Track Saw or Table Saw

[Culater94]

What do you use the most overall?

The track saw get about three times the use of my table saw, however my table saw is a job site one, not a full table saw

 

[mike550]

I have a 10” table saw that’s around that price. Not great for precision cuts, in that you need to measure and double check everything. I need to make sure the fence is square, etc. So things take a bit of time, but I’ve found it helpful on all sorts of projects. That said, I’ve never used a track saw which seems helpful for breaking down big panels. But I’ve found I can use my circular saw and run it along a 1x4 and get satisfactory results.

 

[coseal]

tracksaw camp here! makita sp hard to beat! make you a mft table and get some rail dog's for your track and you have repeatability! or parallel guides!. i recommend the seneca woodworking ones! my shop is small.... no room for a nice table saw.

 

[jnvd3b]

I have made ‘tracks’ for my circular saws but ultimately went with a cheaper track saw (wen) after watching an iggyswan video on it. definitely lower end but i like it and having the ability to plunge into the material properly is very helpful. I use it about equal amounts to the table saw but i would say if you can only have one for some reason then you need a table saw. It is really the staple tool for most woodworkers. Without a tracksaw though you need a large(r) outfeed to help manage the larger pieces, so i opted for a jobsite dewalt table saw and tracksaw combo

 

[kenchilada]

$500? Track saw. Better yet add a little and get the Festool track saw. I use mine more than I kiss my wife.

I have a Dewalt contractor saw but I only use it to rip long boards.

 

[joshwaggs]

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.

Cast iron tables are great.

 

[joshwaggs]

tracksaw camp here! makita sp hard to beat! make you a mft table and get some rail dog's for your track and you have repeatability! or parallel guides!. i recommend the seneca woodworking ones! my shop is small.... no room for a nice table saw.

That is exactly the saw I was looking at. I can’t find a single complaint. Some even prefer it over their festool, which is some serious confidence.

 

[38bill]

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.

Not damaged but you have to purchase a new cartridge for about $90.

 

[Billdogg]

FWIW - I finished my 2200sf basement using a $199 craftsman "table saw". With it's plastic base and flimsy fence it could be challenging at times, but with just a little care it did a very good job. By the time I was done, so was the saw, but it served it's purpose quite well. A track saw would not have been able to do what I needed to do.

That was nearly 20 years ago, and from what I've seen, the quality of the less expensive table saws has increased greatly.

I did that job with the plastic saw, a cordless drill, a hammer, and a few assorted hand tools. And I learned a lot.

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling the same basement - my wife's craft room is tripling in size and my work shop area is going to be about 4x it's original area. Finally, I'll have an actual work station for every tool so that I can take the rough lumber and turn it into nice things without spending half my time putting one tool away and getting another out.

The bottom line? Buy the very best you can afford, grow your skill set, and allow your collection of tools to expand accordingly.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

What are your projects? The tool you buy and the quality you need vary considerably depending on the accuracy you demand. For example, you can't make a jewelry box or fine furniture with a cheap saw/blade, but you can probably build a deck.

 

[joshwaggs]

FWIW - I finished my 2200sf basement using a $199 craftsman "table saw". With it's plastic base and flimsy fence it could be challenging at times, but with just a little care it did a very good job. By the time I was done, so was the saw, but it served it's purpose quite well. A track saw would not have been able to do what I needed to do.

That was nearly 20 years ago, and from what I've seen, the quality of the less expensive table saws has increased greatly.

I did that job with the plastic saw, a cordless drill, a hammer, and a few assorted hand tools. And I learned a lot.

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling the same basement - my wife's craft room is tripling in size and my work shop area is going to be about 4x it's original area. Finally, I'll have an actual work station for every tool so that I can take the rough lumber and turn it into nice things without spending half my time putting one tool away and getting another out.

The bottom line? Buy the very best you can afford, grow your skill set, and allow your collection of tools to expand accordingly.

That is how I started. Cheap basic stuff. Then I decided I want to try furniture. I realized those expensive tools make things a lot easier.

