miter saw or table saw

[fiddlebanshee]

Ok, so I tried to make my first miter for a window frame for the coop by hand in a miterbox and a handsaw. Needless to say it didn't turn out too well and my arm was falling off after only two cuts (that didn't match, glad it was scrap wood and I was just trying things out). This drove home the notion that I had had for a while that it might be a good idea to invest in a power saw. I know what the difference is between a miter saw and a table saw, and what I would like to know from all you experienced diy/professionals is what is more versatile of the two? If you could buy only one, what would you get?

Any preferences on brands? I know I will not settle for the cheapest on the market (I'd rather buy one quality tool than both a miter and a table saw that are both crappy and neither of which works well). Are the portable jobsite saws good enough quality to be worth the portability? Should I get a hybrid table saw?

I'm looking at the Bosch 4100DG-09 for instance, that seems to get good ratings. How would this compare to for instance a Ryobi BTS21, that also gets good reviews, but is much less expensive? Am I just paying for the Bosch name?

I'm leaning towards buying one now, because as we move into our new house, I can see a number of projects that I might want to undertake that would be easier to the n-th degree with a table or miter saw.

 

[underground chickenman]

This is a tough question because the two saws are so very different and used for completely different purposes. I would suggest a miter saw and a handheld circular saw. The circular saw can do the most common cuts done on a table saw, but only a couple of the cuts done by a miter saw. You can also get a straight edge as a cutting guide if you need to make a long straight cut by hand with the circular saw. So, put your money in the miter saw and buy a 40-dollar circular saw.

Of course, if you can swing it, I would get both.

UGCM

 

[fiddlebanshee]

thanks for your thoughts. i actually have a circ saw, but cannot cut straight with it for the life of me. Maybe I should get a good sturdy portable worktable and with some sort of guide attached to it? Do these things exist? And then i could go for a miter saw, if I still wanted to buy something new. Thanks for bringing in that new perspective.

 

[ranchhand]

I use a piece of scrap clamped at either end as a saw guide. Works great and cost is minimal. Love my tools!

UGCM is right, the table saw is far more limited. I use the miter saw and a circular saw far more often. Especially the circular saw.

 

[Mervin]

My experience tells me that the average homeowner would be much better served by a compound mitre saw. It can be very cumbersome to make mitred cut on a tablesaw, especially those intended for "job site" type usage. The advantage of a table saw is that it's the best way to rip long stock which most average homeowners don't do all that much. When they do, it's usually a piece of plywood anyway which generally doesn't work great on a table saw. My honest opinion would be to get a compound mitre saw and a circular saw with a rip gauge attachment. As for brand, it's pretty hard to go wrong with DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Porter Cable, but you do pay a premium for those names. I say find one with the features you like and go with it, but do compare it like-for-like (horsepower, amperage, fine adjustment, etc). It's not like you'll be using it everyday or making a living off of it. As long as it is not dangerous and has the features you'd like then it should serve you well. I have the basic Skilsaw circular saw that I've absolutely abused for over a decade now and it just keeps cutting. I'd like to get a new one but I just can't justify it b/c it still works in spite of my abuse. I recently bought a cheapo rip gauge for it from Lowes and for a grand total of $40 I remodeled the better part of two houses with it. My table saw sits in the basement collecting dust btw. Just my 2 cents.

 

[sgtmom52]

DH has both a Bosch table saw and Dewalt compound miter saw.

The miter saw gets far more use than the table saw. Also it is more portable than the table saw ~ more easily moved to the work site.

He like both of them ~ however he has remarked on several occasions if he had it to do over he would get a "sliding compound miter saw" instead of the regular as it cuts larger pieces of wood and is more versatile.

 

[JMPE]

I don't know what I'd do without my miter saw (we have a Makita compound sliding). I use it constantly. I almost always use a circ saw for long straight cuts (two clamps and an extra board is all you need for a guide) because I need an extra set of hands for large items on the table saw and my DH is hardly ever around when I'm working. The table saw only gets pulled out for ripping boards or when I need a dado blade.

Bosh has a great reputation. My next will mostly likely be a Bosh.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Thanks all, this is exactly why I decided to ask this question here rather than go to a woodwork shop (we have a good one in where I live) and have someone try to sell me the most expensive piece of machinery in the shop or even multiple items. I think I'm tending towards a gauge for the circ saw (I have a DeWalt, that I am comfortable using and have used for years. I just can't keep the thing straight without a guide, but I'm fine for short cuts. And then perhaps invest in a good mitersaw. Back to the internets for some more research.

 

[pinguin]

Agree with underground chickenman. I've had a Bosch 4410 (compound sliding miter saw) for about 5 years; it's my most used large power tool. But you're not going to rip a sheet of plywood with it.

My Bosch has cut tons of trim for the house as well as 4x4s for the coop. It does both with ease & accuracy.

Yes, you can buy a guide for a circular saw. Do your homework before buying, though. I'd suggest checking out a few woodworker's sites & reading reader reviews. Cheap guides are worthless. You want one that can be clamped tight & won't bow from the pressure of the saw. Add a sturdy pair of saw horses & you'll be making straight cuts in no time.

Down the road, you might want to watch Craig's List for a used table saw. Again, browse some of those woodworker's sites. OWWM http://owwm.org/ is a great one when shopping for used, high-quality tools.

 

[teach1rusl]

BOTH!!! I hate to think how long it would have taken us to build our coop without them...plus our nailer and drill of course...lol. But I agree that you could make due with a low end circular saw if needed. So go for the miter if you can only buy one. By the way, you should check out local farm and estate auctions...you can find some good deals on those types of tools.