Choosing a Mitre Saw

These power tools are ideal for cutting planks, window trims, and crown mouldings as well as creating bevelled edges for door and picture frames.

The three types of mitre saws are:

Standard: This is a basic drop saw capable of making straight crosscuts and mitre cuts. For straight cuts, it plunges at a 90-degree angle into wood pieces. For mitre cuts, its blade enters the wood at lateral angles up to 45 degrees. While its capabilities are like the regular handsaw and manual mitre box previously used for these cuts, standard mitre saws provide the power, speed, accuracy, and convenience of power saws. They’re ideal for cutting baseboards and completing framing tasks.

Compound: Unlike a standard model, the blade and head of this tool can rotate to the side. It’s capable of making compound cuts (both mitre and bevel cuts) in addition to regular cross and mitre cuts. When buying a mitre saw in this category, you have two choices: single-bevel and dual-bevel models. The blade/head of a single-bevel unit can rotate to either the left or right side of the saw. This design allows it to make bevel and mitre cuts at varying angles. High-end models can tilt up to 50 degrees. Dual compound-mitre saws offer greater flexibility by having blades that tilt in both directions. With these, woodworkers can make bevel and compound cuts in both directions without flipping their workpieces.

Sliding Compound: This offers all the benefits of a compound model and adds a few advanced mitre saw features. The most important one is a sliding saw head. The motor and blade assembly mounts on a sliding rail that moves back and forth. This movable arm allows the saw to accommodate longer and wider wood pieces. It’s also available in single- and dual-bevel models.

Motor Power: Measured in amps (A), this describes the amount of power drawn by the motor of a corded mitre saw. For cordless models, volts (V) is the metric used for motor power. Motor power for corded units usually ranges from 13 A to 15 A, while cordless ones are available with 18 to 24 V motors. Higher amps and volts translate to more cutting power.

Remember that there is MAX Voltage, which is the peak voltage at startup, and nominal voltage, which is the actual running voltage power of the tool. It’s important to compare nNominal voltages when shopping as this is the actual working power of a tool.

No Load RPM is the speed at which the motor will spin the blade. This speed will decrease based on the hardness of the material being cut. No Load RPM will also vary based on the diameter of the blade.

Blade Size: This is the diameter of the blade. Mitre saw blades mostly measure between 7 ¼ and 12 inches with 10-inch and 12-inch units being the most common. Before buying this power tool, it’s important to know that a drop saw will accept blades of only one size.

Sliding and Flip Fences: Provide additional support for tall wood pieces when making mitre cuts. These mitre saw components slide or flip out of the way when using the tool for bevel cuts or supporting longer workpieces.

Electric Brake: Reverses the flow of electricity in the motor when you release the trigger. This saves time by stopping the spinning blade quicker than letting it slow down under its own momentum. This feature also increases user -safety by minimizing the time the blade is spinning when not in use.

Positive Stops: Factory pre-set points that make adjusting the saw’s blade to common angles easier and faster. Positive stops are handy for cutting trim, casing, or crown moulding where the most common repetitive cutting angles are indicated.

Depth Stop: Makes it possible to adjust the height of the blade to control how deeply it plunges into the workpiece.

Quick-change Blade System: Allows one-step blade changes to save time when switching blades.

Laser Guide: Projects a laser beam onto the workpiece and improves accuracy by helping the user line up the blade with the intended cut line. Depending on the manufacturer, the laser can be projected on the left side of the cut, the right side of the cut, or both sides of the cut.

As essential mitre saw components, it’s important to only pick blades that are compatible with your mitre saw. Drop saw blades are usually carbide-tipped discs with cutting teeth. The two key factors to consider when selecting these accessories are size and tooth count. Generally, these blades don’t have to be as hardy as the tile and paver saw blades used for cutting tiles, stone, and brick.

Thicker workpieces require saws equipped with 12-inch blades. However, mitre saws that use 10-inch blades are suitable for most DIYers and home workshops. Most drop saw blades have 40 to 60 teeth. Larger blades usually have more teeth than smaller ones. Lower tooth counts make cutting through thick materials easier, while a higher tooth count produces cuts with smoother finishes.

A folding or mobile stand is another accessory that’s useful when working with mitre saws. This is helpful if you use your mitre saw at a work site rather than in a dedicated workshop. A folding stand packs easily for storage, while a stand with wheels makes it easier to move your saw around the work area. Most stands will also significantly increase the material support on either side of the mitre saw. This is especially helpful when cutting long pieces of wood like when building a deck.

You may also consider laser guide and LED work light attachments for your mitre saw. An LED light brightly illuminates the work area and allows users to work in dimly lit rooms and at night.  Other stationary and bench top tools to consider adding to your mitre saw accessory kit include portable air mover, sander, and dust extractor or vacuum.

An extension cord can help you reach a wall outlet when working far away from one. It is best to use a high-quality thicker gauge extension cord, as thinner gauge extension cords could damage the saw by pulling too much power. If you need to work in an area where there are no outlets, you may want to consider getting a cordless mitre saw. While cordless mitre saws allow you to work anywhere, they also have the limitation of their battery performance. You may have to have additional charged batteries on hand to continue performing large tasks. It’s important to know that battery-powered saws are not suitable for heavy and extended usage as this quickly drains their batteries.

When using a compound-mitre saw for the first time, it’s advisable to check its alignment and other settings and adjust them accordingly. Often, such power tools are not calibrated correctly out of the box or it may get knocked out of alignment due to shipping and handling. It is always a good idea to verify the calibration of your mitre saw semi-regularly during its lifespan. For safety reasons, you should wear protective glasses and ear protection when operating a mitre saw. Furthermore, the safest way to cut workpieces is to start from the side closest to you and work the blade forward away from you.