Track Saw or Table Saw

[Kev]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Again I pose this question

Once you've added a Kapex and an MFT/3 - not much ...

Dado cuts are a lot easier on a table saw and some repeatable cut jigs are more easily executed on a table saw.

Another reason could simply be you want one!

I believe table saws are a very traditional shop item and the majority of practices have evolved around it - times change!

 

[jacko9]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Again I pose this question

I have a Powermatic 66 Table saw and a Powermatic 81 (20") bandsaw and I would never be able to get the accuracy on my bandsaw that I can achieve on my table saw.

Jack

 

[Paul G]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Again I pose this question

Dado

 

[ScotF]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Again I pose this question

One thing that comes to mind is cove cutting -- easy to do on the table saw, impossible on the band saw.  However, there are other ways to accomplish that task with router bits, etc... just like a router can easily take care of dado cuts.  As far as repeat cuts, the Parallel Guides or some of the aftermarket guides work extremely well for wide and narrow cuts and the band saw with a good fence can also take care of narrow rips.  I really do not think that a table saw is a necessity with a track saw and good band saw and one could get along fine without a table saw IMHO.  I have a General 350, 3 hp and have not even turned it on in close to two years -- everything I have had to do has been done on my band saw and track saw -- from making cabinets, two solid wood bookcases, a computer desk, hall table and several other smaller projects...I have purposely tried making projects without the table saw and have been successful without using it.  It is a different way of working and you have to think about your project a little differently, but I have been very pleased with the results thus far.  I keep thinking about selling my cabinet saw and reclaiming floor space, but since I am already invested in it I have kept it in case I come across something that I need it for.

Scot

 

[Mavrik]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

 

[peter halle]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

Interesting comment.  At this year's JLCLive show in Providence I spent the majority of two days hanging around the Festool booth.  During that time I had the experience of watching one of the Festool Regional Sales Managers demonstrating the TS-55REQ.  I had not seen him demonstrate before.  As part of his demonstration I saw him do things I had never seen done to show the safety inherent to the plunge saws.  Equally interesting was a comment that he made about Festool track saw injuries.  Once or twice a year all the sales force and marketing people of Festool here in NA get together for training and marketing meetings.  Every time he asks the other attendees at these meetings if they have heard about any injuries caused by the track saws.  He says he has never had anyone report one incident.  This has been going on for 7 years I believe.

Peter

 

[Paul G]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

On average in the US about 89 people die each day in auto accidents but we still drive. Table saws are great, some of their operators are a different matter.

 

[skids]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

On average in the US about 89 people die each day in auto accidents but we still drive. Table saws are great, some of their operators are a different matter.

Exactly!

But thanks to you and this statistic I am now considering never getting in my car again.  [wink]

 

[JoggleStick]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Again I pose this question

Well I spose I'm the proverbial square peg...

Firstly 99.5% of my work is completed on site. So straight up I cannot move a large shop bandsaw. Unfortunately I cannot buy a Portaband in Australia for love nor money- they don't bring them in...
I do have a portable saw bench, drop saw, and every other tool I need and some I don't!

I have my own version of the Paulk bench and the table saw works in that context...

If I mentioned dado blades, cove cuts, zero inserts, etc then that's where the table saw excels...

Would I like a big bandsaw? heck yeah!
Do I need one? Well yes- nothing resaws flitchs like a big bandsaw, but I live and work quite happily without it.

The other issue that has not been raised is blade thickness and waste- band saw wins here, but it is becoming less of an issue with newer and thinner saw blades...

 

[Paul G]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

On average in the US about 89 people die each day in auto accidents but we still drive. Table saws are great, some of their operators are a different matter.

Exactly!

But thanks to you and this statistic I am now considering never getting in my car again.  [wink]

All tools demand respect, the only ones to fear are ones that don't work correctly. Have made thousands of cuts on table saws, never a scratch on me, but plenty of self inflicted wounds with dull chisels and knives. As for driving it's always the other guy

 

[JoggleStick]

My very most dangerous tool is a 4" grinder with a metal cutting saw blade and no guard... We call it the 'savage saw'...

My most stupid injury was holding the savage saw in my right hand and reaching into a wall cavity- behind the blade with my left hand. No pain- just a bump-bump- bump feeling as I passed my left hand past the blade...

Worst thing was the bump- bump-bump as I pulled my hand back out again!

Then was 16 odd stitches, today I have twin tram track scars down the back of my left hand....

After 20 odd years, at the time, I had no excuse... Just one of those Friday Arvo's we prefer to forget....

 

[skids]

I know too many people who have lost fingers and parts of their hands to table saws.
Don't know of any who have hurt themselves with a plunging track saw.

That's enough for me.

On average in the US about 89 people die each day in auto accidents but we still drive. Table saws are great, some of their operators are a different matter.

Exactly!

But thanks to you and this statistic I am now considering never getting in my car again.  [wink]

All tools demand respect, the only ones to fear are ones that don't work correctly. Have made thousands of cuts on table saws, never a scratch on me, but plenty of self inflicted wounds with dull chisels and knives. As for driving it's always the other guy

Yep, I always give my Table Saw a little extra respect..It can be an ornery tool, just when your confident and comfortable with it it flings something at you to remind you it doesn't need any new friends.

