# Circular saw, miter saw or table saw?



## SaraHandcraft (Jun 22, 2018)

Hello woodworkes! Last week I was discuting with a coworker about what is better between miter saw and circular saw. Personally, I love my circular saw because it’s useful for crosscut and rip-cuts while a miter saw can’t do rip-cuts. However, he said he prefers a table saw above any other tool because it’s versatile, useful for rip-cuts and crosscuts too and despite it’s expesive it worth it. I looked up on Internet and found this article https://www.toolazine.com/circular-saw-vs-miter-saw-vs-table-saw-buy-first-beginner/ and realized he’s totally right. Also, I read that a miter saw is good for angled crosscuts, it’s perfect for picture framing tasks and very portable. Now, I’m not sure if circular saw are the best one. What do you prefer? What do you have in your garage?


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

all the above...
and handsaws...
jigsaw..
bandsaw...
gang saw...
should I go on...


----------



## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Tools do different things better, the trick is buying what you need vs what you want! On my budget anyway!


----------



## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I have all of the above but rely mostly on my table saw. It will do more and do it better than the others.


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

The key is in the hands of the operator.


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

The table saw is the heart of the workshop. I have often said that I have no idea how a home owner can live without one but I know plenty that do. If you do any type of repairs or building then a table saw is the one tool you need to get started. I have two, an old Sears 10" that I use weekly and a Powermatic 66 that I also use weekly. I also have a Delta Unisaw but it's hard to get at so I don't use it that often. I also have all the other saws but I consider them specialty saws.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

A good table saw can do more for you than you can imagine, but having all of the other saws makes many jobs easier to do. You already have a circular saw and it can be very handy, but making accurate straight and angle cuts with it is difficult. A miter saw can help you make accurate cross cuts and angled cuts quickly and easily, but they can't do rip cuts. A table saw can do rip cuts, cross cuts, angled cross cuts, some resawing y, and make moldings using a molding head, and do it all accurately, although some of the setups might take a little longer than using one of the specialized saws. Save your money and look for a used, but good quality table saw with a good reliable fence and miter gauge. Learn how to use it safely, and you will be able to do all kinds of precision woodworking with it. You can later buy the other kinds of saws to make doing certain things faster, but when just getting started you should look for a table saw as your next purchase. It will be the single most used tool in your shop. 

Charley


----------



## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Like everyone else said, each type of saw has it's strength's and weaknesses. My table saw is my most used saw followed by my bandsaw, jig saw and scroll saw. I don't have a miter saw and wish that I did but space and money are limited. However, you mentioned your circular saw. I have an old craftsmen that I've been using for about 40 years. A couple of months ago I bought a much newer one at a yard sale for $35. Much, much better. The question is what do I use it for? For a table saw, miter saw or bandsaw, you have to be able to bring the work piece to the saw. Each saw has it's limitations. The throat on a bandsaw, the width of the piece for a mitersaw, and the overall size of the piece for the table saw. I have a contractor's table saw and sometimes pieces are just too big to safely cut on the table saw. For example, breaking down 4' x 8' piece of plywood on my table saw would be both difficult and dangerous. For that, I use the circular saw. Works great. There are also projects where you have to trim an edge or end after the build. I've used the circular saw for this with things like garden benches. 

Like Stick mentioned, don't forget hand saws. I won a Japanese Razor saw at meeting of the woodworkers club that I belong to. It has a coarse side a fine side and there is no set to the teeth. I've used it more often than I expected.

So, to answer your question, I prefer all of them.


----------



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Sara,

I think it's safe to say we all or most started woodworking with hand saws or a circular saw. It is the most portable power tool for cutting with a bit of accuracy. Now you can say you have a woodworking shop unless you have a table saw. It is by far the most versatile tool in the shop. The others are all nice to have but the table saw can perform most cuts with accuracy and repeatability. If you don't own one, buy the best you can afford ! you can upgrade later on if you must.
Dan


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I'd give up all my saws in favor of the table saw. Fortunately, no one is making me do that and I have all types for various purposes. I have a 7.5 inch circular (Makita), 6.5 inch 18v portable I really enoy using because of its light weight (DeWalt), a 6.5inch track saw (Triton) which is wonderful for breaking down sheet goods, a 10 inch sliding miter (Bosch), an assortment of hand saws including my much used Dozuki Japanese saw, a 10 inch Laguna table saw that gets used most days, and a Laguna fourteen/12 bandsaw that's a dream to use, and a little 12 inch band saw that's very handywith a 3/8 ths blade that is incredibly convenient (Rikon). 

