When purchasing a new saw for your workshop, you may surely come across two types of miter saws; Single and Double Bevel. While both can perform the same types of cuts, what actually differentiates them?
A double bevel miter saw cut 45 degrees in either direction from the center by rotating its saw head. You can make cuts without moving the woodwork. In comparison, a single bevel saw can make an angled cut in only a single direction.
But that’s not all. This article aims to cover all their differences and which is the best for you.
What is a Miter and Bevel Cut?
Before diving into the two types of miter saw, let’s look at the different types of cuts you can perform on your woodwork.
- Crosscut: This is when you can cut wood vertically, with the angle between the wood and the blade at 90 degrees.
- Miter cut: This is basically a crosscut, but you move the saw blade to cut across the wood.
- Bevel cut: When you tilt and move the blade, the resulting cut is at an inclined angle.
- Compound cut: A mixture of both miter and bevel cuts made into a single woodwork.
Now that you know about cuts, it will be easier to understand the saws that can make these.
What is a Miter Saw?
Strictly comparing, there are three types of Miter saw. They all can make the same cuts, but one adds more functionality than the other.
A miter saw allows you to cut a workpiece at different angles by placing the blade vertically across the wood. You can make a crosscut, miter, and bevel cuts with it. There are mainly two types of miter saws; compound and sliding miter saw.
A compound miter saw allows you to cut a bevel. That means, in addition to miter cuts, you can tilt the saw head and make angled cuts.
A sliding miter saw means the saw head is on rails. You can make broad cuts by moving the saw head along the length of the saw.
What are Single and Double Bevel Miter Saw?
A single bevel miter saw means you can tilt the saw head in a single direction.
That means you can make bevel cuts in a variety of angles, but when you need to make the cut in the opposite direction, the entire workpiece needs to be removed and installed again.
A double-bevel miter saw is more flexible. You can tilt its saw head in the left and right direction.
That means the woodwork does not need to move when you want to make a cut in the opposite direction.
Double bevel saws save you more time as you can forget to rearrange everything after every few minutes. This is critical for making accurate cuts for pieces such as crown molding.
Benefits of Single and Double Bevel Miter Saw
By now, you already know a lot about both types of saw. While both can make the same cuts, what benefit do you get by buying one over the other?
Let’s first look at the benefits you get with a Single Bevel Miter Saw.
Single bevel miter saws are much cheaper. You can get one between 100 – 300 dollars.
They are easy to operate and weigh less. That means for someone who is starting on woodwork, these will be perfect for them. For example, this Dewalt single bevel saw comes with great features.
As for making those precision-level cuts, there is nothing better than
a Dual Bevel Miter Saw. As the woodwork does not need to be moved, you can work on more projects simultaneously.
But this means they are more expensive than single-bevel ones. Higher-end units can reach prices touching 1000 dollars.
Which Type of Saw Should You Get?
A Single Bevel Miter Saw is for you if you want a simple saw that will cover your basic needs. Maybe you don’t work with complex projects and want something that is wallet-friendly. These are very easy to install without requiring any complex setup.
For more seasoned professionals, a Dual Bevel Miter Saw is totally worth it. Even though it costs more, you are saving a lot of time by going for it.
You want a more accurate tool to complement your skills and want the perks such as making double bevel cuts. If you have a large workspace, this type of saw is ideal for you.
But that’s not all. Both types of saws are also available as compound and sliding variants. These further improve the functionality of the saw by giving you more options to make the cut.
FAQ
Your money is of great importance to us. That is why this section looks to answer any further queries so that the miter saw you purchase serves you for the longest amount of time.
Yes, you can make a bevel cut using a miter saw. When you swivel the saw head to the required angle, you can make bevel cuts to your workpiece.
Yes, you can cut a miter and bevel using a miter saw. When you combine both types of cut, it is known as a compound cut. To do this, you are moving the saw head and tiling it relative to the surface of the workpiece.
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