Track saw - worth it for homeowner?

[Sladesonjzl]

Pretty self explanatory - trying to talk myself out of it. Looks like an amazing addition to any shop but man it’s a hefty price tag. For context I have a sliding compound mitre, an old ass delta table saw, and a delta 12” bandsaw. Most of the wood I use I mill myself with chainsaw mill, so the track saw looks like a great tool to get a square edge on live edge wood. Reviews seem great but it’s a hard purchase to justify for a hobbyist…anyone else out there have some experience with this?

 

[usernumber1]

if all you're doing is squaring off lumber... i think a tracksaw is not it

maybe if you did some sheet goods as well

 

[bobtskutter]

[member=83016]Sladesonjzl[/member] welcome to the FOG!

I'll probably get cast out for this...
there are other track saw manufacturers you can choose from.

My observation from other FOG threads and what I see on youtube is you need a powerfull saw and a low tooth count blade to square off large slabs, think TS75 with the panther blade (which I have, it's a beast of a saw).

There are plenty of videos on line with people using the HK85, which isn't "quite" a track saw but will ride on the festool style track.  There are also quite a lot of videos of people using large Makita saws and long straight edges.

Regards
Bob

 

[luvmytoolz]

+1 for the HK85, it's an absolute beast of a saw. And perfect for ripping/cross cutting slabs, but surprisingly easy to control and manage. It also gives an amazingly good finish, something I didn't expect when I first used one.

I first used mine on a 3" thick very old and hard English Oak slab, full depth cut, and it handled it with ease.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

+2 for the HK85. It’s more of a heavy-duty carpentry saw, as opposed to the TS tracksaws which are primarily aimed at super-accurate precision joinery, sheet goods breakdown, chip-free laminate cuts and so on. The 85 also gives you slightly over a three-and-quarter inch cut depth which may be significant depending on the thickness of your slabs. Plus - although it will run on rails - they’re expensive and probably overkill for your stated task. I’d suggest just running it along a straight, well-clamped batten.

Hope you get fixed up.
Kevin

 

[woodferret]

If you're just trimming, try your standard sidewinder with a straightedge.  See whether that adapts to your workflow.  I think a tracksaw is better suited to sheet goods where you may want to keep the offcut relatively intact.  In most cases, it's mostly a nice to have - to keep from making stupid mistakes type of thing.  If you actually enjoy remilling after mistakes, then it doesn't really matter now, but restocking when building cabinets and stuff can be a pain - that's why that segment gravitates towards the tracksaw.

 

[waho6o9]

It's worth the premium and a great addition to your shop. 

It's great for trimming down doors in your home, sheet goods, and building cabinets.

Good luck on your decision!

 

[rst]

I’d love a HK 85, but not sold in US, I use my ancient Skill 8 1/4 monster with a straight edge.

 

[smorgasbord]

.... man it’s a hefty price tag. For context I have a sliding compound mitre, an old ass delta table saw, and a delta 12” bandsaw. Most of the wood I use I mill myself with chainsaw mill, so the track saw looks like a great tool to get a square edge on live edge wood.

I am also a mostly, almost-entirely, non-sheet good woodworker, and so I, too, have struggled to buy myself a track saw.

That said, I did borrow my neighbor's Makita to make some cuts on a big Cherry slab I'm making into a desk. Worked just fine, with multiple passes on the 48mm thickness (and some stress relief kerf closing). I would have been great for me to have had a track saw 20 years ago when I was turning raw stock into long boards for crown and baseboards, but I got by with jig saw, hand plane, and my decently sized jointer.

I'm considering getting a relatively cheap track saw instead since it won't ever be a daily-used, or even weekly-used tool for me. I do have an outdoor project that I've been using a wooden track and router, but would go better with a track saw for at least the initial cuts. So, uses do crop up. And there's something efficient about laying out a cross cut and then just being able to cut it with the track on the mark.

But, man pricing out a TS-60 with a couple tracks and a few blades is like a grand and a half. For sheet goods power really isn't an issue and for thick hardwoods, multiple passes aren't a bad thing even if you have enough power since releasing tension in the wood can wreak havoc, so better to do that with a final not-deep cut anyway.

Note that I had no trouble justifying purchasing a Domino DF700, as I've since used domino joinery all the time in my projects, and have found unique uses for the thing (eg, making zero clearance inserts for my miter saw and tablesaw sled fence), so this isn't a question of money or expensive tools for me. It's really justifying spending the money for a tool I probably won't use all that often since I'm not a sheet goods woodworking and besides I have a really nice tablesaw setup to make final cuts anyway.

 

[onocoffee]

[member=83016]Sladesonjzl[/member] - I kinda went in the opposite direction and was talking myself into a track saw. Not necessarily because I "needed" it, but more because I've always wanted one (and I think they're cool).

