Saw buying advice

I agree about the Unisaw.

However, for what most people need, a good contractor saw should do the trick. Don’t get anything cheaper than a contractor saw – it isn’t worth it. Those small benchtop saws you see out there are inaccurate, they have loud universal motors, and they are too darned small to do anything but picture frames or small wooden boxes. At least, that was my experience.

Quick question: Is a “chop saw” really the same as a miter saw?

I thought I saw the two advertised separately in a rental store publication a few months ago. I’ve heard the two used interchangeably, but wonder if it’s technically correct. I thought a chop saw was a specialized version of a miter saw.