Table saw

yfd48

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Joined
Aug 17, 2014
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So i just read a question  about table saws, as i frantically buy festool stuff on my wish list (yes i have a problem  but admitting  it is the first step right?)  Is a table saw REALLY  necessary?  I have made my track saw work for the past  couple of years, but maybe  im missing out, i dont know,  also i have seen  on the internet festool  is coming out with some kind of table saw? Is this true? Maybe  this would be a solution?  Any advise would be great. Thanks.
 
Only you can decide what is necessary based on what you do and how much time it takes you to do it. I took a route that started out looking at table saws, but took the path using a track saw system (not Festool) After struggling with it, I ended up selling most of it off and purchasing a Mafell track saw system while incorporating an MFT top and some Festool track. That combo got me by for the bulk of my builds, but I always wondered what the addition of a table saw would do to my workflow. I purchased a Sawstop pcs a couple months ago and I really love it.... For me, it speeds up many of my procedures dramatically, and time saving is huge for me as my shop time is limited.
 
Is it necessary? Of course not, neither is anything Festool makes. Can it make your life easier? You bet. It's my go-to power tool for most of my cutting operations. Ripping is SO easy compared to using my TS55. It's helpful (for me at least) to use the big work: small tool; small work: big tool. So the TS is great for cutting small to medium parts. The tracksaw is great for cutting really large pieces (like big sheet goods). A GOOD table saw will give you jointed-quality ripped parts identical in side, perfectly straight, and cut to perfect size with no measuring (just use the scale on the fence). A bad saw will just frustrate you and make you hate it. Down side is they're dangerous (which is why I traded up to a SawStop) and HUGE in terms of space needed (infeed and outfeed spaces are necessary).
 
johnbro,

While I agree generally with your post the key exception is the bandsaw.  The tablesaw as you said is master of ripping and crosscutting sheet goods.  For resawing solid stock there is no substitute for the bandsaw, and it is also my go to tool for ripping solid stock to width.  With solid stock my drill is crosscut rough stock to rough length on the Kapex, joint 1 face and edge, thickness on the planer, rip 1/64th (0.4mm) fat of nominal on the bandsaw and clean the ripped edge on jointer set to take 1/64", the cut to final length on the Kapex.
 
There is a search function, to see if your thoughts are in same way unique.
 
There must be thousands of posts arguing table saw, band saw, track saw merits. I think the decision should be based on the work you want the tool to do, the capabilities of the tool, your budget, your work shop space, and how you want to spend your time.

Asking a bunch of Internet strangers to chime in will get you strong opinions, but little useful information.

Each of these three tools has a set of strong points. Each tool can be used outside its strengths, but with varying results.

I suggest you develop a set of decision criteria, study the strength of each tool, and then make your decision.

Then, you have to decide on brand, side, and accessories.

Or, you can do as I did, buy them all.
 
I have 6 table saws at the moment. My ts55 is still a much needed tool, gets used a lot to crate stuff, last job I used it on was trimming treads and risers for a stair case.
 
Kevinculle:

I also use my bandsaw a lot, but rarely if ever for ripping stock--I'm always a little puzzled by people who have this workflow, because:
- My bandsaw table (17" bandsaw) is pretty tiny, compared to my TS + even with the small outfeed table I currently have. Supporting long stock to rip on the bandsaw means I need to set up both infeed and outfeed support.

-Nice as my BS is, it can't rip with the precision and finish as even a moderately decent ripping blade on a moderately decent TS can. I have a 1" carbide tooth blade on it right now; have also used a couple of woodslicers, and both are nice. But it doesn't leave a jointed edge like my TS can, even with a Freud Diablo TK ripping blade.

There's a reason I keep a resaw blade on my bandsaw, since that's what I used it for, but not for ripping. Which brings me to another point: what a PITA changing blades on a band saw is. Compared to any other kind of power tool. Even with practice the finicky nature of the guide adjustment to get it right is horrible. Enough that my dream is to have a big dedicated resaw BS and a little one with a curvy-cutting blade on it. If you buy the info in most "how to bandsaw" books, you almost need to change the blade with every setup (consider how many teeth per inch of wood thickness you are supposed to follow, for example).

In the past (PM 66 days, pre-SawStop days), I would occasionally rip potentially dangerous boards on the BS and then mill them to final dimension on the jointer or else just run the edge on the TS. Because the PM--even with the Biesemeyer splitter that was fitted--was a little bit scary about kickback or binding uncooperative wood. Some boards I'd even drag out the TS55 and my foam panels and cut it on the floor--perfectly safe if awkward ripping, say, a 6" wide by 7' long board with the track saw (need to support the rail, keep the rail from moving, line up the rail on the cut, etc).

So to the original OP, with a decent TS (including a t-square fence and ok blade) you are never more than a few seconds away from a perfectly dimensioned, no-trial-cut-necessary, no-jigs-needed, ready-to-glue-up cut any time. Walk to saw, slide fence to where cursor matches desired cut, feed wood through saw. Done. And if you want to cut mitered sides on little box parts (and groove them for the box bottom), short of good miter box and hand saw (plus router plane), I don't know any other way to do it.

Bottom line for the OP is I think different people get comfortable with different tools, partly based on what kind of projects they do, and just like software developers tend to revert to programming languages and tools they are familiar with--regardless of whether that language is best for a given problem--people reach for the tool they are most comfortable with.
 
kevinculle said:
johnbro,

While I agree generally with your post the key exception is the bandsaw.  The tablesaw as you said is master of ripping and crosscutting sheet goods.  For resawing solid stock there is no substitute for the bandsaw, and it is also my go to tool for ripping solid stock to width.  With solid stock my drill is crosscut rough stock to rough length on the Kapex, joint 1 face and edge, thickness on the planer, rip 1/64th (0.4mm) fat of nominal on the bandsaw and clean the ripped edge on jointer set to take 1/64", the cut to final length on the Kapex.

I bought the Sawstop thinking that I needed it for small pieces.  It sits largely unused, as it does require a great deal of space and time to clean up.  I wish I bought a bandsaw instead and applied the edging workarounds noted above.  But I'd have both, plus a jointer and dust extraction system if I could have all my wishes granted.
 
Heck, I have 4 bandsaws in my shop. A 10", a 30" yates, a 36" oliver, another 36" Oliver plus a 35" Bentel from 1875, plus two others in storage.

Love me some bsndsaws.
 
So after looking  around I see a cms ts that would fit my ts 75 unfortunately  not avaliable in the usa???
Why the heck would they tease us like that? Seems it would be a cost savings  for me? And make a nice cut or am I better of spending my money on a table saw  I think my price range is about  1500...
 
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