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First Saw, Circular or Table?


Zinfandel

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I am a newbie in the whole tool/construction thing, while i have worked for others briefly in construction i am by no means an expert, but i am mechanically inclined which is, well enough to figure out stuff.

I recently finished replacing a 20 ft section of my yard fence. Used a circular saw to do all the cutting needed, the saw wasn't mine, and now that it's gone i kind of feel i need one.

Money is not an issue this time, i am starting to conduct a little bit of a professional handyman practice which led me to look at two saws, because it's going to be a main first saw, i need it to be cordless.

I am already invested on DeWalt's platform so.

 

Dewalt Flexvolt Circular Saw.

Dewalt Flexvolt Table Saw.

 

The Circular saw is hands down the most portable, but i don't find the flexvolt table saw terrible to move and well, easier to operate, so money not being a restriction, is there ANYTHING one can do that the other can't and viceversa?

 

Am i crazy for considering a table saw as my first main saw, even saw if i decide to take it to a fence construction project?

 

Thank you!

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You'll have an easier time cutting fence posts with a circular saw over the table saw. Between the two I'd say get the circular saw because anything you can do with the table saw you can do with the circular saw, but you can't take the table saw up a ladder to cut something that's already in place. If you need to rip a sheet of something the circular saw would be the better candidate as well.

 

I personally wouldn't buy a table saw with fence construction in mind, I'd actually be looking at two circular saws; a 7-1/4" and a 10"+ model for dealing with posts quickly.

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9 minutes ago, jtkendall said:

You'll have an easier time cutting fence posts with a circular saw over the table saw. Between the two I'd say get the circular saw because anything you can do with the table saw you can do with the circular saw, but you can't take the table saw up a ladder to cut something that's already in place. If you need to rip a sheet of something the circular saw would be the better candidate as well.

 

I personally wouldn't buy a table saw with fence construction in mind, I'd actually be looking at two circular saws; a 7-1/4" and a 10"+ model for dealing with posts quickly.

 

Thank you.

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If money is no issue, get both!

I use my circular saw nearly every day. I rarely use my TS, and don't even keep it in the van since I got the track saw. I do home repairs.

My saws, in order of most use:

1 Circular saw
2 Oscillating tool (finishes circular saw cuts)
3 reciprocating saw
4 tracksaw
5 jigsaw
6 tablesaw
7 corded skilsaw

I would recommend getting the first two saws as well as an impact and drill set first.

You really can't go wrong with the Dewalt 20 or 60v platform. That's what I use for a living. If I didn't already have multiples of the tools, I would start with the toughsystem/tool bundle.


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1 hour ago, Mordekyle said:

If money is no issue, get both!

I use my circular saw nearly every day. I rarely use my TS, and don't even keep it in the van since I got the track saw. I do home repairs.

My saws, in order of most use:

1 Circular saw
2 Oscillating tool (finishes circular saw cuts)
3 reciprocating saw
4 tracksaw
5 jigsaw
6 tablesaw
7 corded skilsaw

I would recommend getting the first two saws as well as an impact and drill set first.

You really can't go wrong with the Dewalt 20 or 60v platform. That's what I use for a living. If I didn't already have multiples of the tools, I would start with the toughsystem/tool bundle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Money is not an issue for ONE of them at this moment (400$ each haha), i already have a lineup of dewalt power tools, Drill/Impact, Oscillating Multitool, Sawzall (so yeah i already have a recip saw), i do home repairs too, althought a newbie i couldn't decide if i wanted to go table saw or circ saw first, as portability is not an issue anymore, i wanted to know more of the limitations of each but everything pretty much points at the fact that you can't beat the versatility of the circ saw, even though i wanted to love the flexvolt table saw.

 

Thank you!

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3 reasons I don't have the FV table saw:

1. It won't take a dado blade. My corded table saw does.

2. Occasional use- only needed for very precise rips- rips for framing and fencing can be done with the circular saw.

3. The track saw is more versatile. It can rip anything a table saw can, as well as things it can't- doors, for example.


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1 hour ago, Mordekyle said:

...The track saw is more versatile. It can rip anything a table saw can, as well as things it can't- doors, for example.

This is the primary reason I don’t see myself getting a table saw. You can move a big sheet of wood to get a “precise” cut vs moving a saw along a guided track? It’s kind of a no-brainer in my mind.

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Being a hobbyist woodworker with aspirations of doing cabinetry when I retire...I have a tracksaw, a table saw (Sawstop Contractor cast iron semi permanent) a Festool HKC, a Dewalt Flexvolt and a 7-1/4 Skilsaw sidewinder. The truth is, the circ saw can be retrofitted to cut perfectly straight lines with a simple cheap jig. I feel if I was in the field, my circ and tracksaw would cover many jobs for me in general home repair.  I don’t use my super nice table saw to cut 4x8 sheet goods, that’s done on rigid insulation with my tracksaw. The table saw excels at taking broken down sheet goods and hardwoods and cutting them down to perfect size repeatedly and using the dado stack. The nice thing about the track saw is absolutely perfect straight edges, incredible dust control and the saw has a riving knife to keep it from kicking on me. The last time I did fencing was for a good friend at his house. At the time I had a portable table saw and I used both that and the circ for dimensioning rough stock and the circ for cutting down to length.  I use my Flexvolt all the time. It’s a great saw, has tons of power. I use my HKC almost as much because of the super slick track that has preset angles and the fact it’s also a circular saw with a riving knife. The Flexvolt is more powerful than the HKC however the ability to plunge, act essentially as a miter and a track saw carries its own value.

 

I know I didn’t answer your question in the last so yeah, go circular but don’t forget that you won’t be stopping there.

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