8/4 hardwoods a lot easier than the TS75 does.  I would hope so at 4hp!  The other posters have good advice about trying it for awhile before you make an final decision you may live to regret. 

I have been wrestling with this concept for quite awhile.  I have now made several projects without using my cabinet saw nd it has not been turned on in over a year -- in fact it is currently so stacked high with workshop crap it would take me longer to clean it off and organize things to make a cut than just about any other method.  I have a well-tuned bandsaw and with a carbide blade, it makes very, very accurate rip cuts in thick wood as well as narrow rips that are dead-on.  The cuts I can get of the bandsaw are very smooth and only need a tiny bit of touch up either on the jointer or a little sanding.  For me the bandsaw is the main stationary power tool in my shop followed by my J/P combination.  While using mostly Festool may not be the speediest method, it does work surprisingly well and the cuts are very accurate.  I do love the parallel guides for both wide and narrow repetitive rips too.

My cabinet saw takes up a ton of floor space, even sitting idle with the outfeed table folded down, and I would love to reclaim that space.  I also think that my overal efficiency would improve too (there is something to be said about organization and not tripping over tools).  BUT, I am already invested in it and so it does not cost me anything other than taking up space and it would be much costlier to replace than what I paid for it new several years ago.  OTHO I could sell it and put the money toward other goodies.

I have a few more projects planned and I think that if these go well tablesawless then I will probably move to getting rid of the cabinet saw.  If I find I need to make some cuts with it, then I will probably hold on to it and maybe consider shortening the rails to lessen the footprint.  It is a journey to learn to do things differently than what I was taught, but it is also fun to look for news ways of doing things and to try a new approach.  That is also one of the great things about woodworking -- there are a lot of ways to get from points A-Z and there is no one right answer.

Let us know what you ultimately decide.

Scot

I got rid of a large panel saw and replaced if a compact table saw and now only use it for limited ripping, and cross cut sled  table.

Hey Darcy, who would want to pry 2500 lbs. of anything from your hands?

==> Thanks for all the well thought out replies.  I am just beginning to think about this.  I realize there can be a downside, which is why I am asking for other's experience.  I don't know about drinking any kool aid.     I've owned the TS 55 longer than the combo machine.  I'm just contemplating the way my business is changing.

The kool-aid is not referring to your particular situation, but to these sorts of threads in general...  There was just one over on another forum that got a bit heated at times (the ft-fan-club was out in force)...  folks were going to rather ridiculous lengths (two or three glasses of kool-aid) to justify 55/mft over cabinet saw...  but when all was said and done, many of the claims disappeared when they unplugged their ts for a couple of months and used it only for an assembly table...  very few folks have the type of projects/workflow where the 55/mft completely replaces the ts.

I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision.  I always have my Bow Saw and a very nice 4 foot 2 teeth per/inch hand saw if I ever give up my table saw.  I make mostly one off furniture and cut very little plywood.

Jack