Track Saw or Table Saw

[joshwaggs]

Here is the scene:

You have $500 to buy one or the other. You dont know where or how it will be used. Which one do you pick and why?

 

[Billdogg]

Table saw hands down. A track saw is basically a one trick pony. It's great for cutting sheet goods to size but not much else. Not only that, it's very easy to make your own.

I have two - one that is 52" and the other 96". All you need is a couple pieces of scrap ply, one of them with a factory edge. I used 1/2" for both. The top piece (with FE) needs to be 6+" wide and as long as you want the track to be. The bottom needs to be that width + the width of your circular saw + and inch or so. Fasten the top piece to the bottom so that the FE is on the inside, then just take your CS and rip off the edge of the bottom using the top as a straightedge. And there you have it - a track saw for pretty much free!

Spend that $500 on the best table saw you can. You can not only rip to width, but also make any cross cut, or angle cut you will ever need. Be sure to save a little spare cash for push sticks/feather boards, eye protection, etc.

hth!

 

[joshwaggs]

Table saw hands down. A track saw is basically a one trick pony. It's great for cutting sheet goods to size but not much else. Not only that, it's very easy to make your own.

I have two - one that is 52" and the other 96". All you need is a couple pieces of scrap ply, one of them with a factory edge. I used 1/2" for both. The top piece (with FE) needs to be 6+" wide and as long as you want the track to be. The bottom needs to be that width + the width of your circular saw + and inch or so. Fasten the top piece to the bottom so that the FE is on the inside, then just take your CS and rip off the edge of the bottom using the top as a straightedge. And there you have it - a track saw for pretty much free!

Spend that $500 on the best table saw you can. You can not only rip to width, but also make any cross cut, or angle cut you will ever need. Be sure to save a little spare cash for push sticks/feather boards, eye protection, etc.

hth!

Thanks. I was leaning that direction. The more I looked at the track saws, the more I thought they were just an expensive way to avoid having to do more measuring. I just hate cutting down plywood.

 

[schuby]

Be aware of your fingers! A table saw has no qualms about cutting everything that touches it. ;)

 

[Broadfield]

Be aware of your fingers! A table saw has no qualms about cutting everything that touches it. ;)

Enter the SawStop!

 

[38bill]

You can make a simple guide for your power hand saw that makes ripping sheet goods very easy. Not as nice as a true track saw (you will want to use clamps to hold it down) but it only cost a few dollars. I have a 10" Grizzly Hybrid table saw and every time I use it I'm that much happier that I bought it. Check out CL and maybe you can find some sim in your price range.

 

[joshwaggs]

You can make a simple guide for your power hand saw that makes ripping sheet goods very easy. Not as nice as a true track saw (you will want to use clamps to hold it down) but it only cost a few dollars. I have a 10" Grizzly Hybrid table saw and every time I use it I'm that much happier that I bought it. Check out CL and maybe you can find some sim in your price range.

Grizzlys are nice. Really expensive, though. Hybrid is what I would like to get.

Enter the SawStop!

I still cant figure out how they work. It is magic.

 

[HuduVudu]

I exclusively use a FesTool track saw. I don't have the room for a table saw and this fits the bill.

Parallel cuts are tricky but doable. The thing that I wished I had is a bit more space to build proper jigs to make my cutting easier. I really like that the track saw handles large material easily.

I also have a FesTool miter saw that I use constantly. Between the miter saw and the track saw I feel like I can get what I need cut.

I really don't like that table saws can bind the material (Yes I know what a Riven Blade is). The SawStop seems really kewl. Definitely I would have that if I had a table saw.

All said even if I had more room I would just make better jigs for my track saw as to purchase a table saw.

 

[Billdogg]

Enter the SawStop!

I sold my delta a few years back and upgraded to a sawstop cabinet saw. It’s fit, finish, accuracy, and above all safety made it a no brainer. The only time the safety device activated was when I forgot to bypass it when cutting some acrylic. Lesson learned!

 

[92Miata]

As an aside, $500 is a pretty low budget for a new tablesaw. Almost everything in that range is crap.
$500 is way more than you need to find a great saw on Craigslist or fb marketplace though.

 

[joshwaggs]

As an aside, $500 is a pretty low budget for a new tablesaw. Almost everything in that range is crap.
$500 is way more than you need to find a great saw on Craigslist or fb marketplace though.

So that was my major pain. 500 gets a really good track saw (Mikita), but the table saws are limited to contractor/site saws. They work, but the fences are crap and switching blades is annoying. I don’t think I’ll be doing many dados. There is always the palm router for that if it isn’t very often.
So, I really looked at the track saw. The only crappy thing with the track saw is versatility.

 

[HuduVudu]

The only crappy thing with the track saw is versatility.

I disagree with this completely.

 

[joshwaggs]

I sold my delta a few years back and upgraded to a sawstop cabinet saw. It’s fit, finish, accuracy, and above all safety made it a no brainer. The only time the safety device activated was when I forgot to bypass it when cutting some acrylic. Lesson learned!

Did the safety feature damage the saw at all? In the videos, it stops like someone threw a wrench in the blade. That can’t be good.

 

[Culater94]

I have both, but prefer the track saw for plywood, and any large cuts.

 

[joshwaggs]

I disagree with this completely.

How complicated are the jigs you have to make? Are they just simple things?

 

[HuduVudu]

How complicated are the jigs you have to make? Are they just simple things?

I really can't make jigs right now. I don't have the room. I just cut with the tracks.

 

[joshwaggs]

I have both, but prefer the track saw for plywood, and any large cuts.

What do you use the most overall?

 

[HuduVudu]

How complicated are the jigs you have to make? Are they just simple things?

On my build thread you can see the poplar piece I cut down and put together for the deck of my tank. All track saw.

 

[joshwaggs]

I really can't make jigs right now. I don't have the room. I just cut with the tracks.

Have you done anything that you didn’t think a track saw could do? Multiples of shorter cuts (for example). That seems like it would be annoying having to set it up for each cut. I would say the annoyance of resetting would save you money, but you have a festool lol. I think there is only one brand that cost more than festools (Mafell).

 

[ScottJ]

I would look for a good, older used table saw. I have a 20 year old Ridgid from Home Depot I would take $300 or $400 for If I wanted to sell. (I don't!) It's a great saw, cast iron table and extension wings. It's older, but from back when they made good quality tools. If they are maintained, they last basicly forever.