Track saw vs tablesaw

I have the plywood I buy cut at at the store to the widths that I need. Both my local Lowes and Home Depot will even let me confirm the measurements before cutting. They do the cutting of course. My shop is not big enough to cut full size sheets of plywood. And I will never have a shop big enough to do that.

I have thought of making a guide with a dedicated circular saw. Haven't gotten around to it.
 
mickri said:
I have the plywood I buy cut at at the store to the widths that I need. Both my local Lowes and Home Depot will even let me confirm the measurements before cutting. They do the cutting of course. My shop is not big enough to cut full size sheets of plywood. And I will never have a shop big enough to do that.

I have thought of making a guide with a dedicated circular saw. Haven't gotten around to it.
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This^^^^

Now, I’m not really a woodworker although I do sometimes make things like raised beds.

I recently gave up both my table saws but if I need one they are usually available cheap or free on Craigslist.

By planning ahead I can usually get away with most of the cuts I need being done at the store where I don’t have to handle the large sheets or haul them home.

And yes, build more shop space.

John
 
A lot of my “choices“ are luck/fate/opportunity. My Dad got the tablesaw given to him and when I needed one for a project he said don’t bring it back. I’ve used it enough I can’t get rid of it. But it’s on the top of the list to be relegated to secondary storage shed when I get around to it. The Tetris garage is actually the Tetris estate :)
 
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I would have a hard time giving up a stationary table or radial arm saw for something like a track saw. I'm sure space is a concern, but with the right tools you can always make more. Maybe I'm spoiled, but when working with sheet goods it's really nice to feed them through a piece of machinery that isn't going to move, wiggle, or twist when you apply enough force to move a large piece through the blade.

A few weeks ago, I made the decision to add a second radial arm saw to the mix. The "new" one is a 14" 3 hp Delta with a 45" deep table that's 72" long. It can crosscut up to 29" or rip up to 41". I wouldn't want to try either operation with a track saw, or even a table saw without the right table extensions.

Now if you're actually taking the equipment to a jobsite that's a whole different story. I that case portability and space can be a huge concern. We recently had the garage at the family cottage resurrected. I say resurrected because we couldn't get the permits to enlarge or completely replace it. We ended up saving the foundation, the sill plate, a majority if the studs, and a few rafters. It got a new concrete floor, all new sheeting for the roof and sides as well as new doors, and an electrical upgrade. The roof and side sheeting are where the track saw shined. It made short work of ripping and crosscutting plywood and particle board.

At the end of each day until the building was enclosed all the tools including the saws were packed back in the contractor's truck and taken home. There was no need to leave a large piece of equipment exposed to the elements or potential theft.
 
jwmay said:
I have been considering replacing a Dewalt dw744 jobsite tablesaw, with one of those saws that has a track it follows. This so purely a space and utility consideration. My shop is 16’ x 12’ of useable space. Half of which is dedicated to metalworking.
Obviously I can’t process sheet goods there. So the tablesaw is stored in the garage, taking up space against the wall. I hate setting it up.
As I get older, handling sheet goods has become more than I want to manage. I was thinking I could do all my rips right off the trailer, saving any handling of full size sheets.
Using the circular saw with a guide is fine, but it’s time intensive.
I wondered if the “track saws” were faster.
Any thoughts?
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Track saws are definitely faster than a circular saw and a guide. I also find that I get a noticeable better finish with a track saw than a circular saw and a guide.

I would normally warn someone contemplating replacing a table saw with a track saw that there are cuts you can make on a table saw that you can't make on a track saw but it doesn't sound like you use your table saw much anyway.

If I were you I would switch to the track saw. I used a circular saw and guide for sheet goods for years and the track saw is heads and tails better! You will be disappointed that you didn't make this leap earlier!

P.S. I do more woodworking than metal working so I went pretty much top of the line with a Mafell track saw. I love my Mafell track saw! I honestly think I would be just as happy with a middle of the road Makita track saw though. For what you describe it sounds like a battery powered track saw might be a benefit to you. Milwaukee just came out with a battery powered track saw that is getting very good reviews. I would reccomend sticking with which ever battery eco system that you are already invested in though.
 
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mickri said:
I have the plywood I buy cut at at the store to the widths that I need. Both my local Lowes and Home Depot will even let me confirm the measurements before cutting. They do the cutting of course. My shop is not big enough to cut full size sheets of plywood. And I will never have a shop big enough to do that.

I have thought of making a guide with a dedicated circular saw. Haven't gotten around to it.
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I've done it. The circular saw just clamps into a sled, which has a spacers-and-slats guide on its side that engages
a rib on a straight edge (two sections, 6' and 3',that were doweled to a lap board and ripped straight together
on the table saw).
The straight edge is clamped to the sheet goods (usually plywood, occasionally termite barf) with C clamps.

It's clumsy, and makes perfect cuts every time.
Steering a full sheet of plywood over a table saw is also clumsy, but doesn't
work every time.
 
We have never had one in the shop, but I always thought about one. I have seen quite a few on job sites. Some cabinet installers have them on their trucks. Also, trim Carpenters use them quite often on site.
Both, Makita and Dewalt make a nice track saw. If you are lucky enough to win the Powerball, Festool is a good option.
Martin
 
Retired woodworker here. The answer as usual is It depends! On what you want to do & how often. If sheet goods are your main or only thing by all means the track saw. But if you are only going to use it a few times a year, a straight edge. If you are working with lumber a table saw is by far the most useful. You can set up a cross cut guide on a bench to cross cut long boards rather than the space a radial arm takes up. High quality compound miter saws are nice but expensive.

I'm totally spoiled by having had a nearly full set of professional level woodworking equipment. The difference between that stuff and say DeWalt is huge. About 25 years ago I bought a used saw to cut sheet goods. It was only a year old and I got it for the bargain price of $101K, delivered! Maximum panel size is 4 meters X 4 meters by 80mm. Maximum cutting speed is a meter a second. Cross cuts plywood with no chip out, top or bottom. Schelling makes great saws.
 
f350ca said:
Thinking about making one using linear rails to cross cut plywood. hsr15-linear-rail-guideway-15-1500-rail-block-slider-cnc-router-p_010407324347
Only want it to cut plywood, so the height of the rail shouldn't be an issue.
If the rail, as in this case is longer than the cut, do you need the plunge option?

Greg
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I just purchased an 8' section of 1-1/2"x 3" rectangular linear rail to use as a crosscut measuring system for my "new to me" 14" radial arm saw. I made a similar one for the 10" radial arm saw a few weeks ago. I liked it so much I thought I'd copy it for the new saw.

Here's an example of the type of linear rail I purchased. It came from a used equipment dealer. He has racks of different lengths and profiles that were used as guards for industrial machines.

 
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