Mitre Saws for Home and Work
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011This mitre saws article is part of the power tools series that has been developed to shed more light on some of the lesser known tools that are out there. The aim is that with this new found knowledge you should be able to finish your jobs to a higher standard and embark on more complicated projects with your newfound tools.
What is a Mitre Saw?
If you are new to the world of DIY or home machinery and power tools then you might not be aware of what a mitre saw is and how it can be of use to you and your projects. If you are not familiar with them then you might have found yourself struggling on some jobs when it came to the part where you needed to make an accurate crosscut or a mitre. If that is the case you will be pleased to hear that there is a tool especially for this task and that is the mitre saw.
Different Types of Mitre Saws
There are two main choices to make when choosing a mitre saw and that is between a powered one and the manual version. Your choice can affect the price and availability of the mitre saw you want to buy. This is because one type is now much more popular than the other and is therefore easier to find in stores and online.
Pros and Cons of Manual Mitre Saws
These are the original tools of this type and are less popular these days thanks to the rise of low cost electrical mitre saws. They still have their place though and manual mitre saws are great for those with a good workshop where there is space to set one up. But overall manual mitre saws are on the way out having been surpassed in sales and availability by power saws. They are now mainly the preserve of those dedicated to keeping alive the craft of manual woodworking.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Power Mitre Saws
An electric mitre saw is the future and this variety of the tool really gets the job done quickly and effectively. They are sometimes known as chop saws or drop saws but at the end of the day they are still mitre saws. Powered mitre saws make light work of making picture frames and cornicing. Despite having a motor they are pretty small these days and easy to carry around.