Track Saw versus Table Saw

[Eric Arnsdorff]

This is really just curiosity. But...
How do people use a track saw in place of a table saw?

I’ve bought a Makita track saw recently and I’m super happy with it. I have a Unisaw tablesaw and I’m very happy with it. I’ve been using both for the cuts that make the most sense for either. But my tablesaw is my go to saw. I see comments and posts about people saying they don’t use their tablesaw anymore now that they have a track saw. My guess is the things they’re building is mostly sheet goods based. I’m curious about it and if maybe I’m missing how others may be using their track saw.

[Jim Becker]

There have been many discussions about this. Honestly, how well a track saw can take over for a table saw really comes down to what kind of work you want or need to do. Mostly sheet goods as you mention? Tracksaw is great. Ripping thick and/or narrow stock? Table saw all the way. A tracksaw plus a bandsaw plus a J/P could be a pretty powerful combination.

But again, the bottom line is "what do you need to do?"

I own a tracksaw and a sliding table saw. I use what's best for the job. And sometimes that's other tools, too. If I seriously had to give up my table saw (and I'd get a smaller one before I'd do that) I probably could make do with my Tracksaw and my bandsaw and my hand saws...but I wouldn't enjoy it.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have both and use both regularly. My table saw is a short stroke slider; great for smaller sheet goods but not so great for breaking down a full 4 X 8 sheet. Then the track saw and guide rails go to work. Can't see doing without either one. Like Mr. Becker I use what's best for the job.

[Michael W. Clark]

Hi Eric, I have both a tablesaw and track saw. Like you, I use whichever is best suited to the task. I definitely use the tablesaw more frequently, probably 10 or 20:1 ratio.

The tablesaw is my first choice except for situations where it is better to take the saw to the work instead of trying to guide the work over the blade.

I have no trouble handling 4x8 sheets at the table saw. The key is plenty of infeed/outfeed support. The tablesaw is much quicker with sheet goods, equal or better cut quality, and more repeatable than the track saw IMO.

If I had to pick one or the other, I would definitely keep the tablesaw even if I had to go back to my circular saw and homemade guides.

[Larry Frank]

I have both and use the track saw mainly to bread down sheets. I find handling a full sheet on a cabinet saw is more than I can do. I often will recut smaller pieces on the table saw to get perfect fit.

[Dick Mahany]

I lost my Unisaw when down sizing. I tried using only a track saw for a while and built the cabinet below using only a track saw. Never again. Ripping the long narrow faces and all of the cabinet door frame parts were a difficult task. It was do-able but required narrow strip jigs to be attached to the track which was very unwieldly. After that cabinet, I purchased a portable table saw and haven't looked back.

Now I use the track saw primarily for breaking down sheet goods, cabinet panels, and cross cutting. I missed the ease of ripping narrow parts and milling dados that the table saw does so well.

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[Jon Endres]

I have a Unisaw and a track saw. I use both but for different tasks. Sheet goods breakdown, or edging of raw lumber (cutting off a live edge, for example) is done with the track saw. If I want to make a bunch of small repeated parts, let's say a quarter of a full sheet of plywood or smaller, I will use the table saw. I won't run a full sheet through it, I don't have the infeed or outfeed support and don't need to. The table saw excels at all the other things that the tracksaw can't do, such as dadoes, box joints, angled miters, repetitive small cuts, drawers and case parts, etc. I recently made 80 cheese boards for a restaurant and ripping hundreds of narrow 3/4" thick strips 16" long is NOT a good task for a track saw.

[Jack Frederick]

Both is the best of both worlds. I have had the Festool 55 since they came out and it is incredible how useful it has been. I break down sheet goods outside usually with the 55. Handling sheets solo on the Sawstop is just to much, as I don’t have the in/out feed tables to take the adventure out of it and I work alone. They are both great tools alone and in combination.

[Peter Kelly]

Sometimes it's easier to bring the saw to the workpiece rather than the other way around, particularly if you're working alone and in a space-challenged shop.

[Jim Matthews]

Expense and space limitations lead me to my EZSmart track saw. I did add a slider to my bandsaw, but a Tablesaw never re-entered my plans.

Sheet goods get broken down in my driveway.

