Track Saw vs Table Saw: Pros and Cons Revealed!
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- čas přidán 15. 04. 2023
- What are the pros and cons of only having a track saw in your woodworking shop?
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*Videos Mentioned:
Milwaukee Track Saw Review - • Milwaukee Track Saw - ...
Skil Table Saw Review - • Did I Find The BEST BU...
Festool Track Saw Review - • Ultimate Festool TSC 5...
Kreg vs WEN Track Saw Review - • The Best Track Saw For...
Cross Cut Sled Build Video - • How to Make a Table Sa...
Jointing Jig Video - • 99% of Beginners Don't...
Featherboard Jig Video - • 5 Jigs You've NEVER Se...
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Tools in this Video:
DeWalt Table Saw - amzn.to/40dBEoH
Skil Table Saw - amzn.to/3KYYPP3
SawStop Table Saw - amzn.to/3zXR8CB
Milwaukee Track Saw - shrsl.com/40zkf
Festool Track Saw - amzn.to/40aFQ8r
Kreg Track Saw - amzn.to/3KIs9br
Wen Track Saw - amzn.to/43Mxwz0
Festool Dust Extractor - amzn.to/43sK7ae
Track Rack - amzn.to/3KH00kK
Dust Cover for Track Saws - wittworks.shop/collections/tr...
Bow Push Stick - amzn.to/3mCsxQx
Gripper Push Block - amzn.to/41aJ2T7
Dado Blade Set - amzn.to/43BHXFl
TSO Track Square - tsoproducts.com/guide-rail-sq...
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Table Saw - amzn.to/3IoKqsZ
Table Saw Blade I'm Using - shrsl.com/3xv5i
Miter Saw - amzn.to/41hbJy4
Dust Extractor - amzn.to/41l6RYA
Tripod for Phone - amzn.to/3E3kWA9
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#tablesaw #woodworkingtools #woodworkingtips - Jak na to + styl
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Watch Next = Milwaukee Track Saw Review - czcams.com/video/eUbb2fCgaYE/video.html
DeWalt Table Saw - amzn.to/40dBEoH
Skil Table Saw - amzn.to/3KYYPP3
SawStop Table Saw - amzn.to/3zXR8CB
Milwaukee Track Saw - shrsl.com/40zkf
Festool Track Saw - amzn.to/40aFQ8r
Kreg Track Saw - amzn.to/3KIs9br
Wen Track Saw - amzn.to/43Mxwz0
Festool Dust Extractor - amzn.to/43sK7ae
Track Rack - amzn.to/3KH00kK
Dust Cover for Track Saws - wittworks.shop/collections/track-saw-starter-packs
Bow Push Stick - amzn.to/3mCsxQx
Gripper Push Block - amzn.to/41aJ2T7
Dado Blade Set - amzn.to/43BHXFl
TSO Track Square - tsoproducts.com/guide-rail-squares/grs-16-pe-parallel-edge-guide-rail-square/?ref=731WOODWORKS
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Nother great video brother!
Thank you for the prayers last week!! Please continue to pray for me! Love you guys and you’re a great inspiration!!
@@derrickwalker538 Thank you Derrick!
QQ, where did you get those track saw track garage door mounts? Awesome idea!
I like the channel, but never-ending tool revues gets old.
Honestly, if you're not rocking a cabinet saw (with table extension)... the contractor saw and the track saw make great companions.
Yes they do. You can do a tabletop with just a track saw. You either have to A) take your cut sides of boards and put them together to get seams, then lightly clamp to allow blade kerf to rip the glue joint (which will mate the two no matter the angle, great trick someone showed me) or B) - I find this one not as good - is rip one side down, then the matching glue up seam has to be flipped over opposite so the two angles match in case something isn't square.
I'm sure there is a C option, but probably circular saw, or hand saw or using a router bit to 'joint' (I tried that, it sucks track much better!) or some other creative way to do it lol.
Tablesaws make life easier, but I tell you what they can be just as much of a pain, even if I have them squared up. Feels like I'm always chasing square somewhere no matter the method! Drives me nuts.
