Table saw or TS 75 & Dust Extractor??

[MrToolJunkie]

I personally think that a good band saw, well tuned, is more important than a table saw for furniture.  It can make extremely accurate rips and repetitive cuts.  Combined with a Festool TS saw and there is not much you cannot accomplish.  I am fortunate enough to have them all at my disposal, but I have not used my table saw in a long time and am seriously considering selling it to reclaim space.  

Scot

 

[semenza]

So let's say you needed to trim down a thin molding so it doesn't stand proud of another molding and you lose shadow lines..Like Cove for example underneath Pine nosing. Or let's say you needed to Champher some plinths..How would a TS saw adress this?

I vote Table saw first, especially if it's a saw stop your after. But..You could also compromise and get a Bosch table saw, which is great with ZCI and Forrest Blade and some dust collection attached. THEN..You could still have $1000 leftover to spring for a TS55R with a guide rail. And STILL have a few shekels leftover to put towards the table or a CT.

Yes, you can have it all and get awesome results from the combo I just mentioned. The TS saws are amazing, but you WILL want a table saw regardless. Confused yet?

Some tasks I end up using other tools or methods to accomplish. Router table and HL850 are a couple that take care of some things.  Kind of depends on what you have available in addition to  or in lieu of a table saw  or track saw.

Seth

 

[Jmaichel]

I have both too! Not sure which one I would rather have more. I bought the TS75 first and then about a week later I decided that I wanted a table saw before my tool budget ran out. I got a Grizzly 0713 table saw which I think is the perfect compliment to a TS75. If I were in your shoes, I would get a table saw in the $900 range and then add the TS75 or the new TS55R and use a shop vac for dust collection. Not the most ideal dust collection setup I would rather have two tools, then a saw and dust collector. The only problem is that buying tools leads to wanting more tools. I just spent a good amount of money outfitting my shop and all I can think about it all the tools I still want to get, It's a vicious cycle.

James

 

[sancho57]

I feel like Michael Corleone when it comes to tools. Just when I think I have all I need, I go get another

"Just when I thought I was out,

They drag me back in"

Sort of thing

 

[leakyroof]

I feel like Michael Corleone when it comes to tools. Just when I think I have all I need, I go get another

"Just when I thought I was out,

They drag me back in"

Sort of thing

. Totally Agree ... It's... A.. Conspiracy. to raid my wallet [scared]

 

[Birdhunter]

If you decide on the Sawstop, I'd recommend at least getting the Professional. I didn't really consider the contractor Sawstop as it wasn't big enough for the work I do.

 

[cgraham]

Simple answer. You need them both. You will just have to live without one of the tools until you can purchase the other. Personally I love everything festool but I got by for fifteen years without it. Don't skimp on either purchase. A full size table saw has too many uses. You will be disappointed with a bench top model.

 

[sancho57]

I feel like Michael Corleone when it comes to tools. Just when I think I have all I need, I go get another

"Just when I thought I was out,

They drag me back in"

Sort of thing

. Totally Agree ... It's... A.. Conspiracy. to raid my wallet [scared]

More like they put a hit on my bank account  [embarassed]

 

[jacko9]

Simple answer. You need them both. You will just have to live without one of the tools until you can purchase the other. Personally I love everything festool but I got by for fifteen years without it. Don't skimp on either purchase. A full size table saw has too many uses. You will be disappointed with a bench top model.

I second that, my first Table Saw was a 10" Swiss made Inca (which was not cheap) and while I made a lot of furniture, that saw couldn't compare to my Powermatic 66 with a 5hp motor and a sliding table (which cost 3x what my Inca cost).  The Table saw is the center of the shop for a furniture maker - don't skimp if you can avoid it.

Jack

 

[butzla]

Simple answer. You need them both. You will just have to live without one of the tools until you can purchase the other. Personally I love everything festool but I got by for fifteen years without it. Don't skimp on either purchase. A full size table saw has too many uses. You will be disappointed with a bench top model.

I agree.  I have both.  I've had my 52" Unisaw for years and 5 years ago I got the TS75.  After I got the TS75 I've been looking to get rid of the Unisaw.  After all, with a 52" fence, an Excalibur sliding table, it's like a small aircraft carrier in the middle of my shop.  It takes up a good chunk of real estate.  And anything to the right of the 30" mark  on the fence just has junk piled on top of the table. (In fact any horizontal surface in my shop collects junk, including my MFT).  Now that I have the TS75 I never wield full sheets of plywood on my Unisaw.  I "rough" them down to size with The TS75 in the garage then take them into the shop for further refinement on the Unisaw, where I can make quick setup for repetitive cuts.  It would make sense that I could replace the Unisaw with an MFT3 or better yet, 2 MFT3's ganged together for long rip cuts, but then again, the same large footprint.

