Table saws

What kind of size, features and what's your budget?
What do you envisage cutting? Is it something a track saw could handle?
Small table saws are a liability with panels really.

To be honest, I don't know much about smaller site saws etc as I never use them and we've got a decent sized thing in the workshop.

Are you after a fold away site saw type thing?

Its for my son who is setting up a workshop. Its mainly for cutting 50 x50 hardwood from larger boards. I have a festool ts55 rail saw but max cut is about 55mm. I do wonder if a larger rail saw would be a better investment. It will not be for panels.

I'd say a tracksaw would be better. Maybe with a mft and a hinged rail. I've not had a table saw for years and don't miss it, although for others it's their favourite tool.

I have a dewalt site saw which is ok, unlike many cheaper table saws it has a decent fence on a rack and pinion system.

To be honest though I rarely use it, I don’t have a lot of space so tracksaw is far more useful for bigger parts and I prefer the bandsaw for smaller/thinner stuff. If everything disappeared and I had to start from scratch another table saw would be a long way down my list.

Already the inevitable "track saw" posts come out 😆

I've both,table saw,tracksaw and a bandsaw too, and you need a table saw. Tracksaws are fine, very handy, but not the be all end all.

My trracksaw has a depth of cut of 55mm(bit less i think on the track). Cheaper ones are about that for the majority of them. My table saw is 85mm depth of cut, and my bandsaw is about 180mm

So for any significant depth, a table saw wins, plus it can accommodate wider boards at that depth . For deep and narrow, then the bandsaw works well, but it is perhaps not as accurate a cut to a table saw and its fence.

In my opinion, a table saw is a must as a first machine, along with a basic bandsaw. Track saws are fine if you intend to do a lot of work with board material, and in that they excel, because that was why they were originally developed.

50x50 hardwood suggests table saw , but it will take some thought on a budget, I would look to have the capacity to include the depth of a decently made sled to help accuracy and most importantly safety - table saws need a healthy dose of respect , try to find something with an induction motor and cast iron
bed that means a used saw and some research , Axminster used to do a saw called a TS250 that could be got with a small sliding carriage which might suit what you need.
You can do a lot with a bandsaw with a decent blade and again a sled or jig.

Working with just the normal fence requires a bit of research about pinch . kickback and planning.

There are better places to ask advice - ukworkshop or woodhaven2 would be a good start.

Track saw for 50mm hardwood is bonkers and borderline dangerous.
If it's rough Finnish then a DeWalt flip saw would do the job. Site saws are built for that kind of thing finer work your looking at spending a few ££

I've always fancied a track chain saw, but don't have any actual need - just looks cool

Axminster used to do a saw called a TS250 that could be got with a small sliding carriage which might suit what you need.

Seen the price of them though ?.Axminster has been steadily increasing that saw over the last several years and its pretty much doubled. I got mine for £350, and picked up the right hand extension and sliding carriage for a couple of hundred quid more and while its ok as a hobby level, at that money you can do considerably better 2nd hand

Just the basic TS250(10") is £840 which is bloody ridiculous. The entire package, saw, extension,sliding unit and cabinet stand brings the total to about £1350

The Bosch GTS10 is £600, and the Festool TKS80 EBS is £1730, but it has sawstop.

For the extra £380 between the hobby axminster and the professional Festool makes the Festool a way better investment.

The Festool is my next purchase, basically because it has Sawstop, and i work on my own, so safety wise it is worth it for that alone.

The Bosch GTS10 is £600, and the Festool TKS80 EBS is £1730, but it has sawstop.

Had no idea SawStop was now licensed, used to be just one original Brand which had it and no UK distributor.

The Festool is my next purchase, basically because it has Sawstop, and i work on my own, so safety wise it is worth it for that alone.

you should look out for the festool roadshow / demo days at Kelvin Power Tools. Worth the trip just for the free burgers - they’re amazing. But there’s also live frankfurter demos of the saw stop ……… Jesus!

TTS acquired Sawstop a few years ago. They are the parent company of festool.

Had no idea SawStop was now licensed, used to be just one original Brand which had it and no UK distributor.

same parent company that own festool bought sawstop. There’s different legislation around machinery in the US and Europe / Uk and a lot of US machinery can’t be licensed for sale / use here - the saw stop mechanism itself isn’t an issue but the machines as a whole wouldn’t have been eligible for sale here (or for use in a professional setting) It was probably better to develop a new machine to go out through an existing sales and service network around the sawstop cartridge than  rejig the existing machines and develop a eu/Uk sales and distribution network for a company thst only really has one product

you should look out for the festool roadshow / demo days at Kelvin Power Tools. Worth the trip just for the free burgers – they’re amazing.

Noted...

The Festool is my next purchase, basically because it has Sawstop, and i work on my own, so safety wise it is worth it for that alone.

I'll give you twenty quid if you dare stick your widgie on it 🤣

Its for my son who is setting up a workshop. Its mainly for cutting 50 x50 hardwood from larger boards.

Ah yes, then a tablesaw is ideal in that case.
It really depends on budget but something nice and heavy if its a fixed machine.
Having a riving knife fitted as well as a crown guard is essential for cutting rough boards, despite what all these North American loons on YouTube would have you believe.

Also, build an outfeed table/support so the boards can run off the back of the saw safely. This is particularly important if you end up getting a smaller saw as the table can be quite small on those.

Some people will build them into a bench so that you have a much larger support area.

I’ll give you twenty quid if you dare stick your widgie on it 🤣

No thanks, it's one of my rules not to stick my hand into anymore machinery. Been there and got the stitches to prove it 😆

One thing we should be aware of is while the 'test' with a hotdog shows it works, and hardly makes a mark, in the actual setting of an accident you wont be introducing those digits slowly and carefully up to the blade. A true test would be not to as above do it slowly, but to punch the blade quite quickly, as thats probably going to be a closer representation of how such an accident would occur. Sudden slippage and you come into contact pretty fast.

But either way, its going to do considerably less damage than a standard whirring blade of destruction would

I’ll give you twenty quid if you dare stick your widgie on it

Speaking of £20 (and your widgie I supposed) - what surprised me at the demo - apart from the near heart attack when the thing goes off (and the burgers)  - is the really quite reasonable cost of putting things right if its fired. Obviously if you really do manage to put your widgie in it by accident broken machinery is low down your priority list but seeing and hearing the thing fire the forces involved are astounding and you'd really imagine the whole machine must be totalled in the process - especially as the festool is a relatively light portable machine- you could inadvertently have it fire if you used wet wood, or material that is conductive - Dibond for instance - and that would be a pretty costly mistake but the saw survives - and even at Festool prices the a replacement cartridge is only a couple of hundred quid

despite what all these North American loons on YouTube would have you believe.

But theres so much YouTube ad revenue in a juicy kickback video (and reaction videos to kickback videos)  - especially if the wood ends up embedded in something - the wall, your guts, th obligatory workshop cat, or whatever