I have 2 workshops, 1 in my basement which is 14' x 24' and the 2nd shop is 40' x 60'. The large shop is 120' from my house and contains my cabinet saw, jointer & planer. Since most of my wood working is done during the winter months I would often need to walk from the basement shop to the large shop in freezing weather to use the cabinet saw. Since buying the ACS I've drastically reduced the number of trips I need to make to the cabinet saw. I do a lot of work on my cnc router which requires gluing up panels of various sizes. The ACS makes such smooth and square cuts, I've found I can make very good glue joints without using the jointer which would require another trip outside. I really like this system and continually find new uses for it. Expensive, yes; but worth the expense for me! Also forgot to mention it only takes seconds to unfold for setup or to store it out of the way against a wall. Also use it for glue ups using the dogs and some dog hole clamps.
Just ran across your video. I purchased the Kreg ACS and all its accessories with an additional track shortly after they were introduced. It is so versatile and accurate I do most of my cutting on it. Doing mostly large projects, 6 ft. tall cabinets etc. I added a saw stop jobsite saw and with the two saws it allows me to do all my work without buying a large cabinet saw which would really crowd my small work shop. I did add a 4' x 6' MDF table to the back of the ACS unit. This allows me to easily handle 4x8 sheets and serves as a work table for my glue-ups on large and small projects. Cost of both came in less than a 36" sawstop cabinet saw ( my preferred saw) but more than some of the quality cabinets available. May not work for everyone but works great for me.
If I was starting out before I brought the table saw, circular saw, miter saw maybe this would have been a better option. Now I am going to build a bench and buy the Kreg Track guides. Their whole strategy is great - love their pocket hole and multi tool.
I bought one and loved it from the start. It is so much safer than using a table saw for many cuts. In fact, with my router and this Kreg saw and table, I do not use my table saw at all. I also have the AccuCut on my circular saw for cutting down sheets accurately and I have worked with 2 inch oak and plywood with no problem. I can work quickly, safely and accurately. What more can you ask for?
i made the first cut to register the plastic strip (this was the system to adapt your own saw to their track ) followed direction exactly. Did not work , screwed up the plastic strip. Found that the non slip strips slipped with a little saw dust on them. need a clamp on the under side of the track for positive non slippage.
2 questions I have on the track sauce track saws I haven't seen answer anywhere anywhere 1st are The tracks interchangeable with Other brands And secondly when you're cutting a 45 are you wearing bring the strip more more or just a blade stay at the exact position whether it's 90 or 45ﾟ
I would have loved to see a real world/real project review, with you using this system to make the kitchen cabinets that you referenced. How did that project turn out? This this system enhance the build experience?
We also used it recently to build our Hardware Organizer Cart on Episode 1306 of the Woodsmith Shop tv show that airs on PBS. You can go to WoodsmithShop.com/schedule to find out when and where it is showing in your area.
I own this system as well, and I gotta saw the protractor accessory is garbage, as well as doing bevel cuts (at least trying to do 45* bevels). Everything else about the system is great, and I couldn't be happier with it, as long as you get some sort of infeed table if you are working with sheet goods as much as I am.
Hi. I will be attempting to build a built in bookshelf over the summer. The bookshelf will be 12 feet wide by 9 feet tall. I will be using solid cherry or walnut (3/4 inch thick) and plan on using sliding dovetail or dado slots for the shelves. It is the number of dado slots I will need to cut that makes me think a table saw is the only tool that makes sense in terms of ease and efficiency. Will the ACS allow me to make many dado slots in a reasonable amount of time in a hardwood? Or is table saw the way to go? Thanks in advance.
Looks really good (possibly a bit pricey for me as a diyer rather than a professional ,but may i will.save up).. Do you happen to know if the various guides have metric markers or if thses are available?? (I thnk you guys are amazing being able to juggle around 7/32 of an inch but for a simple sould like me mm and cm is more manageable!!) Thanks for a great video.. as others have said.. a video using this to do a really simple project would be helpful too
Yup. That's one of the most appealing features to most people. I don't want to lose the ability to park in my garage so everything is on casters. This has the ability to fold and store vertically with wheels that make moving it into place for storage easy.
