Newbie looking to take up woodworking, want to invest in the Festool system...

[HDClown]

Greeting all!  Still consider myself "new" around the FOG, but have been around mostly reading/lurking for a year.  This is a REALLY LONG post, hopefully I don't bore people, I'm trying to provide as much info as possible.

I've made a decision to official jump into woodworking as a new hobby.  It's something I've always been interested in getting into (fond memories of watching Norm Abram on New Yankee Workshop). I consider myself typical homeowner DIY'er in general, but all of that work has been more along the lines of rough carpentry kind of work.  I've recently had the experience as being "owner builder" as the general contractor on two jobs on my house, a bedroom addition and demo/re-build of a porch.  All of the work was subbed out but I ran the jobs, and I found it very enjoyable.  Now I want to get into more finish work kind of things.  Build some practical stuff and all that jazz.  I'm also an IT professional by day, and if that line of work ever falls out for me, having learned a hands on trade like this gives me another option to pursue financially, should it come to it.

I like to buy quality tools and I've been lusting over Festool.  I'm a firm believer in a quality product making a difference (even though the user is the largest part), and I've decided to invest into the Festool system.  I know some may think I'm crazy (although hopefully not people who read FOG!), but it's this is the way I do things in general.  I'm fortunate to have some money I can spend on this venture, and if it all backfires on me, the resale value on Festool being as good gives me comfort in being able to recoup most of what was spent.

My garage and driveway will be my workshop area.  I have a section in the garage that's roughly 11' x 4' that can be configured with a "permanent" bench type area, although that area currently shares sthe space with a 44" toolchest, so it's more like 7' x 4', but I can rotate the toolchest or move it to a sidewall. I park 1 car in the garage and need to maintain that ability.  I also want to to maintain flexibility of use of the garage, so no cabinet style tools.  Everything handheld/benchtop/jobsite style so it can be moved around easily.  The garage has free space on the sides in the oversized "gutter" area and my goal is to be able to store all tools and work items in those areas to keep floor space open when it's not in use.

I have no specific goals other than to learn, get better, and "build stuff".  However, I do have a few things in mind on my desired to build list:

• Clamp racks
• Rolling wood storage bins
• Customized drawer inserts for kitchen (utensil, silverware, knife) and desk (pens, pencils, etc)
• Work bench - To replace my Harbor Freigh bench.  I'm thinking something along the lines of the BenchWorks Sssport Workbench with it sized to my designated area
• Perhaps the BenchWorks MF-TC with two foldable xtensions to accomodate full sheets while still being able to be stored in the side of the garage. Could just do foldable extensions or saw horses with an MFT/3 to accomodate this, but I think the MF-TC is a pretty trick setup in general and would be nice for setting up in the driveway, or if I needed to setup in the house for some reason, or backyard, etc., it would be perfect for that
• As a future goal,  building new bedroom furniture (dressers and end tables) to replace the cheapie stuff we've had for 10 years would be cool, and perhaps building an expanding dining room table since the one my wife wants is over $4000! [eek]

Beyond that, I have no preconceived notion of what I will build or want to get into!

Note that I do have an RO 150 FEQ (just picked it up on a great deal).  Other notable tools in my collection are a Fein MM 250, older corded and cordless Dremel, 18 gauge pneumatic brad nailer, 2 different air compressors, a entry level Bosch corded circ saw and 1/4" palm sander, and plenty of screwdrivers/ratchets, but not much else in the power tool department.  A few random hand tools, low end chissels, saws, etc.  Most of this stuff was purchased at a time where I didn't have a lot of money available to spend, but needed these tools to get some work done.

I've put together a rough cost list of everything I think I'd eventually want from Festool, and it's over $5k, and that doesn't include any non-Festool branded stuff.  I'm thinking up to $3k initial spend on tools, and hopefully initial materials I would need for some of these things.

