Table Saw or Sliding Mitre Saw/chop saw?

[Shay Vings]

I have a small bandsaw which is pretty versatile for preparing pieces for woodturning etc but has its limitations.

I am thinking of getting a a table/bench saw or a mitre saw but I am unclear as to the pro's and cons. In one you move the sawblade through the stationary wood and in the other move the wood through a stationary blade. You can get either type for hobby work around £300 so not a lot of difference there.

I don't envisage cutting wide boards or ripping massively thick planks but I do want precision cutting with a fine tooth blade and a decent mitre guide, not one of these flimsy plastic/ally things which sloggers around in its groove.

Any advice on which way to go?

 

[Chems]

Well if your not planning on ripping or working with sheet goods/panels theres not much point getting a table saw and your bandsaw will do it when you need it.

But if you want good crosscuts with good accuracy then a mitre saw is the way to go, and you'll get a much better mitre saw for £300 than you would a table saw. You can get a good Dewalt or Makita or Bosch for that money where as in table saw's you'd only really get a TS200 for about that money which is any good.

 

[OPJ]

Are you also looking to use this saw to assist you in your woodturning - as with the bandsaw?

It's a tricky one although, Chems makes some very good points...

You really do need a good amount of space all-round the machine, if you intend to introduce a table saw to your workshop. With a sliding mitre saw, you do need clearance behind for the rails but then, the only other requirements are to have enough room either side of the blade - with a taller working height that many other machines, this can be advantageous in a small workshop (imagine trying to cross-cut a board on a small table saw in a small garage or shed... You'd have to move several things to make room.)

However, with a budget of £300, I'd be looking for a second-hand model (as Chems mentions), unless you can live with 2in maximum depth of cut.

Is one saw really any safer than the other? There's no reason you could not clamp the timber to a fence before cutting. Cheaper mitre saws will have questionable accuracy, if you wanted to cut mitres, for example.

Hope this helps.