Shopping for a panel saw. Compare both the features and available accessories. Make a list of the types of sheet goods you cut most often along with the thickness and dimensions of the sheets. Panel saws come in a variety of sizes. Certain models have features that may be of extra value to your shop.

Choose the right saw blade. You can get away with one blade to cut a few different materials, like plastic and wood, but there is no single blade that cuts everything well. Use a sharp blade designed to cut the material you are cutting. If you use a plastics blade to cut aluminum, you will get a lousy cut and dull the blade quickly. Generally speaking a triple-chip blade (TCG) is used for aluminum products and an alternate taper blade (AT) is used for plastics. Either blade does a good job on most wood products.

Get a vacuum attachment. A dust hook-up for your panel saw will help keep both the shop and the machine clean.

Once you have purchased your saw keep a few tips in mind: First, always unplug the saw before removing it from the carriage; especially when changing blades. This may sound obvious but is an important step that must not be overlooked. Secondly, make sure the cutting tool is stored safely when off the machine. With the interchangeable cutting tools available with the Saw Trax panel saw system it is important to acknowledge the safety options included with our cutting tools. On the circular saw note that the blade guard drops into place with the saw removed form the carriage. Also, take notice with the knife cutter attachment how  the blade is able to be fully retracted into the knife before removing from the panel saw.