 

[Paul G]

My very most dangerous tool is a 4" grinder with a metal cutting saw blade and no guard... We call it the 'savage saw'...

My most stupid injury was holding the savage saw in my right hand and reaching into a wall cavity- behind the blade with my left hand. No pain- just a bump-bump- bump feeling as I passed my left hand past the blade...

Worst thing was the bump- bump-bump as I pulled my hand back out again!

Then was 16 odd stitches, today I have twin tram track scars down the back of my left hand....

After 20 odd years, at the time, I had no excuse... Just one of those Friday Arvo's we prefer to forget....

Reminds me of the time a few decades ago I was using a drill press to add handle rivet holes in a knife blade I was making. Hard lesson learned of the importance of always clamping the material, that knife got loose and spun and showed me who is boss. After that I pulled my head out of my rear and got serious about respecting tools, nothing wrong with the drill press, just me the operator doing a cranial rectal insertion.

 

[semenza]

As can be seen by reading this thread part of the answer to the questions (table / track saw and band saw /track saw)  is based on what a person builds , how  they work, where they work, and what tools they own to use with the saws.  Just to add to that scenario .... if you are using a Domino to build , you will be cutting fewer dadoes.

Seth

 

[sancho57]

I agree with Seth 100%

I feel it also depends on how many festools you own (seriously stay with me on this )

and how well you know how to use them.

What I mean by that is remember festool is a SYSTEM. If your system is incomplete then you cant do everything using the system.

You can do this and that but not everything.

Im making a walnut media center right now.

I used the PGs to rip 20mm edging for the ply.

Used Tom's technique from his ripping in the field thread, I ripped the 2 1/4" cabinet door stock accurately with no issues and easy as using a table saw.

The non festool tools I used were

18 ga nail gun, router bits, bessey  bar clamps, bessey toggle clamps(hold down jig ), general finishes stain and laquer and my spray gun.

As you can see very few non festools were used.

Please note this was all done in the shop.

So what Im basically saying you can get away without owning a table saw.

Sometimes it takes some creativity to get the work done

it all comes down what you are using the tools for and  knowledge of how to use the tools.

Steve Base in his festool end users classes says that most people only use their tools to about 58% of their potential.

I agree with that.

As Im always learning new things about the tools, both in the classes / demos, here (FOG) and utube , talking to other guys who have the system and occasionally I even have a idea.

Since Im moving and will have a small shop. I'm getting rid of all my stationary tools, table saw, 6" jointer, drill press, cast iron router table, PC 690 router, PC 7815 router, pc hand power planer, biscuit jointer, small ryobi mini biscuit jointer and other tools,  have replaced them with festools. I havent used them in a very long time.

I havent had a need to use these tools since Ive gotten a large portion of festools and learned to use their system.

To me its not a pick and chose thing, when it comes to a question of whether you need a table saw or not.

Either you use the entire system or not. if you mix and match then yes you will need a table saw mixed in with your various tools.

I can build everything I need to using my festools.

things like a multimaster, hammer drills, sawsalls , nail guns etc obviously festools cant replace those.

But for the most part. What I build I can use festools.

I am not a full time pro, I am more like a splinter maker, wood dust maker,  scrap pile builder. I do make scrap wood for folks on the side.

neighbors friends relative etc

Relax guys all those tools that Im getting rid of  are either gone by now or spoken for.

This is all my opinion, your milage ay vary

 

[duburban]

if time is no issue then sure skip the table saw. otherwise, embrace it.

 

[Jmaichel]

To respark this debate a little..

If you had a nice band saw, and a Track saw..Can anyone then see any reason to own a table saw? What wouldn't you be able to do with a BS and track saw combo that a Table saw can do?

Band saws are nice but I think they complement the rest of the tools in your shop. The cut from a bandsaw is not nearly as clean as the cut from a table saw or TS55. The edge still needs to be cleaned up on a jointer or with a hand plane. I use my bandsaw to rough cut lumber prior to final milling to release internal stress from the wood, which makes it a little more stable when running it through the table saw. 

I also don't think you have to have a $3000 cabinet saw, there are several saws right around $1000 mark that are outfitted with riving knives and good blade gaurds. When setup properly these saws can work very well IMHO.

James

 

[Samo]

For those of you that haven't seen this Kickback Video I think it is worth the time. 

I'm not saying " Track Saw or Table Saw" I'm saying just be safe my friends.   [wink]

[ Video removed - against forum guidelines to demonstrate unsafe practices - Shane ]

 

[sancho57]

I had a nice pleasant looking red and blue mark on my executive sized stomach once from kick back and i had many pieces fly across the shop due to kick back.

It aient fun

 

[Samo]

No Sir, it ain't!

Had a piece of 8/4 thick hard maple kickback on me once with my TS75.  [eek]  I'm a "double check setup" kind of guy now.

I had a nice pleasant looking red and blue mark on my executive sized stomach once from kick back and i had many pieces fly across the shop due to kick back.

It aient fun