If you own a circular saw and you are wondering if you still need a table saw for woodworking, then you are not alone. I know I had the same question when I first started woodworking, and so I decided to do some research to answer this question to give other newcomers a resource that they could use to help make this decision.
In general, a table saw is not necessary for woodworking if you own a circular saw. However, using a table saw will expand your shop’s capabilities as well as give your work a higher quality. They can be used to make rip cuts and dado cuts easier and more accurately than a circular saw.
A circular saw is very capable of performing most of the necessary cuts in your woodworking shop, but a table saw will greatly improve your quality of work and expand your capabilities. Continue reading as we talk more about the pros and cons of using a circular saw versus a table saw.
Do you need to use a circular saw or a table saw for woodworking?
If you are just getting started in fine woodworking, chances are that you already own a circular saw but may not yet own a table saw. Instead of going out and dropping money on a table saw you will probably wonder if you can just use the circular saw that you already own for your projects.
You could technically use a circular saw for your projects, and you may even want to after we go through this checklist, but it will be important to identify your goals and needs first. Knowing what you expect from your work and your needs will influence which direction you should go.
We have put together a list of questions you may want to ask yourself when making this decision.
1. How Straight do your cuts need to be?
Do you want your cuts to be extremely accurate or are you okay with cuts that may be less than perfect? If you aren’t too worried about how straight your cuts are, then a circular saw will work.
You can even get an edge guide, and with a little practice, your cuts can start to look pretty great. Just note that it will take more time and experience to get great cuts with a circular saw.
“If you want your cuts to be on point and straight every time you make a cut, a table saw will be what you need.”
If you want your cuts to be on point and straight every time you make a cut, a table saw will be what you need. They are designed to excel at making straight cuts both with and against the grain. They also don’t require a ton of experience before you start to see excellent results.
2. How much space do you have available in your workshop?
Space is one issue that can make a woodworker’s life difficult. I know I have had to set up in a small space before and it can be challenging, especially when you are working with long boards and big sheets of plywood.
So how does space affect your ability to use a circular saw or table saw?
A circular saw is very portable and lightweight, which makes it a great handheld tool. When you are done with it, you simply put it away on a shelf, and it takes up very little shop space.
A table saw, on the other hand, can get quite large and take up significant valuable space in your workshop. If you have seen any videos on woodworking, then you know how big the table can be on a table saw.
Besides being large, they can be heavy and most of the time are not portable. There are A LOT of downsides for table saws when it comes to space, but there are options that can ease the burden.
In my case, I bought a smaller Ryobi table saw that was both inexpensive and didn’t have a very large table. The smaller table can make it difficult for working with larger items like plywood, but it can be a lifesaver when it comes to shop space.
There are also other alternatives such as portable table saws which can fold up and are made to be moved from job to job on construction sites. This means you could easily put away your table saw in an area of your workshop and only bring it out when you need it.
If you are still concerned with space even with the smaller and portable table saw options, you may want to strongly consider sticking with a circular saw. It will have the smallest footprint out of all of the options.
3. Do you have the budget for a table saw?
If you already own a circular saw, it can be difficult to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a table saw. If you have a tight budget, you will want to look into the options available on the market and see if any offers are in your price range.
Some of the things to help you decide if you can justify the cost of a table saw may include:
- How often do you plan to use the saw?
- How precise do your cuts need to be?
- How much functionality will you need?
- Will this be able to make the types of cuts you need that another tool can’t do?
These questions along with the other questions in this section should give you a good idea of how much you really do or don’t need a table saw.
4. How safe does your cutting setup need to be?
Any cutting device you use comes with an inherent amount of risk. Table saws and circular saws are both dangerous tools that can cause severe injury if used improperly.
The safety of your tools can come into play when making the decision to use a circular saw or a table saw because the circular saw adds another element of risk that the table saw doesn’t have.
When you are cutting a board with a table saw, the table saw is fixed and you move the board across the rotating blade. If you are not careful, you can cause a scenario that is called kickback, which will send the board you are cutting flying back at you. Not a good position to be in.
A circular saw has this same risk but with the added element that the circular saw is not fixed. If you cause a kickback scenario with a circular saw, it may be the saw itself that gets sent flying. This can be very dangerous as you may send a tool flying across your shop with a sharp blade spinning thousands of RPMs.
That scenario is not to scare you, but as a word of caution, that circular saws carry a bit more risk because the saw itself is always moving.
Can a circular saw be used as a table saw?
If you own a circular saw but are wanting the advantages of a table saw, you may be wondering if you can setup your circular saw to be used as a table saw.
A circular saw can be set up to perform as a table saw, however, it has some downsides. There will be material costs for fixturing, potential accuracy issues, and a safety concern.
Creating fixturing to fix your circular saw so that it can be used in the same way as a table saw will require materials, that if you don’t already own will add cost to the project. If you don’t fixture the circular saw correctly, you could also be dealing with some accuracy issues. Not to mention that if it is not fixtured correctly, that can be very risky.
In my opinion, the only reason you would want to go this route is to just have a cool project to work on. I get it, we are all pretty passionate about creating things, and that’s why we like woodworking. However, I wouldn’t want this to be my go-to for making accurate cuts.
It would just be better to spend the money on a cheap table saw, that comes with pretty much everything you need to get started making excellent cuts and has all the necessary features to do it safely.
Can a circular saw do everything that a table saw can?
A circular saw in theory can accomplish everything that a table saw can, although it is generally more difficult. To make the same cuts that a table saw can, you will need two things: experience and jigs.
Using a circular saw isn’t so bad when you are making small cuts or cuts that can be a bit off. This is the main thing that circular saws are good for. Quick cuts in a portable saw.
If you want to start cutting grooves and straight-edge rip cuts, you are going to need to practice. Not to mention you will probably need some type of fixturing that can hold your workpiece steady and prevent binding as you make the cuts.
Altogether not impossible, but not the best tool for the job. A table saw is superior for rip cuts and dado cuts when compared to a circular saw. I personally wouldn’t use the circular saw for much in the workshop if I just had a table saw and miter saw.
Final Thoughts
No a table saw is not a necessary piece of equipment in the workshop but it can make your life a heck of a lot easier. If I could just have one tool in my workshop for making cuts, it would be a table saw.
I consider a circular saw a good, maybe even great option for construction-style jobs. This is where the portability and power of the circular saw come in extremely handy. Typically when performing this type of work, the accuracy of a circular saw will be plenty.
If you are working in fine woodworking, a table saw is pretty much a must for rip cuts and dado cuts.