I have an MFT3.  I love it.  I use it for routing stopped dados and crosscutting work pieces.  But to have it set up as a dedicated crosscut/rip cut jig......I just can't see it.  When crosscutting, you have to carefully set it up square each time you use it.  I use Qwas dogs.  It's time consuming.  And then when you have it all setup, you have to remove the saw, flip up the guide rail, change work pieces, repeat.....more time.  Nothing beats the speed and ease of going over to the table saw, sliding over the fence or attaching the fence on the sliding table for crosscuts.  Flip down a lever or turn a knob.  Boom, done.  I never have to double check either for squareness.....ever.  And I prefer to cut through dados on the table saw with a stacking set.  It's quicker.

If I had to do it over, I wouldn't get such a large table saw.  I'd consider the Sawstop contractor's saw or the larger one with a 1.5 hp motor, the one that looks like a cabinet saw.  No more than 32" fence.  Or if I had my way, a small Hammer would be ideal!

So going back to what cgraham recommended, you need both.

 

[skids]

Simple answer. You need them both. You will just have to live without one of the tools until you can purchase the other. Personally I love everything festool but I got by for fifteen years without it. Don't skimp on either purchase. A full size table saw has too many uses. You will be disappointed with a bench top model.

I agree.  I have both.  I've had my 52" Unisaw for years and 5 years ago I got the TS75.  After I got the TS75 I've been looking to get rid of the Unisaw.  After all, with a 52" fence, an Excalibur sliding table, it's like a small aircraft carrier in the middle of my shop.  It takes up a good chunk of real estate.  And anything to the right of the 30" mark  on the fence just has junk piled on top of the table. (In fact any horizontal surface in my shop collects junk, including my MFT).  Now that I have the TS75 I never wield full sheets of plywood on my Unisaw.  I "rough" them down to size with The TS75 in the garage then take them into the shop for further refinement on the Unisaw, where I can make quick setup for repetitive cuts.  It would make sense that I could replace the Unisaw with an MFT3 or better yet, 2 MFT3's ganged together for long rip cuts, but then again, the same large footprint.

I have an MFT3.   I love it.   I use it for routing stopped dados and crosscutting work pieces.  But to have it set up as a dedicated crosscut/rip cut jig......I just can't see it.  When crosscutting, you have to carefully set it up square each time you use it.  I use Qwas dogs.  It's time consuming.  And then when you have it all setup, you have to remove the saw, flip up the guide rail, change work pieces, repeat.....more time.  Nothing beats the speed and ease of going over to the table saw, sliding over the fence or attaching the fence on the sliding table for crosscuts.  Flip down a lever or turn a knob.  Boom, done.  I never have to double check either for squareness.....ever.  And I prefer to cut through dados on the table saw with a stacking set.  It's quicker.

If I had to do it over, I wouldn't get such a large table saw.  I'd consider the Sawstop contractor's saw or the larger one with a 1.5 hp motor, the one that looks like a cabinet saw.  No more than 32" fence.  Or if I had my way, a small Hammer would be ideal!

So going back to what cgraham recommended, you need both.

Exactly! I have the Bosch with the Gravity rise and it has met all my needs for a table saw and it's stores nicely. I think any saw in the genre (although I think the Bosch is best) along wiht a TS is an awesome combo.

I can't see spending top dollar on a cabinet saw AND then top dollar on the TS set up with an MFT. Theres alot of money invested there in redundancy IMO.

 

[sancho57]

I personally think that a good band saw, well tuned, is more important than a table saw for furniture.  It can make extremely accurate rips and repetitive cuts.  Combined with a Festool TS saw and there is not much you cannot accomplish.  I am fortunate enough to have them all at my disposal, but I have not used my table saw in a long time and am seriously considering selling it to reclaim space.  

Scot

Scot your about the 3rd person who has said the same thing about a band saw. If thing dont work out for my Euro trip Im going to be looking hard at a band saw

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I personally think that a good band saw, well tuned, is more important than a table saw for furniture.  It can make extremely accurate rips and repetitive cuts.  Combined with a Festool TS saw and there is not much you cannot accomplish.  I am fortunate enough to have them all at my disposal, but I have not used my table saw in a long time and am seriously considering selling it to reclaim space.  

Scot

Scot your about the 3rd person who has said the same thing about a band saw. If thing dont work out for my Euro trip Im going to be looking hard at a band saw

I love mine and Gary Rogowski made the same statement in a FW article several years ago...mine can rip extremely accurately and with the right blade, they are very smooth cuts too and it is very fast.  Couple that with the ability to resaw wide planks, cut curves and all kinds of joinery tasks and it is easily the most versatile saw that I own in a stationary tool.  Cabinet saws certainly have their place and nothing wrong with them at all and lots of users think that they should be at the center of the shop (and for them that might be the case).  But for me, a band saw wins hands-down for furniture making.  I have an 18 inch and would really like one that is a minimum 24 inch and preferably 28 or 32!  Bigger is better on this machine IMHO for bigger throat size.

