If you are a carpenter or a woodworker you would agree with us that a saw is one of the most important components of your professional life. The difficult choice to make here is to choose the saw. Which is suitable for your needs because there are multiple types of saws available in the market.
Today we would be looking at the miter saw vs cut off saw in order to give you a proper comparison. You have to look at the pros. and cons. of both the saws as you cannot find a perfect product but you can definitely find one which could be the best for you along with some tradeoffs. So let’s start digging into the details of the miter saw and cut off saw.
The Miter Saw vs Cut Off Saw –
What is a Cut Off Saw?
A cut off saw is a powerful machine that is used to make straight cuts in the wood. It is similar in shape to the circular saw. It can be used in order to make perfectly square cuts. There are few types of these saws that can also cut off metal or other hard materials. The cutting is done by abrasive disc, which is really similar to a grinding wheel. There are different types of cut off saws and we would like to cover each one of them:
Types of Cut Off Saw
- Table Top Models: The tabletop models are mounted on a table as the name clearly suggests. These machines are used to cut off wood and it can also be used to cut off tile and metal. Both the cutting wheel and the motor are mounted to a base plate and it is powered by electricity with a built-in vise.
- FreeHand Models: The freehand models are basically used to cut off materials such as concrete, asphalt, as well as wooden material. The handles and motor are available near to the user while the chain saw is present on the opposite side. There is no requirement of the vise in these kinds of models.
What is a Miter Saw?
A miter saw is a type of table saw which can make cross cuts or angled cuts into a wooden material. Although the miter saws are extremely efficient at making angled cuts. Not possible to make perfect rip cuts with such saws. In miter saws it is quite easy to tilt the blade making the cuts more precise and here are few cutting preferences you can choose from:
- Miter Cuts
- Bevel Cuts
- Cross Cuts
- Compound Cuts
Types of Miter Saws
There are different types of miter saws available which can be used in order to perform different kinds of cuts as each one of these types provides different functionality. We would like to explain the functionality of these miter saws so that you can choose the one which suits your needs in the best possible way.
- Standard Model: The standard model of miter saws can make 2 different types of cuts. The blade cannot be tilted so it is not possible to make bevel cuts. It is possible to make 45 degree, 60 degree, and 90-degree cuts with these saws. Some come with the special miter saw stand.
- Single Bevel Compound Model: The single bevel compound models can create miter cuts as well as bevel cuts as the blades can be tilted. The limitation in these models is that the blade can only be tilted in one direction.
- Dual-Bevel Compound Model: The dual bevel compound models provide you the functionality of tilting the blade in both directions. These models are not suitable for making long cuts because the blade is stationary.
- Gliding Compound Model: The gliding compound or sliding compound models can help you make bevel cuts in both the directions. The blade can slide in forward and backward direction giving you extra functionality.
Miter saw vs cut off saw is quite a long debate but it all comes down to your needs in the end. The cut-off saw can also be used to cut into various other materials along with the wood which is an extra advantage. On the other hand, the miter saws provide you the functionality to make bevel cuts which are not possible with the help of cut off saws.
If you want to cut into various materials and precision is not required than a cut off saw would be a better choice while if you need to make precise angled cuts you should go for a miter saw.