[Jim Dwight]

I had a table saw before track saws existed. I have always used both since getting the track saw. I agree with the other comments except to say that I do not "break down" sheet goods with my track saw, I make finish cuts with it. Almost always. My track positioning guides make repeat cuts easy but I do not cut little pieces with the track saw. I can but with a PCS sitting there why should I? My shop is 14x24 so there really isn't space to cut up sheets on the table saw without a lot of moving stuff around but with the track saw sitting there, why do all that? Unless you only have one or the other, I see no need to try and make the tool fit a job it doesn't do easily.

[Harold Patterson]

I have a 12” jointer/planer, bandsaw and Festool TS55 track saw. I use the bandsaw to rip and use a crosscut sled on the bandsaw as well. For sheet goods the track saw with TSO square and Seneca Parallel guides do a good job. As Jim Becker said small parts are a challenge. Hope to add a short slider in the future.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I have both and use both regularly. My table saw is a short stroke slider; great for smaller sheet goods but not so great for breaking down a full 4 X 8 sheet. Then the track saw and guide rails go to work. Can't see doing without either one. Like Mr. Becker I use what's best for the job.

Mike describes my situation almost exactly. Today, in fact, I setup sawhorses outside to breakdown plywood into manageable pieces that can be more easily handled on the slider. Being outside, all the sawdust stays there as well.

Whichever tool works best is what is used.

[Tom Bussey]

Don't have a track saw and I have no plans on getting one. I have a portable table I slid sheet goods out of the truck and on to it. Rough them to size with a circular saw and a straight edge, I have a General cabinate saw with a 52 inch fence and a Delta contractor table saw with an Excalibur sliding table and the family can figure out what to do with them when I am gone. Until then they are not going anywhere. I have a sled for straight line ripping but I can see an advantage for using a track saw for that. but it is only as good as the length of the saw rail. not to mention expense.

Can a track saw cut a groove, rabbit or Dato efficiently? How about using molding head or cutting a cove or multiple parts to length or widths again efficiently? I also cut dove tails and finger joints on my table saw.

I hear they are good for braking down sheet goods but my $5 circular saw from a garage sale, a straight piece of plywood and a couple of c clamps does it just as well.

For no more that a track saw can do, I am afraid to ask about cost

[Randy Heinemann]

I use my track saw for cutting up sheet goods and for crosscutting. I have found that I get the squarest, most accurate crosscuts with the track saw. It is a Festool track saw and I also own the Festool MFT table. For me, it's that combo that gives me the accurate crosscuts.

Shortly after I bought the track saw and MFT, I ended up buying a job site table saw for ripping mostly. I found that ripping shorter boards with the track saw can be done, but I get more accurate rips with a table saw plus it takes less setup.

So, while I tried to do my work without a table saw, I found that a table saw is a much better tool for some jobs (even a job site saw). I still use the table saw even for cutting up smaller sheet goods. It's just easier.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

Thanks for the discussion all!
The way I'm using both seemed to be normal for building a wide range of items that I seem to end up doing. Just from a few projects I've used my track saw on have more than made it worth the investment in the short time I've had it.
But my table saw is my go to saw for most of my shop work building various furniture type items and such.
My curiosity has been satisfied.

[Jim Becker]

Bottom line: Complimentary tools. It's always nice to have multiple choices!

[Tom Bussey]

I looked at a lot of you tube vides today about comparing brands of track saws and how they cut . I looked at both corded and cordless. And if I was a contractor I would have one in a minute. They seem to be very good at braking down sheet goods. But I doubt that one can get a piece of plywood cut parallel at 23 1/2 inches as parallel as a table saw and cut at 34 1/2 inches using the 5 cut method. and that is just one side of a lower kitchen cabinet.

I built a kitchen for a church I used to go to and it took 35 sheets of plywood. And to make a long story short a track saw would have been more trouble than it was worth.

$600 to $900 so on can cut a sheet of plywood to whatever is not cost effective. Be truthful now, how many pieces of plywood did you saw up in the last months? I bet the average is less that 2 in the last 3 months for the woodworking hobbyist.

So the question was should I buy a track saw or a table saw and my answer is, I have 2 table saws and 3 band saws, 1 RAS but no track saw or Compound sliding miter saw.

