Gentlemen I need help re tracksaw Vs tablesaw

Cottam

Hullo again,

Some of you were a great help to me back at the end of 2008. Now I have another bush missionary asking about what equipment he should buy to mill timber for his new home in a remote village in the bush in PNG. He wants to obtain trees close to the site and cut them into timber there in the jungle

Here is the question as he sent it to us. I would appreciate helpful direction from you experts.

I've just about made up my mind on the subject, in favor of
purchasing a Dewalt Tracksaw instead of a tablesaw.

DeWalt TrackSaw

But I thought it would be good to run some thoughts by as many tools
expert as I can for input. From my understanding Festool
has an established product that Dewalt is copying in a cheaper
package. My thinking is, with a tracksaw I can get closer to the
accuracy of a table saw with some of the portability of your standard
hand-held circular saws. (Less weight for Helicopter etc)

My questions are as follows:

1. Am I out of my mind to think that something like this would be more
useful to buy instead of putting the same money toward a table saw?

2. Would a 102" track be properly long enough to rip standard plywood
sheets lengthwise?

3. Have you ever used something like this?

4. How useful would some of the accessories for this unit be? (Track
Clamps, T Square, Mitre Guage, Additional Tracks, Router Attachment
etc.)
Looking a at a Dewalt vs Festool review, I cam accross this helpful
Q&A

81 – DeWalt Tracksaw Review | The Wood Whisperer

Question from Dustman:
I liked the review and I would like to have either saw. I do have a few
questions. You go to some length to compare the cuts made by both saw
on same track. This compares the saws, but not the tracks. What makes a
track better than a straight edge (wood or metal)? Why would you get a
cleaner cut with a track than with a straight edge? Is there something
inherently better about a track? Would a standard circular saw with a
good blade give you just as good a cut? As you can see, your review was
very thought provoking.

Reply from TheWoodWhisperer (applies to either Dewalt or Festool
systems)


There are three things that make the track better than a straight edge.
First, the track has a zero clearance strip at the bottom. The blade
cuts through this strip on the first run and provides a nice clean and
splinter-free cut. Also, a track stops the saw from drifting and keeps
it moving along a perfectly straight line. With a standard saw and
straight edge, the saw has a tendency to pull away from the straight
edge and you have to continually apply pressure toward the
straightedge. And finally, because the saw rides so smooth with so
little vibration, the cut quality is really tablesaw quality.
__________

Thank you,

Lynette

dcarter

Lynette, If i understand your asking about a saw that will be used to rip logs into lumber for building construction????If so, check out "woodmiser". There is also a straight guide for chainsaw use called the "Alaskan sawmill" I think. You can find both at Northern Tool or similar catalog tool companies. I have seen the wood mizer mills at work and there finished product is pretty impressive for dimensional lumber cut by a one person operation in the middle of nowhere. Ther are pretty user friendly and fairly simple to have decent production quantity from. The drawback I see immediately might be getting all the parts to a remote sight (cost effectively) if helicopter is the only transport method. Also even the band saw blades, fuel can transport, etc. Blades are expensive and transport of fuel by helicopter is also. Another drawback is that you'll still need to get the trees down and to the milling site (needs to be set up on a level site with room to work)

The alaskan sawmill I have not seen personally. I understand the concept and have worked around some other saw attachments that were similar. Pros, chainsaws cut trees down then mill into wood. A level sight would be nice but not as important for this tool. One saw, one fuel, one or more replacement chains, low weight (for flight), small parts (for flight weight and space), fairly inexpensive to purchase and minimal $ to operate. For an area without building codes and a place where your not finishing out with interior wall coverings, this saw would probably work fine. Also, as I understand this, you can attach to whatever saw you have, no need for a new one or having to buy thier product.

As for a tablesaw, you need dimensional lumber before it goes into the saw. And yes, you'll get really accurate cutting, but do you really need that in remote areas? Also, what power source for table saw? The options above run on fuel for combustion for energy. You'll need electricity for a table saw. Unless your talking about a milling saw and calling it a table saw. Hope some of this helps you make the right decision.

Good luck, Mike

Cottam

Thank you, Mike, for taking the time to write I have passed your thoughts on to the man who asked the question.

Lynette

treeshaveneeds

I have hired someone who has used a wood mizer - really accurate cuts (as long as the first one is good) minimal planing required - can come with hydraulic lifts to lift heavy logs up - big plus on safety and speed. His machine cut logs 20 ft to 3 ft long, but you can get extensions up to at least 40 feet.

The Alaskan mill I have used - The first cut takes the most time to get level, and then after that it runs ok -- lot more sawdust, a lot more time, not as nice a finish - but is more portable, and cheaper. Also takes a powerful saw, long bar, a ripping chain, and usually an end oiler. The mill belongs to a friend of mine,

Cottam

Thank you so much, Gentlemen. The man I was helping has made his decision now.

So I don't need any more replies to this thread.

Appreciatively,

Lynette

treeshaveneeds

What did he decide?