I was watching a video, showing the versatility of its screwing system. A video that interested me was using the 750 system(I think) , joining two boards into two "planks" for a table top. However, I forgot the means of joining the two boards. Can you help me. Thanks.
i will give Kreg credit for building their own saw with rising knife and plunge cutting ability although like most track saws i personally can never justify the high cost and make my own saw guides plus i have straight edges for my routers too in order to use them as my homemade jointer most of my method to my madness is generally because of lack of space to use valuable floor space for the bigger machinery sure it takes longer but i’ve made many pieces of furniture that way very often i’ll have my supplier break down sheet goods for me then i’ll make my final cuts that process makes it much easier to transport, carry ,etc as i have stairs to contend with i do appreciate the video onthe saw system and like most Kreg products i’m sure they will do well with their excellent marketing teams BTW i was a professional Woodworker for over 20 years and i’ve been doing it as my hobby for nearly 35 so far i’m not saying my way is right yet it’s worked for me i was also lucky enough to have a 1000,000 square foot shop to use at my disposal at the company i worked for untill i retired after 20 years due to a Traumatic Brain Injury that caused me to have some paralysis in my legs and arms
Pricey as all hell and beyond the budget of most of us viewers. Might be a good thing, but it’s price places it in a limited market. We can make do with creative adaptations.
Agreed and you could probably say this about any "expensive" tool. If you are resourceful enough you can usually come up with a sufficient shop-made solution. That's why always enjoyed our ShopNotes Magazine - it was all about shop-made solutions.
Considering this after getting rid of a cheap portable table saw. As a right-handed person, I really like the fact that the saw is a left blade/right hand grip; I never understood why the other plunge saws on the market are mostly left hand held. I am concerned though over the plastic bits, how fragile they are, and how true they are to square.
I just bought this system directly from Kreg about 10 days ago. It was a nightmare getting all the parts. I still haven't got the entire system. They told me it'll come in three boxes. They sent the saw and the fence to me first and nothing else. Each was in it's own box, so that's two boxes. I called them and they sent the table base in the third box. There was no table, no pegs, nothing else, just the base. When I called them again they said I got my three boxes. I had to explain to them the thing is no good without a table and the rest of the system. They finally admitted they shorted me a box, but they didn't have one in stock so they can't ship it. So I started putting together what did come and there were missing parts, broken parts, and the "Made in Japan" saw sounds like a toy sewing machine and throws sparks when I release the trigger. I wrote to them about all the problems and have not heard back. I'm ready to send the whole thing back and get my money back. I have several Kreg tools and they're usually good quality, so this is NOT something I expected from Kreg! Especially for the $900 I paid for it!
I just got the Adaptive Cutting System. This is my first track saw. I do have a table saw, but wanted something to cut larger plywood pieces since I need to building seven cabinets with different shelves for my son's school (each on is around 78" tall, 27"wide, and 29" deep with different spacing shelving in each to hold band instruments). I debated on going with the Festool TS55 and MFT, but decide on the ACS. I have not used it yet! Got the table together and just opened up the saw. The saw is not set at 90 degrees out of the box. I had to tweak it with the screws on the bottom to calibrate it. After calibrating the set screws, the cursor as factory set is on zero. One thing is the manual says to turn the set screws the same amount which I did, but one looks higher than the other and no real way to see if both are touching or if it is just one. I guess it does not matter as long as the blade is square to the base and locked in with the bevel locks.
@@tomas5376 That's easy enough to solve. Put a playing card under the blade when you set the depth gauge. The blade won't come in contact with the table. You will however, need to do a bit of sanding to clean up the edge.
I have no doubt its a solid piece kit and it does everything he said it does very well. But that thing is 900$. I would have liked to see him use it making the cabinets caus as is i cant help but feel that its awful specialized to drop that much money on for a regular person.
Not for everyone, that is for sure, but it will mostly replace a table saw, a jointer, a miter saw, and will also give you a track saw. You will also produce more accurate and smoother cuts than about anything out there. Cuts in veneered plywood require no or minimal edge sanding.
Another review with repeated claims of how good it is at breaking down sheet-goods...without showing us how well it breaks down sheet-goods. Also, what if your 1st cut is an 8' rip?
Garry R - Full disclosure, Although Kreg is a sponsor of our tv show, this is genuinely a tool we wanted to try out on our own, and they did not pay us anything to make this video.