[Jim Becker]

Tom, honestly, you can get a dead-on parallel cut with a tracksaw if you measure accurately and put the track right on the line. And it takes less physical effort than using the table saw...cabinet OR slider. But it's not for everyone and anyone doing volume would be better off using a slider or a table saw...with a helper.

[Harvey Miller]

How well do I remember pushing 50 lb. 4x8 sheets through my 100 lb. Ryobi BT3100 table saw single handed. The tension! The tipping! So glad I got a track saw for that. Now that I have a 3 hp cabinet saw I still break down my sheet goods with the track saw.

[Ben Rivel]

I couldnt imagine not having both. Wouldnt even want to try.

[Tom Bussey]

Yes it is always nice to have multiple choices. And yes I brake down plywood so I can take it to the table saw. I have a folding table I pull the sheet goods out of the truck and onto the table. I use a straight edge, and a $5 circular saw. that I bought at a garage sale. And I have less than $50 invested not $600 to $900. invested. And the cut is only as good as the person laying it out and a wide pencil with will put something out of parallel. If you are cutting stiles and rails of cabinet face frame or doors out of oak I drought the use of a track saw. Again if I was a contractor I would have one in a minute but as a home hobbyist, cost wise, it just isn't practical. I am simi professional and I just don't feel the needs.

This is the original post

This is really just curiosity. But...
How do people use a track saw in place of a table saw?

I’ve bought a Makita track saw recently and I’m super happy with it. I have a Unisaw table saw and I’m very happy with it. I’ve been using both for the cuts that make the most sense for either. But my table saw is my go to saw. I see comments and posts about people saying they don’t use their table saw anymore now that they have a track saw. My guess is the things they’re building is mostly sheet goods based. I’m curious about it and if maybe I’m missing how others may be using their track saw.

I guess I have problems with people saying they don’t use their table saw anymore now that they have a track saw and having a beginner reading that a track saw replaces a table saw being fooled.

If a person gets dead on parallel cuts that are that are repeatable with a track saw which I take with a lot of grains of salt, it is your work go for it.

[Jim Dwight]

Tom,

I have no difficulty cutting square and parallel cuts with my track saw. I am sitting in a room with a 7 foot long cabinet that has an inner structure of plywood cut with my track saw. The dados were cut with a router in a special attachment that slides on the track saw track. The cabinet is square and the soft close drawer slides work smoothly. I recently made a cabinet for my utility room totally out of plywood. It is over 7 feet long and has 10 drawers. Again cabinet is square and drawers work smoothly. Plywood was cut, not broken down, with the track saw.

I believe I posted here the track setting guides I use. I set the dimension I need on the guide and then use it to position the track and then make the cut. I find this to be more accurate than cutting to a mark. The hairline pointer on the guides is set to cut to match the steel rulers I use in the shop. You have to learn some new techniques like this to get the most out of a track saw but once you do, it is a very accurate and comparitively safe way to cut large pieces.

I cut up three sheets of 3/4 today working at my church. If they had told me in advance I would be building the pieces we built I would have brought my track saw. But I did not have it so I used a circular saw and straight edge. It worked and was accurate enough for what I was building but not nearly as accurate as my track saw and significantly more time consuming. I also used a table saw that has a big sliding table for the cuts that were within it's capability but some had to be done with the circular saw (while a big saw it only has about 24 inch rip capacity, some of the pieces were 40 inches long). It cut up one sheet of 3/4 and two sheets of thin plywood last week for some floating shelves in my house. I don't cut plywood every week but I do it fairly often.

I really like bringing sheets home in my pickup and sliding it directly out onto my cut table. At home I'm doing it by myself. At church I had a helper (or 2 or 3) but I can do full sheets easier by myself when I can move it this way and cut it with my track saw.

I've been making sawdust for about 50 years. I started long before there were track saws. I know I could survive without it, I did today. But life is much easier with it. Some new ideas are really better.

I put flat panel doors and drawer fronts on the cabinet I am sitting closest to and a couple flat panel doors on the utility room cabinet. I cut the plywood panels with the track saw but the rails and stiles were cut with my table saw and CMS. I could cut them with the track saw but it would be significantly more difficult. I try to use each tool for what it does best (or easiest).