If you are the part of an industry where regular work with materials such as metal and wood serves as your bread and butter, then you need to possess proper knowledge about the accompanying tools for benefitting out of best outcomes. You must have realized the immense importance of a proper wood cutter if you work in construction or take up DIY projects every now and then. You need to differentiate between saws to select the one which shall be in sync with your requirements. Those who are new to the industry often make the mistake of confusing between tools and bringing home something which might not be in line with their ultimate goal. Keeping such things in mind we have put together a basic guide consisting of the points of difference between a chop saw and a miter saw so that you can take the best purchase decision.
Both miter and chop saw might look exactly the same at first glance. Both the tools come with round blades which are mounted to a hinged arm coupled with a stationary base supporting the material. But chop saw has a bigger blade and motor than miter saw as it is used for cutting hard and large metal sheets. A chop saw also has an abrasive disc which looks a lot like a thin grinding wheel meant for performing the cutting action. Its cutting wheel and motor are mounted on a rotating arm which is connected to a fixed base plate devoid of regularly shaped cutting edges. The best miter saws in 2018 on the other hand consist of a laser guide who aids in positioning the cut precisely on the workpiece, a blade guard covering the cutting blade’s teeth, a safety clamp for keeping the workpieces firmly locked in place, a dust bag to keep the workpiece clear of sawdust and a miter index.
A circular blade and ‘drop down’ is used both by chop and miter saws for cutting from the top to bottom. Compared to miter saws, the chop ones’ pack in more power in their bigger frame making it tailor made for being used in industrial or commercial shops for slicing through large volumes of heavy-duty material. A quality 10 or 12-inch miter saw would thus be much more appropriate when compared to a chop saw for dealing with the vast majority of around-the house and home improvement projects. Miter saws can produce extremely neat cuts in picture/door frames from small material pieces. General purpose woodworking can also be catered to by a miter saw.
The biggest point of difference between miter and chop saw lies in the fact that the former can produce angled cuts or miters by rotating while chop saws can cut only at 90-degree angles. The other point of difference lies in the fact that chop saws are larger and come equipped with a 14-inch blade for unleashing more power with the abrasive metal cut-off wheels. On the other hand, miter saws are considered to be a finesse machine.
A compound miter saw can tilt the saw blade on its axis. In spite of being a neat feature, this seldom has much use in practical home improvement works. A chop saw on the other hand can be your perfect option for cutting trusses, studs, rafters, joists. Most of the chop saws are equipped with abrasive metal cut-off wheels although some manufacturers offer multi-purpose ‘cold-cut’ blades. Excessive sparks are produced by the abrasive blades which leave the material piping hot once the cut is made.
In spite of sharing similar basic functions, significant differences are existent between the two. Thus, it is advisable to go through these minute points of devices before taking your ultimate purchase call so that you can benefit out of the most appropriate tool which shall be in sync with your requirements.
