I think I started in reverse. I bought a woodworker and have no other ways of cutting wood besides a skill saw. I need something to make my life easier. I’m debating on getting a table saw or a mitre saw, what do you recommend I get first? Also, I am really tight on space. I mean really cramped. So I need something I can drag in and out of my shop to use. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Could get a guide for a circular saw. You don’t need highly accurate cuts since you can have the Cnc make the Final Cut. If choice is miter saw or table saw then it would depend on how large you want to be able to cut. A tablesaw will handle wider wood, but is generally less portable.
I like to lay my wood on a sheet of foam board on the floor and use my circular saw that way. You cut a bit through the foam and it works great.
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What materials are you looking work with? Assuming sheet goods (plywood) are part of what you’re working with I’d second Ken’s suggestion of a circular saw with straight edge or track saw. Either one will be good for breaking down material including sheet goods into sizes you can use on the Onefinity. The track saw will be more efficient time wise and usually offers better dust collection options but also costs more.
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To be honest I’m a wood newb. I’m a CNC programmer by trade and I thought it would be easy to just transition into this. But there are so many variables and I get overwhelmed on where to even start. I know I want to automate as much as possible due to my hectic work schedule. I’m not even sure what to make. I haven’t even committed to a programming software yet. I’ve been fooling with carbide create and have only cut three or four programs in the year I’ve had my machine. Thanks for the reply.
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Thanks for the reply. It’s interesting to hear other people’s work arounds.
Track saws work very well and don’t take up any room, very accurate as well
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A Track Saw can be a solid fill in for a Table Saw with the right set-up these days, or if you want to keep things even cheaper you can make a simple guide to turn a normal circular saw into a diy track saw. There’s some aftermarket attachments that do the same thing but obviously would cost more than the DIY options.
It’s a different kind of workflow compared to working with a Table Saw so it can take some getting used to, but it would probably be the most compact option. Could even build an MFT style table that can serve double duty as an assembly table/workbench.
If I were to be choosing between a Mitre Saw and Table Saw though I think you gotta go Table Saw every time. If you really want a Mitre Saw for quick cross-cuts try buy used. There will always be second hand chop saws available for cheap.
For portable jobsite style saws the Dewalt is a popular option but I’d also take a look at the Skil for a good budget option with integrated stand or the Skilsaw w/ wormdrive. You should be able to get that one in a 10 inch model but I didn’t see it on Amazon. Maybe it’s a Canada thing.
Main thing I’d look for is rack and pinion fence and max cut capacity. From what I’ve seen those are all solid entry level options though.
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Grab an image of a guitar body (or whatever you’re into), trace it out, offset and design it into a tray… or make it into a wall hanger. Don’t get too hung up in the particulars of making something practical 
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I think a track saw would give you the most options.
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Others have said it, it depends on what you are cutting.
Table saws are the most versatile. You can cut sheet goods, rip (cut the long way) timber (anything from 2x4s to hardwood for fine furniture), and cross-cut timber. It can even resaw (cut the thin direction of wood for things like book matching grain) narrow timber (and wider ones can be done using the table saw to give a good kerf to start and then finish with a hand saw with greater reach than a table saw blade.) I know that’s a giant run-on sentence. My goal was to put relevant stuff next to the short version since you said you are new to woodworking.
Table saws come in a range of sizes. From what you said, a contractor job saw is probably the biggest you want. In that case, ignore what I and everyone else says about table saws being good for sheet goods…the big ones are, job saws are not. It can do it, but it is precarious. The size of the table also makes cross cuts tricky and need other fixtures to support the long end hanging off the table.
Miter saws are much more constrained. They are outstanding at cross cutting timber, especially making repeated cuts of the same length. They do not do sheet goods or ripping timber.
You didn’t mention bandsaws, but I’ll throw that into the mix. They are not good for sheet goods.One thing a bandsaw does that neither of the other two do is curve cuts. Bandsaws are outstanding for resawing, great for rip cuts and modestly useful for cross cuts since it is limited by the throat of the saw. Cost go up dramatically for a few more inches in good bandsaws. In spite of that, I am using my bandsaw much more with my Onefinity than I did before getting it. That’s why I put it in for considerartion.
Others mentioned track saws and circular saws with track guides. I do not own a track saw, but occasionally wish I had one. Since I do not often work with plywood or MDF, I get by with my circular saw. These are outstanding for sheet goods, good for cross cuts, awkward for rip cuts, and cannot do resawing. Where these excel are size. They take virtually no floor space…mine is on a French cleat wall of tools and stuff. Track saws are much easier to use on sheet goods than a circular saw. As other said, you can buy rails to make the circular saw work as an ok track saw.
If sheet goods (plywood & mdf) are you main material and space is your overriding constraint, a track saw or circular saw with guide are good bets.
If you mostly work with timber (construction lumber like 2x4s or hardwood boards) and space is the overriding constraint, a small table saw (with accompanying jigs like cross cut sleds, miter gauges, etc) on a mobile base is a good bet.
If you almost exclusively work with timber and only need to cut it to length, a miter saw could be a good bet. I say could because it is a workhorse when you need repeated cuts of the same length but you may find yourself wishing you could rip boards to width and then need a table saw anyway
If you mostly do short cross cuts (<14" and really substantially less if you get a tabletop model) and need to rip timber or need to resaw or want to do curve cuts, consider a bandsaw. Downside is that good, big ones are expensive. Changing blades can be fiddly. If you do all the cuts above, you may find yourself changing regularly between three blades.
Welcome to pricey sport of woodworking!
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@GreenBridge, piggy backing on what @WaywardWoodworker said, just make some stuff. Browse what others are making in Post Up Them Projects!. Buy some Etsy vectors (no affiliation, just searched the first that popped into my mind), import, size it, and make some coasters. Try some epoxy inlay things.
