Table saw vs. band saw for the Festool owner

[wow]

Plus, I want one.

There's your answer. If you've got the room there's nothing wrong with that for a justification!

 

[grbmds]

Within the past year, I have started to redo the way I do my work since I purchased a TS55REQ and MFT/3, 1440 router. I still have my table saw, but was going to have to replace it and really couldn't justify the $3,000 for a Sawstop not to mention figuring out how to get it down into my basement shop (space not the consideration). Since I bought the TS55, I have found that I have only used my old table saw once and could probably have found another way to do that job also with a router or even my band saw. I have found the band saw had become a much more used tool; safer than a table saw and, in many ways, more versatile. I can set it up for resawing and then, change blades when I need to do something else. This is, of course, a little more setup and time than just using the table saw, but, once you do this a few times it isn't really all that bad. If you feel you need a table saw, I'd consider a smaller one that doesn't take up a lot of space. There are some better ones out there now than there used to be and, for the small number of times I think you will use it once you convert your methods to the track saw, router, band saw, and some hand tools like chisels and planes, I think you might find the table saw to be something that doesn't play as much of a part in the work anymore. Just my opinion though after years of using a table saw and now not using one.

This is very much my experience. I do have the CMS-TS which I find invaluable for thin strips and rebate work.

As I said in my previous post, the bandsaw is brilliant for so many tasks and I do not miss my old big table saw at all.

Peter

Unfortunately I don't think the CMS TS is available in the US.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

It's those thin pieces that are the real bummer.  The Festool stuff just doesn't handle it well.  I had to cut a bunch of face frame pieces for a 9' wide cabinet down recently.  I had to join a couple Festool rails, find something to cut on, mark the cut lines, line the rail up, realign, realign, realign, realign, etc.  And I had to have a board or spare piece that was the same thickness as the cut piece, or start with an extra wide board to support the rail.  Each cut had that multiple realignment thing.  I had to then stuff each finished board back under the rail to support the next piece.

Did it work?  Yes.  Was it slow?  Hell yes.

Then I had to make back band pieces of the same length.  Nice and thin so they looked appropriate.  And then rabbeting them to the proper depth on my router table...took all day for about 20 LF.  I know that at least the bandsaw could have ripped that stuff real fast.  A table saw could have ripped it and rabbeted it even faster.  And a bandsaw would have allowed me to resaw my thick hardwood stock closer to the finished dimension, rather than planing it all away into sawdust (which took awhile).

Ideally, I'd like to have both.  I don't know that my wife would be real keen on that kind of expense in a short period of time...

 

[Birdhunter]

I added an extension to my dual MFTs for a heavy duty vise that provided enough stability to support planing and sawing.

I have a Sawstop Industrial saw that provides extreme precision that a bandsaw can't provide. I feel a good table saw is the cornerstone of any shop.

So,without knowing your situation, I'd recommend getting a Sawstop table saw.

 

[Len Coleman]

If space and/or portability is an issue you could also consider an Erika from Mafell. or wait for Festool to introduce their portable version to the US.

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[jacko9]

It's those thin pieces that are the real bummer.  The Festool stuff just doesn't handle it well.  I had to cut a bunch of face frame pieces for a 9' wide cabinet down recently.  I had to join a couple Festool rails, find something to cut on, mark the cut lines, line the rail up, realign, realign, realign, realign, etc.  And I had to have a board or spare piece that was the same thickness as the cut piece, or start with an extra wide board to support the rail.  Each cut had that multiple realignment thing.  I had to then stuff each finished board back under the rail to support the next piece.

Did it work?  Yes.  Was it slow?  heck yes.

Then I had to make back band pieces of the same length.  Nice and thin so they looked appropriate.  And then rabbeting them to the proper depth on my router table...took all day for about 20 LF.  I know that at least the bandsaw could have ripped that stuff real fast.  A table saw could have ripped it and rabbeted it even faster.  And a bandsaw would have allowed me to resaw my thick hardwood stock closer to the finished dimension, rather than planing it all away into sawdust (which took awhile).

Ideally, I'd like to have both.  I don't know that my wife would be real keen on that kind of expense in a short period of time...

Kodi,

Keep in mind that when you rip either on the table saw or bandsaw the wood "moves" and has to be straightened on the jointer.  The degree of movement is dependent on the direction that lumber was cut (either flat, rift or quarter sawn) but it will move.

Jack

 

[Kev]

If you do end up going for a table saw I'd STRONGLY suggest looking at a sliding table saw of high quality ...