I'm feeling pretty confident in these 3 as a definite initial purchase:

• Dust Extractor - CT36. Put a lot of reading and thought into this.  I don't need portability and the 36 as the same floor footprint as the 26, it's just 2" higher.  The vac will sit in the garage and roll around the garage, maybe out to the drive.  I can't imagine the extra weight of a mostly full bag is really that big of a deal.  The 36 makes more sense to me on consumables cost over time.
• Track Saw - I know I want both a track saw and a jobsite table saw, but I'm thinking go with the TS 55 and add a table saw later.  The general consensus I got is the track saw can do practically everything the table saw can, but vice versa, it just may not be as fast/efficient/easy/highly repetable.  As those things aren't critical to me at the time, the track saw seems like the best option.  I figure I would want a single track for ripping full sheets down the 8' dimension too... FS 2700 or FS 3000 for this?  And would I want anything shorter than the 55" that comes with the saw?
• Sander - I know I can probably get away with just the RO 150 for now but I'm strongly considering adding an RTS 400 (possibly DTS 400) to compliment it, as something specific to finish sanding, with less weight, and much easier to control for finish sanding tasks.  A sander triggers 10% discount on CT as well, although I know the TS55 or another tool can as well.

A CT36, TS 55, and RTS400 plus some abrasives for the RO150?RTS400 put me at $1600 spent, so half my budget.

From there, I'm not so sure what would be best to get and how to do it...

• MFT/3 - I know everyone says this is an absolute must, but I just look at it and thing that it's ton of money for a table.  If I build a sysport style bench with an MFT style top and some t-trcks on the sides, or I build the MF-TC, which I assume would both be much cheaper than buying an MFT/3, do I actually need an MFT/3?  Or am I better off with an MFT/3?  The $600 for the table goes a long way towards other tools.  I did receive one suggestion to start with an MFT/3 and figure out how I will work and setup my workspace, then determine if building something to replace it makes sense, and sell the MFT/3 if necessary.
• Jig Saw - Carvex or Bosch JS572, been reading a lot, thinking just stick with Carvex, even though it will cost a bunch more once accessory kit is added, but a little more functionality out of it.  I think a jig saw may need to be part of an initial purchase, but not certain.
• Router - Thinking OF 1400 for the middle ground, single router to do everything I would probably need. From what I've read, I would want a router for building MFT style tops, and for various joint types, but do I go Domino for now instead, and just buy an MFT/3 and drill out MFT style top on bench/mf-tc type projects donw the road (or by hand)?
• Domino - I think the DF 500 would be fine, even with the bedroom furniture/table options I'm considering down the road.  I like having almost all the options by doing a DF 700+Seneca Adaptor+DomiShims but that's almsot $600 more money, which is a lot.  I know pretty much anything I'm looking at doing could be build with Domini's, but it's a very expensive tool + consumables for the assortment/cutter T-Loc's and that I could obviously build stuff without them.  Everyone just seems to love them and find them awesome for joinery, should it be a first purchase?
• Miter Saw - I don't think I'd ever bring myself to spend Kapex money.  Would probably go with something else. Doesn't seem like a miter saw is something I would really need right now either, but haven't put much thought into it
• Drills - As mentioned, my plan is to stick with my existing drill collection as I find it more than adquate, but I'm open to hearing why buying Festool's drills might be superior to everything else on the market and why I should have one at som epoint

Then of course there's misc non-tool type stuff.  Squares, rules, misc jigs, abrasives, screws, etc.  I figured I'd get a couple different sizes in squares/rules from Woodpeckers and/or Incra, and I'll do the Granat abrasives assortments from Tool-Home.  Beyond that, I figured I'd just buy these other items as I need them, unless there are suggestions for some things I would want to have day 1.  I'd imagine most of the smaller stuff I'd find I needed I can get at my local Woodcraft which is only 10 minutes away. 

Welp, I think I covered it all.  To those of you who took the time to read eveyrthing, I'll say thank you ahead of time!  I'm looking forward to spending some dollars, getting some new toys, and building some cool things, and greatly appreciate feedback from the experts before I pull the trigger.

 

[Neal W]

This is from someone who is newer to more serious woodworking and just jumped into the green waters of festool this year.  So take it FWIW....

1.  You can't go wrong with a track saw.  If you go the Festool route, ask your dealer if he will switch the "holy rail" out for the regular 1400 rail it comes with.  It could save you $125 down the road, and you have the multi functionality of the holy rail. 

2.  I don't think you would need both the MFT and the MFTC or sysport workbench.  BUT there are some functional uses of the MFT with the guide rail and fence setup which can come in very handy, so you may wish to look a little harder at the MFT and the components it comes with.  Remember making nicer stuff means some of the pieces need to be identically sized.  Some of the functionality of the full MFT setup allows for this. 

