Purchase advice

[jteneyck]

I added measuring arms and I would say that the saw is as repeatable as a table saw once those are added to the equation.

https://tsoproducts.com/tso-parallel-guide-system/

https://youtu.be/79yc9snenas

I don't see how Jessem guides helps me to carry 4' x 8' x 3/4" sheet down to my basement.

How do you cut 1/4" off a 1" wide piece of stock?  Or trim 1/32" off the end of something?  Or cut picture frames?   You can add as many do-dads as you want but a track saw is never going to do everything a TS can.  Oh, how about dados and rabbets?   

That's not to take away from what a track saw does exceptionally well which is cut sheet goods.  

John

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

I would buy a SawStop table saw and then outfit the rest in old, cast iron, American-made machines. This method will likely be slower than buying all new, especially if you're in an area that isn't wood working tool rich. It will most assuredly be less expensive than buying new for what is basically a useless warranty.

My entire shop was populated over the years with used equipment. My youngest piece is a 1993 Powermatic 66. My oldest is an 1885-ish Clement 12" jointer.

[Handplanesandmore]

I added measuring arms and I would say that the saw is as repeatable as a table saw once those are added to the equation.

https://tsoproducts.com/tso-parallel-guide-system/

https://youtu.be/79yc9snenas

I don't see how Jessem guides helps me to carry 4' x 8' x 3/4" sheet down to my basement.

Ron P. who produced the video, for the record, owns a sawstop jobsite! Show me how to rip a 4" wide, 10" long board into 6 strips of equal width on the tracksaw/mft table please without all kinds of clutches. This issue has been well discussed and documented on the festool forum. Tracksaws can't do resawing, dadoes, rabbets, tenons and other routine tablesaw tasks in a meaningful manner.

Tracksaws can't help you carry a 4' x 8' down to your basement, can they? The jessem is for breaking down the sheets, not for moving sheets. With the jessem and infeed/outfeed (tracksaws need supports too, underneath), you just push the sheet over. The sheet is held tight to the fence by the rollers. You can keep your eyes away from the fence (unlike the old way we do sheets on the tablesaw). If I really want to rip sheets on the floor, I use a straight edge and a circular saw...the last time I did that might be 5 or 6 years ago.


I didn't even mention all the calibration issues people reported about tracksaws, accessories and mft table fences, etc. Anyone who enjoys new frustrations, unlearning, relearning from those portable tools and accessories...be my guest. There's a good reason why so many after market accessories are produced and sold to festool folks (and they aren't cheap).

Simon

[Handplanesandmore]

How do you cut 1/4" off a 1" wide piece of stock?  Or trim 1/32" off the end of something?  Or cut picture frames?   You can add as many do-dads as you want but a track saw is never going to do everything a TS can.  Oh, how about dados and rabbets?   

That's not to take away from what a track saw does exceptionally well which is cut sheet goods.  

John

Just realized you already covered some of the points I made in my last post. One more: Can a tracksaw cut circles? Yes, on a tablesaw.

The problem with tracksaws are that people try to use them for tasks they aren't designed for or good at. Hence all kinds of gizmos, hacks, workarounds and whatnot which are not necessary when one uses a tablesaw. Some people even resorted to cnc to make parts to work with the tracks, etc. to compensate for their weaknesses.

Simon

[ajkoontz]

Hi. After RVing full time for several years, we bought a house and I am setting up a shop. I'm fixing to pull the trigger on a table saw, bandsaw, jointer, and dust collector. Leaning towards Powermatic. It seems I can order on-line, get a 10% veteran discount and free delivery to the local store. Any thoughts on that concept? Any thoughts on the whole plan?  Grizzly has a showroom about 2.5 hours from me but I seem to read about a lot of issues with Grizzly. Any advice? Thanks.

My shop is mostly filled with old-ish Delta and other (semi-pro) brands of WW tools. If I was starting all over from scratch, I would definitely go with a Sawstop- seems like you've already made that decision. I wouldn't be brand loyal for all my machines, i.e.- I don't care if yellow clashes with green, etc. And I would buy new- IF - I couldn't find used relatively quickly at a reasonable price. Going vintage is great if you have the time and patience but there is also something to be said for having your shop set-up NOW. Also FWIW, Delta parts are getting HARD to find. I love old Delta but I wouldn't buy one now based on recent experience finding some parts for an old jointer. Anyway, it sounds like you're well on your way to figuring all this out but my main point is to go against the grain and recommend buying new over waiting on a vintage machine to come up.

[fredhargis]

Victor, I like your starting points. You should be in fine shape.

[TroutVictor]

Gentlemen

In an attempt to get this thread back on topic may I share the following?

1. No Festool. None, zero, zip, nada. While that might be a possibility down the road, it is not on the radar at this time and will not be. Please refrain from any other discussion of Festool in this thread.

2. Buying used equipment. Certainly a smart move if money is an issue and time is plentiful. Neither is the case with me. I live in an area where is it is very hard to find quality used gear. I am 67 and do not want to spend the next 2 years slowly equipping a shop. I intend to be up and running by the end of January. 

3. No track saw. I am looking for a cabinet saw and will be purchasing a SawStop. Feedback on how to configure it is welcome. Suggestions of some other type of set-up and/or brand of table saw do me no good. 

4. Feedback about SawStop configuration, and the current choices for bandsaw, dust collector and drill press would be most welcome. 

Thank you.

[R Clark]

Only thing I have to add is on the Drill Press:

I sure would like to be able to change drill press speeds without shifting the belts.  I've been dawdling around on replacing my old DP with a new Powermatic or Nova Voyager.  There's been threads about the Voyager.

Both have 6-inch quill travel.  The Grizzly has less than 5".

[Handplanesandmore]

Gentlemen


4. Feedback about SawStop configuration, 

Thank you.

Don't upgrade to their Titanium saw blade (the stock blade is only good for rough work, not for furniture making). I wish I had spent the money on more woodworkers ii blades.

I tried the slider in the showroom, but it was more like a mega size cross cut sled to me. The outfeed table was robust, and I didn't get it when it was released because I put a bench behind the saw to work as an assembly table as well as an outfeed table. Your set-up could be different. One last thing, I know a couple of guys who also installed the sawstop router table on one side of the saw. I have no space for that kind of config.

Simon

[Cooler]

How do you cut 1/4" off a 1" wide piece of stock?  Or trim 1/32" off the end of something?  Or cut picture frames?   You can add as many do-dads as you want but a track saw is never going to do everything a TS can.  Oh, how about dados and rabbets?   

That's not to take away from what a track saw does exceptionally well which is cut sheet goods.  

John

Festool makes ancillary equipment that makes all this possible (all to a very high standard), though you would not have to stay in the Festool line for their other equipment, such as the Kapex miter saw, their routers, sanders, domino tenon machine, etc.

Their routers work in conjunction with their track system.  There are jury-rig versions that allow other routers to work, but none as efficiently as their own equipment.

The one unifying factor is that all of their equipment is portable.  So you can work on the driveway or in your basement or at your granddaughter's new house and turn out professional-quality jobs.

I would not make that change now, but we are not discussing my situation; we are discussing a situation where someone is starting anew.  I think I would go that route if I were starting fresh.

And their dust collection (all equipment) is excellent.