Make some chips, break some bits, and book it as the cost of learning!
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Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I’m definitely thinking about construction material such as pine boards etc to get my feet wet with. I don’t have room for full sheets of plywood etc. I’ll definitely look into band saws as well, they didn’t even cross my mind.
Thank you for the reply, it is greatly appreciated!
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Like many others here, I’d throw my vote in for a track saw if you need accuracy.
Generally on the CNC the source wood edges may not matter much as you’ll cut your final edge with the CNC. However if you are cutting boards and gluing them together to make panels, you’ll need a good edge for the glue joint so need clean long cuts (and may want a jointer or jointer hand plane to clean up a rougher cut) Table saw or track saw for that.
I’ve got a pretty complete woodworking home shop so go to the tool that works best. Trying to pick just one is a bit tough, you end up with a compromise somewhere. If I’m cutting down sheet goods, I’d pick the track saw. If I’m ripping boards, I’d prefer the table saw but you could get by with a track saw. If you are cutting down long boards a mitre saw is great. If they don’t need to be perfect cuts, then cross cut with your portable circular saw. Jointer and bandsaw get used at times too with the CNC.
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Check out Steve Ramsey’s channel on YT - https://www.youtube.com/@SteveRamsey
He also has an inexpensive course for The Weekend Woodworker. He’s the Woodworking for Mere Mortals guy. Been doing this for something like 20 years from when the web & YT were young.
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A good tablesaw is the cornerstone of any wood shop. The downside is that it takes room.
I use my tablesaw for just about every project I’ve ever made. I even use it to miter mouldings when I’m working in my house, as it’s far more precise than any miter saw. I really only use my miter saw for rough cutting long lumber, or rough construction or deck building.
If you’re short on space, I think a track saw is the best compromise. A good one can rival a good table saw for cut quality, and they take up less space than a miter saw.
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Hey Steve,
Felder makes combination machines like the famous CF 741 (video) that are five machines in one: Sliding table saw with scoring and tenonning, thickness planer, jointer, spindle moulder (shaper), optional mortiser and optional horizontal drill. I think such a machine would make a fully equipped workshop smaller, but they are larger than a sliding table saw, so I think if you already lack the room for that this won’t help 
It can however, still be moved away easily like this.
Track saws save space but I don’t like them too much because I think a sliding table saw is safer. With a mitre saw you cannot rip.
A band saw cannot really compare with the other three (circular) saws you have in mind but it has its own purpose (and justification in a workshop) that cannot be fulfilled with a circular saw. It is the first power tool I buy (beside a drilling machine) when I switch a workshop from only working with hand tools to a more productive equipment.
For making cabinets, I think it’s good to own a thickness planer. A CNC machine can do what it does too, but a thickness planer is much, much faster.
Generally if you are at this stage with learning to use a CAD/CAM software, especially 3D modeling, you should think of the fact that it takes considerable amount of time to master it. Therefore I think you have time to think about your workshop equipment, and the more you master the software and create things, the more you will get a feeling for what you really want to do. The equipment of the workshop depends, as the others have already said, very much on it.
Happy birthday!
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I purchased a track system about 5yrs. ago from TrueTrac https://www.truetracsaw.com. The price point, accuracy, and ease of use, compared to other systems, in my opinion, is the best out there. I do have both a miter saw and table saw as well. I use the track saw to break sheet goods and other awkward lumber into manageable pieces before running through the other machines. However, if I had neither a table saw or miter saw, hands down, the True Trac system would do the job. They also have accessories for the router and such that make it all the more versatile. Worth a look.
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Just throwing my 1.25 cents worth into the mix; my timeline went something like this:
- Purchased a 3020 laptop CNC and with it
A) The cheapest Harbor Freight table saw
B) The cheapest Harbor Freight 12" miter saw
At an ~8" x ~12" cutting area that’s pretty much all I needed, and with this I rarely needed the table saw. If I needed absolute precision cuts (e.g. jewelry box lid), I would just perform profile cuts and have waste.
- Purchased Onefinity
A) Wen 8" planer
B) Wen 8-foot track saw
Since I rarely use the table saw (read P.O.S.), and I have never found a hardwood board 32" wide, I have always just used the chop saw, planer and glue-up. And, I have even used the CNC (both manual Xbox style and programming) for planning edges of boards instead of the planer and it works quite well. As far as cutting new MDF for my spoil board, or plywood for a cheap sign, I just used the track saw on top of a 4x8 sheet of foam board. This folds up and stores against the wall of my garage. And, for cutting the spoil board specifically, I left two edges long and let the CNC trim them to exact size.
With all this said, do I miss not having a “real” table saw? Not really. The track saw is pretty darn precise if I take the time to set it up properly. And, unless I spend the money that I really don’t want to spend, my having the Mickey Mouse version of a table saw makes it a little frustrating and scary to operate anyway.
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Semi retired woodworker/carpenter here, 50yrs in the business. I have a small shop and not an over abundance of equipment, (my wife thinks otherwise). I have everything I need to support the CNC and most any project that comes up. I’ve built up my tool inventory over the years by adding to it when a new project justifies it and helps offset part of the investment.
The table saw was the first major tool I purchased and it’s the very cornerstone of my shop today. I have a Sawstop that will probably be the last tool that goes when I finally quit. Miter saws and track saws were virtually none existent back then. But, if available, I I hope I would have recognized their value and brought them into my lineup.
Everyones workspace, budget and work flow is different. Best wishes on figuring out what will work for you. You’re getting solid advice here. Here are my top four picks to get you started:
Table saw
Miter saw
Router
Track saw.
Cheers!
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