We research in-depth and provide unbiased reviews and recommendations on the best products. We strive to give you the most accurate information. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Miter saws are relatively popular woodworking tools that allow for tremendous precision when cutting materials such as siding, flooring, lumber, or PVC pipes. They are most suited to materials on the thinner side of the spectrum.
The workflow sees you pull down a mounted circular saw blade to complete your cuts. When you are ready to purchase one of these units, you’re going to notice that there are a few options available. Two of these are the single and double bevel miter saw.
Both allow you to make bevel cuts, which are those made along with material thickness at angles other than the miter saw’s standard 90-degree cutting angle. So, what makes a difference between the two saw types, and which one are you supposed to be choosing for your projects?
All this and more can be found below!
Single Bevel Miter Saw
Choosing a single bevel miter saw means that you can only go left or right with your positioning. To make this clearer, you can only go to the left or the right with a single unit, but it’s never going to be both.
So, should you choose this kind of saw, you are going to need to make peace with the fact that your bevel cuts are all going to be one-directional. Conveniently though, you can make miter cuts and bevel cuts independently or simultaneously.
There is a workaround if your workload requires you to make bevel cuts in multiple directions. Simply complete the initial direction, flip the workpiece around, and repeat the cut you did before, which would now be made on the opposite side.
Of course, this does mean putting a little more effort than you probably would have liked to into the task.
Pros
What are the benefits of going with a single bevel miter saw? Well, these are as follows:
- You can typically pick up a single bevel miter saw for less than its double bevel alternative
- The learning curve is easier, especially if most cuts are going to be at the standard angle
- These saws are highly welcoming to both newcomers and professionals
Cons
of course, you do have to bear the downsides in mind too, which are:
- If your project requires multiple cuts, it’s going to take more time and effort to do so with a single bevel saw
- Since the two cuts are not made at once, it’s entirely possible to have trouble making a double cut with the kind of uniformity you may want
Double Bevel Miter Saw
As you’d expect, the difference here is that you can adjust your double bevel miter saw both right and left. The biggest change here is that uniform cutting ability is present in spades.
While beginners can opt to purchase the double bevel model, it is better suited to professionals, such as contractors who need a boost in speed to improve their productivity.
Pros
Of course, the double bevel miter saw has a few advantages. These are:
- You can take on a greater quantity of projects since each is going to require less time. Crown molding projects and trim based ones benefit greatly from this advantage
- There is greater precision with workloads that require coating on both sides of the workpiece, which means your quality output is going to be greater
Cons
- Of course, going with the double bevel route is going to mean you must spend a bit more
- The learning curve here is not as welcoming as the single bevel counterpart, meaning that beginners must take things a bit slower
Making the Choice
So, you have two great miter saw alternatives in front of you. Which one should you be getting and why? Since the double bevel saw is basically the single bevel one with an additional perk, you would assume that it’s objectively better, right?
While this may be true from a pure feature standpoint, that’s never enough to make such a decision. Consider your unique circumstances. If you’re a hobbyist who is never really going to be making any cuts outside of this standard 90-degree type, then it would be financially disadvantageous for you to invest in a double bevel saw.
On the flip side, if you are a professional who wants to get through as many projects as possible with consistent results, then you may find that a double bevel miter saw is a better option for you.