Consider ... http://www.hammerusa.com/us-us/products/table-saws/table-saw-k3-winner-31x31.html

Another thing to be thoughtful of is that people become limited in their techniques due to the limits of their experience and learning.

If you posed the question "If I have a great range of Festool tools, which tool would extend my woodworking capability and scope the most?" the answer IS bandsaw!

If you posed the question "I want to rip pieces of wood by pushing them along a flat table with a spinning blade, so what tool should I get?" well, there you go [wink]

 

[batcave]

Has anyone used the 60 dollar parallel guide for the ts55. I assume it works without the track, but do not know for sure. It looks like you could set it fairly quick and rip multiple pieces faster.

Kevin

 

[grbmds]

If it's possible, maybe you should work with just the track saw and router first to see what these can't do for you. I wish I had followed that advice over the years. It may prevent buying an expensive tool which is only used only rarely. My TS 55 really does do most of the work a table saw will do and, in most cases as or more accurately (depending on the table saw). Since you don't do this for a living, a little extra time to do something you could do faster on a table saw might not be so significant.

 

[Kev]

If it's possible, maybe you should work with just the track saw and router first to see what these can't do for you. I wish I had followed that advice over the years. It may prevent buying an expensive tool which is only used only rarely. My TS 55 really does do most of the work a table saw will do and, in most cases as or more accurately (depending on the table saw). Since you don't do this for a living, a little extra time to do something you could do faster on a table saw might not be so significant.

Funny but "doing for a living" is an anti argument to me. I buy Festool gear because as a home hobbyist I want to spend more time "doing" and less time setting up, cleaning up, etc.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I'm thinking about my current project, and upcoming project.

My current built-in project was tough.  It was my first, and I didn't quite know what I was doing.  I had to recess 9' x 5' worth of book cases into a pony wall.  And I wanted it to look like 1 unit instead of 4.  So that required a large face frame.  Add to that, I hadn't done this before, so I ended up with 2 face frames.  Plus, getting my cabinets in plane did not make them flush with the wall, so now I had to add a back band.

I did everything with the TS55 and MFT, except for making decorative profiles on the face frames and creating the back band (from scratch).

I don't know that my upcoming projects will be as challenging.  Probably foolish of me to think that, since I haven't started them and you never know completely what you have until you're in the thick of it.

I received permission for both (yay!).  I may have space for both, but it will all be storage space.  I'd have to rearrange everything each time I want to use it.  So I could have "both"

As I watched some of the Festool-related videos, I realized that the answer may be "neither".  There wasn't anything that I "needed" those other tools for.  Would they have made life faster?  For those particular specialized jobs, yes. 

If I bought them they'd sit idle taking up space for the time being...much like money in your bank account, at 0% interest, as its purchasing power is being inflated away...

 

[Stone Message]

Has anyone used the 60 dollar parallel guide for the ts55. I assume it works without the track, but do not know for sure. It looks like you could set it fairly quick and rip multiple pieces faster.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Yes, I bought one a long time ago and have used it a few times. It gives you a quick way to make repeat width cuts and is great if you are doing repeat strips from sheet material. I much prefer using the guide rails as you get the advantage of splinter free and the rails make things very accurate. However...

If you have a piece of wood that is too narrow to be held safely under a guide rail yet you are able to fix the piece to a bench securely then the parallel guide is quite useful.

Peter

 

[grbmds]

Has anyone used the 60 dollar parallel guide for the ts55. I assume it works without the track, but do not know for sure. It looks like you could set it fairly quick and rip multiple pieces faster.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Yes, I bought one a long time ago and have used it a few times. It gives you a quick way to make repeat width cuts and is great if you are doing repeat strips from sheet material. I much prefer using the guide rails as you get the advantage of splinter free and the rails make things very accurate. However...

If you have a piece of wood that is too narrow to be held safely under a guide rail yet you are able to fix the piece to a bench securely then the parallel guide is quite useful.

Peter

What is the $60 parallel guide? I only know of the parallel guides from Festool and the after market guides available?

 

[grbmds]

I'm thinking about my current project, and upcoming project.

My current built-in project was tough.  It was my first, and I didn't quite know what I was doing.  I had to recess 9' x 5' worth of book cases into a pony wall.  And I wanted it to look like 1 unit instead of 4.  So that required a large face frame.  Add to that, I hadn't done this before, so I ended up with 2 face frames.  Plus, getting my cabinets in plane did not make them flush with the wall, so now I had to add a back band.