 

[joshwaggs]

What are your projects? The tool you buy and the quality you need vary considerably depending on the accuracy you demand. For example, you can't make a jewelry box or fine furniture with a cheap saw/blade, but you can probably build a deck.

Yeah, Im looking for quality tools that dont cost as much as festool. Makita is pretty much the best bet it looks like. I know a table saw is the better option, but I wanted to see if people were making their track saws work for stuff. I watched a few reviews that were saying if they had 500 to spend, they would go with a good track saw over what was available for table saws. So, I thought I would ask here. I wasnt disappointed. It is nice to see so many people on here that enjoy woodworking.

 

[josvanmeer]

I don’t see the appeal of a track saw. A long level with clamps and a corded hand saw is basically that for like 5x less the price? I’d go with a table saw. I am not even a professional and I rip full sheets of plywood with my hand saw in no time. Precision cuts matter more to me with a tuned/calibrated table and or miter saw

 

[George81]

@joshwaggs 100% go with a table saw, you can make a track saw to break down sheet goods with a straight edge, some foam board and a circular saw, a table saw is a very versatile shop tool, it’s the heart of my shop, you can use it to clean rough lumber in a pinch joint edges, cut tenons, box joints, mitres....a track saw is just that. Can’t do much else with it, some scrap lumber a couple of clamps and you can break sheets down to cut on the table saw....i Bought an old general table saw to upgrade the crappy rigid one I had...don’t buy anything with rigids name on there unless it’s threading equipment. They aren’t good for much else...

 

[shim]

I would vote Festool tracksaw until you're willing to buy a Sawstop. Tablesaws send more professional carpenters to the hospital than anything else. As a non-professional wood worker, I highly value by Sawstop contractors saw for the safety factor itself. The quality of the saw itself is fantastic but does cost a bit.

There is a pretty good YouTube video I put a link to that walks through advantages of each below that I think is pretty helpful.

 

[joshwaggs]

I would vote Festool tracksaw until you're willing to buy a Sawstop. Tablesaws send more professional carpenters to the hospital than anything else. As a non-professional wood worker, I highly value by Sawstop contractors saw for the safety factor itself. The quality of the saw itself is fantastic but does cost a bit.

There is a pretty good YouTube video I put a link to that walks through advantages of each below that I think is pretty helpful.

Thanks

How is the fence on your saw stop? Does it hold alignment when you clamp it down?

Do you constantly have to re square?

 

[biophilia]

I've been attempting to get away with using only a track saw over the past year and really wouldn't recommend it. It's a really inefficient, frustrating, and limiting way to do anything other than break down sheet goods.

That being said, I've been surprised at how decent the <$200 WEN track saw/rail combo is so it's something you can always add later as a fairly cheap addition.

As for a table saw, it's really not worth wasting your money on anything with an aluminum top. IMO the best bet for your money is a slightly used Rigid R4512/R4520. A well-used, older hybrid saw with a cast iron top is another option, but you'll often end up with something that doesn't have a riving knife... not worth the risk IMO!

 

[shim]

Thanks

How is the fence on your saw stop? Does it hold alignment when you clamp it down?

Do you constantly have to re square?

It came very well aligned and has stayed in alignment for over 2yrs use.

 

[CMMorgan]

Have the table saw, want (need) the track saw. My only issue with the table saw is kick backs. Ever crack a rib on a kick back? OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.......
Either way, you can't have a woodshop without one.

 

[38bill]

I feel much safer with my Hybrid Grizzle table saw than any other table saw I have used. It has a riving knife and that helps prevent kickback but it also has other features. The fence is ridged and parallel to the blade. Its smooth face allows the wood to slide easily, staying tight against the fence. Also I never realized the difference in the cast iron tables. I always just figured it was about looks but the higher quality cast iron and the fact that it is polished smooth makes feeding material into the blade very easy. I am convinced that this reduces the chance of binding the blade. I added a couple of those anti-kickback ratcheting wheels and they work very well too. They hold the work to the fence and the stop kickback.

Three important safety rules with any table saw are to use push sticks, don't reach in until the blade has completely stopped and don't stand directly behind the work piece incase of a kick back.