As I was considering between the TS55 and TS60, the guys at my local Woodcraft were encouraging me to consider the TS60 because it's newer, has more power and a slightly deeper depth of cut. But, it's a bit more than the TS55. I mean, all the reasons they gave for the 60 I thought were legit and valid - I just didn't want to spend that much.

I ended up finding a guy on Marketplace who had bought the TS 55 FEQ-Plus FS and then decided he wanted the TSC55. The saw was only just over a month old and while he said he had used it once, I seriously doubted that - as there wasn't much (if any) sawdust in the tool and the rail was uncut. But I guess he had passed the 30 day return window and was willing to sell it to me at a price that equaled $200 off the cost with tax.

My friend got the TS75 and we've used that to cut all kinds of slabs (mostly white oak) for a variety of projects. And in your case of joinery, it cuts clean edges for tight glue ups. And while they say the TS60 is more powerful than the TS55, I will do very nice cuts in slabs. I was recently trying to cut chair parts out of an 8/4 walnut slab with an old ATF 55 that I have when it just wouldn't cut it. Switched to the TS55 and it cut it like butter.

I actually put together a video of that issue for another thread here:

 

[Packard]

My situation was similar to the OP’s.  I had a table saw, but my shop was in the basement.  Carrying down full sheets of plywood was a burden. 

I started by using the track saw to break down sheets to near final sizes and then make the final cuts on the table saw.

For multiple same-sized panels, I still find that to be quicker and yield more repeatable results.  But it is entirely reasonable to make cuts to the final size if you work carefully.

When I got my Festool, Kreg’s rip edge guide was not available, and I might have tried that.  There are some videos on line that show making entire cabinets using the Kreg rip guide and pocket hole screws. 

In the end, I might have still gotten the Festool saw.

I have a mini-van and I can back my van up to a saw horse setup, slide the sheets out from the van and make the cuts.

I’ve seen a guy with a car breaking down sheets of plywood on the ground in the Lowes parking lot.  He carried the pieces back in his car.  The Kreg edge guide would have made his work easier. 

In any case, there are a lot of approaches and at different price points.  I have no regrets getting the Festool track saw, and I am not in a hurry to get rid of my table saw.

I suspect I did not make your decision making any easier/

For what is is worth, this is the rip guide:

 

[Crazyraceguy]

As a guy who works in a cabinet shop, a TS is an invaluable asset. I use mine literally every day. The TS60 gets the most use, but the TS75 pulls its weight too.
For a home hobbyist, it just depends on the work you do. If you are dealing with thicker pieces of hardwood, the TS75 can really be great. If you don't mess with sheet gods at all, it may be all you need. Not to say that it can't do sheet goods, it definitely can, but it's a bit of a beast for that. Occasional use? sure, but you wouldn't want to lug it all day. That's where the TS60 shines.

 

[pixelated]

A TS-55 or HK-55 may be a limitation depending on how thick your slabs are.

If you want to get your feet wet working with a track, Bosch’s  GKS18V-25GCN might be a consideration. It can run on either Festool style tracks or Bosch, it has a dust port and runs a 7 1/4 in. blade, 18V cordless.
It’s not nearly as refined as a Festool, but much cheaper, and has more cutting depth. One other downside, compared to track saws is that the height lock is fiddley to work with if you want to plunge-cut.

 

[demographic]

I'm  a self employed carpenter and I own a TS55,  TS 75 and a HKC55.
Since I bought my HKC and crosscut rail my TS55 hardly ever comes out of the van toolsafe. Its worth getting a ripcut blade with less teeth and generally if you find it too rough a cut, just slow down a bit.
Too many teeth slows the cut and requires more power.
The TS75 is the one I've hardly used yet but I bought it secondhand when I realised the price was good enough that I'd not see it again.
For me the absolute stand out saw in Festools lineup is the HKC 55, it works just like a really nice cordless ripsaw off the rail (good sighting for the cut plus very easy and accurate depth of cut setting) and then the crosscut rail is genius.
It works well on the standard rails but dust extraction isn't as good as it is on the TS range with their fully shrouded blades.

 

[Packard]

As a guy who works in a cabinet shop, a TS is an invaluable asset. I use mine literally every day. The TS60 gets the most use, but the TS75 pulls its weight too.
For a home hobbyist, it just depends on the work you do. If you are dealing with thicker pieces of hardwood, the TS75 can really be great. If you don't mess with sheet gods at all, it may be all you need. Not to say that it can't do sheet goods, it definitely can, but it's a bit of a beast for that. Occasional use? sure, but you wouldn't want to lug it all day. That's where the TS60 shines.

My tablet’s A.I. spell checker has also changed “goods “ to “gods”.  It has made some screwy substitutions, so I have to re-read my posts with more diligence than that non-A.I. spell checker’s work.  I would like to turn off the A.I function, but cannot find a tutorial that will tell me how.

And why does the spellchecker prefer polytheism over monotheism?