Each excels at specific tasks, and I was able to buy all for cash in the 10 years before I retired. The saw I use least is the Makita circular saw. So I'm with the ones saying it depends on what you're going to use it for. If I were building, say, a shed, the Makita and DeWalt would come out and I'd put the sliding miter on a table too. But for more delicate projects, it's almost always the table saw.


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

These guys have said it all. My advice is to save your money and buy a quality table saw. The key word is quality.


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

On further consideration, I recall that I was very happy having the circular saw from about age 20. Did a lot of home repair projects with that old Skill saw. Only gave up on it a few years ago.


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

DesertRatTom said:


> On further consideration, I recall that I was very happy having the circular saw from about age 20. Did a lot of home repair projects with that old Skill saw. Only gave up on it a few years ago.


Very understandable Tom. In my early years as a tradesman the only person allowed to use the TS was the cabinet maker and he also regularly used a skil saw that we were never allowed to touch. I was always amazed at what the skilled could accomplish with a skil saw. Perhaps the name was more appropriate than we thought at the time. 😁


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

With a cutting guide you could build a set of cupboards with one. I would make a setting gauge to position the cutting guide with ( a stick with a hook on one end to register against the edge and a sliding head to butt against the cutting guide). With a setting gauge you would guarantee that the piece you cut is parallel in length and that is one of the most important criteria in making the boxes.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I'd hate to give up _any_ of my saws!
If home renos are the main focus, I'd start with the circ. saw; the TS and sliding compound miter saw are both invaluable and i wouldn't want to work without either one, but as has already been pointed out, you can take the miter saw pretty much anywhere close to where you're working...the table saw, not so much.
Some of the small jobsite portable table saws are pretty sweet, especially if you have them set up in/on a 'work center' with outfeed and side table support surfaces.


----------



## Old man Dave (Aug 30, 2018)

Every post thus far is correct, however, let me offer another insight. You asked which circular saw or mitersaw? So everybody said “tablesaw”???

I guess your original question was too limiting for many posters. Include me it that crowd but let me give you the benefit of my being old(and experienced).

I have owned and used all of these tools for over 50 years. Let me throw in the one tool not mentioned so far. And yes my intention is to remain focused on your original question. The tool not mentioned is a radial arm saw. In my case I had a circular saw first as a power tool. Had up until that time several very good but different hand saws. Once I got infected by the power tool disease things for me changed. I had (still have) the frame style hand mitersaw. Nothing wrong with that did some high quality work by hand. Still my powered skill saw did make crude non critical cuts easily. Critical very accurate fitted joints are not easily done with a skil saw. I moved up to a table saw and then thought what I really dream about is a powered angle (miter saw) so I bought a radial arm saw. The more current style miter saws were not made yet or I never saw one. Probably 15 years passed before I got a 10” miter chop saw. Principly to cut mitered angles only. Along the way I moved through compound miter saws, double compound, and now a 12” Dewalt sliding compound mitersaw on a portable stand. In my opinion going backwards if I had this tool first most of the rest of my other saws would not be needed. It does very well and accurately most cuts and along with a good straight edge plus a good circular saw you could probably do 90 percent of everything that all my other fancy tools do. Hope that helps. But still, in my case like everybody else I can’t give up my tablesaw, bandsaw, router table, etc, etc😈


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Good string, full of good info and considered opinions.


----------



## OBG65 (May 5, 2018)

Like Stick, I have all of them plus jigsaw, hand saws, and a band saw. Each of them has a purpose.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

OBG65 said:


> Like Stick, I have all of them plus jigsaw, hand saws, and a band saw. Each of them has a purpose.


But which one do you use most often? For me, it's my table saw. I can do almost every cut that I need to, and very accurately with my table saw. Of course it won't cut curves well, so a band saw or at least a saber saw would be the next saw that I would suggest buying. My very first woodworking tools were a circular saw and a saber saw, but the next power tool that I bought was a table saw, and it was a piece of used junk, but better than having no table saw at all. Look for a good used saw and clean it up. You will save money and be able to do better work with it. Don't waste your money on poor quality saws like I did. Find a good used one at a good price, fix it up, and don't look back. 

That was 4 table saws ago and each table saw was an improvement over my previous table saw. I now have a cleaned up, but used Delta Unisaw (I'm the third owner) and I am no longer searching for a better table saw. I even spent half as much for this saw as I did for the brand new saw that I bought before it and all I needed to do was clean it up. It ran and cut accurately when I brought it home.

