Table Saw Vs Mitre Saw

[Roger928]

ahh ok brain fade the dewalt is a work light not a line indicator

No.
Its both.

 

[big-all]

maybe on yours ???
will check again tomorrow

 

[big-all]

mmmm its says shadow line ??
wonder if its gunged up??

 

[big-all]

ahhh worked it out
i have a mdf board that clips on the saw bed and fence to stop breakout on the back surface at 90%
this coincides off course with the shadow off the blade
when i remove this you can see the blade shadow clearly

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The DW shadow line systems are OK and at least, unlike the lasers I've experienced on various Makitas and Hitachis, shows you more or less where the blade is going to cut. Personally I [refer the shadow line system to siingle laser lines. The best (most accurate) laser system, inevitably, is the double laser line system of the Kapex, but TBH that's overkill for most non-professionals.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thanks.

So what are peoples recommendations currently on the market?

 

[EddieM]

Thanks.

So what are peoples recommendations currently on the market?

Haha... it depends.. I have a dw780 but it's big, heavy and not really portable. That said it's a good saw when adjusted! When I have the room I'll get another smaller saw, possibly the kapex. J&K has a lot to answer for

 

[aptsys]

Hi James

Table saws are incredibly accurate if it's a good machine and properly set up and provide a similar finish to a mitre saw when using comparable blades. They are also more versatile and customisable than mitre saws, but far less portable of course. If a person went into a shop to buy a mitre saw for say, £150, they'd expect it to be able to cut accurate mitres, but that is far from reality and it's a common scenario. It's actually very hard to calibrate a saw to cut a perfect 45 degree mitre. By perfect, I mean picture framing accuracy or those needed for fine furniture. For many precision applications, a shooting board is required, which is where you use a perfectly calibrated jig and plane the angle until it's perfect.

My first question would be, what do you intend to do with the machine and what kind of accuracy do you feel you need?

I use my table saw for everything - the mitre saw rarely gets used, but I invested some time to build jigs and sleds.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I use my table saw for everything - the mitre saw rarely gets used, but I invested some time to build jigs and sleds.

Here's where we get a divergence in requirements. You can use a table saw, providing that the length of the materials you want/need to use isn't more than the length/width of the shed or garage you are working in, although TBH unless you are absolutely minted and can afford an industrial sized panel saw the physical limit in terms of length will really be no more than 3 or 4 feet, In crosscutting terms that makes the average table saw useable for small-scale furniture, and that's really about it. TBH, if you need to crosscut joinery timbers, door casings, skirting boards, architraves, decking, planking (floor or shed), fencing, etc, etc - in fact anything likely to come in lengths above 1.5 metres - then the best way (indedd the only practicable way for the vast majority of folk) is going to be a mitre saw of some description. I assume that the OP intends to use his saw for a wide cross section of work including hoisehold tasks - and that makes the mitre saw the better choice.

 

[big-all]

so so much easier and quicker to get constant rapid cuts on a mitre saw with a length stop

 

[justbigboned]

Thanks.

So what are peoples recommendations currently on the market?

Did you settle on your requirements yet? 8" or 10" etc.

If you can stretch to £250, there is a decent Bosch, the GCM8 SJL. The price has dropped on it in the past year or two and it might be worth investigating why, in case they have cut corners, but at £250, it's an absolute steal.

I still think you'd struggle for picture framing accuracy with any mitre saw, but the Evolutions of this world are really only for rough cutting (I use mine for firewood...lol) or lopping off metal profile, they just can't be calibrated properly and the quality control at the factory makes them extremely frustrating to use if you require any sort of precision. They are all marketing gimmicks and no substance. Incidentally, their "special ability" of cutting metal can be accomplished with any saw as long as you have the right blade fitted.

The Bosch on the other hand, with a good blade, is pretty decent accuracy wise. I've used all sorts of saws for various jobs and overall, besides the Kapex, it would be my choice for a new saw. It should last years and I doubt you'd be disappointed with its overall performance if you take the time to set it up properly and treat it to a decent blade.

Don't forget, you'll want a reasonable shop vac to cope with the dust and on the Bosch I mention, I prefer to extend the extraction scoops with aluminium tape, which makes them far more effective.

Regarding it only being an 8" saw, it's accurate enough that when using a stop, you can make a cut then flip thicker stock and still get a pretty decent finish. Due to issues inherent in mitre saws (deflection mostly) it wont be perfect, but we're talking only perhaps 0.01mm out on mine. A single pass with a plane on the shooting board sorts that in seconds.

 

[Roger928]

Incidentally, their "special ability" of cutting metal can be accomplished with any saw as long as you have the right blade fitted.

Unlikely. Speeds not correct.
Have one in my work shop and no machine that cuts wood will match it.

 

[justbigboned]

Unlikely. Speeds not correct.
Have one in my work shop and no machine that cuts wood will match it.

Fair point, some saws are quite quick for metal.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Unlikely. Speeds not correct.
Have one in my work shop and no machine that cuts wood will match it.

Let's get something straight here - it isn't the saw that's special, but the blade. Stick that blade on another similar sized mitre saw which has variable speed and you'd certainly get similar or possibly better results. In design the blade is very similar to some of the metal-cutting blades that you can get for 14in portable metal saws. Whilst I don't like doing it I have from time to time used my small DW saw (a DW777 which has variable speed) to cut aluminium profiles. I use a fine tooth (216mm, 108t) negative rake blade with Trendilube blade lubricant, with the speed turned down and the cuts are excellent - good enough for inferior fit-out world. Cleaning the saw out afterwards (to ensure that swarf doesn't scratch future polished timber pieces I cut) is a chore - and is the main reason I don't cut metal on it so often.

BTW the DW777 isn't unique with this ability - my other saw, the Kapex KS120, also has variable speed. My reason for choosing this option on both saws wasn't metal (although it is quite handy for that) but rather for when I am cutting plastics, which very often also require lower speeds and specialist blades and which I cut rather more often - especially the solid surface stuff like Corian

 

[Roger928]

Stick that blade on another similar sized mitre saw which has variable speed and you'd certainly get similar or possibly better results

Unlikely. No wood saw will take the big blade my evolution metal saw takes.
And it has a vice.