I just wrapped up my first year of DIY projects and I know that starting out in DIY can be intimidating and overwhelming! I was especially intimidated by saws… Therefore, I am going to walk you guys through the saws I own and the ones I would recommend!
A quick disclaimer before we get started…
In order for me to appear in google searches, I am required to put a certain amount of transition words (e.g., firstly, additionally, lastly, etc.)… Unfortunately, fluff words are NOT my strength… Remember, I am a pharmacist… not a writer… Therefore, I would like to apologize in advance for my random and awkwardly placed transition words… I’m just trying TO GET GOOGLE TO NOTICE ME!
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FIRST, check out my YouTube video below to see some of the DIY updates that I have done during my first year living in my condo! OTHERWISE, here is the short version.
FURTHERMORE, please check out my other blog posts / YouTube Videos to get more details on those projects! UNDOUBTEDLY, there is quite the variety of projects. PRESENTLY, I am going to share with you which tools I have found to be the most valuable for DIY projects!
Unfortunately, most projects won’t have pieces that come in the perfect size that you need. There is usually some cutting involved. THEREUPON, I now own seven different saws.
WHAT SAW DO I GET!?!
If you are going to buy one saw, I would recommend a miter saw.
OVERALL, I use my miter saw for most projects. HOWEVER, I have run into some issues where my miter saw is only 8 inches and I need to cut a board that is 10 inches. HENCEFORTH, knowing what I know now, I may have opted for a sliding miter saw because it allows you to cut the full width of a board.
CONVERSELY, the only downside to a miter saw is that it won’t be able to do long straight cuts. For example, when I was cutting a piece of plywood for the cabinet doors of my entryway shoe cabinet.
Options for long, straight cuts
COMPARATIVELY, for long straight cuts, a table saw or a track saw are typically recommended (I added visuals with links below in case that helps). HOWEVER, table saws are very dangerous, which scared me. ADDITIONALLY, I didn’t want to have to buy a whole new saw because neither of these are cheap.
UNDOUBTEDLY, I already owned a small circle saw (visual with link below). HENCE, I wanted to see if there was a way I could use the saw I already owned to make long straight cuts. I did LOTS of research, and I found a saw track for about $50 (visual with link below)… I was sold!
EMPHATICALLY, I was extremely impressed with how straight of a line I was able to get. MOREOVER, you can see in my YouTube video how much of a difference it made!
Very small cuts
CONTRARILY, if you are only going to be doing super tiny cuts, you can get a small miter box saw (added visual with link below). For example, this would have worked just fine for my slat wall panels!
Summary
Here are the summary recommendations for the different types of saws!
| My most used | Miter saw (I own a regular one, but would consider getting a sliding miter saw) |
| Long, straight cuts | I use a circle saw with a saw track, but you could use either a table saw or a track saw |
| Very small cuts | Small miter box saw |
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