Track saw attraction???

[Brett Luna]

I really like my TS but it's only a 30" contractor model, I work in my garage, and I have RA. Even if I'm working on horses, it's a heckuva lot easier to plonk a sheet on 'em and make my cuts with a track saw, rather than muscle the sheet onto, across, and off of the TS. For a quick cut on smaller pieces of sheet goods, the track saw is often more efficient to use instead of rolling the TS out.

[Mike Wilkins]

The attraction for me came after making a mess of cross-cutting a sheet of $55 Oak plywood with an underpowered 6" saw and a 2 X 4 which was likely not very straight. Soon after I got a Festool 55 track saw and all is easy-peasy.
Couple of years later a sliding table saw came into the shop, so the green machine is used only occasionally.

[Chip Byrd]

I am an active hobbyist in a small, one car garage. I like my Makita track saw because it performs several duties: in addition to cutting down sheet goods, it also substitute as a jointer.

[ian maybury]

Think if you have a long slider on panel saw, a well located materials rack and goods inwards set up and plenty of floor space that many of the advantages of the TS may not apply. I have a small shop (not enough room to place the sheets on a stand alone table or on the floor without it blocking everything else - unless outside which is weather dependent and makes a mess) but an easy transfer on to the panel saw. I've found I only use my Festool very occasionally since installing the slider.

For sure it seems to be possible to set up a track saw with accessories that turn it into a reasonably adaptable and accurate sawing centre, but that's heading for being an 'alternative' rather than an 'as well' type solution...

[Tom Ewell]

The sheet goods/cabinet aspect of these saws is pretty straight forward for those who don't have access to a large railed table saw (and strong backs).

In the remodeling/on site job world is where these saws can also shine, refitting new doors to old settled jambs often calls for less than perfectly square lines for proper reveals, scribing extension jambs for basement windows (or any deep X-jamb), trimming door bottoms for carpet without splintering and spraying dust everywhere, tapered/beveled rips, fitting cedar ply to raked soffit framing, reconfiguring old built-ins (making tall corner cabinets out of existing square cabinets... long miters required and a table saw was just impractical), plunge cuts for HVAC floor vents, fitting new stair parts over old carriages, retrofitting borders in hardwood floors..... and whatever else requiring precision, depth and dust control with the convenience of plunge and single point of cut regardless of saw angle.

Of course, all of the above can be done using other methods but a track saw sure makes it easier and usually more efficient.

[Henry Kramer]

OK, I have read some very good reasons for others (besides me ) to use a track saw. I do have some questions and observations.
Kent; I am aware that others besides Festool make track saws. I just gave that example since I read so many have and rave about Festool and my son keeps trying to sell me one.
Peter; I did some searching to see how the track stays in place without clamping and see that there is some type of sticky strips to the bottom of the track. Do these strips become less "sticky" if sawdust collects on them? Do the tracks stay in place without clamping if the plywood has a slight bow to it? I do see that some manufacturers such as DeWalt make specific clamps for their tracks.

Referring to some of the other comments: The shop basement with track saw usage in the garage after unloading from the bed of a truck makes perfect sense. Since my shop is in my garage I guess I never thought of that. For others that have small table saws or no outfeed tables and/or rollers I can understand that too. At 28' x 32' feet I don't have a particularly huge garage since my machinery shares it with two cars. All of my machines are on mobile bases so I do a lot of wheeling around to get set up. Maybe I am old school or just fall into the "old dog/no new tricks" breed (I am 61), but my table saw is the backbone of my shop and I could NOT get by without it. I am thoroughly entrenched into the triangle of: My RAS to cut boards for length, Jointer for a straight edge for the T/S fence, and then the rip on the table saw. That is for boards not plywood of course.

All of that being said, I appreciate all of the comments to open my eyes to the usefulness of the track saw. I still don't see myself getting one anytime soon but my original question has certainly been answered.

Thanks all!
Hank

[Brett Luna]

I was fortunate in getting my track saw. I didn't have to prioritize or justify the funds for it. I only casually mentioned to my wife a couple of times that I would like one at some point...I wasn't dropping hints, I swear. Well, she paid attention and I was well and truly floored when I unwrapped it on Christmas morning.

