These days miter saws are rather an important part of every workshop. No matter whether you are a newbie in the woodworking scenario or a full-time professional woodworker, you should get one. The miter saws are really precise and can help you get things done. But are you confused between – single bevel vs double bevel miter saw?
We have heard this question a lot of time – both of the saws can make the same kind of cuts, what are the differences between them?
Well, there might not that much of a difference between them, but that small difference changes the whole scenario.
Sounds interesting? Then stick through the whole article – we are going to dissect the topic to the needlepoint.
Single Bevel vs Double Bevel Miter Saw: The Key Difference
To get a better idea, you need to understand two different types of cuts – bevel and miter.
Beveling means to tilt the blade right or left or in both directions. So, when you are making a bevel cut, you are probably tilting the blade at a certain angle and cut the workpiece.
On the other hand, mitering means to cut in an angle across the width of the workpiece. So, you can call them crosscuts, but they are done in an angle.
Can’t both the single and double bevel miter saws make these two cuts?
Yes, they can make both of the cuts.
The key difference is a single bevel miter saw can make the bevel cuts in only one direction. So, you could bevel either in the left direction or in the right direction.
A double bevel miter saw, on the other hand, can make bevel cuts in both directions.
That’s it? Is that all the difference between them?
Yes!
So, why does it affect the choice of purchase that much?
It might seem like a small difference, but it causes drastic changes in your working speed and accuracy. If you are a professional woodworker and time means money to you, you would know what we are trying to imply.
When Should You Choose the Single or Double Bevel Miter Saw?
A single or double bevel miter saw, in short, the compound saw can make four types of cuts –
- Crosscuts – Cutting a workpiece across the length.
- Miter cuts – Making angled crosscuts.
- Bevel cuts – Making angled cuts across the thickness of the workpiece by tilting the blade.
- Compound cuts – Making a combination of both the miter and the bevel cuts at the same time.
Some might say that you don’t need a miter saw to make such operations, a table saw could do it.
Yes, they are right – The table saws are versatile and can make all the cuts mentioned above. But when it comes to precision and accuracy, they lag behind.
A bevel saw can tilt the blade up to 50 degrees. You cannot get that much bevel angle in table saws. Somethings are better left for dedicated tools!
Single Bevel vs Double Bevel Miter Saw: Who Wins Duel?
By this far you should get a fair idea about what are the bevel saws and what is the basic difference between them.
But still, the question remains – which one is better? We have chosen four deciding factors. They will help you come up with a conclusion.
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Extra work
- Price
Speed
We are not referring to the speed of the motor or the rpm. We are simply trying to imply the speed of your work progress.
For example, if you are a craftsman and lots of orders in the queue, you might consider working a bit faster. The faster you finish a project, the sooner you get paid. So, time is money for you.
With a double bevel miter saw, you can work twice as fast especially while symmetrical shapes.
In a single bevel, miter saw, you will have to be concerned about whether you are making a perfect cut or not, if your cuts are precise or not. So, you are spending a lot of time making sure you have done everything perfectly.
There is another issue, with a single bevel saw, you will have to take the workpiece out of the flip it off and make cuts if you are planning to make symmetrical shapes.
So, the unloading time and the reloading time is a totally non-productive.
Such issues can be eradicated with a double bevel miter saw.
The bottom line is – if you are looking to make things faster, you should choose the double bevel miter saw.
Accuracy
Wait, is there any issue with single bevel saws to be inaccurate?
Well, technically no.
But there is a factor that you should take into account.
When you are flipping the workpiece and feeding again, you have to place the workpiece manually. We cannot be accurate at pinpoint all the time.
There could be slight deflections – it’s all-natural. But no matter how natural the issue is – it will cause an imperfection. The craftsmen know how important it is for a piece to be perfect.
So, the double bevel saw wins this round too.
Extra Work
Okay, we have already discussed the issue earlier. The woodworkers already work hard enough.
The tools are designed to make any process easier with lesser effort. That being said, the double bevel miter saws are better tools as they can make works easier.
So, that is three-nil in the head-to-head comparison between the two bevel saws.
Price
This is probably the biggest influencer in the dual between the two. This time the favor goes to the single bevel saw’s side.
You can find a good enough single bevel miter saw even at a $100ish price point. But the double bevel miter saws will cost about twice as much!
So, you see, how the price tag changes the game.
Conclusion
So, that was our analysis on the single bevel vs double bevel miter saw.
Frankly speaking, there is no clear winner. Obviously, the double bevel miter version is stronger, faster, and more precise. But you will have to consider the price tag too.
So, we think it is a bit of a trade-off – do you want to work faster with more precision or do you want to save money. At, the end of the day, the final decision is yours and yours alone!