Thread: Circluar Saw for a beginner!?

Originally Posted by sonny_shines

Hi all

Complete newbie here and about to have a little go at trying some woodworking projects in the garage

Just as a way to dip my toe into the water im looking to get a circular saw to start me off

Ive read through the first 10 pages here lol and ive read a bunch of threads on circular saws,, im hoping to get some current advice from the experts on my specific requirements (fairly basic)

Im just a weekend DIYer looking to try a few things. I have a Makita drill on the 18V system with batteries etc in case that helps with recommendations

Noone would mistake me for an expert but I will share my experience because it's similar and maybe relevant.

When I was starting out I also had a drill / driver set and then I bought a circular saw, a cheap corded one from the green homegamer Bosch range (under $100 from memory). With those two as my only powertools I ended up making my whole workshop from the ground up, and it's not a colorbond shed, but I built it like a proper room with plasterboard, insulation, cement sheets, skirting boards etc.

Then when I had to cut sheets I made a track from a couple or DAR pine boards and a few screws, it takes a few minutes to make and although a little clumsy it makes it possible to get surprisingly accurate cuts. I even ended up cutting my own (pretty basic) skirting boards with it and rounding them over with a plane.

Anyway what I'm trying to say is don't worry too much about what you get next, whatever tool you get it will give you many possibilities (I remember when I bought a mitre saw and turned a straight board into a perfect square within seconds, it triggered all sorts of light bulbs in my brain LOL). But most importantly it will help you understand if you love this sort of thing or not, and if you do love it you will probably end up owning both tools in the future anyway. For now maybe just let your next project guide your next purchase.

Good luck and make sure you use these things safely!

Over thirty years ago I obtained a Skil saw from McEwans. First I used it for rough cuts - basically fire wood. When I wanted to make more accurate and straighter cuts I used a straight edge, then a guide. The other things you will need are some sort of marker (pencil) a set square or sliding bevel and probably some clamps. With this you will be able to do everything a SCMS can do, or a track saw; only it will take you a lot longer and may not be 100% accurate or repeatable. But you can still turn out some good work.
It was only when my Handyman business called for it that I bought a Festool tracksaw and vacuum. I now also have a Compound Mitre Saw, not sliding, that weighs about 14kgs and can be a pain to move. While both of these tools have their limitations in cutting most things can be done with planing even if it means bringing out a hand saw.

If it was me, I would consider the Ozito track saw. The track will make sure your cuts a straight, and if you marking is accurate, reasonably repeatable with out being too time consuming. No, I do have or used it, nor is this a recommendation as to the quality of the tool or supplied blade, but it may give you an indication of what can be done.

thanks again guys - i really appreciate the comments

im massively torn between a mitre saw and a track saw. probably both the low end ozito type

i think my first three projects will use zero sheets. so on that basis its kind of making me think mitre saw is the best buy atm?

but then im reminded like the post above that the circular saw can pretty much do all that i want AND rip sheets!!!

is the dedicated purpose of a mitre saw make it a winner for my needs over the circular saw? im leaning toward yes?

and then like Spyro says above, im likely going to end up with both anyway, and i can get a track saw when i need to rip sheets

so on the mitre saw, sliding v fixed.. am i mad to consider a fixed?

Originally Posted by sonny_shines

thanks again guys - i really appreciate the comments

im massively torn between a mitre saw and a track saw. probably both the low end ozito type

i think my first three projects will use zero sheets. so on that basis its kind of making me think mitre saw is the best buy atm?

but then im reminded like the post above that the circular saw can pretty much do all that i want AND rip sheets!!!

is the dedicated purpose of a mitre saw make it a winner for my needs over the circular saw? im leaning toward yes?

and then like Spyro says above, im likely going to end up with both anyway, and i can get a track saw when i need to rip sheets

so on the mitre saw, sliding v fixed.. am i mad to consider a fixed?

