Buying my first saw .. which one?

[ImportTuner]

I thinking about buying a saw (something bigger than a circular or jig which I alread have) for general household usage. Should I get a 10/12 inch sliding compound miter or a 10 inch table saw. Any advice/recommendation would be appreciated ..

 

[lbgradwell]

Well, if you have to get one, you can do more with the table saw...

As far as sliding mitre saws go, I'd recommend a 10" over a 12"; the capacity advantage of the 12" is marginal (almost negligible), they are heavier to move (if you need to) and the blades are significantly more expensive...

 

[Shocker]

Boy, I would get both. I use both a table saw and a miter saw. They are both very useful. I guess you need to decide what you are going to be doing.

Personally, I would say I use my miter saw more.

 

[SteveU]

I thinking about buying a saw (something bigger than a circular or jig which I alread have) for general household usage. Should I get a 10/12 inch sliding compound miter or a 10 inch table saw. Any advice/recommendation would be appreciated ..

If you have the room and are going to get a table saw I would recommend getting a cabinet saw vs a contractor model. Everything on them is heavier duty & they usually come with better fences which affect both accuracy & safety by reducing kickbacks. They come with more powerful motors which won't bog down when ripping hardwood with a full kerf blade and are stable & heavy enough they won't be tipped when you run a 80 lb sheet of plywood over it. Brands to look for are Powermatic, Delta, Jet, or Grizzly. The table saw is more flexible since you can't rip or run sheets of plywood with a miter saw.

 

[Rory Bellows]

I wish I had a 12" when I was cutting 6x6 timbers for a landscaping wall. They didn't fit my 10" but will in a 12". I ended up cutting them with a chainsaw. I think you will need both a mitre and tablesaw if you do any woodworking. They may take up alot of space but you'll be glad you have them when you need them.

 

[Uncle Buck]

You know there are tons of old quality 10" table saws floating around out there dirt cheap. Old Craftsman, Mongomery Ward, Delta, Atlas, etc, cast iron tops and cast wings with standand 1/2-1 & 1/2 hp capacitor start motors for less than $100 regularly, and if you can handle the weight, and the footprint of space they eat, nothing less than $7-8 hundred new today can tough a well kept old timer for sheer quality of the machine, no plastic parts there, no sir!

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I have a Bigfoot saw, setup for a guide system. If I were using a lot more large lumber (construction on the farm), I might upgrade to a 16" Makita.

 

[Vinko]

You know there are tons of old quality 10" table saws floating around out there dirt cheap. Old Craftsman, Mongomery Ward, Delta, Atlas, etc, cast iron tops and cast wings with standand 1/2-1 & 1/2 hp capacitor start motors for less than $100 regularly, and if you can handle the weight, and the footprint of space they eat, nothing less than $7-8 hundred new today can tough a well kept old timer for sheer quality of the machine, no plastic parts there, no sir!

This is what I did. Got an Emerson-made Craftsman. Happy with it. $80 off Craigslist.

 

[back2class]

Table saw. It will do most mitre cuts as well as ripping and such. Without a doubt better than a box. If not need portable then I would seriously consider a radial arm saw.

 

[35mastr]

I prefer a 12 inch saw. I have a Dewalt sliding mitre that I use alot. Bigger is better in this situation. I would buy that new.

Then I would start searching CL for a nice old cast iron table saw. They come up quite frequently and are pretty reasonable.

 

[Kevin54]

I would go with a compound miter saw. I have both and the miter saw gets used 20:1 over the table saw. If the table saw is in the garage, it ends up as a catch all, so I store it in the shed. It is a Delta Contractors saw and weighs quite a bit so moving it is not the easiest. When I use it, I use it quite a bit, but for the most part it just sets. The compound miter saw on the other hand stores under the bench and probably gets used once or twice a month. for any framing, trim work, etc. the compound miter saw is invaluable.

 

[jnoble]

I have a decent 10" Jet contractor's saw and have used everything from little bitty Makitas to monster $10k+ SCMI sliding table saws. They all have their uses. They are also fairly dangerous. I've never been seriously hurt by a table saw, but I know an eight fingered cabinet maker among other victims.

What you need to ask yourself is what you want to do with the saw. If you want to work with sheet goods--plywood, MDF, etc.--I'd seriously consider a Festool circular saw with rail guide. <a href="http://www.festoolusa.com/products/plunge-cut-circular-saws/ts-75-eq-plunge-cut-circular-saw-561188.html">Take a look.</a> I haven't used one, but some fairly serious woodworkers are ditching their table saws in favor of these. It wouldn't be my first choice if I had to rip 50 of something, but I've done the "poor man's Festool" thing with a circular saw, straightedge, and C-clamps and can get very good results. Add a plunge router (the most versatile tool in the wood shop, IMO) and some shop made jigs, and there isn't much you can't do with sheet goods.

If you want to cut real wood for furniture, skip the table saw and get a bandsaw, planer, and jointer. Better yet, get a bandsaw and some high quality hand planes. If you think Snap-on is expensive, wait until you see woodworking hand tool prices.

 

[jnoble]

I wish I had a 12" when I was cutting 6x6 timbers for a landscaping wall. They didn't fit my 10" but will in a 12". I ended up cutting them with a chainsaw.

That's a job for a good old fashioned hand saw. My E.C. Emmerich bow saw goes through construction lumber like butter, is very quiet, and isn't likely to send me to the hospital.

If I had to chop landscape timber all day for a living, I'd get the biggest, meanest chop saw I could find. For home use, hand tools have a lot of advantages and will often give a better result.

 

[Major Ramifications]

You need to figure out what type of cuts you will be making, how important is portability, how much room do you have, etc.
I use the miter saw more, but I really don't want a slider (I have a 12" dual bevel non slider). However, the table saw can do a thousand things that the miter saw cannot. I have a portable table saw with wheels that folds up and stores in a corner. It is a pain to fish out when I need it, so if I can use the miter saw, that's the one I grab. You still need a lot of space on the sides when using it, but not as much clear area as a table saw.

 

[psychoclaw84]

Determine if your saw will be part of a wood worker shop or an saw for home repair.

My analysis are based on a homeowner garage and home improvement work.

If home repair and remodeling is the bulk of the work you will be doing then a miter saw would be perfect. For example; the saw is perfect for installing a wood or laminate floor it has an easy set up for straight and angled cutting and will easily set up for baseboard installation. Storage needs is an empty shelf space.

A table saw is the ultimate for ripping wood and cabinet making. It will perform multiple cuts, but is dependant on fixtures and jigs to perform these cuts accurately. Dedicated space is needed for the saw & fixture storage whether you have a small, portable, contractor or cabinet saw.

For cutting plywood, mdf panels my circular saw handles these needs using a square & cutting guides (purchased and Home Depot or Lowes) to make cuts on large items.

 

[Kev442]

10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw is going to do 90% of what you need to do. A circular saw with a guide will do 90% of the ripping you need to do and a couple C clamps with a straight 2x4 will do the rest. I built my polebuilding with these items.
I actually have an Emerson 10" table saw and it was bought to create tongue and groove carsiding and finish woodwork, otherwise I would never touch it.