For cutting sheet goods down to size, I don't think i would ever consider using a table saw again. It is so much easier to, as some one mentioned above, bring saw to wood instead of wood to saw. I can cut to size right on my truck without unloading, or suspending sheets from tailgate to saw horse, setting up with blocks of wood on ground, or other methods and do it safely and without lifting. There was a time when i could carry full sheets of 3/4 ply up a ladder to second or third floor (non windy days only) with some trouble, but do-able. i have problems today trying to manage 1/4 ply to move anywhere. I won't even try to cut full sheets any other way but with track saw.
Second reason for choosing tracksaw over table saw is lack of space in my shop. To cut any board, whether dimension lumber or sheet goods, it it will fit in my shop, I can stabilize and cut it to dimension using my track saw. To cut wit a table saw, i need two to four times the space of the wood being cut. Cross cutting of long dimension lumber is impossible.
I do a lot of, mostly infact, small projects. most recently, i used up a lot of small scraps to make several sets of bookends. Many of the pieces ended up being cut to 3/4 inch widths and some as narrow as 3/16 inch. Most of the pieces ended up being less than 6 inches in length. If i were taking all of those parts from full lenght boards, or even 2 feet long boards, i would agree it to be much easier with table saw. But i was using scraps of lumber, many less than 6 inches in length. I could probably have done it with a table saw by making some sort of jig or sliding table to do it safely. With the ATF, and some mistooks along the way, i finally worked out a method to make such cuts with out error and do it safely. It did take time to work it out, but it is doable, and in my estimation, a whole lot safer than with a table saw. I have since thought of another method that might be even better. I still have not gotten comfortable with using the parallel guides, but i am still working on that method. Others have a lot of praise, and i can see the advantage. i just have not gotten there yet.
The last advantage I see with the ATF (track saw) over table saw of any size is portability. In good weather, I sometimes set up a couple of horses and a sheet of ply or MDf outside and do most of my cutting out in the sunshine. I can't do that with the Tablesaw. I don't even think i could manage to move a DW bench saw (don't think of the model number right now, is it 745?) up out of my cellar shop. that would put me out of biz for a week.
Tinker
Second reason for choosing tracksaw over table saw is lack of space in my shop. To cut any board, whether dimension lumber or sheet goods, it it will fit in my shop, I can stabilize and cut it to dimension using my track saw. To cut wit a table saw, i need two to four times the space of the wood being cut. Cross cutting of long dimension lumber is impossible.
I do a lot of, mostly infact, small projects. most recently, i used up a lot of small scraps to make several sets of bookends. Many of the pieces ended up being cut to 3/4 inch widths and some as narrow as 3/16 inch. Most of the pieces ended up being less than 6 inches in length. If i were taking all of those parts from full lenght boards, or even 2 feet long boards, i would agree it to be much easier with table saw. But i was using scraps of lumber, many less than 6 inches in length. I could probably have done it with a table saw by making some sort of jig or sliding table to do it safely. With the ATF, and some mistooks along the way, i finally worked out a method to make such cuts with out error and do it safely. It did take time to work it out, but it is doable, and in my estimation, a whole lot safer than with a table saw. I have since thought of another method that might be even better. I still have not gotten comfortable with using the parallel guides, but i am still working on that method. Others have a lot of praise, and i can see the advantage. i just have not gotten there yet.
The last advantage I see with the ATF (track saw) over table saw of any size is portability. In good weather, I sometimes set up a couple of horses and a sheet of ply or MDf outside and do most of my cutting out in the sunshine. I can't do that with the Tablesaw. I don't even think i could manage to move a DW bench saw (don't think of the model number right now, is it 745?) up out of my cellar shop. that would put me out of biz for a week.
Tinker
