Power Saws vs the Hand Saw
There’s a right situation for every tool, but knowing when to use a hand saw and when to use some kind of power saw isn’t always as simple as it seems. In this article we take a close look at the differences between these tools, as well as some of the pros and cons you may not have thought about. A hand saw is a must have item in the garage of any serious wood worker, as it can be used for a variety of projects and tasks. Here are some of the top things to think about when deciding between using a power saw and a hand saw.
Safety
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Put simply, a hand saw is much safer than any sort of power saw. There are many accident every year, for which power tools are responsible, but hand saws although they are sharp, they’re pretty safe. Power saws have blades which move at a very high speed, this means that cutting your finger or hand off is as simple as a single slip up. With a hand saw the power comes from you, so the blade isn’t moving dangerously fast. Hand saws are great for teaching children about wood working because they’re much safer – although you should still be cautious.
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Portability
A major advantage that comes with using a hand saw over a power saw is portability. The hand saw is small and light enough to take with you wherever you go around the place. Power saws are often so large that you need to keep them in one place, where you’re working. The portability of the saw is also a factor when it comes to storing it. Storing a hand saw is easy as it’s so small, you don’t need much space at all to keep a hand saw.
Precision
Clearly a hand saw is a much more precise tool than most power saws are. When you need to make a very precise cut, you should do it using a hand saw so that you can take your time with careful strokes for a perfect cut. Power saws can be difficult to control at the best of times even for experts. They are much more prone to making accidental cuts that you don’t want.
Power
With a hand saw, all you need to get started is a bit of good old fashioned hard work. You don’t need any external power source like a battery or fuel. If you’re using a power saw, like a Jigsaw, you then have the added trouble of having to be near a power outlet to get your work done. This can be pretty limiting on the places you can go to do work, so often people will just use a hand saw in situations where there’s no power outlet nearby. Of course there are battery powered saws that do not require a cord, but the charge of the battery only lasts so long.
