Table Saw vs. Circular Saw: Which One Do You Need?

table saw vs circular saw

Both table saws and circular saws are used for woodworking, construction, and DIY projects. But which one do you need and why? This article provides all the information a DIYer needs about the table saw vs circular saw.

Overall, the right saw to use depends on what you are cutting and how you need it cut. Some factors that affect the type of saw you choose will include the type of wood you are cutting, and where the cut is taking place.

Table saws and circular saws are great for making long, deep cuts in pre-installed materials. They are both intended to cut straight along a guide-rail. But they each offer their own unique benefits.

What’s the Difference between a Table Saw vs Circular Saw?

Both types of saws are more alike than they are different. They use an electric motor to rotate a circular blade at high speeds. The serrated edge of the blade cuts through a wide range of materials with ease.

Like all tools, each saw is specially designed to best operate under certain conditions and for specific projects.

Table Saws

Table saws are the best tools to make fine, accurate angled cuts. This device looks like a table with a blade sticking up through the center.

They are designed with a circular saw blade that protrudes through a slit in the middle area of the table. The large table area enables carpenters to cut large planks of wood and composite board by resting the material on the surface.

The biggest benefit of a table saw vs circular saw is the accuracy of your cuts. Table saws can have an adjustable guardrail along one or both sides, which makes for fast and easy cuts that come out with uniform accuracy.

They also allow the blade to be adjusted for angle and depth. Unlike early table saws, the modern iteration features adjustable blades as opposed to adjustable tables. You can cut as shallow or as deep in the wood as you need just by turning a crank and locking the blade into place.

A table saw lets you incorporate additional accessories to improve its functionality, such as an extension table. As long as you take care of its components, it will last far beyond your lifetime.

Circular Saws

For material that is stationary, or otherwise unable to be transferred onto a table saw, a circular saw is perfect.

Circular saws are handheld and powered by an electric cord or electric battery. However, they lack the accuracy and consistency of a table saw. On the other hand, they’re mobile and provide just as much cutting power.

These tools rotate a circular cutting disc around an arbor that is powered by an electric motor. Belts from the motor drive the arbor to spin the attached blade.

A circular saw is used for cutting wood, plastic, metal, and masonry, given the proper blade type.

How to Use a Table Saw vs Circular Saw Safely

With any power tool, the first consideration is your safety. No matter what you’re cutting and how small or insignificant the cut seems, you must wear eye protection.

Table saw and circular saws produce high-velocity projectile debris when making cuts. Protect your eyes and ears.

Power saws produce noise that exceeds the advisable decibel levels for safe conditions. Often, a hard hat is recommended to protect your head from flying debris.

Table Saw

When using a table saw, you have to physically push the material through the blade in order to be cut. When a material is thin, this can require you to get dangerously close to the spinning saw blade. For this reason, you need a push-stick of some sort.

Most carpenters use a one to a three-foot-long piece of hardwood, which extends the reach of the carpenter without putting their hands in danger of the blade. Some push-sticks are available from retailers and are designed to form to the materials shape for more control.

Table saws are not meant to cut warped, water damaged, or misshapen wood.

Whereas a circular saw offers maneuverability over warped surfaces, a table saw will cause the material to kick back and splinter.

Furthermore, a table saw will always include an emergency button in case of an accident, which turns the saw off immediately.

In fact, table saws have recently begun to feature self-stopping blades. These tools are designed with a laser sensor in the cutting range of the blade. If your finger accidentally gets in the cutting area, the motor automatically stops and the blade is blocked.

This innovation makes for a safe table saw. However, the first accident renders the saw useless.

Most table saws feature a blade guard to shield you from debris, but it’s up to you to not cut your fingers off.

Circular Saw

Unlike a table saw, circular saws are mobile, so you can take them to the material. But, whereas a table saw offers a surface on which to support the material being cut, a circular saw does not offer material support. The first thing to do is make sure there is support under the material being cut.

These devices include an adjustable depth-rail for the blade. If your cut is meant to penetrate the material, be sure there is nothing underneath the cutting area that could accidentally come into contact with your circular saw blade.

A good cut will cause the saw guard to retract smoothly as the cut is made. When the blade is removed from the material, the saw guard should snap back to place.

The biggest obstacle in working with a circular saw is keeping your cuts accurate and true. Since it is handheld, it’s all up to you to make sure your hands are steady and your cuts are straight.

To maintain accuracy for angled cuts, keep the saws base flat on the material at all times. Though the angle of the blade is adjustable to a specific angle, the base always remains in the same angular relationship to the saw.

Which Saw Do You Need?

Between a table saw vs circular saw, you will end up wanting both. However, a circular saw can be mounted and used like a table saw, whereas a table saw cannot be made mobile.

If you love DIY projects, get a good circular saw before getting a table saw. For experienced carpenters, a table saw is essential for finite accuracy.

Do you have any questions or comments? Drop us a line or visit our blog! We’ew here to help you!

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