Originally Posted by
Mike Cutler
Steve
I misunderstood what you were actually asking initially.
IMHO the slider you are looking is the better long term investment in material processing, and project flow. Project to project, through the years, you'll use that slider much more often than a track saw system. They are just such a convenient option to have on a table saw.
I have the Festool TS 75 with guide rails. It was bought specifically to safely perform the initial processing of 8/4+ lumber. I also have the Eurekazone EZ rails, set up for a Makita 7 1/4" circular saw and a Milwaukee 8 1/2" worm drive saw. My table saw has been outfitted for years with a JessEm Mast-R-Slide.
I can use the track saws on solid lumber, and have many, many times, but their true value is realized in cabinet manufacture, and the processing of sheet goods, and both systems excel at it. Making it much safer, and time expedient, for a person working alone to cut down sheet goods. They will absolutely do what you need with respects to the project you have at hand, but you have a significant outlay in $$$$, regardless of the system(s), and I own both systems, in front of you before that first stair tread is made.
So for me, personally, I'd go for the slider.