MFT and TS55 instead of a table saw?

[grbmds]

I sold my tablesaw and bought a TS55/MFT about 6 years ago and will never regret that. However, over time, I felt that, for some operations like ripping (especially smaller pieces), nothing beats a tablesaw. You might consider one of the brands of job site saws (Sawstop, Dewalt, Bosch, etc.) which would allow you to fold it up on its stand and roll it out of the way when done. I have found the Sawstop Jobsite saw to be accurate and a solid tablesaw within the limitations of a saw the size of a job site saw plus it has the added safety feature of the blade brake. Anyway, I hope this doesn't degenerate into a Sawstop discussion because that isn't my intent. Any of the job site saws will likely serve your needs as long as they are mounted on their appropriate stands which fold up.

 

[Roachmill]

Not sure I'd get on with having to put a MFT up then down every time I wanted to do something as it's not quite the easiest thing to do. It's also not the sturdiest of benches if you see any hand planing in your workflow but, if it is a thing for you, you may well have some space for a sturdy bench somewhere.

There's plenty portable MFT type solutions ranging from a bit of MDF on saw horse up to a "PaulK" type system that will accept a portable table saw. If you have good height in your garage perhaps something like the PaulK idea could be hoisted up the way and lowered down as needed... not the cheapest of ideas there!

With a set of parallel guides, a track saw and rails can do most of what can be done on a table saw but with added setup time. It's how I work (enthusiastic hobbiest with limited space) and manage fine enough.

As mentioned above, a domino can be a real time saver... all be it an expensive one!

 

[DeformedTree]

I gave up my large table saw just before buying into Festool. One does need a capability to do rip cuts in narrow stock which can be done with a bandsaw (followed by planing machine) or with a very cheap and cheerful small (even folding) table saw.

Build a tracksaw cutting station and you will not look back !

Peter

We don't know where the poster is from. Cheap and Cheerful products are only available in the UK.

 

[bijeshj]

Longtime woodworker here but I have been out of the hobby for many years because of space limitations.  I have convinced my significant other to let me use the garage as long as I clean up every night and put the cars back in the garage.  That means that my shop needs to be “portable” and won’t be able to fit a table saw.  Can you survive with an MFT and TS55 instead?

I asked the same question to this group 10+ years ago and started with the MFT/TS55. I now own a sliding table saw. It is doable, but almost impossible in practice, and I am a hobbiest. Even a portable table saw is better.

 

[Bertotti]

A table saw is so convenient. I had a 20x20 garage once. Now I don’t have a garage. You can take a corner of that shop and stack your tools there. A cable lift to hoist a bench/shelve up out of the way when not being used. Over head affords a lot of storage and there are some good drop down systems out there if you look. You could also build upper shelves to hold tools above on the back or side walls. And a fold down home made mft style bench. I have seen a few plans for those floating around the net as well.

 

[Sci]

I woke cabinets for a living.  I have a table saw in my trailer.  I almost never use it.

Look into a centipede and a sheet of sacrificial plywood instead of an off.  Cost is less and area while working is larger.  These are what I use in clients homes. 

M

 

[scooter_500]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and creative ideas.  I don’t think it will work out though without a table saw.  I know of ways to work around all of the other tool limitations but probably not the t.s.  At best there is only ~30” in front of the cars, no spare space to the sides once the cars are pulled in, and the garage height is only 8.5’ with the door only 6” off the ceiling.  Literally, my only option is to use a few MFT that get put away every night.

 

[Grev]

After retiring, I was in the exact same situation as you. I gave up my dedicated shop (as well as Powermatic TS) for a small section of my garage.  I had to completely change the way I did things. I purchased my first Festool Track Saw (as well as many other tools) and tried a few portable work stations, including the MFT3, but found they didn't work for me.  Most my projects include sheets goods, so I ended up using my sawhorses, a pair of aluminum extrusions (TrackTubes), and a couple Festool MFT3 replacement tops. I've refined my portable work station over the years, but it has worked really good for me ... very quick and easy to step up/break down, and stores along a wall anywhere in the garage.  I do have a small table saw and Kapex Miter Saw I store in a closet for cuts better suited for those saws, but I use my Track Saw 90% of the time. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Mortiser]

[member=74247]scooter_500[/member] , you really should look at the Track Tubes option. With and MFT/3 style top, there is lots of versatility there and lots of modification options. And very easy to move and store, easier than an MFT/3.
Good luck with your new set-up.

 

[Cheese]

I just finished cutting up the materials for 20 drawer fronts and all of the individual face frame parts for a 10' long built-in cabinet using a MT 55 and a couple of guide rails.

Did it work?...yes it worked well.

Was it slow?...yes very slow.

It can be done but there is a price to pay as far as the amount of additional time that you need.

I've seen a small Dewalt table saw hung on the wall like a picture after it was used for ripping lumber...that could be a possibility.

Another thought is the Festool CMS system. The CMS stand folds up and stows nicely once the individual insert is removed. Inserts are available for Festool routers, TS 55, TS 75 and the Carvex & Trion jig saws.

Here's the basic CMS stand.

