Contemplating selling table saw to fund lust for black & green- will I be sorry?

[fidelfs]

Never get rid of the TS. It's versatility and ease of use is superior to any hand held saw.

The MFT only comes in handy when you need to take it to the job site.

Agree 100%  ;D

 

[jrs]

I am leaning towards taking a different tack.  I am going to rig up a platform, to put on top of my TS, on which I can place the MFTs

If the MFTs were about an inch shorter, I could use them as an outfeed table.

when I get back to the big computer I will play around w/ sketchup some more.

I just have to figure out how to swing the money issue...

Thanks to all that responded.  If anyone has any additional info, please let me know (like, anything more ingenious than just throwing a sheet of plywood over my TS for the MFTs?

 

[Jimhart]

I can't believe there have been all these responses and no one has mentioned the most obvious solution.

Get the wife a mini-cooper and keep the TS.

Jim

 

[suds]

LOL..that's what I got .. a Mini Cooper and boy is it fun...and saves a lot of room too. 
Back to the point..I like the TS55 and have never used the 75 so can't compare.  But for home/hobbiest use I think it's more than enough.  I will say one thing, look at the revenue you will produce from selling the saw.  Then, divide that by the number of years you will be doing woodworking.  Then, simply ask yourself two simple questions; 1. How much per year is that number. 2. How much per month is that number.  I thought about selling my Shopsmith and did the math.  If I was lucky enough to get $1,000 for it and figured I could do woodworking for another 20 years it would "cost" me $50/year or $4.16 per mos to hang on to it.  My SS has the bandsaw, conical sander and easily turns into a nice drill press.  I also have a Ryobi jointer and planer that have seen limited use.  You have probably taken the majority of the depreciation so why not hang on to it if you can.

 

[peter halle]

I'll offer my opinion here.  My shop for all intensive purposes is a 5 x 10 trailer.  I used to carry a Dewalt portable table saw everywhere I went.  It made me money.  I don't carry it anymore on a regular basis.  Festool has provided the alternative.  I am glad I have it - the tablesaw - for backup or supplementation.  Don't sell the table saw.

Peter

 

[JeromeM]

thoughts
for me the CT33 is just too big and as I use a cyclone the CT 22 is equally good and in your situation you may find the same. I really like the cyclone and recommend you to think about it. You will be making a high volume of sawdust.
--Snip--
I can't comment on either the Kapex or MFT for you as the Kapex did not give me value for money and the MFT  was not stable enough

A couple of other items not on your list; I find that the MFS is excellent with the OF1400 and the ETS 150 (I have a Rotex 150) is a joy to use.

One point is that I do have a TS BUT the top is very small. It's smaller than almost all but a US table-top TS and I would not give it up. But with the latest  offering that puts a TS55 into an MFT you can get round that problem.

Oh, all that I posted was my "near term" list    I can't scare the wife all at once!  The MFS looks very nice, as does the hole drilling set.

The price of the Kapex scares me so I will probably get the Makita 7" SCMS
I just got the LR32 and am very happy with it. My first project with it is to make my own MFT style workbench top and for that it is working perfectly (when I don't forget to drill all the holes) as you can see here

In fact it was easy to reset the LR32 and go back and make the missing hole in exactly the correct location when I noticed my mistake  ;D

What is this offering you are talking about that puts the TS55 in the MFT?

b_m_hart has quoted the link to that

I have a jet dust collector (the 1.5 hp one, upgraded with a canister). 

I will get a large Cyclone/dust collector whwn I build my own shop. But the small one will stay on the CT22 you can use a DD or CV06 to get 90% + I think mine gets over 99%. I bought 5 bags for the CT22 and expect that I may have to change the first in the next year or 2  :

I will look at the 22 vs the 33 tho, I didn't realize that it was actually "bigger"

They are the same apart from the capacity so the 33 is taller than the 22.

