Q & A: Mitre Saw vs. Table Saw

Customer Question:

I do a variety of general woodworking projects around the house and garden. I currently have a small DIY circular saw.  I am looking at getting either a table saw or a mitre (cross-cut) saw, as in your Bosch special today.  Can you advise me of the key differences in application, pros and cons, etc between the two types of saw?

Tools4Wood Answers:

These machines usually serve two separate applications.

The table saw is used primarily for cutting (ripping) boards to thickness/width whereas the mitre saw is primarily used to cut (cross-cut) boards to the desired length.

Between the two machines, the table saw is the most versatile as you can rip boards to thickness/width as well as cross-cut boards to length.

Although the above is correct, the main obstacle in using the table saw for cutting boards to length is the set-up necessary in order to ensure that the cuts are accurate and safe.

• In order to use the Table Saw for cross-cutting, you’d have to make a Cross-cut Sled as seen on the following article: http://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/07/01/build-a-super-precise-tablesaw-crosscut-sled

The mitre saw is not ideally used for ripping boards to thickness/width as the arm of the machine would get in the way of the board. The mitre saw demonstrates it’s strengths with the variety of angled-cuts it is able to make with very little set-up time and no jigs involved. This makes the mitre saw ideal for making 45-degree cuts, as seen on picture frames.

For accurate, repeatable, safe and versatile cross cutting, the mitre saw is irreplaceable.

In my opinion, if you were to settle for only one of the above two machines, you would be better served by the table saw.

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