3.  You mention the OF1400 and presumably the holy rail to make your own tops.  Take a quick look at the LR32 hole drilling system and the price tag which comes with that.  It will either help you justify the purchase of the LR32 or  the MFT.....(the logic here as you buy the LR32 kit and you can make as many tops as you desire... or the cost of that is high enough you just bite the bullet and buy the MFT). 

4.  I purchased the ETS 150/3 and the DTS400 as my sanders.  I didn't think I needed the aggression (or the price tag) of the Rotex models at this point.  Both handled the removal of old finish from my dining room table and then sanded it to a nice finish.  The Rotex would have done it faster, perhaps, but those two did the job.  I can't say enough about the quality of the Granat paper either.  It lasted far longer than anything else I've ever used.

5.  Consider using/acquiring a Dust Deputy (either the one which goes on the vac itself or the one which uses two 5 gallon buckets).  Vacuums have consumables.  Bags/Filters etc.  The money you spend on the Dust Deputy can be recovered over time in the consumables you don't have to buy.  You may even be able to get a midi or a 26 as the dust deputy is going to catch the lions share of the debris.

6.  The Domino is awesome and has made my projects tons easier.  It's tough to swallow the $1100+ for the whole kit and caboodle, but wow has it made things in my projects that much better.  You won't be disappointed.  I have the DF500 as most of what I do will be on 3/4 or thinner stock for now.  And you can always put two domino's in the thicker stock, just readjust the fence depth. 

7.  Measuring and layout tools--GET GOOD ONES!  Woodpecker's stuff is top notch.  I use tape measures from Fast Cap, which I really like.  I have a few rulers from Incra which I really like as well.  That stuff adds up quickly, but it is spot on and easy to use.  Also it is a good idea to commit to the idea of standard measurement or Metric and go with it.  I decided to do metric.  So... I have (from woodpeckers) their 1281 square in metric ($100) their 900mm woodworkers ruler with hook stop ($65).  I have the 300mm 3 piece ruler set from Incra ($75) and an Incra guage ($20) which is one of my go to tools for setup and things (It's only downside is it only comes in metric).  I also have three tape measures from fast cap, two have standard and metric and the true 32 is metric only.  One is the flat back tape. 

Good luck.  Find a good dealer and he/she can help you sort through some things and ideas. 

 

[WelshWood]

Hi HDClown,

It's obvious that you want to buy the Festool brand of tools, so definitely recommend getting the following;

TS55 (Had mine for a few years and still haven't come across a time where I have needed the TS75)
Extractor - whether this is midi or CTM, it's better than nothing!

With advice to the other tools, what you don't want to happen is something which I have seen happen so many times; Buying because the money is there.

I would say buy tools as and when you have a need for them, rather than batch buying (then again, your dealer may give a great package deal for all the items you want)

Hope this helps

~WW

 

[jaguar36]

The MFT/3 has the benefit that it folds up nicely and can be put away, which could be a big benefit in your tight space.  However it is pretty small, and very expensive.  I made my own since I don't care about the portability, and wanted one that was bigger and sturdier.  After buying the top, as I wanted the precision, and some of the rails, I didn't end up saving a ton of money over the regular MFT/3 though.

I'd skip the Kapex, its just way to much money.  I'd get the  Dewalt DW715 miter saw, its a 12" saw, and its only $220 which may not be as precise, but is a bit easier to use, and has more vertical capacity.

For routers, the OF1400 is a great choice, but its still on the big side, and having a small router comes in very handy.  I'd skip the festool one though and get a Bosch Colt or the little Dewalt.

I'm not sold on the Festool vacs, I'd start with a $20 shopvac, always nice to have anyway, and you can always upgrade to the CT later.

As for the DTS/RTS 400, its nice to have, particularly for fine finishing, but you could make out just fine with the ETS150.  I'd hold off on that too, and see if you really feel like you need it.  Also don't underestimate the cost of sandpaper, having to stock a different size/shape of paper costs a significant amount.

 

[ear3]

Good luck with your buying decisions.

On the saw, you'll want to consider if you might have anything in the future requiring the power/plunge depth of the TS75.  If it's mostly sheet goods and 1x lumber then the 55 may make more sense.

I would really consider the MFT, especially since you don't have a dedicated cutting surface yet or table saw -- the ability to make dead on, repeatable cuts --and then quickly put the table away, is amazing.  I do a lot of my cutting in the driveway as well, so I know of which I speak. It will also give you a platform for the later purchase of a router so you can do precise rail guided routing.  You'll also get an extra short rail out of it.  If you're committed though, buy all means go for building your own.

