I was recently called upon to settle an argument. The debate was whether it is better to use a mitre saw or a tablesaw to make precise crosscuts.
The two people arguing about this are not actual woodworkers. They have, however, each seen enough episodes of several woodworking television shows to know that you can use either. One person is a big fan of the precision mitre gauges and tablesaw sleds that you can buy or make. The other person likes more direct and dedicated tools for a particular job. And what they wanted to know was which will result in the best cut.
I said it’s a matter of how far you want to walk, if you want to walk at all.

They didn’t quite understand what I meant, so I clarified it for them.
The fact is, I’ll not bother to take my wood across the room to the chop saw if I can make the cut on the tablesaw. I’d like to make all my cuts without moving from one position. So, if I have a lot of pieces to cut to length, I’ll take all of the wood to the chop saw and use that. Or maybe I’ll stay where I am and just use the tablesaw. If it’s just a few cuts to make, I’m definitely not walking across the room.
And this comes from a practical attitude adopted from work. When on a construction site, particularly a bigger one, you can waste a lot of time walking. Not only that, but sometimes you need to walk through the mud for what feels like two or three miles (it’s not that far) to get something from your car. So, I like to get as much done with a single tool as possible. And I’d also like for that tool to be as light as possible.
Of course, that’s not the case in a workshop. The tools are all right there. It’s a half-dozen steps to the mitre saw to make your cut. And maybe it’s the better choice. Maybe it makes a finer cut. You know, it has the specially designed crosscut blade. It’s actually made for it. Perhaps there is some special characteristic of its hulking presence that will make the end product a finer sort of thing, whatever it is you’re making.
I doubt it.

My mind is so far from caring about the characteristics of the blade on whatever tool is in front of me, when I need to get something done. Perhaps I’d stop myself if there was a dull plywood blade on the tablesaw, but other than that I just don’t care.
The people on both sides of the argument couldn’t accept that was a good idea. Clearly, you should care about the blade and how well it will make the cut.
I said a sharp blade is a sharp blade. If it crosses my mind that one tool will generate a smoother cut and I think a smoother cut is actually important, I’ll possibly bother to walk to that tool. But maybe not. I like to live dangerously and gamble on such things.
The mitre saw proponent then started talking about cutting pieces that were too long for the tablesaw. And I had to agree that the mitre saw was the best bet in that instance, unless you happen to have a circular saw close at hand and can more easily use that.
Neither of them agreed with that.

How can you possibly make an accurate cut with a circular saw, they asked. It’s only for rough cutting.
Once again, unless the blade is dull, the tool can do a fine job. Of course, if you want truly fine results, you need to use whatever tool gives the greatest amount of precise control. My friends didn’t understand that every cut is particular in its own right. Sometimes, it’s safer to cut short pieces of wood to length on a tablesaw. Sometimes, you can be more certain of repeatable angle-cuts on a mitre saw but if you have the proper setup, you can likely do the same quality job on the tablesaw. But the main thing they didn’t understand was that it’s actually you who makes the cut, not the tool. What you want from a tool is the ability to control it such that it gives you the desired result. If the tool does a lousy job, it’s because the operator chose to use it and then couldn’t get a good result.

Once again, unless the blade is dull, the tool can do a fine job. Of course, if you want truly fine results, you need to use whatever tool gives the greatest amount of precise control. My friends didn’t understand that every cut is particular in its own right. Sometimes, it’s safer to cut short pieces of wood to length on a tablesaw. Sometimes, you can be more certain of repeatable angle-cuts on a mitre saw but if you have the proper setup, you can likely do the same quality job on the tablesaw. But the main thing they didn’t understand was that it’s actually you who makes the cut, not the tool.

What you want from a tool is the ability to control it such that it gives you the desired result. If the tool does a lousy job, it’s because the operator chose to use it and then couldn’t get a good result.

I didn’t really settle the argument. Instead, they both felt a little insulted and stopped talking to me.