A cabinet saw isn't great for big sheets of plywood. A small / medium table saw and a track saw are a great combo. The table saw is very important for all kinds of cuts and significantly more versatile. The track saw is excellent at ONE THING. And the table saw is excellent at ALL THINGS except very wide / heavy stuff... Combine them. Yipee. I have a sawstop contractor 36" with the t-glide, and a festool ts55. Very happy about that combo.
100%, I’m not a wood worker but I do a lot of Finnish/trim work and I get a lot of hand built shelving and cabinet jobs, between my Bosch jobsite saw and my makita track saw with three tracks, all the tso accessories and all the blades. I can do tight work quickly for being able to set up shop where ever I want.
@@sawdustadikt979 3 tracks? Damn son. I can't imagine the pain of trying to get them all perfectly straight. The TSO stuff, yea I've been eyeballing it to get those extension cuts. Everything that is added, just compounds the out of square scenario for me though. For example, you have the track, you have the rubber, you have the saw, and the shoe, and you have the rubber which may or may not flex, and the construction of the saw itself which my or may not flex. I mean a 1mm flex can mean a glue up is screwed.
Maybe I think about these things too much. Perhaps. Perhaps.
Thank-you for doing such an in-depth comparison; it is very helpful.
I'm going to go against the grain here and suggest the track saw for beginners as it is much easier to rip sheet goods with a track saw than a table saw. Building cabinets is easy and doing them DIY will probably save you tens of thousands of dollars. This is important because us guys need excuse we can find to justify to our partners that yes, we do need more tools.
If you want to just build cabinets, I would recommend a good track saw with another guide rail + connectors so you can rip 8 ft sheets. Then you want to get yourself a router along with a lift. Use the track saw to build yourself a router table and now you have everything you need other than a drill and a pocket hole jig, to build your very own cabinets.
I am half joking but also half serious as this was how I got started woodworking. I built out my garage workshop and practiced woodworking by building shop furniture using just a track saw and some other basic tools. Recently I just got a Sawstop CTS and I think the biggest advantage of the table saw is for perfect repeatable cuts and thin rips. If you go with a table saw, I think you will also find that you will need a circular saw too as breaking down sheet goods on a table saw is not fun.
Me personally, I would still recommend the cordless track saw for beginners. Cordless because it will work no matter your space constraints or workshop power situation and also because if you decide this hobby isn't for you, you can sell your tracksaw and recuperate 90% of your cost. For beginners, bringing the blade to the material is generally safer and a track saw is probably the cheaper safe option than say the cheapest safe table saw out there, the Sawstop CTS.
Totally agree. “Yes honey I do need an $800 new tool because I just saved us $5k doing it myself. Get off my back”
Absolutely not. A beginner will not be able to make the precise cut using a track saw where exactly the same size plumb panels need to be cut many times over.
@@CodyCha yeah, I think parallel guides are required for tracksaw, just like a fence is required on a table saw. But that's more $ of course.
@@CodyChayes but the beginner must
@CodyCha for he must *live*
Another thing to note about the cut accuracy of track saws: if you're cutting rough sawn or otherwise uneven material, the nice smooth plane the track provides helps cut quality a lot. The plane guiding the cut won't change as the piece is being cut, like it can with a table saw or circular saw + guide (barring material movement induced by cutting).
Exactly the kind of questions I was wondering! Thanks for the video!
Single Vehicle Carport:
Two Black and Decker workmates, two 2x4x8 studs, Milwaukee 5-3/8 inch M12 saw, Milescraft Track Saw Guide, lots of "C" clamps and 32 Gal trash can.
You are absolutely correct, convenience, you can do things a bunch of different ways. These things make it easier, faster, repeatable! I seem to recall an excellent video you did on what sequence to buy large tools, awesome advice and has really helped me build my shop up. Thanks man!
Thank you. I knew I wasn't getting weaker! Stuffs just getting heavier. God bless you.
I've had both for almost 15 years. I find that I'm using my table saw less and less as time goes on. I use it mostly for ripping and some dadoes. A router and (the same) track is often easier, for the same reason a track saw is often easier. There are other jigs and tricks one picks up to make it go smoother and more accurate.
