10" table saw vs. compound miter saw - share your opinion

I'm using my dad's old Craftsman Model 113 10" contractor-style (motor hangs out the back) table saw that he bought in the 50s to finish building his house with. I had to clean up and oil the threads for the tilt and lift knobs, put a new belt, blade and some new motor mount bolts on, and it has a bad fence that you have to nudge the far end into place on, but you can do a hell of a lot with a table saw besides ripping.
It's just like this one, but it doesn't have wings or the official table, and I haven't begun to take it all apart to restore it like this guy did (yet). But it cuts nice and should easily last the rest of my lifetime. I do need to get a new motor pulley for it as the old one is a tad bent, but there are tons of them on Ebay, along with official wings if I want to buy rather than build. Lots of these saws on craigslist, and they have a nice cast iron top, and no plastic.



I also have a Craftsman chop saw that my brother-in-law gave me, but it's not a compound, and the bearings wobble a bit.

Went to wallyworld last weekend and bought an oscillating cutter just to do one cut with, LOL. But it was only 25 bucks with a package of different cutting blades, and worked slick.

its not one or the other in my opinion. you need both. they serve different purposes. if it were me i would purchase both. buy cheap or used ones and then upgrade as needed bc you will definitely used them. try doing cabinetry without a miter saw or even trim. then try do cut straight narrow pieces of plywood without table saw. again, u need both. good luck.

I bought a sliding miter saw from HF a few years back and use it for everything but ripping. Once in a while, I'll use the radial arm to notch something but it's always the miter I go to. Unhappy with the quality of HF tools, but the motor is good. Little things keep breaking and no repair parts. Since it's in the lean-to, and in damp air, perfect home for it. I mostly rip with the table saw, and it does come in handy...

Thanks Bev,

I like good quality tools but not in my lean to. It's just too damp out there... I use the slider quite often, comes in handy for lots of things. I'll check out the Dewalt, always fun to look at tools. LOL.

Well I see this discussion has been going awhile, but I'll share my experience. I've used both professionally most all my life and have more than one of each. 
First, for the question on trailer work. I'd say if you could just have one or the other it should be a sliding compound miter saw. I've trimmed out many custom homes and would often take the chop saw and a portable table saw, but really, quite often just the miter saw and never just the table saw. 
In my opinion, I prefer the 10" saw over the 12" miter saw. It is much easier to lug around and I feel I can cut with more precision on small trim than with the larger one. I like the 12" for framing or when there is a lot of 4x material. I can't see anything in trailer renovation where 10" wouldn't be ok.
For a table saw, I would recommend any of the portable pro types or if you have room (and a 220 power source) a good heavy stationary delta or powermatic. Pretty easy to come by used. I have a classic unisaw that I bought used in about 1979 and it has cut and dadoed many miles of lumber since. I had the bearings replaced once and a new switch once or twice and added an aftermarket fence system and we still use it almost everyday. 
What ever you get, use good sharp blades that are designed for the use at hand. Hope this helps someone.

I love my caged jobsite Dewalt table saw. It's designed to be portable and light. My model says it will rip up to 20", but if I tweak the fence, I can go 24-1/2" rips. A good blade is key. I like the Freuds. If you really want a better portable setup, then a Rousseau stand is nice.
I have a dewalt 12" compound miter saw (dws780) that's the bomb, but may be overkill for trailer restoration. I use it for everything from cutting beams to small trim details. I would stay with the 10". Blades are cheaper. Saw is cheaper.
I don't have any brand loyalty. I happened to get a screaming deal on these from work.
I also found when making pieces for my framing, cabinets, and fold out bed, it was handy to have access to a jointer, planer, and sander but I was dealing with a lot of rough stock.

My Delta Homecraft from the 40s is powered by a 1 1/2hp motor and a 8 1/4" blade capacity but it'll rip 8 QTR oak and maple till the cows come home. Keep a sharp blade on your saw and feed rate that seems appropriate, set your fence correctly, and it might take a few seconds longer than a big cabinet saw but it'll get the job done, and well. Sharp and smart beats power when you work for free.