Dfigu,
The festool will do anything a table saw with and do it better. I only use it in certain situations,though. If I am just filling out a wall,a table saw is much easier and faster to use than the festool. For one thing,you have to have a scrap piece of plywood under your work when using the festool. If you have some open floor somewhere you can use it there,but sooner or later that open floor is gonna be covered up.

Tapered cuts are a cinch with the festool. I had a job a few months ago with a header at a screwy angle. It would have been murder with anything but my festool and table. Once you get that table adjusted right,you can make any cut you want in no time and the cut is flawless.

The mention of the radial arm saw sent shivers down my spine. They have to be the most terrifying saw to use, in the world. If I hadn't already owned a nice slide compound, and a table saw, maybe it would have been different. But I did, and it wasn't.

I have had the Festool setup since 99, I was one of the first non company guys to get them. They are magic in the right situations, and cumbersome in others. Every tool has it's niche. I also have a Makita 8 1/2 inch table saw, that never comes out of the truck. I can do 1/4 round on it, and base if I have to. But I prefer to cut and install trim with my slide. And I don't use it for flooring. I use the 60 Tooth Freud Diablo's on the slide, and the 40 tooth 7 1/4 on the Makita.
BTW, you can throw together a jig that gives you some of the benefits of the festool, without costing you an arm & a leg. I have mentioned this before, let me know if you're interested. (No, it's not going to cost you, or involve a chain letter, or pyramid scheme.)

Anyone that has had any experience in a cabinet shop or production wood shop knows the value of a quality radial arm saw. Why anyone would feel "terrified" over a saw that does the SAME thing as a sliding compound miter saw is beyond me. The fact that a radial arm saw can do anything a slider can and twenty times more is a major plus for the guy that wants only ONE saw. There are many tools that perform a single function better but none that can do everything that a radial arm saw can do. It is NOT for flooring as it is too bulky and cumbersome and slow to adjust. It is for those who have limited space and a limited budget and yet need to make very accurate cuts. It is designed to be a stationary tool; not dragged around from job to job. Bottom line, there is only one perfect portable flooring saw and that is what my grandpa used; a Disston ten point cross cut hand saw.

First off, if I could do it all over again, I would buy the Festool...

Is the scrap piece of plywood to prevent splintering? i.e. you cut through both flooring and the plywood?

I am not sure what you mean by the open floor comment. Did you mean that you may use the saw at the worksite right on the floor, where no flooring has been installed? If so how is that any different from using table saw.

I take it by your second comment that you also have the festool table? What "right adjustments" are you refering to?

Difigu,
When I say festool,I mean the festool pluge saw that rides on a straightedge. I was answering your question concerning making ripcuts.

I am having a little trouble following you. There is only one way to use the long straitedge. That is on the floor. There is no spintering with the festool setup because of the splinterguaerd on the straightedge.

I have the small table setup also. It is only about 40 inches square. You can make small rips with that setup(I guess). But why?

SK and I are on the same boat. I carry my 8in Makita tablesaw everywhere I go. It is much more versatile than the festool. The festool is a specialty item. Sort of like the multimaster. I have been carrying my multimaster alot lateley.

thanks Chuck for your reply, I re-read your posts, and I think I understand.

I had been looking at the so called "MTF" table from Festool, which looks like it has a peg-board top, and wondered how it was supposed to be used.

The festool table comes with quite a few attachments. It is not pegboard. It is a 5/4 in piece of HDF. It is only 30dollars to replace the top. Those holes allow you to set up your angle guide in any position you want it. They also facilitate the use of those cool little festool clamps to hold your funky work to the table. The table comes with a short straitedge that pivots up and down from the back of the table. Once you get your brackets set at the proper heighth,the straightedge acts as a clamp.I am probably doing a piss poor job of explaining that table. If you ever get a chance to use it,you will be amazed at the genius behind it's design. Me likey much.

I think I paid about 300 dollars for my table and about 600 for my saw. I got them at a deal. I don't use the festool dust collector. I use the porter cable with a big sander bag in lieu of the paper one. Works for me.