Charley


----------



## OBG65 (May 5, 2018)

CharleyL said:


> But which one do you use most often? ....Charley


Depends on what I'm doing and how precise I need the cut to be. I'm in the process of setting up my shop in a shed. In putting up the plywood walls I'm using the table saw (Grizzly G0833P) for ripping to width, the circular saw with a guide to crosscut to length, the jig saw to cut out the openings for the outlets or a notch on the wall panels, the miter saw to cut some 2x4 beams for the loft to length. I've used a hand saw to adjust some element here and there. The band saw hasn't come into play yet.

When I get the shop up and going, the project I'm doing will dictate what saw(s) I'll be using. The ones I'll most likely be using the most are the table saw, band saw, miter saw, and hand saws.


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

The one that is missing from the discussion is the classic Sawzall or reciprocating saw with which one can destroy virtually anything. 😈


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I have two sawzalls, a corded Milwaukee, and a cordless DeWalt, but I consider them house butchering tools for use when doing wood structure renovations. Although they reside in my shop, the only times that I've used them in the shop has been when I was modifying my shop's structure. They are very handy, almost "must haves" when doing that kind of work. I bought the Milwaukee about 50 years ago for my HVAC business, the DeWalt 4 years ago to use when the nearest working electric outlet was 250' away.

Another renovation type of saw that I have become quite fond of is my oscillating "shaky saw". They are quite handy when "house carving" type renovation work is needed to be done. I had a Fein back when I owned the HVAC business, but it got stolen. Lately I just wait for Harbor Freight to put them on sale and then I pick up several for less than $15 each. Some last quite a long time. The others become spare parts for the ones that are still running. I don't see a need to spend big money for another Fein because my needs are purely personal now and the Harbor Freight version is so cheap that they are almost disposable after each project gets completed.

Charley


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Has anyone mentioned chainsaws?...
https://wreg.com/2018/10/12/man-run-over-by-lawn-mower-while-trying-to-kill-son-with-chainsaw/


----------



## ranman (Oct 27, 2017)

I skimmed through. Anyone mention the Fein Multimaster? One of my all time favorites.


----------



## mimac (Dec 13, 2009)

I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw!


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@CharleyL

I have a similar combination. What I like about the DeWalt is adding the “pruning” blade which makes trimming small bushes and trees a breeze.


----------



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Sarah seems to be AWOL.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

@CharleyL

Go Harbor Freight!!!
@JFPNCM
Beat me to it,Jon.
Herb


----------



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I don't know if Santiago, Chile has a Harbor Freight. Sarah would have to let us know.


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@MTStringer
Looks like a business opportunity Mike.


----------



## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

So as to be certain the pot is well stirred, I watched an episode of The Woodsmith Shop yesterday devoted to setup of a first shop. The one big tool demonstrated was a (brand not revealed) band saw. The presenter described the band saw as perhaps the first tool to acquire specifically over the table saw. He did say buy the best, biggest one can afford because "you will grow into it". He also recommended three blades: 1/2cinch, 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch. He described a project which, after the band saw, use a router and the workpiece was ready.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

To each their own I guess. If I only had one saw it'd be an 8 1/4" circ. saw. 
With that and a rip guide I can do pretty much everything.
A beam compass and a sabre saw will do the curves; freehand when you get confident.
But if I had space, and a spare $1,500, sure a bandsaw would be luverly!


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

One thing I learned about band saws, is to grind the back side of the blade lightly to debur it and round it over slightly. Turns much more easily that way. I found this little gadget to do the trick.


----------



## FKwoodcnc (Oct 30, 2018)

Amount.., if you consider using your own circular saw, it is enough. However, if you consider it in the long run, it is a better choice for a better-functioning table saw. Also look at the wood you use often, always using solid wood. Circular saws can be. Wood-based panels are also often used, and the sliding table saw is better because the small saw blade on the front of the sliding table saw will ensure that the veneer veneer and PVC material are not torn. The angle is more accurate and the speed is faster.


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@DesertRatTom

Looks interesting. Home made?

Any issue with sparks as you debur the blade or are you doing that before installation?


----------



## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Tom, I've used that to round over the backs of every band saw blade I have. I even did my 1/2" and 3/4" blades even though I don't cut curves with them. Ok, occasionally I'll use the 1/2" to cut a big curve if I happen to have it on my band saw at the time but I have never done anything but resawing with the 3/4" but I still rounded over the back. I don't know if it made a difference on the that one but I feel it has helped with the smaller blades.


----------