[Tom Ewell]

I normally clamp the track down, just moving around the area lends itself to bumping the track and missing the mark, it'll also hold tight this way to wavy plys.
In the shop, like you, the gear I have easily replace a track saw except in one area, cross cutting panels that exceed the specs of my RAS and sliding compound, MFT with the track comes into play here.
One also gets virtually splinter free cross cuts on today's thin skinned plys, even with zero clearance setups on my other gear, it's hard to duplicate the edge of the Festool.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

On fine plywood, I would rather place the track over than run the sheet over the saw. Just less damage.
CrossCuts with zero tear out has always impressed me.

I have both the Festool and Dewalt and actually prefer the Dewalt.

[Henry Kramer]

On fine plywood, I would rather place the track over than run the sheet over the saw. Just less damage.
CrossCuts with zero tear out has always impressed me.

I have both the Festool and Dewalt and actually prefer the Dewalt.

Without pricing either of them I suspect that the DeWalt is much less expensive.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Without pricing either of them I suspect that the DeWalt is much less expensive.

definitely the superior value

[Jeffrey Martel]

I think the track saw has the advantage over a tablesaw for large pieces over say 24"x24". Think of it like Router vs. Router table. You don't run a tabletop on a router table, and you don't use a router handheld on a piece 6-12" long. Larger pieces you bring the tool to the work, smaller pieces you bring the work to the tool.

Crosscutting gets a bit dicey once you start going over that wide, and ripping depends on the length of your fence. Mine goes up to 30", so anything wider than that is more difficult on the Table saw.

[Robert Engel]

You don't need a $800 track saw all you need is a saw that tracks.

I have been using a simple guide system Penn Industries used to sell that utilizes a piece of angle aluminum.
But anything will work even the factor edge of a piece of .....plywood.

If your young and strong muscling around 3/4 ply is not big deal.

But you can also build an accessory table that sits to the left to support the sheet.

[Mike Cutler]

Henry

A simple guide system for any circular saw is easy to make. The track saws are just a refinement of them.
I guess I am in the minority because I didn't buy my TS75 for sheet goods. I bought it to rip 2x's to width for my house, and begin the process of breaking down lumber. ( Once I finish our kitchen remodel, I hope I never see another sheet of plywood. )
The last two projects I did started with big slabs. One was a 16'x3', 10/4, piece of padauk. The other was/is started with 8/4, 12'x20" pieces of cherry. A track saw made it possible for me working alone to mill that material more safely.

Add Triton to the list of tracksaws. I just saw their new offering in the Infinity catalog. It sits between the DeWalt and the Festool on price.

[Mac McQuinn]

hey - if ya don't see the need/value then a track saw is not for you & that's cool. For me it is the only tool that allows me to build plywood cabinet cases in any volume single-handed. Even with help, getting a 3/4" sheet of ply through a table saw is a daunting task. I have a 3/4 ply sheet that sits on 2 sawhorses with a 1" foam sheet on top as a cutting table. Back the truck up to the table, pull a sheet off, break it down to rough dimensions, label it and stack it on a cart. I can do a run of cabinets - break down 25-30 sheets - in a single day solo @ 63. Could not do that without a track saw. Want to do a taper accurately & safely in solid wood at any angle - easy with a track saw. Want to edge join 2 boards for glueup that are too long & heavy to safely use the jointer - clamp the 2 boards with the faces adjoining and run a track saw down the seam. Want to precisely cut a cabinet door to a line to get a perfect fit no matter the actual adjoining angle is - mark it and just cut to the line with a track saw. for me it is an indispensable tool - YMMV.

I couldn't agree more and this is the same method I use for cutting down ply. My truck has the notches inside of the bed where I place 2x6's to haul home any ply I purchase. These are very close to the height of my saw horses and it's just matter of sliding things around, no lifting. Once you get a routine developed, it goes very quickly and smoothly for one person, even @ 61.
Mac