Miter Saw vs. Table Saw | Which One Should You Get?

If you are new to woodworking and carpentry, the wide range of manual and power tools can be overwhelming. While you can start with a few basic hand tools for small projects, you will soon realize that a proper power tool (or tools) can make the job much easier and more efficient.

Speaking of power tools, the two most popular ones for any woodworking professional (or a hobbyist, DIYer) are Table Saws and Miter Saws. One shines at cutting large pieces of wood and cutting through the entire length or width of plywood sheets. The other is suitable for making precise angled cuts.

Is it that simple? Well, no. There are a lot more things that can influence the Miter Saw vs. Table Saw comparison such as the types of projects, size of the wood, operating space, budget, etc.

In this guide, we will take a look at the basics of each and explore their characteristics and differences. We will also understand which type of saw is suitable for different types of cuts/projects.

Overview Of Miter Saws

A miter saw is a special type of circular saw that is designed for making precise crosscuts and angled cuts. This power tool features a circular blade (with a size/diameter in the range of 8 to 12 inches) mounted on a swinging arm that allows you to move the blade down onto the workpiece. This swinging motion makes it easy to cut wood, metal, and plastic at various angles.

In its simplest form of operation, a Miter Saw is basically a Chop Saw that can make crosscuts (vertical 90-degree cuts). However, the main characteristic of a miter saw is its sturdy base with a rotating table. This allows you to adjust the angle of the cut up to 45 degrees in either direction (diagonal or miter cuts).

Additionally, some miter saws support a range of bevel adjustments, where you can tilt the blade to make bevel cuts. Such saws (that allow both miter and bevel adjustments) are commonly known as Compound Miter Saws. Depending on the angle of the tilt (one-way or two-way), we can further classify them as Single Bevel and Double Bevel Compound Miter Saws.

Miter Saws generally will only cut through pieces with a width that fits within the depth of the bed. Sliding Compound Miter Saws takes it up a notch by incorporating a sliding feature that increases the cutting width. This type is particularly useful for cutting larger materials such as wide boards and panels.

Woodworkers and contractors use miter saws extensively for projects that require quick, accurate, and repeatable cuts with high precision. Miter Saw is very good for tasks that require angled cuts, such as framing, molding, and trim work. By adjusting the miter and bevel angles, you can achieve compound cuts for crown molding and other carpentry applications.

Overview Of Table Saw

A Table Saw is one of the most popular and versatile tools in woodworking and carpentry. Most woodworking shops place a table saw as their centerpiece (not only due to its importance but also its size). Unlike a Miter Saw, where the blade swings up and down, a Table Saw has a circular saw blade mounted beneath a flat table surface and protrudes upward through a slot. You have to feed wood (or other materials) across the table and guide it against the blade to make precise cuts.

The main application of a Table Saw is to make long cuts in plywood (or lumbar) that help in trimming wide boards into narrow pieces. These cuts are known as Rip Cuts. Apart from these, you can also use a table saw to make all kinds of “straight line” cuts such as cross-cutting, miter, bevel (with rip or crosscutting), and even compound cuts (bevel with miter).

Table Saws often have a flat tabletop (made of cast iron, steel, or aluminum) that helps in gliding wide pieces of wood very easily. They also include a rip fence, which helps in guiding the material during cutting. The saw blade is another critical component, with sizes typically ranging from 4 to 12 inches in diameter. Blade types vary depending on the type of cut you want to make (rip blades for cutting along the grain and crosscut blades for cutting across the grain).

Types Of Table Saws

There are several types of table saws, each designed for different levels of use and applications. The most common type is the contractor table saw, which is both portable and powerful. Contractor saws often come with a foldable stand so that home construction contractors can easily carry it from one job site to the other. Another popular type is the cabinet table saw. This type of saw has a heavy-duty construction and powerful motor (usually in an enclosed base).

Hybrid table saws are a fusion of contractor and cabinet types with a balance between portability and power. Portable table saws have the highest level of mobility and convenience among table saws. Construction professionals and DIY enthusiasts often use portable table saws for quick and efficient cutting tasks.

