Wondering whether to buy a miter saw vs circular saw? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
At first glance, the two may seem identical due to the circular blade present in each one of them. But a more in-depth analysis shows that these power tools are quite different. Here’s a brief overview of each cutting tool, and how they stack up against each other.
What is a Miter Saw?
A miter saw is a power tool that’s used to make crosscuts and miter cuts in a given piece of wood. This saw comprises a blade attached to a swing arm, which is then designed to pivot either to the left or right so as to produce angled cuts.
The cutting action employed by a miter saw is stationary. This is because it involves pulling the blade downwards to tear through the workpiece, contrary to running the blade along the wood.
It’s pretty much like slicing a carrot. Usually, you use a downward motion of the kitchen knife to cut the carrot and continue making cuts until you’re done slicing.
With a miter saw, the material in question is held against a fencing system to facilitate an accurate cutting angle.
Types of Miter Saws
There are different types of miter saws, namely:
Compound Miter Saw
This tool has a blade designed to pivot both right and left to facilitate angled cuts. However, it can only tilt in one direction to facilitate beveled cuts.
Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw
While an ordinary compound miter saw can only tilt in a single direction, a dual/ double bevel can tilt both right and left. This allows you to make bevel cuts at any angle.
Sliding Miter Saw
This miter saw contains a blade that’s mounted on a sturdy metallic track. The ability of the blade to slide on the rails results in a greater cutting depth.
Sliding Compound Miter Saw
This one blends the functionality of a sliding and compound miter saw into one.
Pros and Cons of Miter Saws
Pros
Cons
What It’s Best For
A miter saw can make a wide range of cuts. These include:
Crosscuts
This involves performing cuts along the length of the woo at a basic angle of 90 degrees. Let’s say that you want to slice through a 2 by 4 board into half. A miter saw is an ideal tool for such an application.
Miter Cuts
This is a type of angled cut, but it’s specifically performed across the width or face of the piece of wood.
When performing this sort of cutting, the blade retains a vertical position in relation to the base of the tool. The only thing that changes is the angle of the cut, which shifts from the front to the rear of the material being sliced.
Wondering where miter cuts are used? Well, if you've ever come across two trims running into each other, the angle at which this happens was likely done using 45 degrees angled miter saw, before being fitted together.
Bevel Cut
Yet another type of cut that you can make using a miter saw is a bevel cut. Unlike a miter cut that’s done across the face of the workpiece, a bevel cut is made through the board’s thickness.
When making bevel cuts, you’ll need to tilt the blade either to the right or the left from the usual 90˚ angle relative to the surface of the table. Due to this adjustment, the blade no longer assumes a vertical angle.
Compound Cut
Compound cuts are a blend of a bevel and miter cut. The specific type of miter saw used to perform these cuts is referred to as a compound miter saw.
What is a Circular Saw?
A circular saw is an electric power tool that rotates a round flat blade so as to slice through the workpiece in question.
It also consists of a handle, which is where the on/off trigger switch is located; an arbor nut to secure the blade in position, and guards that shield the operator from coming into contact with the rotating blade.
The beauty of a circular saw is the fact that it can be fitted with different blades. This allows the operator to slice through an array of materials, ranging from wood to timber, lumber, concrete board, and sheet metal.
Better yet, a circular saw lets you adjust the depth and height of cuts. There are some that can even perform bevel cuts.
Saw circular saws can either be handheld, giving an operator the freedom to choose a left-handed or right-handed approach. But if you don’t wish to hold it, you can also mount it on a table for greater control and stability.
Types of Circular Saws
Like miter saws, circular saws also come in different variations. The two main ones are worm drive and sidewinder.
Worm Drive Circular Saw
The main thing that distinguishes this circular saw is the positioning of the motor. In this worm drive model, this motor is located on the back of the blade.
The spinning power of the motor is then transferred to the blade via a set of gears. You’ll also notice nearly every worm drive circular saw has its blade on the left.
This configuration has its fair share of merits and disadvantages. On one hand, it boosts the torque of your circular saw. Unfortunately, this also reduces its speed.
Sidewinder Circular Saw
In a sidewinder circular saw, the motor is aligned to the blade. Thanks to this, you can expect top speeds of up to 6,000 RPM.
Also crucial to note is that the blade on this tool is often positioned on the right. However, you may come across other models whose blades are on the left. Thus, choosing between the two will depend on whether you’re a right- or left-handed individual.
Pros and Cons of Circular Saws
Pros
Cons
What It’s Best For
A circular saw can be used to perform a wider variety of cuts than a miter saw. These are:
- Cross cuts - cross cuts are performed across the grain of the wood. To achieve this, you’ll need to cut across the width of the board or workpiece.
- Rip cuts - contrary to crosscuts, rip cuts require you to cut across the width of the board.
- Miter, Bevel, and Compound cuts
- Dado & Rabbet - a rabbet is a type of recess cut that’s performed on the edge of a workpiece. A dado is a type of cut that doesn't go all the way through the wood. What this means is that you can use this tool to slice through big pieces of plywood.
- Plunge cuts - with plunge cutting, you can begin cutting from anywhere within the material, as opposed to starting from one end.
Similarities and Differences between Miter Saws and Circular Saws
Here are some of the features that make circular saws, miter saws either similar or different from each other:
Similarities
A miter saw and circular saw aren’t similar in very many ways.
