Track Saw Vs Table Saw | Which One Is Better For Woodworking?

There are a thousand and one uses of a saw that you will find out there. Nonetheless, some saws have special qualities that set them apart. The best examples of such saws are the Track Saw and the Table Saw. And while I understand that there are many more saws with such cool qualities, in this post I will concentrate only on the track saw vs table saw.

My intention is to give you a distinctive outlook so you understand which saw to buy especially for woodworking.

Let’s cut to the chase!

Track Saw vs Table Saw: Quick Comparison

Track Saw	Table Saw
Super light and portable	Best for making narrow, repetitive cuts
Compact and easy to store	Bigger and takes more space to use
Produces the cleanest and smoothest cuts	Versatile and make numerous cuts non-stop
Ideal for the tightest spaces	Takes less effort to work with
Takes long to set up (has many parts)	Minimizes the chances of messing up
Takes less space in a workshop	It is heavier and hard to carry around
Must move the saw to cut	Consists of a high-speed motor
Feature A Powerful Circular Blade	Feature A Powerful Circular Blade
Allow you to make long straight cuts faster	Cuts large volumes without many breaks

Track Saw Vs Table Saw

Before starting out, I want you to understand that choosing between a track saw and a table saw can be very hard. Even so, the one thing that you should keep in mind is this; while these saws may work on the same jobs, they will have overlapping roles at times.

Every person might have their ideal preference if they have tried these saws. However, my take has always been to find as much information as possible on a saw before I choose to buy it. So let’s take a look at what we have on these two vital woodworking tools.

What You Should Know

The truth is most of the woodworking designs that you take often require long cuts. More importantly, the cuts need to be done fast and precisely. And later on, you will need to do some projects out of your workshop. That’s where a track saw comes in.

Table saws, on the other hand, are known for their versatility when you want to make many cuts in a limited time frame. It is best for beating tight schedules and will save you so much time between cuts.

The only dilemma is that both saws feature a powerful circular blade. The blade is a fast spinning blade and helps the saws to perform more or less the same tasks too.

Differences

When using the best track saw you’d have to actually take your saw to the material that you are cutting instead of taking your work-piece to your saw like you would do with your woodworking table saw.

Even saw, the table saw also consists of a high-speed motor which a track saw doesn’t. The motor is usually mounted under a flat working table so that the saw’s blade protrudes from the table. This allows the blade to protrude out of your table and back as it controls the depth of the cuts.

Track saws also allow you to easily make the long straight cuts at lightning speed. Thanks to their fast and precise design which sets it apart from the one who will be using the table saw to cut.

Due to this, track saws are trackers just like their name suggests. They are ideally very reliable and extremely handy if you needed a good ready-to-reach power saw for your woodworking workshop.

Even so, a table saw is also very handy when you want to actually to make quite a number of rip cuts. They are also good in case you intend to prepare large volumes of identical pieces pretty fast. This is unlike the track saw which will have to cut precise measurements.

Again, the track which comes with the track saw has very distinctive features that help to eliminate any need for measurements or even guesswork.  It makes measuring cuts very easy and all you need is to align the track with the line you are cutting and you will be done.

Even better, the track on the tracking saw is also handy when you want to keep the material that you are working on in place thus helps to eliminate any use of clamps.

Yet because of its motor, the table saw has proved to be such a powerful tool when you intend to cut thick pieces of heavy hardwoods. It easily cuts large volumes without many breaks as a track saw does.

Nonetheless, the track saw’s size and nature also make it a super ideal power tool in case you will be working in tight spaces. It eliminates the need for an in-feed or even out-feed space when working.

Finally, track saws are ideal if you will be using it as the plunge saw. In this case, it will help you to easily set precise depths especially when wood flooring or even sub-flooring, which a table saw will not do.

You can also check the difference between track saw and circular saw.

Track Saw vs Table Saw: Pros And Cons

Now that we have seen how the track saw vs table saw rates, let us take a look at the pros and cons of both saws.

Track Saw

• A track saw is super light in weight and totally portable.
• It is compact and easy to store (takes less space in a workshop).
• Produces the cleanest and smoothest cuts compared to even a table saw.
• Ideal for the tightest spaces – thanks to its compact nature.

NOTE: Apart from the pros, the track saw often take long to set up since it has so many parts that you need to put in place including dust bag, aligning the track with the hook, and making the pencil marks.

Table Saw

• Ideal for making narrow, repetitive cuts (beats even the track saw)
• The best woodworking power saw (It is versatile and makes numerous cuts non-stop)
• Takes less effort to work with
• Minimizes the chances of messing up

NOTE: A table saw is bigger. It requires more space to use and also to store. Therefore while many people find it super fast, they also detest its size and weight sometimes.

Conclusion

While track saws perform most tasks that a table saw would. Most woodworkers prefer it only when they are cutting trims, ripping the boards, or when they are cutting across panels and making splinter-free cuts.  This is in every way unlike the table saw “power saw” which is what you need to buy if you want a pretty large production in your workshops in the shortest time possible.

Therefore, the two saws are super cool for woodworking. The only thing you need to keep in mind before choosing either of the two is the volume of work, your timeline, type of cut, storage and space of use, and possibly nature of wood.

Last Updated on September 9, 2020 by Robert Patrick