Ok lets look at one thing at a time

1. Consider your space: A mitre saw needs to be screwed or clamped onto something, a bench or a stand of some sort. Sliding mitres saws need a deep bench, make sure to physically look at the saw before you buy, it will likely be deeper than you expect when pushed all the way back (except for a couple of expensive models).

2. Saw dust: A mitre saw is basically a fan, it will sprinkle saw dust across a your whole bench in no time. People go to the extend of building intricate enclosures for them that allow the saw to move freely, but only just, in an attempt to contain the dust. And then a lot of it goes straight in their face (well at least that's the case with my enclosure LOL)

3. Support: Mitre saws are often, if not mostly, used for long pieces. And long pieces need support at the other end before they can be cut. Again many people end up building long dedicated workstations for their MS, but as a minimum you need a second stand/saw horse or similar at the same height as the MS.

The result of 1+2+3 is you kinda need to organise your space around your MS a little bit. Whereas a circ saw you just pack it away in a box and it's gone.

One last consideration, is why to buy a MS in the first place? Well the main reason is because it's fast really, and accurately repeatable. So you really need it if you have many identical or similar cuts for your project. But if you don't and you only have a few, even people who have every powertool under the sun and a perfectly set up workshop will still consider using a hand saw. A hand saw is quiet, doesn't blow dust up your nostrils, it can be stupidly accurate, super versatile and requires next to no setup or safety precautions, so it can actually be quicker sometimes. Just something to think about. Like the other stuff, a hand saw is something you will probably end up owning anyway (it helps that they're not expensive).

If you go the MS route see if you can get something with a depth stop, it gives another option for some rebates and lap joints. Sliding is good to have, but depending on your typical projects you might actually never need it and it makes the depth stop feature more difficult to implement, to the point that many manufacturers skip it entirely on their sliding mitre saw. But we're maybe splitting hairs here, there's a good chance you might never need sliding or depth stop, it depends what you want to cut.

good info mate cheers

yes the depth of the sliding mitre saws is something im not loving.. not because i cant find the space, i probably can, but they are really big and a bit over the top looking for me lol

to be honest i actually think the vast majority of my cuts, at least for the first few projects, will be 2x4s or other thin-ish boards of that nature.

on that basis would you suggest im better getting a dedicated fixed MS with a depth stop? Which would presumably be of higher quality and perhaps more accurate for the same price, given its not sliding?

Spyro has really described all the good and bad points of a miter saw. For most woodworking I find I get by without one. I did borrow one a couple of months back as I was replacing all the skirting boards in the house and it was great for that. I consider it more a builders tool than a woodworking tool however. I guess if i had the space to have one permanently set up then my lazy side would saw OK go for it. Also pointed out by Spyro is the humble hand saw. You will still need handsaws regardless what machines you have.
Regards
John

Oh yeah, for 2X4s and other long boards definitely stick with the non sliding one, just so much smaller, cheaper and easier to pack away if you need to.
Re accuracy if I'm honest you're unlikely to notice a diff in the cuts, and if there is one it is also determined by the blade as much as it is by the saw. In real life and most projects a low quality MS means it might be a pain to set up because of cheap adjustment screws etc, but once you're done setting it up properly they are all kind of the same to be honest. Of course people who do fine woodworking, boxes etc will need very accurate saws and expensive blades etc but I think it's important to be realistic here because you'll find there are many people out there downgrading their MS as there are others who upgrade it. I downgraded mine, what I bought first was just overkill in both cost and size.

thanks guys.

so ive narrowed it down now. i either go super cheap and get this:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-21...e-saw_p0025645

or spend some more and get something that will likely last me a long time

https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-1...e-saw_p6240337

after chatting to dibbers yesterday im thinking $50 on the ozito is probably the place to start... geez i spend that on a meal and a few beers at the pub!

Originally Posted by sonny_shines

thanks guys.

so ive narrowed it down now. i either go super cheap and get this:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-21...e-saw_p0025645

or spend some more and get something that will likely last me a long time

https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-1...e-saw_p6240337

after chatting to dibbers yesterday im thinking $50 on the ozito is probably the place to start... geez i spend that on a meal and a few beers at the pub!

