Can a plunge cut saw truly replace a table saw?

[Danny]

Thank you to everyone for your comments and suggestion.  While I understand that there are 2 schools of thoughts on this issue, at least you have confirmed that by buying a TS, I will not end up with a fancy tool that I only use once in a while, but have something that will cover must of my cutting needs.  Would look at a portable table saw down the road should I find that the TS "limitations" are becoming too much of an irritant.

Now, the only thing left for me is to decide whether to go for the TS55 or the TS75....... [unsure]

Thanks again.

 

[ScotF]

Thank you to everyone for your comments and suggestion.  While I understand that there are 2 schools of thoughts on this issue, at least you have confirmed that by buying a TS, I will not end up with a fancy tool that I only use once in a while, but have something that will cover must of my cutting needs.  Would look at a portable table saw down the road should I find that the TS "limitations" are becoming too much of an irritant.

Now, the only thing left for me is to decide whether to go for the TS55 or the TS75....... [unsure]

Thanks again.

Deciding between the two saws is another topic that comes up regularly and you will get the two camps of TS55 vs. TS75...LOL...my two cents, if you are working primarily in solid wood and plan on using it to cut lots of 8/4 and 6/4 stock, the TS75 is hard to beat.  The TS55 is lighter and probably adequate for most things, but personally I prefer the larger size saw.  Again, depends on how you envision using it.  The good news is you can buy one, try it for 30 days and exchange it if you think you made a mistake...cannot beat that.

Scot

 

[Stokely]

My vote is the TS75 as it can handle greater depth and has more power. I use it often to rip timbers and rough sawn wood, leaving a pretty nice edge. Sometimes I square/parallel the piece off with a contractors table saw. That works for me.

 

[Wonderwino]

I bought the TS75 first when I was doing a project from 6/4 ash that needed to be ripped.  (This was pre-parallel guide days and I got along fine!)  After attending Festool end user training in IN and using a TS55, I added one to my arsenal because it is lighter and easier to handle when working with sheet goods.  I do have to be careful when using the rails to make sure I have the one calibrated for the particular saw I grab.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Just as a friendly reminder, there are a gazillion posts covering both topics already on the FOG and anyone can find them by using the feature at the top of the page to this site.  I believe you will also find the definitive answer to the question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?".  [scratch chin]

 

[fritter63]

So, if portablilty isn't an issue, maybe there are cheaper alternatives

Not that I don't like Festool products, and I do own a T55, but if the SS had been available at the time I bought my T55, I might have gone a different course.  As it is, I did buy the SS and I use it much more than my Festool track saw

The quality of cut you'll get from that contractor grade saw does not compare to the TS55... you get cabinet saw quality with Festool. Think Delta Unisaw.

 

[Jay Knoll]

So, if portablilty isn't an issue, maybe there are cheaper alternatives

Not that I don't like Festool products, and I do own a T55, but if the SS had been available at the time I bought my T55, I might have gone a different course.  As it is, I did buy the SS and I use it much more than my Festool track saw

The quality of cut you'll get from that contractor grade saw does not compare to the TS55... you get cabinet saw quality with Festool. Think Delta Unisaw.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm Fritter?

Have you seen that saw?  Used that saw?

I can't comment on the Delta, but I do have the SS Contractor saw and with a Forrest WWII blade I see no difference between the cuts I make with my T55 and those on the SS.  Of course I'm an old guy and I have to flip my glasses up when I look at something closely, but ................. just say'n   

 

[tallgrass]

What is the old saying? If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail?  Is short there is always the best tool for the job. The question really is how far do you want to move away from the best choice of tool for a given job? 

 

[nickao]

A plunge saw and a table saw are two different tools. One is better for bringing the saw to the material(like on a job site using 4 x 8 sheets and cutting off the stack), the other is better at things where bringing  the material to the tool is better(like making complex cuts on smaller hardwood pieces). I use both. I never understood anyone wanting to replace the table saw with a plunge saw unless its just an experiment to see if it can be done. Both tools excel at certain things, but really I could not survive without my table saw.

To say that the TS cuts better than a contractor saw is not correct in my opinion. The TS may cut just as well, but there are loads of contractor saws, even the one mentioned, that with the correct blade cut as well as a cabinet saw.

The difference between cabinet saw and contractor saw in my experience is power and vibration. The actual cut quality is dependent upon the blade and the precision and accuracy depends on the fence. Even the little portable contractor saws with the right blade give cabinet saw results(whatever that really means) easily.

In short, the plunge rail saws and table saw are diffent tools and I like having both.

 

[GhostFist]

The table saw is here to stay no doubt about it. Plunge saws are a portable compliment to a table saw's ability.

 

[sancho57]

IMO Do you still a table saw?

Yes.

Do you need a huge cabinet saw or a tilt arbor contractors saw?

No.

For me a small portable saw will do because I only use it for ripping thin pieces 1/4" or 5mm and quick cuts where setting up a guide rail and plunge saw would take more of a effort..

That is ( like was already mentioned) festool makes a saw module for the CMS.

 

[score0matic]

The answer is NO. 

The solution DeWalt 745

 

[Alan m]

i dont think a plunge saw will ever complately get rid of the need for a table saw. small thin strips are way easier on a table saw.
i think that haveing a plunge saw allows you to have a smaller more portable table saw.

 

[nickao]

The answer is NO. 