A good set of parallel guides is a must. Festool's isn't so great, IMO. Woodpeckers beats it hands down but like everything else Woodpeckers makes, they're _really_ proud of them. If you don't mind sending money to the Chinese, there is a ripoff of the Woodpeckers jig for $100 or so. It looks like an exact copy but not actually having touched one I can't say for sure.
The parallel guides make cutting plywood sheets into strips a walk in the park. It's way easier than even using a table saw. The cuts are cleaner and even more accurate. I don't use French cleats but parallel guides would make short work of a fortune in plywood.
Come on man!!! The answer is always get both!!!
I was literally about to make the same comment… i own both now. Recently got the m18. Man oh man. I can mot created a str8 edge without hassle without much stress for long cuts. They go hand in hand, both!
always well done and complete to the letter information....
Great point: The solo cutting I think is huge when it comes to safety and quality.!
Right. Good points. Thanks.
Good info Matt. I haven't had the opportunity to get a track saw yet, so I have been using the Kreg Accu-cut and have been very satisfied with the results. Because I use my table saw so much, I'll probably aim for a good cabinet saw next, before a track saw.
Newcomer on CZcams,Anthony Scolaro, just watched one of his videos. He does custom cabinetry and cuts everything with a Festool track saw. He got rid of his table saw. He is pretty much all Festool with the parallel guides, MFT table and the Festool table for ripping full sheets.
Thank you for the great and in depth review. I own the Dewalt Jobsite table saw from a few years ago that doesn’t take a Dado stack and appreciate you mentioning that not all of them do. I recently purchased the Makita corded track saw and TSO Square love how much easier it is to rip full sheet goods. I absolutely agree that as we get older, it gets harder to do the things we used to do as younger adults. We also recognize that some of the things we did as young adults aren’t the safest choices. I realized the dangers of ripping full sheets on a table saw without side and out feed support isn’t safe for me, so I bought a track saw. I use both in tandem when working my projects.
True facts about both setups … I use both in my wood shop and have portables on my trucks
Awesome VIDEO!!! Exactly what needs to be discussed.
Thanks!
I've got both in my cabinet shop. Track saw gets used for breaking down sheet good and sometimes jointing one edge of rough lumber if it's not close to straight. Otherwise my old Unisaw is the workhorse.
Matt, wonderful video. Very glad you made it! Great job!
Two thing I would mention...basically I feel track saws need more jigs in order to be closer to the capabilities of a table saw. For example, a miter table for cross cutting (kinda like a cross cut sled but where the sled remains stationary and the work piece(s) are clamped to the surface with the saw slides cutting from the top, things like this are on the internet but for circular saws, so nothing new) either built or purchased can go a long way toward equaling the paying field. Additionally, having clamping capability on the sides for boards to be cut on edge (like for tenoning) would be a simple addition allowing further capabilities. Basically, I some simple but clever jigs and setup can go a long way toward making the track saw far, far more versatile and really needs to be considered before making a decision one way or another.
My big thing, however is when it comes to safety. A better track saw has a riving knife (or electronic version), what amounts to a blade guard that can't be removed, and dust collection than most table saws. Additionally, because setup is mostly simpler (no aligning the blade to the miter slot, or the fence to the miter slot) for a beginner I see the track saw as much safer (not perfect, and yes you should check it but setting up a table saw can be a pain) for a beginner (or even advanced) person as setting up a table saw incorrectly (or just being frustrated and saying "good enough" can lead to poor cuts, and perhaps a world of hurt) can be frustrating, problematic, and even dangerous.
To be honest, I feel perhaps some of these points were skipped over a bit as I see a better track saw, in terms of price & safety features being more akin to a Saw Stop at a much higher price.
Just some foot for thought, but very glad you did the video!
I just tried using a straight edge to cut sheet MDF and I found myself tracking out from the straight edge on the rear of the saw. I'm getting a track saw ASAP! Thanks Mat!