That's entirely up to you
Hint: don't spend too much on one thing, woodworking shops have lots of goodies you'll be dreaming about before you know it. Bunnings is just an entry drug LOL

lol thats what im thinking

ive basically decided ill do the cheapie Ozito for now

and if i start using it soo much it wears out, well thats $50 well spent and ill go get a good one then

stay tuned for an update next week

I have two circular saws, an Ozito and a 9 1/4 Makita. I used to use the Mikita under a Triton table. The Ozito is smaller, lighter and good for small work. I used the Makita as a tradesman as did everyone else but it may be different now

If you can find it, this one is probably better made than the Ozito and cheaper than the Makita in your post.
https://www.totaltools.com.au/catalo.../category/248/
Probably the only down side is no right bevel. More details here on the Makita web site. https://makita.com.au/products/power...ound-mitre-saw
Just remember these are not suitable for cutting down sheets.

I thought I'd toss a bit more uncertainty into the mix.

When I started my mechanics apprenticship I thought I'd buy the best, so I went out and spent a fortune on stahwille spanners. I've still got them.

Then I realised with experience that some tools need to be good quality and some you can make do with cheapies. I bought a cheap set of 3/8 sockets and a pair of good quality ratchets. Still got them. Never broken a socket in all these decades. I've also got a heap of cheap spanners,never broken one of those either.

I've got really nice power tools and really cheap ones.

I had a triton work center. t as a struggle to get accuracy out of it, so I bought a $750 table saw, $1400 in an incra fence and stuck a big router in the wing. I use this machine a LOT, so it justifies the big money I spent on it.

I do not have a miter saw. I can do all sorts of crosscuts on the table saw.

I have 2 7" circular saws I bought for about $5 each from garage sales. Have a look on gumtree. I keep a rip blade in one and a crosscut in the other. I do not expect sub millimeter accuracy nor good finish. I have a huge old aluminium B&D 9 1/4" saw. Hard to use but it will cut deep.

If you choose the makita 18V route check ebay and amazon for skins from the USA. Much cheaper than local. I bought a hitachi 2 piece kit recently from amazon for $192 landed. I need to use a 200W transformer on the battery charger but otherwise it's perfect.

I've bought things I don't use much and may sell some time. You will do the same. If you buy well and second hand you can move things on at little loss.

If I was starting over I would buy good chisels, saws and planes and do a course to use them properly. For hobby work saving on setups, noise and dust mitigation running power etc offsets the slower work. Machines are only quicker if you can organise to do all similar operations back to back. I spent most of this morning planing timber. That saved time because I did it all at once.

Also know that there is always several ways to skin any cat. Most people end up turning to table saws by default, but some people's first option is a band saw and mine is the router table. You will develope your own preferences on how you like to do stuff and you will tailor your workshop accordingly. Count on changing your mind along the way. If I were you I'd be looking at second hand, preferably quality brands like makita and hitachi.

Gumtree is your friend.

hey guys


so i finally made the first start in my journey and went and bought the little ozito mitre saw for $48 from bunnings. it was easily the cheapest option to get going and im pretty impressed with it to be honest. it cuts like a dream (well it appears that way to me) and while the capacity is pretty small, it does a 90x40mm board pretty easily which gives me plenty to work with. pretty sure its on sale down from $80 or something atm

in my mind it was a good way to do the toe in the water with little expense, and get to experience the enjoyment of making stuff, so far so good


then I got some non-structural pine boards from bunnings which were only ~$4.50 for 2.4m. got 12m worth for $22 bucks or something... and so back home to make my first project being two saw horses and all went well. these things are big and solid and pretty damn heavy! overall a success in my humble opinion


so now im thinking about the next project which i think is a workbench for my new place. ive seen sooo many videos on youtube so its now a matter of figuring out which one i build... decisions decisions....

ive read a heap of threads in the workbench section here too so trying to figure out the best design etc

while the ozito mitre saw did the trick i can already tell im yearning for a table saw now to tick all the other boxes!