If you’ve come to find this article, you must be set on getting a miter saw. Fortunately for you, we’ve taken the time to ensure you can make the perfect choice when it comes to picking the size of the miter saw you want. The choice when it comes in between 10 inch vs 12 inch miter saw is a hard one, but one that can be made correctly once you’ve found out all the important factors. Let’s dive into this article and find out how a 10 inch miter saw and 12 inch miter function, and can benefit you!
10 Inch Miter Saw
Miter saws in general are quite versatile, and that remains true whether it is a 10 inch or 12 inch miter saw. When it comes to 10 inch miter saws though, they are in general cheaper than 12 inch miter saws. This makes them quite more budget friendly and allows everyone a chance to get familiar with a miter saw.
A 10 inch miter saw is still pretty good in terms of providing you with all the cuts necessary. You can easily manage all sorts of trims and molding boards, with cuts that are 6 inches in width. With these miter saws having a 10 inch blade, you’ll find that a 10 inch blade is much easier to find. What’s better is that you can find a 10 inch blade in various types of designs and also find that they are easier to sharpen.
As for making a smooth cut, a 10 inch miter saw will be able to provide that to you easily. Since they use a 10 inch blade, the smaller blade spins faster than when compared to a 12 inch saw and its blade. This allows for the 10 inch miter saws to provide very smooth cuts, and also achieve a relatively high RPM (rotations per minute) when you’re engaged in your work.
Always make sure to get the best 10 inch miter saw out there, if that is your final decision. The market has hundreds of choices for you to select from, and you’ll need to know all the details in order to get the best one for yourself.
12 Inch Miter Saw
While a 12 inch miter saw will come in at a more expensive price in general, they do have their perks. Unfortunately, you’ll have to first deal with the problems of acquiring it at a higher price and over time managing to get parts for it, which are much harder to get when compared to the parts of a 10 inch miter saw.
Despite being a little on the expensive side, a 12 inch miter saw allows you to work with much bigger pieces, and this makes your work a lot more easier. Whether you’re doing basic repetitive cutting work, or need to get big pieces for crown molding, a 12 inch miter saw will allow you to get bigger pieces of wood done faster.
A 12 inch miter saw being bigger, also comes with a more powerful motor that can ensure the saw runs at optimal capacity and provides you a clean and smooth cut each time. This also makes them great for heavy duty cutting needs, and you can rest assured you’ll get wider and deeper cuts, with very good precision and accuracy.
With a 10 inch miter saw, you obviously can’t fit in a bigger blade on it. However, on a 12 inch miter saw, if you have the same arbor sizes, you can fit a 10 inch blade on it as well. With the help of the 12 inch saw and its powerful motor, you can be sure of it being very productive. It will allow you to have the versatility of the 10 inch saw, and you can be using a much more powerful 12 inch saw to do it with.
With the various amounts of 12 inch miter saws on the market, it may be tough to find the best one. However, finding the best 12 inch miter saw for yourself is key in ensuring you get your work done the best way possible, and to your satisfaction!
Pros and Cons of a 10 Inch Miter Saw vs 12 Inch Miter Saw
Now that you know more about a 10 inch miter saw and a 12 inch miter saw, let’s list out the necessary pros and cons of each of these miter saws, and see which is the best to provide you with your finished cut!
10 Inch Miter Saw
12 Inch Miter Saw
Choosing the Correct Miter Saw: 10 Inch or 12 Inch?
Knowing the pros and cons of each of these two sizes of miter saws, you’ll want to now take into consideration the type of work you’ll be doing. A miter saw is a very versatile tool, and you’ll want to get the best one for yourself. What are the factors that you need to keep in mind?
Precision Work
Do you need to engage in work where precision and accuracy is of the utmost importance? Well, a miter saw is a great choice in that case, but what size? Well, as we have already said, a 10 inch miter saw is much more preferred when it comes to making a precision cut. They’re much easier to maneuver and the wide array of blade selection will only make your job easier.
12 inch miter saws aren’t bad, but they’re just not as precise. However, you can acquire a 12 inch miter saw that can accommodate a 10 inch blade. This will allow you to engage in precision work with your 10 inch blade, and do the heavy duty cutting tasks on your wood with the 12 inch blade.
Size and Portability
If you need to move around quite a bit when you’re working, a miter saw might pose a bit of a problem as they have to be placed down to work on. However, if you really do need this perk, it is safe to say that the 10 inch miter saw is your best bet.
Blade Selection
12 inch miter saws aren’t the best for precision work, and they don’t have a great selection of blades either. You’ll find yourself very limited when it comes to finding a blade for your 12 inch saw, but when it comes to a 10 inch miter saw, you’ll see that there’s a multitude of options out there, and you can find one that best suits your needs.
Miter Saw Compound Feature
A 10 inch or 12 inch miter saw is great, but what type of features does it have? Is it a compound miter saw or a sliding miter saw? A compound miter saw allows you to engage in various types of versatile work when it comes to woodworking. You’ll be able to tilt your whole saw and the blade on the saw with the miter and bevel gauge respectively. However, with a sliding compound miter saw, you’ll be able to move the blade forward in order to get even longer cuts, making it easier to do repetitive cuts. It also saves you time from having to flip around your wood pieces constantly. Depending on the type of work you have, these features and knowing about them, might just be what helps you seal the deal!
The Takeaway
We hope we have managed to help you come to a decision between a 10 in miter saw or a 12 in miter saw. They both have their merits and they both have their faults. When it comes to a 10 inch vs 12 inch miter saw, the 10 inch will always win when it comes to precision and the availability of blades. However, the 12 inch saw is much more capable of doing heavy duty work, but can be a bit more expensive. Find the best choice for yourself, and get your woodworking needs satisfied!
Hey there, my name’s Braden Smith and all my lifeI’ve been passionate about woodworking. As such, I spent more time learning about and experimenting with power tools. Over time, I learned to help spread my knowledge by articulating my words thanks to my academic knowledge in the English Language as well.