Benchtop table saws, as the name suggests, sit on a workbench or a sturdy surface. Hobbyists and small workshop owners often favor benchtop table saws for their low cost and compact size.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Comparison Table

Below is a quick comparison between a table saw and a miter saw.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Size Of The Material

Miter saws are outstanding at cutting smaller to medium-sized materials, especially when you need precision and angles. Most miter saws can handle wood boards ranging from 2×4 inches to 2×12 inches in size. The blade’s downward motion limits the width of the material that can be cut in a single pass. While sliding miter saws can extend the cutting capacity, they will struggle with boards wider than 14 inches.

When you consider the length of the wood, miter saws remain even more restricted. The fixed cutting area and fence design of miter saws limit how much material they can accurately support.

Miter saws are ideal for cutting shorter pieces but less suitable for ripping long boards or plywood sheets. For projects that require precise angles, such as crown molding or picture frames, miter saws present excellent accuracy.

If your job involves cutting larger and longer pieces of wood, timber, or plywood, there is no better alternative than a Table Saw. These saws are perfect for ripping long boards, cutting large plywood sheets, and processing wide panels.

Thanks to the flat tabletop and an adjustable rip fence, you can make precise cuts along the entire length of the material. Just feed longboards or full sheets of plywood through the blade to get straight, consistent cuts. Due to their ability to cut through both wide and thick stock of wood, table saws play an important role in furniture making and cabinetry.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Different Types Of Cuts

Crosscut

Crosscut is a process of cutting across the grain of the wood with a clean and accurate edge. Miter saws can handle this task efficiently because the blade moves directly down onto the material. If the job involves making repeatable crosscuts such as in framing or trim work, miter saws are more than capable. The only limitation is the width of the workpiece (no problem up to 12 inches or slightly more in the case of sliding miter saws).

Table saws are also capable of making cross cuts but they require more setup and skill from the user. We typically use a miter gauge or a crosscut sled to guide the material through the blade. The advantage of table saws is you can perform crosscuts on wide panels or longboards. However, they don’t have the same precision as a miter saw. As the process requires more time, table saws are not ideal for quick and repetitive crosscuts.

Rip Cut

Rip cut is the process of cutting along the length of the material, which is one of the strengths of table saws. Table saws are perfect for ripping because of their flat surface and rip fences that guide the wood through the blade. You can set the fence at any desired width and repeatedly make accurate cuts, which is essential when cutting large sheets of plywood or longboards into narrower pieces.

Miter saws, on the other hand, struggle with rip cuts. Their design focuses on crosscuts and angled cuts, not long, straight cuts. The fixed blade position and limited cutting area restrict the material size that can be ripped. Attempting to use a miter saw for rip cuts is highly inefficient and potentially unsafe.

Miter/Angled Cut

Miter cut is a process of cutting the wood at an angle across its top face (diagonal cuts). The angle of the cut is usually 45 degrees, to form a corner joint. The name miter saw came from the fact that these saws specialize in this type of cut with precise adjustments for various angles.

Most miter saws allow you to easily set the saw to cut angles in the range of 0 to 60 degrees. Miter saws produce clean and accurate miter cuts with little to no effort. If your job involves trim work, frames, or other detailed-oriented projects, miter saws are a perfect choice. The built-in miter scale and locking mechanism will help you get consistent results across multiple cuts.

Table saws can also make miter cuts, but the process requires more setup. You have to adjust the blade angle and use a miter gauge to guide the material. The accuracy of the cuts is moderate at best.

Bevel Cut

Another type of angled cut is bevel cut, where you tilt the blade to cut at an angle along the thickness of the material. Miter saws, especially compound miter saws, allow you to easily tilt the blade for quick bevel adjustments.

Table saws also handle bevel cuts but setting up for bevel cuts on a table saw takes time as it requires accurate adjustments. You have to tilt the blade to the desired angle and then push the material through the blade using the rip fence or a miter gauge. This method works well for long or wide boards. For smaller projects or quick bevel cuts, a miter saw is a more convenient option.

