07-07-2015, 05:44 PM
You'll get the most accuracy with the miter saw. Miter can only cut smaller pieces, like you won't be able to cut a 2 ft wide piece of plywood with it.
You'll get the most versatility and portability with the circular saw. You can indeed get pretty accurate with a decent circular saw using guides clamped to your workpiece. Time consuming, but effective. It was my only power saw for 20 years, and I built some basic furniture and finished a basement with it.
For around the house, light shop use, I'd get the circular saw first. Then the miter saw, then a bandsaw, then a drill press, then a belt sander, then a table saw, then . . . . . . . ad bankruptum.
edit: Workmate is a great thing to have if you don't have a dedicated bench, good even if you do. Don't get a new one, they're junk. Look for an older one on CL. Here's a link with good info:
Workmate types
You'll get the most versatility and portability with the circular saw. You can indeed get pretty accurate with a decent circular saw using guides clamped to your workpiece. Time consuming, but effective. It was my only power saw for 20 years, and I built some basic furniture and finished a basement with it.
For around the house, light shop use, I'd get the circular saw first. Then the miter saw, then a bandsaw, then a drill press, then a belt sander, then a table saw, then . . . . . . . ad bankruptum.
edit: Workmate is a great thing to have if you don't have a dedicated bench, good even if you do. Don't get a new one, they're junk. Look for an older one on CL. Here's a link with good info:
Workmate types