Mitre Saws

An electric mitre saw is a must-have power tool for anyone that needs to make fast, accurate cuts which on occasion, may need to be at an angle. As there are a number of mitre saw variations with different cutting functions, it helps to break the machine down to its most basic components. For this reason, we can say a machine is made up of the base, which is where the material to be cut is placed, the arm, which originates at the back of the machine and allows the motor to be mounted onto it, and the blade, which crudely described, is connected to the motor and cuts the material.

There are usually 3 types of mitre saw with each version expanding on the cutting options: a basic mitre saw where the base can turn clockwise or anticlockwise meaning the blade leaves the 12 o’clock position and arrives at 1 o’clock or 11 o’clock achieving a mitre, a compound mitre saw which allows the base to turn and also allows the arm to tilt (imagine the blade tilting like the Leaning Tower of Pisa) – which is classed as a bevel; when a mitre and a bevel are combined this is known as a compound mitre and finally, a sliding compound mitre saw which, using telescopic rods, allows the arm to extend towards the user giving a greater width of cut without having to increase the size of the blade. Some sliding compound mitre saws are able to bevel to the left or right making the machine more flexible as the operator can apply a bevel from both sides of the workpiece.

Mitre saws are available with different sized blades which normally increase the capacity of cut. A larger diameter blade increases the height of the cut because of the greater distance from the edge of the blade to the clamping nut in the middle; once the material hits this point no further cut depth can be achieved. A larger diameter blade does not always guarantee a greater width of cut, as mitre saws with a smaller diameter blade but with a sliding arm, the mechanism can exceed the cutting width of a fixed arm machine.

The trade you are in will likely influence the size of machine required, for example, a kitchen fitter is unlikely to cut the same sized timbers as a roofer or general builder. Mitre saws are usually associated with cutting wood and wood-based materials but are capable of cutting plastics, composites and non-ferrous metals with the right blade, set at the correct speed, which is where machines with variable speed are more versatile.

Mitre saws in action create lots of dust, so choosing a machine with dust extraction is important. Why not combine your next mitre saw with a suitable dust extractor from Protrade using our unique, interest-free, finance payment plan? Now you can take immediate delivery of the best equipment without compromising cashflow and pay monthly with no extra charges.

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