Specialized Cuts

Table saws can perform additional cuts such as dadoes, grooves, and rabbets. These cuts usually involve removing a piece/part of the material to create joints. By using special dado blades or adjusting the blade height, you can create wide grooves or notches. These cuts are essential in cabinetry, shelving, and other projects that require strong and interlocking joints.

Miter saws, however, lack this capability, as their design focuses on through-cuts rather than specialized joinery.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Accuracy

The accuracy of miter saws, especially when making crosscuts, miter cuts, and bevel cuts is very high. The saw’s design allows for easy and precise adjustments of the blade (with a built-in miter scale and locking mechanism) to make cuts at the intended/desired angle. For instance, cutting a 45-degree miter for a picture frame corner is straightforward with a miter saw.

The downward cutting motion of a miter saw also improves its accuracy. As the blade moves directly down onto the material, the risk of the material shifting during the cut is much less.

For projects that require repetitive cuts at consistent angles, the miter saw has unmatched precision and repeatability. Note that this high accuracy is only applicable to smaller pieces of material.

Table saws provide a different kind of accuracy, focusing on straight cuts. The rip fence plays a crucial role in maintaining accuracy by guiding the material as it moves through the blade. Once set, the rip fence will allow you to make a perfectly straight cut every time.

In addition to straight cuts, table saws also have decent accuracy while making cross cuts and bevel cuts. However, these require additional tools such as a miter gauge or crosscut sled.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Portability

Miter saws generally have a small footprint and compact design while weighing less than 50 pounds (23 kg). You can easily transport them between job sites by loading them in the back of your truck. Construction professionals and DIY enthusiasts can take advantage of moving a miter saw from one location to another without much effort.

On the contrary, table saws present more challenges regarding portability. Most table saws, particularly contractor and cabinet models, have larger and heavier designs that limit their mobility. These saws often require a dedicated space in a workshop due to their size and weight. While you can move some contractor saws, it involves significant effort.

Portable table saws with lightweight design, folding stand, and wheels do exist. However, they lack the oomph/power of their stationary counterparts. The bulkier design of table saws often restricts them to workshop use. While portable table saws improve mobility, they still cannot match the ease of transport of the miter saws.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Versatility

Table saws are one of the most versatile power tools in the woodwork industry. While their main capability is making long rip cuts in wide pieces of wood, table saws can also make crosscuts (when combined with a miter gauge or crosscut sled), angled cuts (both miter and bevel), dadoes, grooves, and rabbets.

Miter saws, on the other hand, lack the flexibility of table saws. They are suitable for making precise, angled cuts, particularly on smaller workpieces. However, they have a significant disadvantage when it comes to slightly larger materials or projects that require long rip cuts.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Safety

The design of miter saws makes it significantly safer than table saws. The downward cutting motion of a miter saw keeps the blade away from the user’s body and it reduces the risk of accidental contact with the blade during operation. Additionally, most miter saws include a blade guard that automatically covers the blade during operation as well as when not in use.

Another critical safety feature of miter saws is their stable cutting platform. The workpiece remains stationary against the fence and table. This not only allows the blade to cut accurately but also reduces the chances of kickback.

Table saws, while versatile and powerful, present more safety challenges due to their design and operation. The exposed blade is a primary concern, as it spins continuously during operation. While there are blade guards (either as an accessory or a part of the package), most professionals find it obstructive and remove it.

Many table saws come with a riving knife, which helps prevent kickback by keeping the cut kerf open. This feature significantly reduces the chance of the material binding against the blade and being thrown back at the user. Anti-kickback pawls further reduce the risk of kickback by gripping the material and preventing backward movement.

