What are some other Built-in or Additional Features of a Miter Saw?

A miter saw is a tool that cuts miters, or angled cuts. Miter saws are still very much a niche tool, but are fast becoming more discovered by serious DIY’ers and professionals for their wide repertoire of cutting techniques. They are a master at making angle cuts with ease and precision, which is very useful for many different projects, like crown molding, picture frames, or door frames.As they say, knowledge is power. So taking a little time to understand the added features of a miter saw will help ensure you will be able to make an informed buying decision on which miter saw will best fit your specific needs.

Miter saws are known for precision and accuracy when it comes to cutting long materials, especially wood. This looks a bit like a circular saw on a swiveling base, or table, and there are many features and styles. The size of the blade is what determines the depth or the height of the cut. Miter saws typically come with 8, 10, 0r 12-inch blades, and there are many types of blades depending on the material, some are multipurpose.  The more teeth in a blade generally means you will have a smoother, finer cut.

Normally a new mitre saw will come packaged with a middle of the range blade for wood. The miter saw will usually have a blade guard for safety that will only allow the blade to be exposed as it comes into contact with the material, to protect the user from flying sawdust and debris. Mitre saws these days come with a variety of extra features and goodies to consider.  For instance, many now come with built-in lights that are handy when working in dark or constricted conditions, and some have laser lights that will show a red laser line for accuracy in lining up a cut.

Other examples of extras include adjustable rear fences, extension arms, and workpiece clamps, which are great for supporting the material so you can keep your hands away from the blade. Variable speed dials have been recently introduced in a few models which helps you set the speed of the motor according to the material you will be cutting. Some accessories that aren’t necessarily included with your miter saw that are ideal to have include a variety of different blades suitable to specific materials, and table stands that are essential if you need to transport your miter saw to a worksite.

These are universal for all miter saws and are like folding table for your saw to sit on. Other varieties of table stands can include longer extensions and features such as clamps, roller carriers, supports, and adjustable legs. And finally, you will certainly want some sort of dust collector, as a miter saw puts out a tremendous amount of sawdust. There are models that have a dust bag included, but for optimum collection we recommend a dust extractor or a dust vacuum that attaches to your saw to reduce airborn sawdust.

Conclusion

Miter saws are still very much a niche tool, but are fast becoming more discovered by serious DIY’ers and professionals for their wide repertoire of cutting techniques and precision cutting. They are a master at making angle cuts with ease, which is very useful for many different projects, like crown molding, picture frames, or door frames. Technology continues to advance with these power tools in accuracy, performance, power, and safety.