Crosscut Showdown: Table Saw vs Miter Saw

When it comes time to make a crosscut, what tool do you choose? There are numerous options, but I find it almost always comes down to the table saw or the miter saw. The table saw, the real workhorse of most shops, is steady, reliable, and able to easily cut miters and bevels. Of course a good compound sliding miter saw can do all that too, and with minimal set up. So, if you’ve got both in your shop (or if you’re just starting out in woodworking and looking at what to buy) what’s the best choice? Which tool crosscuts the best?

I think it’s important to look at things “apples to apples” in this case. That is to say, tools of comparable value. A high-end table saw with a premium blade will almost always get better results than a cheap miter saw, and vice versa once you start