Scot

 

[JayStPeter]

I'd go tablesaw.  Since I got the tracksaw I keep considering cutting back my 52" fence to 36", but can never bring myself to do it.  

 

[nanook]

whats awesome about the table saw is glue-ready joints right off the blade.  
While I think the bandsaw is WAY more versatile and useful- its hard to go almost straight to finish or glue-ups with it.   That means that I often want to hit bandsaw cuts with a quick plane, and that throws off dims, so I do get it when people talk about the table saw as essential.

However I *kinda* disagree, for most homeowners (like the OP) who want to build furniture, a table saw, band saw, track saw, hand saw, jig saw will all cut - its the workflow that matters.    

As for the question of table saw vs tracksaw vs bandsaw, meh.   They all do different things.
If your just starting out - go all old hand tools, its a great learning curve and there are awesome resources to help!

I do agree though a $300 benchtop table saw (w/ or w/o dado blade) and a Tracksaw/MFT is an AWESOME combo - I would not want to do without a 14'' bandsaw though.   (IMO, a bigger bandsaw is nice for resawing, however 70% of the time most people are going to be using a bandsaw, they do not nead anything bigger then 14'')

 

[Birdhunter]

My first major woodworking project was a set of built in book cases. My only tools were a Craftsman radial arm saw and a 1/4" corded drill bought from the grocery store's hardware department for $8.00.

Somehow, I managed to get the job done. I did learn that a radial arm saw wasn't safe to rip with. I sent a 4" by 6 foot length of plywood through the garage wall.

My wife agree to paint the book cases and she bought an electrical sprayer. She did a good job of painting the book cases as well as both our cars. The overspray left tiny paint specks over the entire surface of both cars.

Somehow, I decided to stick with woodworking. The radial arm saw was traded for a table saw almost immediately. I'd never be without a table saw again.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

For the OP's stated purpose (general handyman and furniture building), I have to think a table saw would be far more useful, unless "furniture building" requires lots of work with sheet goods.

The track saw is great for certain things, but when you start dealing with pieces that are narrower than your rails or are not flat, or trying to cut multiple pieces, it can be a PITA, not to mention time consuming.  It's nice to be able to just set your fence instead of having to measure, mark, scribe lines, then lay your rail on the line in an a consistent manner.

 

[jacko9]

For the OP's stated purpose (general handyman and furniture building), I have to think a table saw would be far more useful, unless "furniture building" requires lots of work with sheet goods.

The track saw is great for certain things, but when you start dealing with pieces that are narrower than your rails or are not flat, or trying to cut multiple pieces, it can be a PITA, not to mention time consuming.  It's nice to be able to just set your fence instead of having to measure, mark, scribe lines, then lay your rail on the line in an a consistent manner.

I agree and for those advocating a Bandsaw, my Festool jigsaw will cut all the curves with great accuracy.  I think accurate and safe ripping and cross cutting of small parts would favor a good table saw.

Jack

 

[dutch2001]

WOW!  Thank you all for the input.  The guys at Woodcraft said this was a great site and by the number of informed responses I got,  it really shows.  As for my dilemma, I am now a card carrying FOG member!  My biggest factor I forgot to mention was my shop size.  My wife still likes to park in 2/3 of the garage....And portability was a bigger factor than I thought.  So now I have the TS 75 & DC 36 and the 55" track.  I have a 5 yr old Bosch table saw that I just need to make more stable/ accurate.  But no more sheet goods going over it, so it also makes a nice drink holder! After spending the last 3 days playing with the saw, I am hooked!!  Going to get some clamps today, which I think will help with some smaller piece cuts.   And know I can't stop thinking about building some type of MFT!  Here in KY we bleed Blue,  I think I am starting to bleed Festool Green!

 

[ccarrolladams]

All the theory about a table saw being more versatile than a Festool track saw means absolutely nothing when there is not enough space in the shop to make an 8' trim cut on a sheet of plywood. That is where a track saw with appropriate guide rails makes better sense.

Of course there are benefits when working with small and narrow pieces of lumber to also having a portable table-top saw.

That was how I worked for several years making money building cabinets. I already owned a light-weight table saw very useful for ripping lumber. I was looking to buy a big sliding table cabinet making saw when I convinced myself a TS55 and guide rails would work more effectively for me until I had a huge shop and such machines as a CNC pressure beam saw.

I had used a shop vac to collect some of the dust from my small table saw and them vaced up the remainder later. The TS55 and CT22 collected virtually all the plywood dust.