Dear STW,
As an enthusiastic, but nowhere near professional, power tool user what would you recommend as being the most useful tool in the long-run?
Might seem like a dumb question as they are designed for different jobs, but wanted opinions on which one would make the wisest investment.
I'm starting a shop fit for my SO next week so will no doubt have much cutting to do.
I'm thinking that a circular saw is more versatile, but unless I'm cutting lots of sheet material a drop saw would be faster and easier for most jobs.
Don't think I want to stretch to Festool, but want a quality product which will make good cuts. So any recommendations appreciated...
Was thinking something like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-d23650-gb-190mm-circular-saw-240v/56306
have a look at flip saws - purport to offer the benefits of both although not tried one myself.
I use my mitre saw more than my circlular one but sometimes you need both. Unless you're using them regularly get both but cheaper?
They do very different jobs. If you are cutting large sheets then you need a circular saw, nothing else will do. A cheap mitre saw is better than no mitre saw
agree with wwaswas.
Im using my chop saw a lot at the moment - making treehouse for Jr.
But equally to rip the WBPly floor I needed the circular saw. Without one would have been a ball ache.
Despite being cheap and crap, Ive had loads of mileage out of this £95ish:
[img] http://s7g3.scene7.com/is/image/ae235/32315_P?$p$ [/img]
http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb234msw-254mm-compound-mitre-saw-230v/32315#
and this has been brilliant. Again about £100
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000C74XMC/ref=asc_df_B000C74XMC3768691?smid=A200O3TM908PA1&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B000C74XMC
in use recently
[img] 
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They do very different jobs.
This, really. I'd say if you're doing a shop fit for your SO, then you should probably have one of each - I imaginethere will be lots of sheet cutting (plywood, mdf, etc) and lots of batons, skirting, architraves etc.
Couldn't live without my circular table saw* in the workshop but would take a sliding mitre on site.
* Circular table saw imo is only truly useful if its a proper hefty number well bolted to the ground with plenty of space around it so you can manhandle heavy full sheets on to it single-handed. A run off table too.
Getting into expensive territory, ... but Mafel make festool-a-like saws that have both a flat track for cutting sheets and a gizmo for cross-cutting and mitres. As I say pricy, but better value than two less robust tools
It not the best of both worlds but its a very useful all-in-one, biased more towards panel cutting than cross-cutting. Don't be fooled by its dinkyness - very powerful, high quality bit of kit, also hooked up to a hoover its dust extraction is brilliant. Conventional circular saws throw crap all over the place
Compared to a table saw they are also a more space-efficent way of cutting panels, with a table saw you need a full board worth of space both infront of and behind he blade and usually and extra pair of hands too.
Well I don't have a circular saw but do have a sliding compound Bosch GCM 8 SJ and it's great.
Have a good jigsaw as well and guess never handle big sheet stuff - Normally get the yard where I'm buying to rip it down to size so would say the compound for me but as said above - different tools.
Bosch GCM 8 SJ
With those boschs pay alot of attention to the mechanism that operates the guard, if it starts to get clunky, sort if simultaniously stiff on one axis and flappy on the other, check the tightness of all the bolts. I've got the 12" version and when the guard chucks itself into the blade....... blimey theres a big bang and a lot of flying plastic and metal, all coming straight at you.
mccruiskeen - noted (and thank you)
Thanks for your advice everyone - very useful.
Don't think I'll need a table saw, especially as I don't have a workshop to put it in!
As many have mentioned, having both makes sense. Need to go and look at the budget again.
Not keen on cheapo tools, but obviously I shouldn't spend silly money on something that won't get masses of use.
@Stoner - thanks for pics, where's the treehouse?. That Hitachi looks like a bargain.
@maccruiskeen - I very much like the look of that but as you say it comes with a price tag to match.
Just to muddy the water....... The best compromise is actually a radial arm saw. Brand new they are very pricy, but second hand you can pick them up cheaply, My Elu (same as the current dewalt) was £180.
They are impossble to hook up efficient extraction to though, expecially for rip-cutting so the dust created and widely distributed is the only issue with them. The DW720 (or the Elu 1251 - same machine) is the lightest / most portable, although I'm using the word portable very loosely
Dewalt / Elu Flip over saw is pretty handy
Its a Tablesaw one side and a chop saw the other, Dont think its a Compound angle saw though (Been a while since I had my last one)
A decent Circular saw and a Pullover compound Mitre saw will do almost everything you need.....one with a depth stop for the blade will allow you to cut rebates/slots easily too
Radial arm saws are lovely, but I find they are just not suited to site use, go out of adjustment too easily, but for home/workshop use they are fantastic.
A circular saw is much more versatile. If I had to do without one or the other, then I would do without my mitre compound saw. You can always make up/buy a mitre box and use a hand saw.
The Hitachi circular saw that Stoner posted is the one I use everyday, and in my experience is the most popular circular saw on site these days. I also have a nine and a half inch Hitachi circular saw which is about 30 years old, but I almost never use it. It's as tough as **** though - it's fallen off scaffolding/joists more than once.
ernie_lynch +1
so far I have use my hitachi circular saw almost daily for the last 4 years no probs
and as for the old 9 inch circular saw's thats like lifting a 9 inch block every time you pick it up 😆