I'd done this before in the past with some nice 13-ply 3/4" oak plywood, kind of made a mess of it. Makita (36V) track saw by comparison makes a perfect cut every time.. like a laser. Table saw's nice too though as mentioned - for repeatability, and dado capability.
All depends on what you need!
@@Justin-C that's a sad day cause I know 13 ply had to cost a pretty penny!!
The typical newby should go with the track saw, and a miter saw. Between those two you can do anything you need for casework and carcases. Then they need to decide what they will do in th future. For many a good bandsaw is a better choice than the table saw. It can’t kick back, and has a smaller footprint. Table saws make straight lines, and it is more efficient at that than any other tool.
This is a great review. I really think you nailed it. I was trying to decide between a track saw and a table saw a few months ago and almost went with a track saw because of the space constraints you discuss hi. I don't have a shop, I have to work on my back deck which really irritates my partner who'd rather be sunning herself out there and doesn't like the look of a bunch of power tools all covered with tarpaulins. I want with the table saw because I'm mainly making picture frames (I'm a photographer) and while I knew I could make the frames with a track saw, it would have involved creating a very custom MFT table. It's true that such a table could be stored flat but I was more interested in framing my photographs than in making tooling. The only thing I think you left out was the fact that you can buy a very nice table saw for much less money than an equivalent track saw let alone all the bits and pieces you would need to set up for picture frame making.
Again, the great video.
I don't see myself getting a track saw because I don't do a whole lot of work with sheet goods. There's a few workarounds for cutting sheet goods if you don't have a track saw. I visit the lumber yard or big box store during their least busy times and have them cut down the sheets into 2 or 3 pieces on their panel saw. These more manageable sized pieces are easier for me to transport home and break down further to my exact project specs on my table saw. They do a few cuts for free before they start charging per cut, but I've never had to pay anything extra because I just have them break the board down. The biggest con is that their saw blade may not be the best, so the cuts may have some splintering.
Alternatively, you can lay a one inch thick panel of rigid insulation foam (costs about $30) on the ground and make cuts on top of it using a circular saw and a straight edge. The foam can be reused many times. The cons for this method are setup time, having to make the cuts on your hands and knees, and storing the foam panel.
My local BBS uses a panel saw that has to have the dullest blades on the planet. That leaves massive amounts of tear-out which creates a lot of waste. I'd rather wrestle 4x8 sheets in and out of my van and into my shop rather than let their saw ruin them. I can cut most of my panels down to final dimensions with my track saw and parallel guides.
I’ve owned a table saw for a year and a track saw for a few months. I’ve only just used my table saw for the first time yesterday to rip a French cleat. I’ve done them with my track saw, but with the track leaning and then ripping the cleat to size, it didn’t feel nice
Great video and even better shirt!
Excellent review
you pretty much said it, "sheet goods" That is where the track saw shines beyond that I will always use my table saw for many uses especially with jigs that make using so much fun and simple
Great video. Love the 1 Corinthians t-Shirt also
the table saw quickly became my favorite tool... haven't got a track saw yet but it's on the list forsure...
I purchased a track years ago to use with my circular saw. Never had a table saw, but I only work occasionally in wood.
Every tool has its purpose! Set up a Dato blade on a track saw. Or cut multiple duplicate pieces on a track saw quickly.
You do bring up a lot of good points. Controlling Kick back, and dust collection are great features.
Again each tool brings something different to the game.
Lol, I guess I need to watch the whole video before I interject my opinion …
Great video you covered all my thoughts.. 👍🏼👍🏼
Okay, I truly see the need for both.
There too many projects that I would use either saw with.
I have both and will give up neither!
You recommended the delta table saw, but when i was on the market looking to upgrade. I heard really bad reviews on the delta because the motors are bad and will blow up %95 of the time!!!! Have they fixed that problem? Love your videos btw. You and Matt peach have inspired me and gave me the confidence to really dig in and make it a profile hobby. Keep up the great work.
After a few years with both types of saw, i think they are complementary tools.
