Cost effectiveness of a slider vs. tracksaw & tablesaw

[Nick Crivello]

With a cutting table next to your tablesaw, aren't you already using that much space for cutting parts?

This goes along with what I think many people miss; if you're breaking sheet goods with a cabinet saw it's essentially the same working area when you throw in the infeed/outfeed space. Add yet another space if you're going to use a track saw for that task. Yes, you can combine the cabinet saw/assembly table/track saw work areas but it's worth considering.

I squeezed a 10' 10hp Felder into my little 425sq ft workspace, don't think I'll be giving it up anytime soon.

[John Kananis]

Kind of situational though. I have enough space to run a full sheet of ply through my cabinet saw but use a track saw with a cut table in a different room because it's a bunch easier to handle (for me) that way. I would absolutely love to have a slider but I can't combine the space from 2 seperate rooms to do so.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Now, if I could become the guy that other shops use for CNC templates, cabinet panels, slab flattening, such larger pieces, then I could set my dad up to run it. That would be a good idea.

There you go!
The other aspect of this is - it gives you another path to go down should something go South.
As a one person operation, geared towards doing one specialized type of income generation, you're pretty much screwed if you get busted up in an accident and can't wrestle sheet goods around for a few months.

[Jim Becker]

Now, if I could become the guy that other shops use for CNC templates, cabinet panels, slab flattening, such larger pieces, then I could set my dad up to run it. That would be a good idea.

That was actually what I was generating income from my CNC from while the business was running. I found that the collaborative work was the most rewarding in every way, and not just for the money. Templates, chair seats, patterns, etc. But over the long term, the slider was still "the love of my life" for a lot of the woodworking. The CNC came later and was icing on the cake, as it were.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Table saw scratches my plywood. That’s where my track saw comes in.