I never understood the concept of paying so much money for something that is going to be ruined after you make your first cut. If you use a piece of sacrificial wood or foam sheets beneath your workpiece then every single feature of the table and all the accessories are then immediately disabled. Even though the track itself can be raised off the table surface, your workpiece is still laying right on that table. If you set your depth of cut perfectly you are still going to mark the table with your cut. If you set your depth of cut so it doesn't touch the table when you cut, you will not be able to cut right through your workpiece. Someone please enlighten me. FYI, I am obviously not a pro woodworker. I'm not even a newbie. I'm just a guy trying to figure out what stuff I need to begin woodworking. I must be missing something. Like maybe a brain?
It doesn't ruin the table to cut into it. It's designed to be cut into. The track is stationary so generally you only need to put one mark on the table and you should set your cutting depth to about 1/8th of an inch past the stock you're cutting so there's a fairly shallow cut on the 3/4 inch mdf top of the Kreg table. Even if you do move the track a lot and make many cuts on the table in different places they would need to be very deep to have any impact on the strength. And one day when the table top does eventually wear out you can buy a whole new top from Kreg for $150. The top is somewhat disposable. This idea is not new. The Festool MFT has been around for quite a while and is very popular in Europe.
I have 2 workshops, 1 in my basement which is 14' x 24' and the 2nd shop is 40' x 60'. The large shop is 120' from my house and contains my cabinet saw, jointer & planer. Since most of my wood working is done during the winter months I would often need to walk from the basement shop to the large shop in freezing weather to use the cabinet saw. Since buying the ACS I've drastically reduced the number of trips I need to make to the cabinet saw. I do a lot of work on my cnc router which requires gluing up panels of various sizes. The ACS makes such smooth and square cuts, I've found I can make very good glue joints without using the jointer which would require another trip outside. I really like this system and continually find new uses for it. Expensive, yes; but worth the expense for me!
Also forgot to mention it only takes seconds to unfold for setup or to store it out of the way against a wall. Also use it for glue ups using the dogs and some dog hole clamps.
Thanks for your input as an owner and user of this product.
Just ran across your video. I purchased the Kreg ACS and all its accessories with an additional track shortly after they were introduced. It is so versatile and accurate I do most of my cutting on it. Doing mostly large projects, 6 ft. tall cabinets etc. I added a saw stop jobsite saw and with the two saws it allows me to do all my work without buying a large cabinet saw which would really crowd my small work shop. I did add a 4' x 6' MDF table to the back of the ACS unit. This allows me to easily handle 4x8 sheets and serves as a work table for my glue-ups on large and small projects. Cost of both came in less than a 36" sawstop cabinet saw ( my preferred saw) but more than some of the quality cabinets available. May not work for everyone but works great for me.
If I was starting out before I brought the table saw, circular saw, miter saw maybe this would have been a better option. Now I am going to build a bench and buy the Kreg Track guides. Their whole strategy is great - love their pocket hole and multi tool.
Great review. I wish this was out 5 years ago. I really liked your description and samples.
Excellent review. Very informative.
Really nice video! Very helpful. And I’m probably going to buy one as well and this helped me make that decision! Thanks!!
THIS IS BY FAR safer than my table saw.....The little loss of time has been well worth the peace of mind! SAFETY FIRST!!!!!!
Ordered the newest version. Might take my table saw back.
You should work for Kreg! You are a very good instructor. Bravo!
Thanks! :)
I bought one and loved it from the start. It is so much safer than using a table saw for many cuts. In fact, with my router and this Kreg saw and table, I do not use my table saw at all. I also have the AccuCut on my circular saw for cutting down sheets accurately and I have worked with 2 inch oak and plywood with no problem. I can work quickly, safely and accurately. What more can you ask for?
does the blade go through the top of the table?
i made the first cut to register the plastic strip (this was the system to adapt your own saw to their track ) followed direction exactly. Did not work , screwed up the plastic strip. Found that the non slip strips slipped with a little saw dust on them. need a clamp on the under side of the track for positive non slippage.
Can I easily cut Dow 4’by4’ sheet goods with this it seems small the table
2 questions I have on the track sauce track saws I haven't seen answer anywhere anywhere 1st are The tracks interchangeable with Other brands And secondly when you're cutting a 45 are you wearing bring the strip more more or just a blade stay at the exact position whether it's 90 or 45ﾟ
I would have loved to see a real world/real project review, with you using this system to make the kitchen cabinets that you referenced. How did that project turn out? This this system enhance the build experience?