I just recently bought an older used Delta 36-441 Contractors saw off marketplace. Which is a big upgrade from the Ryobi jobsite saw with a crooked fence and single miter slot. I bought the Menards brand Masterforce track saw a week ago. The saw is great but the 4 piece track with one connecting bar is terrible. Gonna try out the 2 piece powertec rails to see if itll fit.
Hey Brother! Thanks to your videos, I made some good first projects! I noticed I really struggle with assembly. Not sure if I dont have enough clamps, or im not using the right techniques, but i've yet to make a project where the assembly step didn't take me forever. Any tips or advice?
Thanks for the vid 👌🏽. I like the safety comment.
I've had my 10" table saw for 7 years and can't imagine doing my kind of woodwork without it. That said, it's a HUGE PITA for trying to rip 4x8 sheets alone in the shop... and dangerous. Recently, we decided to install solid hardwood floor in a number of carpeted rooms and halls and quickly discovered that the rooms and halls are laughably not square. Normally, baseboard covers this issue but we had to come up against two banisters over a length of 10 ft. and for it too look good the hardwood had to abut the banister base perfectly in the long direction. Much head scratching trying to figure out how the h377 to do that and realized I now, finally, had a perfect excuse to buy a track saw! Why? Because it would let me accurately make a long angled rip cut in 3/4" hardwood that was 1/4" over 10 feet. The end result looks perfect and now I rip 4x8 sheets with ease all alone! BTW, I bought the Makita because I didn't want to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy the Fe$$tool. This again goes to show how important use-case is in making buying decisions and what works for one may not for another.
I cant wait to see you review the new Ridgid track saw coming out this summer. I just got the new cordless brushless chainsaw and it is awesome
Great video! Still trying to justify a track saw since I already have a table saw and a couple of circular saws.
I chose the track saw because it was far safer and I could do pretty much everything with the track saw, or a router and other tools combined that a table saw could. Yes, the track saw can take a lot longer to set up for specific cuts but I don't do this work for commercial purposes where time is money. So a track saw is it. Not to say I don't sometimes hanker for a table saw but I don't have the space for it. Since I'm stuck with the limits of the track saw, I just became more creative in using the track saw and all my other tools to achieve what a track saw could achieve far quicker. Love my Festool track saw.
I've got both, they compliment each other.
Deviating a bit. I need a plan for a bigger base for a trim router. Have anything? Thanks, Dennis Briels
I’d have to say realistically both. You can get by with either so it doesn’t matter which you buy first. But buy the best/ most you can afford. Your tools are an investment.
Repeatable cuts, unless you have accessories that Festool make that you can attach on to a rail. Plus if you have off cuts of sheet goods you can’t use a rail easily when you have something that’s more narrow then the rail. I’d say have a reasonably priced table saw and rail saw. They work perfectly with each other when you are on priced work. Obviously both work great together if your choice of materials is a lot of Ply or sheets of MDF.
My point of view is from site perspective or at a clients house, plus convenience of loading and unloading tools from my van.
All depends on what you are doing. I don't make furniture or cabinets. I make small items like boxes. I'm making several to hold Christmas gifts this year. One side is 2 1/2" tall by 4" wide and I need to cut a 45 deg on both sides. The table saw is the better tool for this job. It's best to choose the right tool for the job. Each tool is made for a specific job. I have a small shop and space is at a premium however, trying to make one tool do everything can lead to bad things happening. Stay safe and stay awesome.
So pretty much it depends on the job your doing. Make sense every job takes different tools. Alway learning on your channel. Great video and content
Thank you Paul!
I see a Festool tracksaw in my future having gotten a sander for Christmas. I'm saving up for a dust extractor first though. This video gives me more incentive!
Very informative , ty.
Thanks for watching!
@@731Woodworks I have always debated getting rid of my table saw, after watching your video I know know I need to keep it. Ty
Glad it was helpful!
Very good video, as it's been said, depends on what kind of cuts you need/want to make. Track saws are excellent for doing long straight cuts in sheet goods where the table saw is much better doing dados, repetitive cuts ect.
I watch a couple of channels that almost exclusively the track saw but they are set up for it with the MFT table and numerous bench dogs. I would absolutely take both if I could afford them but I'll settle for my table saw for now. Maybe one day I'll get a track saw😮, they do have a place in a shop!
