Double Mitre Saws: Buying Guide

19 October, 2022

You need to make fast and precise mitre cuts but feel lost trying to figure out the differences between double mitre saws. Don’t worry; this is a familiar feeling since there is no other machine in the aluminum profile industry that has more variety. There are many options, so you need to determine what you need.

INT Machinery is here to assist you and provide the options and expertise you need to make informed decisions.

Continue reading to understand…

  • Each type
  • What they are suitable for
  • What you cannot use them for

…so then you can make an informed decision.

Continue reading to learn about:

  • The types of double mitre saws.
  • The variations within each type.
  • How to choose the right one for your needs.
Let’s look at the various options available in this category.

 

Back-cut Double Mitre Saws

double mitre saw back cut orgThese are the most common double mitre saws on the market.

These machines:

  • They were made for cutting architectural aluminum but are also used to cut all industrial aluminum profiles.
  • The blades come from the back forward in a radial direction.
  • They have horizontal and vertical clamps; horizontal ones must be used at all times, while vertical ones are not mandatory. Although some old models had both heads movable, nowadays, almost all manufacturers offer
  • left-head fixed and right-head movable machines.
  • The mobile head movement can be motorized or manual. Both heads are tiltable for mitre adjustments. There are versions that tilt the heads:
    • only inwards
    • only outwards
    • tilt both inwards and outwards
  • The tilting movement can be pneumatic or motorized.
  • Many manufacturers offer different machine length options.
    • 4m is a typical standard length
    • 5m and 6m are common options

 

Up-cut Double Mitre Saws

double mitre saw up cut

The blades come from below the table upwards. Unlike the back-cut double mitre saws, these saws tilt only inwards because the blade housing also serves as a table for the profile to rest on; therefore, it cannot be moved. Vertical clamping is mandatory and horizontal clamps are optional. Similarly, the left head is fixed while the right head is movable. Blade tilting can be motorized or pneumatic. Different controllers, machine lengths, and blade sizes are available.

 

Down-cut Double Mitre Saws (aka Double Head Chop Saws)

double miter saw down cut

These are entry-level economic machines for those who want to cut precise mitre parts but have a limited budget. Their cutting capacity is lower; they consist of chop saws mounted on a machine base where the left unit is fixed and the right one is movable.

Hydro-pneumatic actuators provide its saw blade feed with a standard length of 3m/4m, depending on the manufacturer, and a blade diameter of 400mm.

 

V-cut Saws

double mitre saw v cut

Unlike the above-mentioned double mitre saws, V-cut saws (aka V-notch Saws) are designed to cut exclusively 45° mitre. Straight 90° cuts are not possible.

As the name states, the two saw blades are mounted on a carriage in a 90° V-shape with enough clearance to avoid contacting each other.

Although horizontal and vertical clamps may be available depending on the manufacturer, it might be tricky to adjust/use them due to space restrictions in this principle. Some of these saws can offer additional functions to the mitre cutting function, like V-notching by adjusting the fence depth or square end notching using an optional conveyor, fence, and clamp kit.

 

Double Head Compound Mitre Saws

compound miter cut aluminum profile org

There may be an overlap in describing this as a separate category since they can also be up-cut, down-cut, and back-cut; however, we believe this to be more correct. These saws are designed to make compound mitre cuts.

They can also cut straight or regular mitre cuts. For those who don’t know what a compound mitre cut is, we will mention briefly: when the saw blade is angled around two different axes, this is called a compound angle. We call one of these movements “tilting” and the other “rotation” to distinguish.

The most common double-head compound mitre saws are in an up-cut fashion. Imagine the regular up-cut double mitre saw tilting and rotating the whole head.

These saws are typically high-end, relatively more expensive saws with advanced controllers since making calculations for compound cuts isn’t an easy job with basic controllers.

  • The down-cut style ones are tough to use due to their small capacities, limited angle ranges, and lack of control units.
  • The back-cut style double-head compound mitre saw machines are old and discontinued by almost everyone.

 

What to Consider When Buying Double Mitre Saws

double miter saw compound

First, you must determine the width and height of the biggest profile you want to cut, mitre angles, and directions. If you need to cut large bundles or wide and short profiles like multi-track sliding door frames, you may be better off with an up-cut saw than a back-cut. Up-cut saws cut wider and shorter, while back-cut saws cut taller and narrower.

Another main point is whether you have compound mitre cuts or not. If so, a double-head compound mitre saw is a clear choice. Double-head compound saws are significantly more expensive than regular ones.

Bar feeding is another function that computerized double mitre saws can offer. Suppose you need to cut short pats like corner keys, mounting brackets, etc., and you don’t have a dedicated automatic saw machine. In that case, we recommend double mitre saws with capable controllers. Computerized machines are also necessary for cut list management, data transfer, label printing, and remote servicing.

Overall the most flexible double mitre saws are the back-cut style ones because their blade can tilt both inwards and outwards, and you can tilt steeper angles compared to the up-cut style saws. Being able to tilt both ways, you can freely decide the orientation of the profile on the saw table and avoid some fixturing.

Most computerized double mitre saws can perform over-size cuts. Remember, these machines can feed the bar and then make a cut. But if you have a lot of pieces longer than 4m, it makes sense to get a bigger machine for efficiency.

You are cutting only small profiles; you don’t need label printing or cut list management, your budget is limited, production volume is low, and you don’t need bells and whistles, so you can go with a down-cut or V-notch style double mitre saw. We suggest the down-cut over V-notch because it can cut straight and other angles, whereas V-notch can only cut 45°.

If you are still not sure which one is the best fit for your production, our experts are here to help.

 

Check Out Our selection of Double Mitre Saws

INT Machinery is Canada’s Aluminum and PVC MAchinery Distributor.

See our range of double mitre saws here.

In the long run, you will save money by getting the right saw at the start. Int Machinery will assist you in finding the perfect double mitre saws for your business.

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