Table saw or radial arm saw

[mickri]

Depending on my project I usually have plywood ripped to size where I buy it. Or set it on my welding table and/or saw horses to cut it.

 

[woodchucker]

Depends on what kind of work you do. 90% of what we do gets done on the RAS, but if you cut a ton of sheet goods the TS will do, but even then you needsroom for an outfeed or just room to handle the material. In my small shop sheet goods are a pain even on my 10" Unisaw. Makes me consider breaking sheets down on sawhorse in the driveway with a skilsaw and making finishing cuts in the shop.

Tim

I cut down sheets with a circ saw. I have a trac that I made years before trac saws. just tempered hardboard with a tempered hardboard guide. I cut through the board to create an edge that's true.

I use spring clamps to hold it to the board, and I have a 2x4 grid that I cut on, either on the floor or on saw horses. It's just too damn hard and dangerous cutting a full sheet on the ts.. Although I have done it.

 

[C-Bag]

Just my hoarder 2c but I’d mount the RA to the wall and use the ts as the table and of course the ts would be on castors so if need be it could be put out in the center of the shop then put back up against the wall as the table for the RA. Not being a woodpecker I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not. Just know as soon as I get rid of something I desperately need it.

 

[Firstram]

(If I built a sled, that could change the picture.)

A sled is as important to have as the power cord on the saw! A RAS is good for rough cutting lumber but doesn't come close to the accuracy of a sled on a table saw. Like you mentioned, referencing the depth of cut from the face makes a huge difference.

 

[bill70j]

A sled is as important to have as the power cord on the saw! A RAS is good for rough cutting lumber but doesn't come close to the accuracy of a sled on a table saw. Like you mentioned, referencing the depth of cut from the face makes a huge difference.

I agree.

My first real power tool was a Craftsman RAS. I still have it, but I got a TS 20 years ago and use it almost exclusively for its ripping capability and for its crosscut accuracy when using a sled. I'll use the RAS for cross cuts that the TS can't do since the sled takes up some capacity on the TS.

I'll probably never get rid of the RAS -- just because.

 

[tcooper27]

It depends a lot on what you make. If you're comfortable and knowledgeable about how to use them then for general carpentry, DIYing, and "rustic" furniture with sheet goods and pre-surfaced wood I think a good RAS wins hands down. A cheap track saw with an 8' track takes care of big sheet and stows easy. Add in a good router and some hand tools and there isn't much you wouldn't be able to do.

 

[Gnpenning]

Combine them. Mount the ras to the wall, use the table saw as the bench with a sacrificial board on top. Back fence can sit on the table saw with support to the wall, then removed as well when you need the table saw.

How often do you need both at the same time??

 

[tcooper27]

You'd have to find a clever way of making the table co-planar with the RAS arm and keeping it that way. Normally this is done using jack screws between the RAS base and the table. If the table saw moved any you'd likely be out of square also.

 

[woodchucker]

joining them is a terrible idea. The RAS will hinder the TS. And it would suffer alignment issues like @tcooper27 points out, and also 90 degrees. A tablesaw against a wall is useless in my opinion. RAS's suffer from alignment in general if moved off 90. I had a nice tapered lock on my 9" that ensured alignment better than my 10" The 10" was horrible at maintaining 90.

Pick one and go with it.

 

[PNW_Guy]

Depending on what you do, a track saw can replace most of what a table saw does (it's not always the easiest way). The bonus is that they take zero space.