Some table saw models, such as SawStop saws, incorporate unique safety technology that can detect contact with skin and immediately stop the blade.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Cost

When comparing costs, miter saws are generally more affordable than table saws. Basic miter saws, designed for homeowners and DIYers, typically cost anywhere between $150 to $300. For example, the DeWalt DWS715 12-inch miter saw, which is a very popular “entry-level” saw, costs around $249. Another option, the Metabo HPT C10FCGS 10-inch miter saw is priced at approximately $129, which is a very good value for those on a tight budget.

If you need more advanced features, you have to go for compound and sliding miter saws. They cost more than the basic miter saws, usually in the range of $500 to $800. The Bosch GCM12SD 12-inch dual-bevel sliding compound miter saw costs about $699. Similarly, the Makita LS1019L 10-inch dual-bevel sliding compound miter saw costs around $649. This particular model comes with a laser guide, justifying the higher price tag.

Table saws typically have a higher initial investment than miter saws and it is more for heavy-duty models. Basic portable table saws, suitable for small workshops or DIY projects, start at around $300. For instance, the DeWalt DWE7485 8-1/4” portable table saw is a compact unit with decent power and costs approximately $399.

Mid-range contractor table saws, which are suitable for professionals and hobbyist woodworkers, have more features, a powerful motor, and a higher price tag. For example, the RIDGID R4512 10-inch table saw is priced at around $649. Another option, the SawStop Jobsite Saw Pro has a built-in blade brake system and costs about $1,499.

For professional use, there is no alternative to cabinet table saws and they are in a completely different price spectrum. The Powermatic PM2000B 10-inch cabinet table saw, for example, costs around $3,299. Similarly, the SawStop PCS31230 10-inch professional cabinet saw, with advanced safety features and premium build quality, costs approximately $3,499.

Miter Saw vs. Table Saw: Pros And Cons

Miter Saw

Table Saw

When To Use A Miter Saw Or Table Saw?

A miter saw is suitable for tasks that require precision cuts, particularly for angled and crosscuts. Woodworkers and hobbyists often use it for projects that demand precise angles (such as creating picture frames, trim work for cabinets, and installing crown molding).

If you are working on projects that need multiple pieces of the same length or angle such as baseboards or window casings, you can rely on a miter saw. With the miter saw’s adjustable blade angle, you can make miter cuts, beveled cuts, or much more complex cuts at virtually any angle.

Finish carpentry requires a high level of detail and precision. Professionals often use miter saws for cutting trims and other finishing materials that require accurate dimensions and clean edges. The Miter Saw is also suitable for quick and straightforward cutting tasks. You can use it to complete multiple cuts in a short period.

The large, flat surface of a table saw is perfect for making rip cuts along the length of large sheets of plywood, longboards, and other lengthy materials. Additionally, the table saw handles thick and dense materials more effectively than any other saw. The powerful motor and large blade can easily cut through hardwoods, thick plywood, and even composite materials.

While miter saws are suitable for angled crosscuts, table saws can handle straight crosscuts with precision. You have to use a table saw if you want to make crosscuts on large panels or longboards where a miter saw might fall short.

One thing that sets the table saw apart from most other saws is its ability to cut dadoes, grooves, and rabbets. These cuts are essential in joinery, where pieces of wood fit together without additional fasteners.

Large-scale projects often require a table saw due to its ability to handle large materials with ease.

Which One To Start With, Miter Saw Or Table Saw?

If you are a beginner and can’t decide between a miter saw and a table saw, we recommend you start with a table saw (provided you have the space and budget). Newbies and beginners looking to explore different woodworking techniques may find the table saw a more comprehensive tool. The table saw has a distinct advantage as it can support various types of cuts, including rip cuts, crosscuts, miters, bevels, dadoes, and rabbets. By starting with a table saw, you can learn to manage larger materials, which is essential for projects like furniture making or cabinetry.

Additionally, the table saw introduces beginners to essential woodworking concepts like blade adjustment, material feeding, and fence alignment. Learning to operate a table saw helps new woodworkers develop precision and control. For those interested in tackling a broad range of projects, the table saw is a strong starting point.

While the table saw requires more space and setup, its versatility can justify the investment for serious beginners as you can build basic furniture as well as detailed joinery.