So, what are the different types of power saws available, and which ones should you invest in? The best saws for your workshop are determined by the projects you’re working on.
In most circumstances, you may increase a saw’s versatility by selecting blades designed to cut through various materials.
You may swap out the edges to tackle various cutting tasks. No universal saw is capable of completing all tasks.
It can be challenging to sort through all of the variety and comprehend the purpose of each instrument. You need to know what saw options are available and how they’re used to select which saws are ideal for your work types.
The following are some of the most common saws:
1. Band Saw
A band saw is a floor-standing saw that functions similarly to a jigsaw but with the added convenience of a fixed table.
The blade made up of a long, thin band of toothed metal, can be oriented vertically or horizontally, and is driven by a pulley system.
Band saws can be used to cut wood, metal, or both. A band saw can cut through various materials, including PVC, wood, and metal.
Cutting circles, curves, and irregular forms with these saws is a breeze.
Depending on the length of the band saw blade, you may be able to cut many boards at once, piled on top of each other, to generate matching curved pieces more quickly.
The edge of a vertical band saw cuts straight down, reducing the quantity of sawdust or other particles on top of the cut material.
This feature can be helpful when you need to see a line you’ve drawn on the material to guide your cut.
2. Chainsaw
If you’ve ever had to cut down a tree, you’re probably familiar with a chainsaw. A chainsaw is a band saw that gets its name from the rotating chain of sharp teeth that runs through it.
A chainsaw can trim and shape hedges and cut down trees. Some artisans even use chainsaws to carve wood.
There are also gas-powered chainsaws and electric chainsaws on the market. A gas-powered chainsaw has more power than an electric chainsaw and can cut through larger trees with longer bars.
However, due to the motor, gas chainsaws are louder and heavier than electric alternatives. Electric chainsaws are less powerful than gas chainsaws but are quieter and maybe more practical if you don’t have gas on hand.
3. Circular Saw
It is one of the most widely used types of all-power hand saws. This powerful and productive tool is built for significant amounts of work.
The gadget is an electric motor, saw blade, base plate, and protective enclosure.
Circular saws can be used for residential and industrial building and maintenance tasks. The ability to change blades depending on the materials adds to their versatility.
Furthermore, Circular tools work well with wood, laminates, and metal. Artisans use them to make oblique, longitudinal, straight cuts requiring extreme precision.
4. Track Saw
The so-called track (plunge) saw is a subtype of the circular device. They are similar in appearance, but the latter includes a unique attachment in the shape of a metal rail or track.
This little yet useful add-on makes the user’s job much more manageable. It produces smoother cuts, which is critical when working with colossal wood or metal sheets.
You can use a track to measure the necessary distance from the edge and cut it evenly. If you have an excellent circular saw, you can construct a DIY guide yourself.
5. Jig Saw
This is one of the different types of power saws, which consist of a reciprocating saw blade and an electric motor.
It includes a soleplate with a beveling feature for cutting angles up to 45 degrees to create miter joins. It can cut various materials in various shapes.
There are two sorts of jigsaws: corded and cordless. It can be cut in various methods, including curved lines, straight cuts, plunge cuts, and bevel cuts.
Cutting curves and intricate shapes in wood using a jigsaw is a great alternative. It’s also known for making shortboard crosscuts.
6. Reciprocating Saw
This is one of the different types of power saws. It is a motorized machine that uses a blade to cut the workpiece using a push-pull motion.
It features more giant blades and is built like a jigsaw puzzle. It is frequently employed in constructing, remodeling, and demolishing buildings.
A variable-speed motor powers it. Even if the nails are entrenched in the wood, they can cut through it.
Steel, aluminum, copper, and cast iron are among the metals that the saw can cut. You’ll need the right saw attachment to obtain the proper finish cut.
Window installers, construction workers, and emergency rescue services use it the most.
7. Chop Saw
A chop saw, also known as a cut-off or abrasive saw, is a portable saw with a circular blade that drops down, designed to cut straight rather than curved lines.
A chop saw can cut through a wide range of materials. Its blades aren’t soothed; instead, they use abrasives to cut through different materials.
Some blades are designed specifically for metalwork, while others are designed for masonry work. Cut-off, concrete, and abrasive saws are all names for chop saws.
Furthermore, a chop saw is massive and robust, no matter what you cut. It’s one of the giant circular saws available in a portable format.
Chop saws and miter saws are frequently compared. However, mitre saws are preferable for fine precision work, while chop saws are best suited for heavy-duty applications.
8. Mitre Saw
A compound miter saw is a simplified variant of a miter saw. Straight and miter cuts are possible, but compound cuts are not. This is sufficient for many purposes, particularly for flooring projects.
A regular miter saw, as a compound miter saw, is not portable. Instead, it’s meant to be placed on a tabletop.
A miter saw is similar to a chop saw but superior for clean, accurate cuts. Sliding miter saws are a type of miter saw. You can pull the arm forward on these models while cutting the saw through thicker materials.
Mitre saws are relatively safe and straightforward, regardless of your chosen model.
9. Compound Mitre Saw
This is one of the different types of power saws, a more labor-intensive variation of the traditional miter saw. Although a compound miter saw is not a handsaw, it is portable enough to transport from job site to job site.
The circular blade is coupled to a mounted arm that may be adjusted.
This saw can make three cuts: straight, miter, and compound. A crosscut on a board is a frequent example of a straight cut you might create using a compound miter saw.
Angled cuts are known as miter cuts. A typical application combines two parts to make a 90-degree angle, such as baseboards or molding.
10. Tile Saw
It’s also known as a masonry saw. This tool cuts ceramic, glass, granite, stone, marble, porcelain, and clay tiles.
It can cut tiles to the desired size and form. The tiles are made to utilize the device in conjunction with water to keep the diamond blade cold. The saw incorporates an adjustable fence for angled and square cuts.
The barrier comes to a halt for several amounts of the same size. Wet tile saws and dry-cutting saws are used for different cuts.
The advantage of a wet tile saw is that the blade and workpiece will not overheat, resulting in a clean cut.
11. Flooring Saw
It’s a portable tool for cutting through floor coverings. It’s a specialist tool that can replace various devices, including a jigsaw, a table saw, and other floor-laying instruments.
It stands out from other laminate flooring cutting machines because of its small size and portability.
In addition, you can carry it to the room where you want to put the floor down and cut the wood.
12. Wall Chaser
This is one of the different types of power saws, another narrowly professional sort utilized in the electrical and plumbing trades.
Unlike circular saws, this protective case allows two discs to move simultaneously.
It lets you rapidly create a gutter in a concrete or brick wall or floor of the specified width. Because a similar technique can be conducted with other instruments if necessary, professionals primarily utilize wall chasers.
