Miter Saw Table

Buying a miter saw table can be a pain. They all look so different. Some have legs sticking out. Some have arm-like extenders. Some have rails, whereas others have table-tops and some even have collapsible frames. So, faced with this dazzling array of equipment, how can you decide which is right for you? Well, the good news is that each miter saw table is a member of one of four distinctive "clubs". This article will help you decide which "club" to join!

The Way-back Club

This is the oldest of all miter saw table clubs and probably predates the Constitution. This is the all-wood, homemade stand, the most basic way of supporting a bench tool above the ground for easier and safer use. Basically, you have a pair of saw horses, one at each end, and a good big plank of wood balanced across the top of them. It's a very basic solution to the problem, but its primitiveness also lends it to flexible use. You can use it to support anything you like. The drawback is that you have a very heavy miter saw table, made of several hard-to-transport parts – just not practical for most people today.

The Table Top Club

Yes, you guessed it, this group of miter saw stands has a big old flat table on the top. The miter saw is bolted onto this table and usually this table is attached to the stand. This means that it's not a quick operation to get the saw and stand apart, because you're going to need to remove the bolts each time, which is a pain. So, it's not so good if you need to transport your stand and saw around. On the other side of the coin, this stand is usually universal and can accept most miter saws and also table saws.

The Rail Club

This is a miter saw table on a rail, as the name suggests. The rail is the equivalent of the plank in the old homemade stand, but better. It's better because the saw table top clamps to the rail, very quickly and securely. This means you can quickly remove the saw and its attached table for transportation in the truck. The rail stand also has a pair of metal legs at each end of the rail, and these fold up so you can transport the stand as easily as the saw. Also at each end you will usually find extending frames that pull out to support longer pieces of work. These frames sometimes have padded rollers so you can roll heavy work across them instead of dragging it.

The Multi-part Club

This miter saw table is a stand comprised of several parts. Usually, there's a pair of metal saw horses, one at each end, and you yourself supply a plank of any size you like that runs between the two. This means you can make the stand as long as you want. Because the saw horses are foldable and light, they're easy to store when not in use. The saw just bolts to a removable table that attached to the plank, a bit like a rail stand but without a specially constructed rail.

The One-Handed Club

Now we come to a revolution in the world of the miter saw table. The collapsible, portable stand that can be folded and unfolded with one hand. This stand, when folded, looks like an upright trolley with two big wheels that make it easy to move around. The great thing about it is that you can leave the miter saw in place on the stand even when it's all folded up. It takes a bit of getting used to seeing your saw on end hanging above the ground, but these stands are very stable and you soon get used to it.

So, now you have the facts, which miter saw table club will you join?