Jim, just wondering what those channels are that exclusively use the track/MFT. I'm thinking about going that way and would love to see what they are making. thx.
@@robw95 Peter Millard or David Stanton. Just saw your question!
Great tips Matt I’ve been looking for an affordable but good small table saw don’t have a lot of space and would love to also have a track saw would be great.thanks again for sharing your thoughts
Have you seen the JessEm 04301 Clear-Cut TS Stock Guides?
Right now I am using my track saw for most of my projects. My table saw is an older model that doesn't have all of the safety features.
I'd be lost without my track saw but i could live without the table saw
Having both as I do is the best of all worlds but if I had to choose one it would be my old 3hp Unisaw.
Both !
I think if you use the track saw with a MFT or Kreg system, then there is very little you can’t do. Power and depth of cut is still the differentiator
I love them both and couldn’t see working without either one.
8:49 made me flinch. 😂
I watch Peter Millard pretty regularly and I’d say with a setup like his. Yes 100% and it’s a setup I intend to replicate myself. Like you mentioned, my main reason for utilizing only a track saw. Is safety, I just have never found table saws to seem safe to me, this is just a me problem of course. But also I much more prefer to work around my piece, not work my piece around a big tool. I also will argue that a table saw doesn’t really win when it comes to repeatability. When using an mfg table, along with a jig, or just dowels for part placement on the table etc. A track saw can be just as fast.
I use a kreg accucut I do a lot of panel cutouts on my CNC so im always ripping plywood. i find the accucut takes a lot less work to dig out. im working out of a 1 car garage.
I used the Kreg Rip Cut for a long time and it was well made and did a great job for anything 24 inches or less.
Have an inch thick sheet of plywood here that weighs ~48 kilos.
Leave it out for a few days and the thing gets heavier due to absorbing a bunch of moisture.
I'm a lightweight guy, but I can't imagine anyone other than a pro bodybuilder work with this unwieldy sheet by themselves.
Granted, this is high grade hardwood ply but I'm curious, what does your average 3/4" sheet of plywood weigh?
TL; DR: Which one should you get? Both.
But as nice a try as I've ever seen.
They are so much safer as well.. beginners using a cheap table saw with limited experience is a recipe for less fingers. Until I can get a sawstop I’ll make do with a track saw.
Typically I rip long cuts first then cross cut. Most of the time there’s less waste this way. Just plan out the cuts. But if there’s not a lot of money than for the cost of a sheet of 1/2” plywood you can make a track for a cordless saw that covers both sides of the blade for extremely nice cuts
I like your videos. Just bought the skill tablesaw in Europe, I'm really happy with it.
Glad you enjoy it!
One cool thing that you can do with a track saw that you can't with a table saw is make stair stringers. Just use a short section of track, lay it on your layout lines, and cut. Use a handsaw or jigsaw to finish the corners. It takes longer to actually measure and draw the lines than to make the cuts. Use the first piece as a template to draw your remaining lines. Super easy.
Once you set up the stair gauges on a framing square , which takes about one minute , laying out stairs , is simple. Then cutting with a power saw and finishing with a hand saw. Very easy.
I believe that this man leaps out of bed every morning with a hearty YEEHAW!
YEEEHAW!
I think this video got the comparison right, the track saw needs a few (pricey) add ons to do what a table saw does. Ultimately they are sort of apples vs oranges otherwise. I gravitate to my table saw for the power and repeatability
Show me a table saw that cost $1,000 that does as much as the Kreg track saw with ACS table?
are there any places out there anymore that offer deals on buying multiple tools at once? like if i was going to buy a dewalt planer and table saw? I feel like they "kinda" still have these deals but they arent very good in my opinion.
I'm not aware of any bulk pricing deals like that. I post deals on my website daily, if you keep an eye out there you might find what you're looking for at a great price. 731woodworks.com
The house I just bought came with a delta unisaw super excited to get to using it.
My conclusion is....buy both!!!!!!
I wish they still made radial arm saws...