Nonetheless, there are a few that are worth noting. For instance, whether you opt for a circular saw, miter saw, you'll be able to pick from either corded or battery-powered versions.
Also, compared to other powerful tools like a table saw, they’re relatively cheaper. And, they can both cut different materials as long as they’re fitted with the right blade.
Differences
Application
When comparing miter saw vs circular saw with regards to applications, the latter is the undisputable winner because of its versatility. However, a table saw is still more versatile than a circular saw.
That said, each tool is best suited for a given range of tasks. So you’ll want to think about the nature of projects you plan to undertake before choosing between the two.
For instance, saw a circular tool seems to excel in projects such as cabinet and rack construction, roofing, and masonry. Generally, if you need to do some sort of cutting where accuracy is not a priority, you can use a circular saw.
With a saw miter saws, you'll be able to make door frames, picture frames, crown moldings, and window casing.
Accuracy
Cutting precision is a crucial aspect to consider when choosing between miter saws vs circular saws. You don’t want to end up picking the wrong tool and jeopardize the quality of cuts.
Now, we’ll start off by saying that both miter saws and circular saws deliver fairly accurate cuts. But if your projects call for the highest precision level, a miter saw is more precise.
This all stems from how these tools operate. With a miter saw, the only thing that you have to do is configure the saw and fence, place your workpiece on the table, then gently lower the blade and it will do the rest.
But saw a circular requires you to manually direct the blade to where you want it to cut. This paves way for error, and as a result, delivers less precise cuts.
Pricing
Another factor you’ll want to take into account, especially if you’re just starting out, is the price of a miter saw vs circular saw.
Of the two, circular saws are more affordable, making them an excellent option for those shopping on a budget. You can get an entry-level circular saw for as little as $40. And even if you opt for one that has more features, you probably won’t spend more than $300. Check out our guide to choosing the best budget circular saws.
On the other hand, a miter saw starts out at around $100. If you’re looking for a more advanced model that has all the features, expect to part with up to $600 or more. This makes miter saws more expensive than circular saws. See some of the cheaper miter saws here.
Skills Required
The level of user-friendliness is another difference between a miter saw and a circular saw.
Based on this, a miter saw emerges supreme in the circular saw vs miter saw battle. A miter saw can perform incredibly smooth and accurate cuts. Even if you’re a beginner, it’s very forgiving. Just be sure to follow the guidelines provided and do a couple of trial cuts.
A circular saw is an entirely different beast. The fact that you have to guide the blade’s movement makes the cutting process tricky and daunting. This means that if you're not careful when using a circular saw, you may end up damaging the workpiece, or worse, the saw itself.
If you’re not confident or lack experience using a circular saw, then consider starting out with a miter saw.
Portability
Another point of contention in the miter saw vs circular saw debate is portability.
Though you’ll probably conduct the majority of your woodworking projects from your garage or workshop, you may encounter situations where you need to carry the saw to a job site. For such, the handheld circular saw will really come in handy.
It’s lightweight and compact, making it easy to pack and use on the go (check out the best compact circular saws here). Contrary, miter saws are bulky and heavy; hence, they’re designed to be used in stationary points.
How to Determine Which One You Need
It’s never easy deciding between a miter saw vs circular saw. But oftentimes, you only have enough money and space for one of them.
If you’re faced with this question, the most important thing to consider is the intended application.
Use a Circular Saw To:
- Rip long sheets of plywood
- Can be used for rough cutting, especially on dimensional lumber (like a 2x4) and when accuracy is not a priority
- Ideal for cross cutting boards that are more than 12 inches wide
- Make long angled cuts in plywood or softwoods
Use a Miter Saw To:
- Make precise cuts in your furniture and cabinetry projects
- Best suited for making a miter cut
- Ideal tool to cut straight cross-cut on wood that’s up to 12” wide
- Make repeated cuts, preferably, with a miter fence in place
- Do trim work or slice crown molding
FAQs
Can you use a circular saw as a miter saw?
Yes, you can. Circular saws offer greater versatility and they can perform every type of cut that can be done with a miter saw. Whether it's cutting plywood or performing an intricate cut at a 45 degree angle, the best circular saw will get the job done with ease.
Is it worth buying a miter saw?
For DIY projects that require you to accurately and quickly cut door frames, window casing, or crown molding, a miter saw is a handy tool. But if you prefer a power tool that’s more versatile, then opt for a circular saw.
Can a beginner use a miter saw?
Yes, they can.
Miter saws are more forgiving power tools. It’s much easier to make both angled cuts and straight cuts with this piece of a machine than a circular saw. Plus, they have user-friendly features like laser guides and fence systems that make the whole cutting process easier.
Do you need a miter saw to cut angles?
No, you don’t. While this power saw is the most suited tool for performing angled cuts, it’s not the only thing you can use. Table saws and circular saws are equally capable power tools.
Conclusion
The debate of miter saw vs circular saw - they both have circular blades. To add to this, both saws come in cordless and corded varieties. So it’s not unusual for people to confuse one for the other.
However, these tools are very different from each other. One major difference between a miter and a circular saw is that the former produces more accurate cuts. Moreover, circular saws require more experience/ expertise while miter saws are more user-friendly.
To make an informed decision between these tools, be sure to consider the intended use. If you prefer accuracy to versatility, then choose a miter saw. But if you want a tool that has a broader range of use, opt for a circular saw.