Hi there! I'm a total newbie and I have to start my tools collection from scratch. I plan on making quite a bit of furniture for my home. (We need pretty much everything) and I don't want to buy junk furniture, but I can't afford what I want, so my research brought me here and I have been obsessed ever since!
I just don't want to make mistakes when buying my tools.
I have been doing a lot of research, and I feel like I should get a circular saw as my only saw to start out with, I have been looking at reviews, this one seems like a good way to go for budget reasons if I buy a different blade.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-12-Amp-7-1-4-in-Circular-Saw-CSB124/10…
or, would I be better off with this one that has higher reviews for a little more $?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Skil-13-Amp-7-1-4-in-Saw-5480-01/202691000?M…
Does anyone agree or disagree or have any experience with these 2? Thanks so much for any input! :)
*OK* editing here after re-reading some older posts, I feel like I maybe should get a miter saw over a circular saw, but this one is really the only one in my budget. Seems like it has good reviews. Would I be better off with this? Or if I can't get a higher end saw then stick with a circ? Again, sorry to be repetitive, I'm sure these are common questions here.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-14-Amp-10-in-Compound-Miter-Saw-TS1344…
JeremyFox
Tue, 05/13/2014 - 09:33
Saws
Hi,
Apparently I disagree with the advice on here (http://ana-white.com/2011/03/how-do-i-get-started) that says to use a jigsaw or a circular saw to start with - oh well. I think a mitre saw will be your most useful saw for the projects on here. The one you linked to looks fine.
The two saws (mitre and circular) are really meant for different jobs:
A mitre saw is sometimes called a cross-cut saw because it's used to cut across the grain of the wood to get the wood to the right length. As well as being used to make mitres (45 degree angled cuts).
A circular saw (or "rip") saw is meant for rip cuts, which are cuts along the grain, to get the wood to the right width. If you plan on cutting sheets of plywood or MDF, or if you can't get wood of the right width, then you'll need one.
If you plan on making a lot of furniture then you'll want a mitre saw anyway. I s'pose a circ saw is more versatile because you can use it to make cross cuts as well as rips but I always like to use the right tool for the job.
Hope that helps. Drop me an e-mail if you need any more help.
Cheers,
Jeremy
www.abcofwoodwork.com
claydowling
Fri, 05/16/2014 - 14:59
Circular saw
Jeremy and I have differing philosophies. Not to worry, that's the norm in the field. I like the circular saw as the first choice, because it can be uesd for cutting both sheet goods and cutting solid wood to length. But what I actually use for that task is usually a hand saw, because for me that's faster (it's always hanging on the wall next to my bench, which the circular saw isn't).
As far as which one to buy? Usually the best one that you can afford. Cheap tools are always more expensive in the long run. It was a cheap miter saw that led me to hand saws.