 

[Frans]

God, I wish I had "only a three car garage". I do about the same as you do, just some hobby woodworking and DIY. My workspace is a shed that's about 6x9 feet, in which are my tools, three bicycles, a fridge, some garden chairs and my two-year-old daughter's toy trike. My wood supply is also in there, on an attic of about 6x4 feet, under a 45 degree sloping roof. Yes, it's full.

Yes, point taken.   ;D

What I was trying to say is that effectively, I have access to a single car garage with the ability to expand to 2 when necessary.  Put my dogs in there and it is full!

Most woodworking I do is outside (thankfully the Basis system is very portable) or inside the house. Perhaps you need to reorganise your garage a bit more thoroughly. For a hobby, you don't need enough room to swing 8x4 sheets around.

Frans

Since most of the things that I have been making as a hobby start out as 4x8 sheets, I do

What is this basis system of which you speak?

I usually let the store where I buy my material rough-cut it to size, and make the precise cuts at home. The Basis system is the predecessor of the Compact Module System (CMS, not available in the US, unfortunately). It is a table that accepts various modules, a TS55 turns it into a tablesaw, a OF1010 or OF1400 turns it into a router table, etc. See the Festool UK site.

And perhaps you could put your dogs in your wife's car while you're working? 

 

[jrs]

I can't believe there have been all these responses and no one has mentioned the most obvious solution.

Get the wife a mini-cooper and keep the TS.

Jim

Ah, you have just "unleashed" another storage problem

As much as I might like that, there is no way she can fit these three dogs, plus two kids, in a mini cooper  ;D
[attachthumb=1]

They do often hang out with me in the garage (when they aren't sleeping on the couch)

Thanks, though, for thinking outside the box!

(I do think that the convertible is cool though)

 

[Frans]

Those ain't dogs, they're horses.  ;D

Don't know if it would make enough of a difference, but how about letting the dogs eat the kids? 

 

[jrs]

Those ain't dogs, they're horses.  ;D

Don't know if it would make enough of a difference, but how about letting the dogs eat the kids? 

I think that the kids might be a little too sour at times...

 

[John Langevin]

How tall is the ceiling? Could you secure the TS to a platform and hoist it up when not in use?

 

[jrs]

How tall is the ceiling? Could you secure the TS to a platform and hoist it up when not in use?

definitely not an option, it weighs ~600 lbs...

 

[fidelfs]

I always admired the ingenuity of this guy.  Mr. Bill Endress is an aerospace engineer in Tucson, Ariz and he has created a roll-away workshop very functional and with limited space.

You can see the video on Finewoodworking.  A subscription is required, but you can get 14 days free.  It is amazing what he accomplished and this video can give you some ideas.

Look for the video called "Two cars and a workshop" . He probably does not have the same TS you have, but the idea remains the same.

My advise don't get rid of the TS.

 

[jrs]

I always admired the ingenuity of this guy.  Mr. Bill Endress is an aerospace engineer in Tucson, Ariz and he has created a roll-away workshop very functional and with limited space.

You can see the video on Finewoodworking.  A subscription is required, but you can get 14 days free.  It is amazing what he accomplished and this video can give you some ideas.

Look for the video called "Two cars and a workshop" . He probably does not have the same TS you have, but the idea remains the same.

My advise don't get rid of the TS.

i am not a member, but the description you gave rang a bell-- I actually have an old copy of "shops & tools" that had this featured-- it was quite slick.

 

[jrs]

OK, I made the partial plunge! 

At the urging of my wife, I opted to keep the TS.  I ended up picking up a kapex, ct33, and domino set.

I also ended up getting a "work sharp 3000", at the same time.  Easiest thing that I have ever used to sharpen, well, anything.

Thank you to all that replied!

 

[fidelfs]

Cograts in keeping the TS.  You won't regret it.

;D

I deal with short space all the time, my garage is 18x18 but I have a lot of equipment, TS (Unisaw), Bandsaw, Drill Press 15", Jointer Jet JJP12, Router table with incra fence, workbench for hand planing, dust extractor, ct22, fmt, wood, etc., but my style building furniture (hobby) requires me to have my TS.

 

[peter halle]

Made the right decision - at this point.

Create dust!

Peter