There are a lot of different types of electric saws out there.  Types include table saw, circulars saw, mitre saw, jigsaws, bandsaws and others.  I will focus on the three main types of saws used by a typical DIYer, which are the table saw, the circular saw and the mitre saw and will explain why the mitre saw is the saw of choice.

Table Saw:

A table saw is best for when you need to “rip” a board, meaning you are cutting a board long ways with the grain of the wood.  The downsides with table saws are that they are bulky and are more expense than either a mitre saw or a circular saw.  However, they can be very exact when trying to make a long cut.

Circular Saw:

A circular saw is different in that you push or drag the saw along the wood.  Due to this it can be difficult to make perfectly aligned cuts.  However, of the three saw types it is the usually the cheapest.

Mitre Saw:

A Mitre saw is the easiest to handle of the three types of saw, as it simply involves pulling down on the saw handle, as opposing to pushing the saw through the wood or pushing the wood through the saw.  Also, the mitre saw can make the most exact cuts of the three saws.  I have been able to use the saw to cut 1/8 of an inch off a piece of wood.  Due to ease of use and how versatile it is the Mitre saw is my saw of choice.  I use it 10 times for every one time I use my circular saw (and currently I don’t own a table saw).

Here is a link to the Mitre saw pictured above on Amazon. This is also the Mitre saw which I currently own and would recommend, it has lasted 3+ years. During that time I have had to replace the blade twice.

Hitachi C10FCH2 15-Amp 10-inch Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw with Laser Marker