Track Saw vs Table Saw: Which One is BEST For Woodworking?

What are the pros and cons of only having a track saw in your woodworking shop?

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[tonysutton]

Safety is another important factor. Table saws are involved in tens of thousands of accidents each year, but track saw related injuries are so rare that it is hard to find any statistics.

[outbackeddie]

I knew that watching this video was going to cost me money. Dang - now I need a track saw that I didn't need 30 minutes ago.

[jay]

I'm a beginner, just started researching woodworking, and I keep coming back to your videos. Good content, good explanations, just wanted to say thanks!

[RJSDZNS]

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!

[flashwashington]

Thank you. I knew I wasn't getting weaker! Stuffs just getting heavier. God bless you.

[stuffwithkids]

Great point: The solo cutting I think is huge when it comes to safety and quality.!

[Justin-C]

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).

[duffner]

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.

[jameskelly]

Newcomer on YouTube, 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.

[kwilliams]

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.

[elentlss]

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.

[usablellc]

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.

[Kirbythediver]

I'm debating which set I want. Perfect video. I SUCK at making repeated cuts. I think I'm going with table saw

[pt]

Honestly, if you're not rocking a cabinet saw (with table extension)... the contractor saw and the track saw make great companions.

[ProfessorOzone]

OMG. Storing the track on the garage door is a brilliant idea! Love it.

[FredD]

True facts about both setups … I use both in my wood shop and have portables on my trucks

[meatstickgben]

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

[Paul-]

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

[matthewwysocki]

Great video! FYI: I have both and decided to give my job site table saw away. Then purchased the CSC 50 to complement my track saw. Together they accomplish 85% of what I need as a hobbiest. However, making jigs to complete nuanced cuts is lost with this set up.