[attachimg=1]

Insert for the TS 55

[attachimg=2]

Insert for the jigsaws

[attachimg=3]

Insert for routers

[attachimg=4]

 

[GigaWatt]

Scooter_500, I have a similar situation to yours. I'm in my mid 70s and started rethinking my method of woodworking. I have a 50' X 70' shop, 150' from my home, which housed all of my large tools and is unheated. I also have a 16' X 32' shop, roughly equivalent to a 2 car garage, in my basement which has HVAC. As I've gotten older, I really dislike walking to and working in the large shop during the hot summer months and cold winter. I'd much rather be in the climate controlled shop!

Several years ago I bought a Kreg Adaptive Cutting System but have found it lacking in several areas including the amount of accessories available and quality of some of the plastic parts. Although it has served me well for the cost, I've decided to go all out and switch to Festool.

I recently sold my Delta Uni Saw, 24" planer, Kreg ACS and several other tools. I've started using the money from those sales to purchase Festool & TSO products. I'm also in the process of designing and building a 48" X 32" MFT style table that will fold up to hang on a wall. Also a 4' X 8' dog holed table on casters that will fold up and rest on a wall bracket when not needed.

I know this type of system may require more time on some projects however I enjoy staying comfortable!

Pic attached of what I've received so far.

 

[mkasdin]

I sold my tablesaw and bought a TS55/MFT about 6 years ago and will never regret that... I have found the Sawstop Jobsite saw to be accurate and a solid tablesaw within the limitations of a saw the size of a job site saw plus it has the added safety feature of the blade brake. Anyway, I hope this doesn't degenerate into a Sawstop discussion because that isn't my intent. Any of the job site saws will likely serve your needs as long as they are mounted on their appropriate stands which fold up.

I purchased the SawStop JSS pro and sent it back to woodcraft the next day. I didn’t like the fact the back of the fence didn’t lock down. I’ve cut into Poplar before, where the wood splays and other times I need to keep the stock tight against the rail, when feeding through with a push block , gripper. I think in the end a Table saw is useful. I purchased a Bosch 4100 and noticed the price dropped $100 during the 90 day return policy and  I paid $400 approx. today I needed to do a few fine cuts, I was too lazy to use the TS so used a Japanese Dozuki Razorsaw to make a few cuts.

 

[GigaWatt]

I sold my tablesaw and bought a TS55/MFT about 6 years ago and will never regret that... I have found the Sawstop Jobsite saw to be accurate and a solid tablesaw within the limitations of a saw the size of a job site saw plus it has the added safety feature of the blade brake. Anyway, I hope this doesn't degenerate into a Sawstop discussion because that isn't my intent. Any of the job site saws will likely serve your needs as long as they are mounted on their appropriate stands which fold up.

I purchased the SawStop JSS pro and sent it back to woodcraft the next day. I didn’t like the fact the back of the fence didn’t lock down. I’ve cut into Poplar before, where the wood splays and other times I need to keep the stock tight against the rail, when feeding through with a push block , gripper. I think in the end a Table saw is useful. I purchased a Bosch 4100 and noticed the price dropped $100 during the 90 day return policy and  I paid $400 approx. today I needed to do a few fine cuts, I was too lazy to use the TS so used a Japanese Dozuki Razorsaw to make a few cuts.

I still have a small TS, just didn't have a need to keep the Delta cabinet saw. I with you on having the fence lock down on both ends. In the past I used the Uni-Saw often to break down sheets of ply & mdf. In my older years I can't handle full sheets so I find the track saw a lot more useful for me.

 

[grbmds]

I sold my tablesaw and bought a TS55/MFT about 6 years ago and will never regret that... I have found the Sawstop Jobsite saw to be accurate and a solid tablesaw within the limitations of a saw the size of a job site saw plus it has the added safety feature of the blade brake. Anyway, I hope this doesn't degenerate into a Sawstop discussion because that isn't my intent. Any of the job site saws will likely serve your needs as long as they are mounted on their appropriate stands which fold up.

I purchased the SawStop JSS pro and sent it back to woodcraft the next day. I didn’t like the fact the back of the fence didn’t lock down. I’ve cut into Poplar before, where the wood splays and other times I need to keep the stock tight against the rail, when feeding through with a push block , gripper. I think in the end a Table saw is useful. I purchased a Bosch 4100 and noticed the price dropped $100 during the 90 day return policy and  I paid $400 approx. today I needed to do a few fine cuts, I was too lazy to use the TS so used a Japanese Dozuki Razorsaw to make a few cuts.

I still have a small TS, just didn't have a need to keep the Delta cabinet saw. I with you on having the fence lock down on both ends. In the past I used the Uni-Saw often to break down sheets of ply & mdf. In my older years I can't handle full sheets so I find the track saw a lot more useful for me.

While I would agree that the ideal is for the fence to lock down at the rear also, I haven't had a single problem with the back of the fence being pushed or forced out of alignment. The Sawstop JSS is a solid, accurate saw. For me, it's only limitation is the short distance of the table in front of the blade, which is a limitation on other jobsite saws also. The newest Sawstop JSS has increased that distance by a couple of inches, but that will not likely resolve the problem. Other than that, it has sufficient power for my uses, the cuts with the original Sawstop blade are very smooth, the rip fence is very accurate to the scale, and it is easy to fold up and roll out of the way when I need the space for other tools in the center of my shop. Are there better saws on the market? I'm sure there are but, for a small saw, I think it performs very well.

 

[Weens1]

Man, don’t jump through hoops to make this work. Buy a Kreg track saw and a decent job site saw. Have the benefits of both for less cost.