I have never regretted getting the longer rail either (definitely go for 3000 over the 2700).  Makes breaking down sheet goods kinderleicht, as the Germans say. 

 

[Baartman]

I tell people that Festool products are the adult teeth, and Home Depot tools are baby teeth. You need to find out where you should invest in Festool when you are starting out, and sometimes the only way is to find out when you outgrow the limitations of your tools.

Having said that, health is always important, so I recommend the vacuum. Coupled with the TS55, you will be able to safely cut most sheet goods where your car is usually parked.

Your collection will likely grow to include game changers like the Domino, the MFT and Kapex. I myself own two of these, and also said I would never own the Kapex. Now I do. However, since I don't often need to bring my workshop with me, I have used my own solutions instead of an MFT, namely the Paulk workbench. These are the types of decisions only you can make through your own experiences.

 

[Sparktrician]

I'm going to recommend that you sign up for some of the Festool End User Training Classes before starting your Odyssey.  The Festool System Essentials Class would be a great starting point, and it's being offered in North Carolina in late July.  If you want to attend these classes, sign up for email notifications, and when you see one you want, jump on it RIGHT NOW.  These classes are great and the roster fills up often in minutes after being announced.  You'll get a chance to try the tools and get some idea of a good starting point for your specific needs.

 

[jeh]

I tell people that Festool products are the adult teeth, and Home Depot tools are baby teeth. You need to find out where you should invest in Festool when you are starting out, and sometimes the only way is to find out when you outgrow the limitations of your tools.

Continuing with your analogy Mafell must be great white whark teeth. Not as wide a selection of tools, but their tracksaw with rails, jigsaw, and Duo Doweller are formidable alternatives and are arguably better built.

 

[Linbro]

"... and if that line of work ever falls out for me, having learned a hands on trade like this gives me another option to pursue financially, should it come to it."

With all due respect, it's not quite as simple as buying some top quality gear. There's a lot to learn. A lot.

Good luck with setting up your shop, I don't think you'll regret buying top quality tools. And if a certain tool doesn't work out for you, the re-sale is pretty high.

 

[HDClown]

"... and if that line of work ever falls out for me, having learned a hands on trade like this gives me another option to pursue financially, should it come to it."

With all due respect, it's not quite as simple as buying some top quality gear. There's a lot to learn. A lot.

In no way was I trying to imply that buying some tools means I can go start making money with them.  What I am saying is that by heading down this road, educating myself, learning, practicing, honing a new skill and, hopefully, getting better and better over time, I open up another potential option should my primary career path derail.  It doesn't mean that it will ever happen, and I'm not setting out to try and start a new career.  My profession in IT has been extremely lucrative and still remains so and I intend to continue doing that professionally.  I did not mean to try and come across like I was talking down about those of you who do this professionally and understand how much work goes into it.

 

[wkearney99]

Start by taking a furniture making class.  You'll learn of the value of squared wood (jointer, planer, etc).  You'll also learn that $4k for  a table is not necessarily an extravagant price, depending on what it took to make it. 

Me, I'd skip that particular table as the pedestal in the middle does not make for a stable setup.  No way I'd want something levered out like that for a large family gathering.  It might look amazing but it'd be annoying as hell if it tips over when someone accidentally leans on it expecting it to, y'know, be stable?

The upside is Festool gear has fantastic resale value.  I wouldn't consider owning tools as a starting point for a profession.  Sure, it helps to have good ones, but being able to earn a reliable living depends on many, many other factors.  Someone bad at doing work won't be helped by pricey tools.  But someone with a lot of skill can work wonders with hardly any tools at all.

 

[Baartman]

I tell people that Festool products are the adult teeth, and Home Depot tools are baby teeth. You need to find out where you should invest in Festool when you are starting out, and sometimes the only way is to find out when you outgrow the limitations of your tools.

Continuing with your analogy Mafell must be great white whark teeth. Not as wide a selection of tools, but their tracksaw with rails, jigsaw, and Duo Doweller are formidable alternatives and are arguably better built.

I am not particularly interested in getting a Mafell vs Festool debate, I would recommend you look into what Great White Shark teeth actually do before continuing my analogy.

For the OP, if you have convenient access to Mafell tools, they are a formidable alternative, and are worth a look. I have not experienced Mafell, but I haven't heard anything negative.