The solution DeWalt 745

I always liked that rack and pinion fence on the little DeWalt.

 

[Tinker]

i dont think a plunge saw will ever complately get rid of the need for a table saw. small thin strips are way easier on a table saw.
i think that haveing a plunge saw allows you to have a smaller more portable table saw.

I always ran ito trouble cutting thin strips with my table saw.  Since introduction to the MFT/ATF 55 combo, i have found i can cut very thin strips accurately and without trapping such thin pieces between the blade and fence as with the TS.  I could cut thin pieces with table saw by leaving the thin cuttings to outside of blade, but that presented other problems, so until i got my ATF 55, I used the bandsaw for those thin cuts. 

I do them now with careful set up on the MFT and can make very repeatable glue ready strips.  i have the parallel guides, but for the thinnest strips, i find it easier to set up a limiting fence on the ATF.  With such a setup, I can make repeatable cuts as thin as 3/16 and only 4 or 5" long.  I can't do that on my table saw (when I had it).

One of these days, I should learn how to put pics on the FOG. [scratch chin]
Tinker 

 

[Mavrik]

Most of the fun with woodwork is inventing new ways and jigs to do a job efficiently with the tools that you have.
My biggest issues with a tablesaw are:
- space (small workshop)
- terror of that exposed blade

I have no doubt though that a tablesaw would be better suited to some tasks.
Just never tried it.

 

[Tinker]

Most of the fun with woodwork is inventing new ways and jigs to do a job efficiently with the tools that you have.
My biggest issues with a tablesaw are:
- space (small workshop)
- terror of that exposed blade

I have no doubt though that a tablesaw would be better suited to some tasks.
Just never tried it.

Ditto.

Since I am not a professional WW'er, i have spent many hours (in total time over many years) devising/copying jigs and schemes to get certain jobs done with both Table saw and ATF 55.  I think it is probably simpler to devise jigs for table saw as opposed to doing with tracksaw.  But, an error in design of a jig when using the tracksaw can ruin a piece of wood (usable for a smaller project :)  When making a mistook with the tablesaw can wreak havok thru out the shop, especially to the operator.  Even tho i sometimes miss my old TS, I would not trade my ATF (or newer TS 55) for any table saw.  I might borrow use of a table saw for a project (never happened yet), but would not loan out my ATF to anyone (except for a very few that I could count up with only one hand, and i do have all of my fingers---- on both hands 8))
Tinker

 

[Kev]

To my way of thinking there's a number of operations that are simpler on a table saw, but a plunge cut track saw with the right space is a better option than a large panel saw for me in terms of space and cost.

I don't believe Festool would make the two Precisio's and the excellent TS55/75 adaptors for the CMS units if they believe a table saw wasn't useful.

 

[nickao]

i dont think a plunge saw will ever complately get rid of the need for a table saw. small thin strips are way easier on a table saw.
i think that haveing a plunge saw allows you to have a smaller more portable table saw.

I always ran ito trouble cutting thin strips with my table saw.  Since introduction to the MFT/ATF 55 combo, i have found i can cut very thin strips accurately and without trapping such thin pieces between the blade and fence as with the TS.  I could cut thin pieces with table saw by leaving the thin cuttings to outside of blade, but that presented other problems, so until i got my ATF 55, I used the bandsaw for those thin cuts.  

I do them now with careful set up on the MFT and can make very repeatable glue ready strips.  i have the parallel guides, but for the thinnest strips, i find it easier to set up a limiting fence on the ATF.  With such a setup, I can make repeatable cuts as thin as 3/16 and only 4 or 5" long.  I can't do that on my table saw (when I had it).

One of these days, I should learn how to put pics on the FOG. [scratch chin]
Tinker  

You must not have had a very good table saw or fence then. I could never get the accuracy, precision and speed cutting small strips with my TS 75 that I could on my table saw. There is just no way the TS with any jig could match my table saw with incra fence.

You are talking ATF and that is an old saw, have you used a newer table saw since you went to the track saws? The newer table saws are light years ahead of even table saws from 5 or 10 years ago.

I guess it depends on ones work because I could never get away with just a track saw. For me I could cut 25 thin strips in perfect 1/64" increments before one gets the Track Saws even set up for similar cuts. There is nothing like clicking that incra fence one notch to get the perfect cut, no way any track saw could ever do that. Heck I am not sure how one could even measure that with a track saw without taking loads of time or making one heck of a jig.

They are simply 2 diffent tools that excel at different things.

 

[Scott B.]

I've been running a Dewalt bench saw for 12 years in renovating my home and building my shops, as well as the occasional misc carpentry work we run into in paint contracting. Also have a Bosch. And I have Makita and Milwaukee sidewinders.

I will never put any kind of sheet good through a saw again. Makes much more sense for the saw to pass through the material than vice versa...no more wrestling sheets. I brought in a carpenter a couple of months ago to demo and train me on the ts55/rail/clamp system and was quite blown away, I had never seen it up close and personal in action, and certainly never used it. I think its important to have someone with knowledge and experience show you firsthand how it works and how to use it to get the most out of it.

Here is a still image from my training session where I learned something that this saw can do that I have probably done on my dewalt frighteningly. It is also worth noting that free handing or shooter boarding with a ordinary circ saw is not in the same league as this, especially when the dust control is factored in.

[attachthumb=#]