Table saw hands down
How about doing a video on Track Saw or a Band Saw what's best for your shop?
Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Track saws are advantageous for ripping big sheets of plywood. Table saws are advantageous for power and making more precise specialty cuts, such as a dados or tapered cuts.
Excellent comparison Matt. I think you basically covered it. One thing I found with the track saw was I couldn't be 100% exact, even with rip guides. I had to be exact because I was building interior shutters and all my pieces needed to be a perfect width and square. My solution was to rip my sheet goods down to 1/8" larger than needed, then I ran the strips through my table saw. The strips were exact end to end. Then I either cut them to lengh using my miter saw, or into panels using my Kreg Adaptive Cutting System.
I am here basically because I don’t have space in my shop for a large enough table saw. A track saw may be in my future.
I use both, and way more than most of the comment's would suggest for the track saw, I suggest a few of the commentors watch a few 1 minute workshop videos
I definitely do like the dust collection, but nothing can replace my table saw. My table saw is my baby lol
I think the best thing about the track saw is getting a perfectly square edge on one side without all the trouble (especially on larger pieces)
I put the arbor plug on my M 18 fuel traksaw and it makes no difference at all for this particular model. Toolbox buzz, had the same result. They put tape over it and to quote “there was no story to tell”. Not a knock on the arbor plug, I guess more of a testament to the design of the Milwaukee and its dust collection.
I just use a piece of blue painters tape on my Makita track saw. It's just a few cents per application.
Great info! What is the brand of the red combination square used for the table saw blade setup. Is it Woodpecker?
Yes, it's Woodpeckers
Good info thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
$850 for a track saw??? My 36V Makita was $389 and it included two free 5.0 Ah batteries. I added a 55" Makita guide rail for $95 (could have gone cheaper with a Powertec or Wen rail). That's under $500 total.
what I do not understand about track saws is how you keep the track from slipping around especially on very smooth materials like melamine or if there is any bow /warp to the sheet. I have a Kreig brand track with a regular circular saw that has an adapter and it is useless, it slips all over the place.even getting some dust on the piece makes the grippy material not work. I like the concept but it has not worked for me.dont get me wrong I am not a hater of track saws, I am strongly considering buying a festoon track saw but this issue is what I am concerned with. I do know you can get clamps for them that mount to the underside but I see people using them without clamps all the time and dont see how that works , they always slip (or mine does anyway) I am quite experienced, been professionally installing cabinets and sometimes building them for the past 27 years, for me a table saw with a large top, like bigger than 4 x 8 has always been the answer but as stated in this video, trying to share up material or make narrow crosscuts from a large sheet by yourself is sketchy and I want a better way to make those cuts.
With a circular saw you can use what is referred to as a door board.
also in your opinion, are pipe clamps just as good as any parallel clamp? Im getting ready to make 2 cribs and im gonna need ALOT
Pipe clamps are great. Parallel clamps give you more capacity (jaw depth) than pipe clamps, but if you need a lot of clamps, Pipe clamps are a great way to add a lot of clamps for a reasonable amount of money. And for normal woodworking applications (gluing up parts, panels, etc.) pipe clams will work equally as good.
Good review. I've had a table saw for 40 or so years and use it for most everything. I use sheet goods a couple times a year and have a guide and circular saw to do first cuts, then if needed final cut on the table saw. So I don't miss a track saw. The big advantage to a table saw, in my opinion, is the ability to do most any kind of joint and to work on small pieces, narrow edges, and profiled pieces (molding and picture frames for example).
One of the places I do volunteer work, we go thru hundreds of sheets of sheet goods a year, but we do it on a table saw because, "Measure once, cut many" works best with the repeatability of a fence or stop.
Not saying I disagree with you (or Matt) but why do people not realize that you can make jigs for track saws too? Table saw fans always want to point out all of the cool jigs, sleds, etc they make but assume that track saw users don't make things. If you make a certain type of cut often on a track saw, you are going to build a sled or jig for that cut.