We also used it recently to build our Hardware Organizer Cart on Episode 1306 of the Woodsmith Shop tv show that airs on PBS. You can go to WoodsmithShop.com/schedule to find out when and where it is showing in your area.
I own this system as well, and I gotta saw the protractor accessory is garbage, as well as doing bevel cuts (at least trying to do 45* bevels). Everything else about the system is great, and I couldn't be happier with it, as long as you get some sort of infeed table if you are working with sheet goods as much as I am.
Hi. I will be attempting to build a built in bookshelf over the summer. The bookshelf will be 12 feet wide by 9 feet tall. I will be using solid cherry or walnut (3/4 inch thick) and plan on using sliding dovetail or dado slots for the shelves. It is the number of dado slots I will need to cut that makes me think a table saw is the only tool that makes sense in terms of ease and efficiency. Will the ACS allow me to make many dado slots in a reasonable amount of time in a hardwood? Or is table saw the way to go? Thanks in advance.
Looks really good (possibly a bit pricey for me as a diyer rather than a professional ,but may i will.save up)..
Do you happen to know if the various guides have metric markers or if thses are available??
(I thnk you guys are amazing being able to juggle around 7/32 of an inch but for a simple sould like me mm and cm is more manageable!!)
Thanks for a great video.. as others have said.. a video using this to do a really simple project would be helpful too
Great system. Can it be folded and stored vertically? I don’t have a dedicated workshop.
Yup. That's one of the most appealing features to most people.
I don't want to lose the ability to park in my garage so everything is on casters. This has the ability to fold and store vertically with wheels that make moving it into place for storage easy.
I was watching a video, showing the versatility of its screwing system. A video that interested me was using the 750 system(I think) , joining two boards into two "planks" for a table top. However, I forgot the means of joining the two boards. Can you help me. Thanks.
i will give Kreg credit for building their own saw with rising knife and plunge cutting ability although like most track saws i personally can never justify the high cost and make my own saw guides plus i have straight edges for my routers too in order to use them as my homemade jointer most of my method to my madness is generally because of lack of space to use valuable floor space for the bigger machinery sure it takes longer but i’ve made many pieces of furniture that way very often i’ll have my supplier break down sheet goods for me then i’ll make my final cuts that process makes it much easier to transport, carry ,etc as i have stairs to contend with i do appreciate the video onthe saw system and like most Kreg products i’m sure they will do well with their excellent marketing teams BTW i was a professional Woodworker for over 20 years and i’ve been doing it as my hobby for nearly 35 so far i’m not saying my way is right yet it’s worked for me i was also lucky enough to have a 1000,000 square foot shop to use at my disposal at the company i worked for untill i retired after 20 years due to a Traumatic Brain Injury that caused me to have some paralysis in my legs and arms
Yep, most among us have sufficient smarts to get the same results with an improvised solution.
Pricey as all hell and beyond the budget of most of us viewers. Might be a good thing, but it’s price places it in a limited market. We can make do with creative adaptations.
Agreed and you could probably say this about any "expensive" tool. If you are resourceful enough you can usually come up with a sufficient shop-made solution. That's why always enjoyed our ShopNotes Magazine - it was all about shop-made solutions.
Compare it to a Festool MFT. Way cheaper. Good priced system that isn't overpriced at all.
Does it handle 8 foot cuts for ply boards?
It does if you buy an extra 62" rail and put the two rails together.
Considering this after getting rid of a cheap portable table saw. As a right-handed person, I really like the fact that the saw is a left blade/right hand grip; I never understood why the other plunge saws on the market are mostly left hand held. I am concerned though over the plastic bits, how fragile they are, and how true they are to square.
Good question... The plastic parts have seemed to held up just fine so far, but we'll let you know as we use it over time.
I just bought this system directly from Kreg about 10 days ago. It was a nightmare getting all the parts. I still haven't got the entire system. They told me it'll come in three boxes. They sent the saw and the fence to me first and nothing else. Each was in it's own box, so that's two boxes. I called them and they sent the table base in the third box. There was no table, no pegs, nothing else, just the base. When I called them again they said I got my three boxes. I had to explain to them the thing is no good without a table and the rest of the system. They finally admitted they shorted me a box, but they didn't have one in stock so they can't ship it. So I started putting together what did come and there were missing parts, broken parts, and the "Made in Japan" saw sounds like a toy sewing machine and throws sparks when I release the trigger. I wrote to them about all the problems and have not heard back. I'm ready to send the whole thing back and get my money back. I have several Kreg tools and they're usually good quality, so this is NOT something I expected from Kreg! Especially for the $900 I paid for it!