I did everything with the TS55 and MFT, except for making decorative profiles on the face frames and creating the back band (from scratch).

I don't know that my upcoming projects will be as challenging.  Probably foolish of me to think that, since I haven't started them and you never know completely what you have until you're in the thick of it.

I received permission for both (yay!).  I may have space for both, but it will all be storage space.  I'd have to rearrange everything each time I want to use it.  So I could have "both"

As I watched some of the Festool-related videos, I realized that the answer may be "neither".  There wasn't anything that I "needed" those other tools for.  Would they have made life faster?  For those particular specialized jobs, yes. 

If I bought them they'd sit idle taking up space for the time being...much like money in your bank account, at 0% interest, as its purchasing power is being inflated away...

Smart to wait and see what you need to buy. More efficient use of your money.

 

[Paul G]

Has anyone used the 60 dollar parallel guide for the ts55. I assume it works without the track, but do not know for sure. It looks like you could set it fairly quick and rip multiple pieces faster.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Yes, I bought one a long time ago and have used it a few times. It gives you a quick way to make repeat width cuts and is great if you are doing repeat strips from sheet material. I much prefer using the guide rails as you get the advantage of splinter free and the rails make things very accurate. However...

If you have a piece of wood that is too narrow to be held safely under a guide rail yet you are able to fix the piece to a bench securely then the parallel guide is quite useful.

Peter

What is the $60 parallel guide? I only know of the parallel guides from Festool and the after market guides available?

http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool-accessories/track-saws/stops-and-accessories/parallel-guide-491469

 

[grbmds]

Has anyone used the 60 dollar parallel guide for the ts55. I assume it works without the track, but do not know for sure. It looks like you could set it fairly quick and rip multiple pieces faster.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Yes, I bought one a long time ago and have used it a few times. It gives you a quick way to make repeat width cuts and is great if you are doing repeat strips from sheet material. I much prefer using the guide rails as you get the advantage of splinter free and the rails make things very accurate. However...

If you have a piece of wood that is too narrow to be held safely under a guide rail yet you are able to fix the piece to a bench securely then the parallel guide is quite useful.

Peter

What is the $60 parallel guide? I only know of the parallel guides from Festool and the after market guides available?

So does this parallel guide work well? Accuate? I assume the remaining board width has to be close to the width of the tracm to be safe without being able to secure it to another surface. Would double sided tape secure it enough for narrow boards?
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool-accessories/track-saws/stops-and-accessories/parallel-guide-491469

 

[Stone Message]

All you need to do is to put a nail or screw through each end to hold the stock on the bench and then make the cut. Double sided tape might do but I have not tried it.

You have to make sure that you can keep the saw flat on the top of the wood and not cut where the nails have been put!

Peter

 

[grbmds]

Seems like an inexpensive alternative to the other parallel guides as long as it gives the same results.

 

[Tinker]

My vote is for the bandsaw.
I did as Peter: Once I had my ATF 55 (TS 55 REQ is on order from Uncle Bob and i can hardly wait), my table saw was not long before it was out the door.  Do I sometimes wish it was back in the shop? Maybe once or twice this century.
I have a bottom of the line (Reliant) 14" bandsaw (wish i had space for one of Darcy's itty-bitty cast offs >>> like 24" or so  ).  It is definitely under sized and underpowered for some of what I would like to use it for.  I would not get rid of it unless i had another (better) one ready to bring in the door.  I cannot get as smooth a cut as with a table saw, but I can do with my ATF 55 anything I could do with the table saw.  There is a whole lot I can do with the BS that could not be done with either Table saw or ATF.  For the tight space, it is a whole lot safer using the BS.

Tinker

 

[tiralie]

In regards to the Roubo build, I'm looking at doing that because although the MFT's have all sorts of clamping and such, they aren't stable enough for any hand planing
Planing on MFT's is pretty frustrating.

Yes, agreed. Although I have the leg braces and usually attach two tables together with the MFT table connector The Festool table joiner (P/N 484455) which makes the MFT much more stable for planning. I can can get away with planning everything but the hardest wood such as hard maple etc.

I have tired of using crooked wood, and have been working on my hand planing skills to get out twist and such so I can send it through the planer. 

In the famous words of Monty Python in the Holy Grail "She's a witch, burn her"

As I write this I'm starting to lean towards the tablesaw...Any info that would sway me back the other way?

Nope.

Tim