I just subscribed, really enjoyed a couple of your videos. You’ve reviewed slot of tools. If your shop burned to the ground and you were to start over buying all new tools…. Id love to see a video on what direction you would go. For example, what cordless line would you purchase as your base cordless power tools.. ie Mileaukee, Makita, Dewalt… or maybe Festool? What table saw, miter saw, planer, jointer….
It would be a video that would drive a lot of commenting for sure.
Excellent idea. Thank you.
I mean, it possibly could? Problem I have is track saw with track plus saw on top, plus the play equals =never ever perfect square. If you do use a track saw for panel glue ups, you need to rip the seams, or do the flip and saw. The second though is again due to the play could be bad. I found just light clamp the seam to accommodate the kerf size and rip it down. I recently did a walnut table and 8 foot 8/4 was unruly to run on a small saw. So I just used track saw on seams and to cut ends. I only used table saw for legs, just because they were 29”.
Can it be done with track? Yes absolutely, but you just needs to adjust and know where the errors are.
@@djstuc I bought some machinist squares, and I agree that you can do a full project with them. If you don't have some already, get some machinist squares (ie 4 sizes) and use those as reference. I was using a speed square, a framing square and the weren't nearly as accurate as the machine squares. For the track saw, here is where it gets dicey. If you do a full panel glue up 6' wide (which I just did recently) and you have 5-7 boards glued up. I found that if it's off by even a 1/32" that translates and compounds to 1/4" of being out of square over 6 foot. For a tabletop that's quite the bow or cup. In order to defeat that - I had to track saw one board, then other board flip it over and do this on every other one so any deviation from square was equalized. In the end I was still off 1/16" but that's a far cry from 1/4".
We make things work when we have to! Those squares are great for squaring up a circular saw too. Use them on the shoe to the blade to lock them down perfect. Same for track saw, table saw, etc or just general want to be square everywhere :)
@@djstuc Nice! I'll check out Peter and that benchdog. Wood is fun. I'll triple measure, but sometimes it's nice if you can get into a flow and just trust things will be ok.
@@djstuc Haha, ya man the table saw is something I try not to use that often. I built a table using just a track saw, flipping each piece over and seams lined up perfectly. I had to rip legs on the table saw as they were like 29-30" long so was easy.
Trying to rip 10' of black walnut that's 8/4 thick and heavy as hell aint cutting it on a small dewalt jobsite saw (I have a 10"). It's a pain!!!
@@djstuc Yep! I had to do the extension cord for a couple years myself! I have a single car garage attached to a larger one, previous owner had a shop in here so it has half a dozen outlets. Prior to that I had one outlet that could not run anything but a jig saw as it would blow the breaker box. Recently, I got an old craftsmen 80's 90's 3hp belt 10" saw , cast iron top, has cast iron wings and a fancy Delta T square fence. Problem is needs a 30 amp outlet and I have 15 amp outlets, so I got saw for $200 ish. Probably have to pay at least that to get a new outlet upgraded. Always something damnit.
Have you checked out the Grizzly track saw?
No I haven't
Which would you purchase Milwaukee or Festool track saw?
Festool, but only because I have so much of their stuff (dust extractors, sanders, domino, etc.). I also like the anti-kick back feature of their saw. But the Milwaukee is fantastic too!
I got really lucky and my dad gave me his panel saw when he moved to another state. What a game changer.
I’ve seen reviews on the delta and it seems pretty capable but reviewer pointed out several shortcomings that makes the delta 791rs look much much better
Hard to rip a 2x4 with a tracksaw
exactly!
Just lay down two 2x4s side-by-side and rip away. I've actually used a track saw to give me one straight edge on a long, bowed board and then ran that good side against the fence of the TS to get a straight board.
But you gotta have that 2nd one haha im barley getting by just getting one
Down side of the smaller table saws, SAWDUST!!!
If a dust cover was a good idea for a track saw, I would think Festool would have provided one. Does using one potentially overheat the saw prematurely? Is there some other factor? I bet if you talked to a Festool engineer they'd tell you why that's a bad idea.
I always thought the opening was for blade change access, not really for managing heat.
So a track saw, a miter saw and a router is all you need? That is what I use!