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Chop Saw: Full Guide
Introduction to Chop Saws
There are many different types of saws available for home and industrial use, and they all offer particular advantages and disadvantages. It can, however, be challenging to tell the difference between the common miter saw and the more unusual chop saw. They look very similar but have slightly different purposes and functions. So, what is the difference? Isn’t every saw for chopping?
Here at Best of Tools, we are here to help. Below, you will find an introduction to the chop saw, and an explanation of how it differs from the miter saw. We’ll clear up what a chop saw is, how it’s intended to be used, what it looks like, and a range of different tasks you can effectively use a chop saw for. If you’re at all confused about chop saws and what they are, read on to learn more about this valuable DIY tool!
Function
Chop saws are fast, powerful cutting tools that are only suitable for use by professionals. There are much smaller and safer cutting tools that are better suited for home DIY use, and chop saws should be reserved for professional use only. These are advanced tools that are operated by using both hands to feed materials through the saw, and the switch is controlled with a foot or knee. That’s advanced work, and you’re most likely to see a chop saw in an industrial location like a professional metal shop.
The arm on which the cutting blade of a chop saw is mounted is able to pivot vertically but cannot be rotated for angled cuts. That means that a chop saw is primarily used for making straight, vertical cuts in larger items, such as metal sheets or large pieces of lumber.
Uses
Chop saws are primarily used for cutting metal in building sites or metal shops. They’re large tools, and the abrasive disc design of their cutting blades is ideally suited for cutting through solid objects like metal sheets. They have a very high level of cutting power and can cut through very large items with ease.
That means that chop saws are ideal for building projects and cutting through wooden beams for house building projects, as they can cut quickly and smoothly through items that other types of saw might struggle to get through at any speed at all.
If you’re planning on more detailed woodwork projects, then a chop saw is not the best choice for this purpose. Miter saws are a better bet, as they are a much lower hazard and are able to cut at an angle for beveled cuts and additional detail.
The type of saw that is best for you is dependent on what you’re planning on cutting with it, and if you’re intending to cut metal or large wooden beams, then a chop saw is an excellent choice for efficient, powerful cutting.
Appearance
A chop saw is very similar in appearance to a miter saw, with a large round cutting blade mounted on a hinged arm, all attached to a large, stationary base for stability and security. This is very similar to the appearance of a miter saw, but a chop saw is generally larger and sturdier, as it is designed for cutting through hard materials like larger metal objects.
The blade on a chop saw is a large, hard abrasive disc that looks a lot like a thin, delicate grinding wheel. This is the element that does the main cutting action, and it is powerful enough to chop through large metal sheets.
The cutting blade does not have regularly shaped teeth or cutting edges, and cuts with high-speed abrasion. The cutting wheel and motor are mounted on a rotating arm fixed to a heavy, stable base plate for stability, holding the whole thing safely and securely in place while you use it.
The chop saw’s arm rotates but cannot swivel the blade to cut other angles. That means that the cutting blade is always mounted at a 90-degree angle to the table and can only perform straight cuts. Miter saws can swivel, allowing them to make angled cuts, but chop saws are only suited for straight cuts thanks to their inflexible blade setup.
The difference between a chop saw and a miter saw
Chop saws and miter saws are very closely related, but there are a couple of differences that it’s worth being aware of. A chop saw is a general term for a stationary power saw that cuts in a straight, downward motion. A miter saw is similar, but the blade can be angled to cut at an angle for beveled or mitered cuts (which is where the name comes from). As such, a miter saw can function as a chop saw, but a chop saw cannot work as a miter saw!
Miter saws are often less powerful than chop saws, and better suited for woodworking than for industrial metal cutting projects. They have much less kickback and are available in both powered and manual forms. Chop saws, meanwhile, are powerful tools for professional use only that can only be found in heavy-duty powered models.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a saw for home DIY use, then a chop saw is definitely not for you. These are advanced, powerful tools that are best used only by professionals. A miter saw will perform similar functions on a smaller scale and is better suited for home use.
If you’re looking for something powerful for use in a building site or a workshop, though, then you can’t get better than a chop saw for cutting through solid metal objects in industrial situations! This is one of the most powerful types of saws available and offers excellent performance and efficient cutting through almost any material you’re likely to need to cut through in an industrial or commercial situation.
It can be challenging to tell the difference between a chop saw and a miter saw, as the two offer very similar functionality and look very similar. A chop saw is much more powerful, however, even though it can’t be used for angled cuts!
