Circular Saw, Table Saw, Compound Saw – What to choose?
January 2024
Last year for my birthday, I spent hours pouring over articles to help choose a saw for my growing toolkit.
I had considered a couple of projects that I wanted to do but hadn’t finalized any plans. I was trying to put the cart in front of the horse, and in doing so, I became so frustrated that I ended up putting it off.
After a few months, I decided that my first (official) woodworking project needed to be simple, so I decided on shelving.
Once I committed I started to think about the best saw to get me there, and one versatile enough to get me through a few more projects before needing to buy another tool.
While scrolling, I came across an event at a local hardware store covering the basics of woodworking. The description listed several different tools, so I thought this could be a great opportunity to learn about, and ultimately help choose a saw. I quickly threw money to sign up for the last spot.
Once the day came, I nervously sat in my car, hoping for a class of beginners like myself and an instructor with a good sense of humor.
I got both!
A small class of 4, with an instructor who never once made us feel ridiculous for not knowing something. He also gave helpful information on how to choose a saw.
Table Saw
This big guy was a dream. Of course they use a high-end SawStop for their workshops. This one hosted a price tag around $4,000.
We chatted about safety for a few minutes, but then we were encouraged to try a couple of cuts to get a feel for how the saw feels.
He explained that this is a great tool to have in your workshop and there are many options ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Things I loved about it:
It does almost everything! Rip cuts, cross-cuts, miter cuts, bevel cuts, dados, rabbets, grooves. It can take a large piece of plywood and break it down to manageable sizing. There are multiple tools to help with accuracy and safety.
Things I worried about:
Very stationary, not something I could easily move to the backyard if a project needed – possible, just not easy. The price tag for something dependable was pretty high.
Also, despite my instructors direction to “never fear, only respect” workshop tools, I am indeed terrified of a table saw. I’m not sure the exact reason but a blade that sticks up from the middle of a table that requires you to push material toward it – I feel like this fear isn’t completely irrational.
Compound (Chop) Saw
This is the type of saw that I was deeply considering last year. Outside of any capability, it just looks like the type of tool that does a lot of stuff, for lack of a better word.
All the coolness aside, this felt so easy to use and like I could accomplish a lot with it.
Things I loved about it:
So many available adjustments! Similar to the table saw, it is capable of a number of different cuts. I was able to lock it into place easily and things like dados and rabbet cuts (the U and L shaped cuts you see in wood) so efficient. I found this one to be the easiest to just step up to and start using. Also, although heavy, I felt like it was something I could move with me from project to project.
Things I worried about:
This isn’t a one-and-done saw. The biggest concern I had was not being able to cut down a large piece of plywood. I only considered this because I have a specific project in mind. The final worry was not something I would have caught onto without the instructor. Very simply, even a $1,500 compound saw isn’t perfect.
After a few cuts, he held up a square to show us that although angles and depth had been set, there was a slight inaccuracy that required tiny nudges to the saw to correct.
Long story longer, always make and measure test cuts to save yourself a lot of time and money.
Circular Saw
I’m going to admit to cheating a little bit here. I didn’t actually use this tool during the class, but have used it in the past.
Although we didn’t get a chance to try this one out, the instructor was very helpful to understand the benefits and potential downfall from purchasing this tool.
Things I loved:
It’s so portable! I can easily take this wherever needed. It will do a number of different cuts, including chopping down a large piece of plywood into something manageable. To top it off, they come in a number of price ranges to fit most budgets.
You would think that a blade not attached to anything stationary would provoke fear, but I am calmed by the fact that the guard is in place until something pushes it out of the way.
Things I worried about:
I am in my own way when it comes to this tool. You can purchase accessories to help with straight lines, but without those additional tools, it falls on your own steady hand.
Also, you can’t get some of the fancy grooves, dados and rabbets from this guy. I don’t know that I need those types of cuts, but they look pretty cool.
As for me, the Circular Saw wins the challenge.
I took into consideration the next few projects I would like to complete and felt like not only would this be sufficient for what I needed, but equally important, it’s where I felt financially comfortable.
I’ll be sure to note which one I end up with on a future project and for those trying to decide, I hope this was helpful!