I just got the Adaptive Cutting System. This is my first track saw. I do have a table saw, but wanted something to cut larger plywood pieces since I need to building seven cabinets with different shelves for my son's school (each on is around 78" tall, 27"wide, and 29" deep with different spacing shelving in each to hold band instruments). I debated on going with the Festool TS55 and MFT, but decide on the ACS. I have not used it yet! Got the table together and just opened up the saw. The saw is not set at 90 degrees out of the box. I had to tweak it with the screws on the bottom to calibrate it. After calibrating the set screws, the cursor as factory set is on zero. One thing is the manual says to turn the set screws the same amount which I did, but one looks higher than the other and no real way to see if both are touching or if it is just one. I guess it does not matter as long as the blade is square to the base and locked in with the bevel locks.
How do you keep from cutting into the table? When I break down sheets I use foam insulation under the sheet.👍✌️😊🙏🏼
The saw has a depth stop. You set that before you run the saw and start cutting. But yeah, he should have demonstrated that and not just mentioned it.
If your board is flat on the table it will be difficult not to score the table.
@@tomas5376
That's easy enough to solve.
Put a playing card under the blade when you set the depth gauge. The blade won't come in contact with the table. You will however, need to do a bit of sanding to clean up the edge.
I think they intend on the saw scoring the table. It should only be one line since the fence is fixed.
@@williamellis8993
Good observation.
The fence being fixed would eliminate the problem of having to replace the bench top.
Lots of cool features. I just wish it wasn't all plastic
Exactly, very pricey for plastic.
Nathan Terepocki - True, but it is still pretty well built despite the parts that are plastic.
The parts will last if you don't force them. And it you are using it so much that they break, you have the money to replace them.
@@peternelson5113 I agree. I questioned them too, but I'm not concerned now that I have it.
Did I miss him ripping an 8' sheet?
Doesn't Kreg already have a marketing team?
Great tool as usual from Greg but still too expensive. BTW you didn't show how to know it down and move it.
Apologies for omitting the breakdown. It folds up pretty similarly to your average folding table though... nothing groundbreaking there. :)
I have no doubt its a solid piece kit and it does everything he said it does very well. But that thing is 900$. I would have liked to see him use it making the cabinets caus as is i cant help but feel that its awful specialized to drop that much money on for a regular person.
I agree... it will have a very niche market.
Not for everyone, that is for sure, but it will mostly replace a table saw, a jointer, a miter saw, and will also give you a track saw. You will also produce more accurate and smoother cuts than about anything out there. Cuts in veneered plywood require no or minimal edge sanding.
Another review with repeated claims of how good it is at breaking down sheet-goods...without showing us how well it breaks down sheet-goods. Also, what if your 1st cut is an 8' rip?
Call me a pessimist but I have been seeing this system on various channels now so I have to ask. Paid review?
Garry R - Full disclosure, Although Kreg is a sponsor of our tv show, this is genuinely a tool we wanted to try out on our own, and they did not pay us anything to make this video.
I never understood the concept of paying so much money for something that is going to be ruined after you make your first cut. If you use a piece of sacrificial wood or foam sheets beneath your workpiece then every single feature of the table and all the accessories are then immediately disabled. Even though the track itself can be raised off the table surface, your workpiece is still laying right on that table. If you set your depth of cut perfectly you are still going to mark the table with your cut. If you set your depth of cut so it doesn't touch the table when you cut, you will not be able to cut right through your workpiece. Someone please enlighten me. FYI, I am obviously not a pro woodworker. I'm not even a newbie. I'm just a guy trying to figure out what stuff I need to begin woodworking. I must be missing something. Like maybe a brain?
It doesn't ruin the table to cut into it. It's designed to be cut into. The track is stationary so generally you only need to put one mark on the table and you should set your cutting depth to about 1/8th of an inch past the stock you're cutting so there's a fairly shallow cut on the 3/4 inch mdf top of the Kreg table. Even if you do move the track a lot and make many cuts on the table in different places they would need to be very deep to have any impact on the strength. And one day when the table top does eventually wear out you can buy a whole new top from Kreg for $150. The top is somewhat disposable.
This idea is not new. The Festool MFT has been around for quite a while and is very popular in Europe.