 

[ScotF]

Lots of good advice. I recommend the MFT/3 - it is an investment, but it is my most used Festool out of all of them and I like it so much that I bought another one. Get the cross-members and it is pretty stable, portable and packs up into a small footprint. It will aid clamping, sanding, routing, cutting, Dominoing, glue-ups and finish work. Accurately set up, you can do repeatable cross-cuts and you might even be able to forego a miter saw for the time being. You can package it with a TS saw and save some money. Then, package another tool with a extractor to save money on that deal too. Don't forget about accessories and tooling as that can quickly add to the cost of each tool. Getting a longer rail is important for sheet goods. I think a sander with a delta head would be a nice complement to your Rotex. Either the RO90 or DTS would be good options. Both are great sanders. The OF1400 would be a good all around router, but don't forget the edge guide and rail stop adapters need to be added to get the most out of that machine. The 1010 is another good choice for a more compact router, but it is limited to 1/4 inch and 8mm router bits. Other accessories that can add cost, but provide value are quick-clamps, clamping elements (if getting the table), some form of dogs for stops on the top, some form of parallel guides for repeat cuts in sheet good and solid timber, a larger diameter hose for use with the TS saw and router (D36).

Have fun and ask lots of questions.

 

[Tayler_mann]

I did the same I wasn't going to read all that. The first thing you need to buy is a TS55 and another FS1900 with track connectors. Than of course you need a dust extractor. I bought my track saw about 4 months ago and haven't touched my table saw since. The only thing is if you want to use your track saw for dimensional lumber you need an MFT of some kind (build your own) with rail dogs, parallel guides, bench dogs, or some way of squaring cuts up easily. Remember woodworking is about your material fitting not being forced to fit so square nice clean cuts are a must. Instead of buying an MFT find a machine shop to CNC you a top. It is super simple to have them set the file up and as someone who is an IT professional I bet you could find a free CAD program to draw one up yourself. Also, I can never have a large enough table so make it a 4' x 8' table, or make it two 4' x 4' tables you can connect together and put one away when you don't need it. I built my 4' x 8' MFT for around $200 dollars with 12" x 12' LVL and a sheet of .75 MDF and invested about $100 in precision dogs and precision rail dogs. I also own a CNC so it made the top $22 for me to make for the cost of MDF.  ;D

Now that you have the saw covered the next important thing to buy since you already have a RO125 is the OF1400 router. It is a must to own a free hand router. You will put a profile on every visible edge of a piece you make, also you will do dado's, rabbets, eventually buy the CMS table and make cabinet doors etc. The many uses for a router are endless. It is one of the most important tools in my arsenal and the OF1400 will handle any job you throw at it with almost complete dust collection (the last part about dust is important...routers are messy).

With those three tools there is an ability to produce and exponential amount of craftsmanship that can last for years. I made the switch to the marvelous tools about 8 months ago and my ability and ease of doing things gets better each time I use them. If you haven't bought any of your tools yet I suggest you think about buying all Festool and investing in the best.

 

[sancho57]

Well you have lots of good advice. But I look at things differently. Festool is a system that can be tailored to you r specific needs or wants.

With that being said, the basic of the system is a MFT, CT and. TS55 /75.

Once you get them, then you can build on whatever your specific need is. Be it a sander, router, jigsaw , router table etc....

 

[Holmz]

Having a Mafell track saw and jig saw and Bosch rails, I might be biased.
But I also have a CT26 and Domino, and Centro-bit set.

Once you get onto the Festool Rail you are pretty much hooked in towards using all Festool.
While with the Bosch rail then you have choices on Bosch and Mafell, and maybe others.
So some homework seems warranted.

The MFT3 seems a good choice to get you onto a surface to do work.
Then whether you get a cheap vacuum and a "dust deputy" or a CT## is debatable.
It is a lot of expense, and it depends on where you are working and what you are doing.

So I would recommend the MFT3 vacuum and "Dust Deputy", and then you will be amazed at how fast you still spend money on clamps, chisels, etc. It is staggering.

A track saw only replaces a table saw if you are doing sheet goods rather than furniture. If you are doing furniture then you probably want a table saw. The run from not a lot used, so some staggering amounts. The Erika ones are small, but a good spend up.
So I do not use a table saw at the moment.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Having a Mafell track saw and jig saw and Bosch rails, I might be biased.
But I also have a CT26 and Domino, and Centro-bit set.

Once you get onto the Festool Rail you are pretty much hooked in towards using all Festool.
While with the Bosch rail then you have choices on Bosch and Mafell, and maybe others.
So some homework seems warranted.

The MFT3 seems a good choice to get you onto a surface to do work.
Then whether you get a cheap vacuum and a "dust deputy" or a CT## is debatable.
It is a lot of expense, and it depends on where you are working and what you are doing.

So I would recommend the MFT3 vacuum and "Dust Deputy", and then you will be amazed at how fast you still spend money on clamps, chisels, etc. It is staggering.

A track saw only replaces a table saw if you are doing sheet goods rather than furniture. If you are doing furniture then you probably want a table saw. The run from not a lot used, so some staggering amounts. The Erika ones are small, but a good spend up.
So I do not use a table saw at the moment.

I disagree completely with everything just stated about the table saw. All I do is custom furniture, moldings, and etc. the track saw makes my life so much easier. I make one cut it is 100% square already. There is no need to joint, plane, or do any more work to the wood. I just simply cut my pieces and glue. Read the documents published by jerry works and listen to what he says. Moving your tool through your material is far more accurate than moving your material through your tool.

Here is the link. Read everything he had on the mft, sanders, and mft top.
http://thedovetailjoint.squarespace.com/how-to/

 

[Sparktrician]

I disagree completely with everything just stated about the table saw. All I do is custom furniture, moldings, and etc. the track saw makes my life so much easier. I make one cut it is 100% square already. There is no need to joint, plane, or do any more work to the wood. I just simply cut my pieces and glue. Read the documents published by jerry works and listen to what he says. Moving your tool through your material is far more accurate than moving your material through your tool.

Here is the link. Read everything he had on the mft, sanders, and mft top.
http://thedovetailjoint.squarespace.com/how-to/

 

There's only one circumstance in which I would disagree with your disagreement; that being if the OP had a sliding table saw.  The accuracy and smoothness of cut here will rival that of the track saw, but at a tremendous relative cost differential.  For repeat cuts in a production environment comparing the sliding table saw to the track saw with parallel guides, the sliding table saw will win hands down for consistent speed of production, accuracy and cleanness of cut. 

 

[Tayler_mann]

I disagree completely with everything just stated about the table saw. All I do is custom furniture, moldings, and etc. the track saw makes my life so much easier. I make one cut it is 100% square already. There is no need to joint, plane, or do any more work to the wood. I just simply cut my pieces and glue. Read the documents published by jerry works and listen to what he says. Moving your tool through your material is far more accurate than moving your material through your tool.

Here is the link. Read everything he had on the mft, sanders, and mft top.
http://thedovetailjoint.squarespace.com/how-to/

 

There's only one circumstance in which I would disagree with your disagreement; that being if the OP had a sliding table saw.  The accuracy and smoothness of cut here will rival that of the track saw, but at a tremendous relative cost differential.  For repeat cuts in a production environment comparing the sliding table saw to the track saw with parallel guides, the sliding table saw will win hands down for consistent speed of production, accuracy and cleanness of cut. 

I will definitely agree, but not everyone has enough need, space, or money for a sliding table saw. In my line of work I do not need to do major amounts of repetitive cuts. Unless I am doing a custom cabinet build. For example, I am building a custom mission style bed frame. It had 15 set in panels inside a set of mitered rails and stiles. there really isn't a lot of repeated cuts for me to make. I think there is a total of 6. So for me to justify buying a Hammer sliding saw at $5000 is not worth it when I am just as fast at using my track saw and my 4' x 8' mft with another 4' x 5' mft extension. How I would love to buy one though. Bottom line a Hammer table saw is not justifiable for a lot of people who woodwork for a living it is definitely not justifiable for a DIY just getting started.

 

[jaguar36]

Table saw vs Track saw is going to be a very contentious topic.  You can make accurate cuts on both and for the most part do everything with one that you can with the other. 

For the most part, I always think that if a piece is small taking it to a stationary machine tends to work better, but if its large taking the machine to it is better.  Course what constitutes small and large is another matter for contention. 

I think the table saw is better for hardwood, particularity when you have to make multiple cuts that are the same size.  Not saying it can't be done with a track saw, just that I think its quicker, easier and more accurate.  I tend to use my track saw for plywood most of the time, and I love it for that.

If I had to choose, unless I was severely space constrained (which it sounds like the OP is)  I'd go with the table saw though.