Unlike a normal circular saw, it's possible to start cutting in the middle of a piece of wood with a cut-off saw. The saw is pressed down while rotating and can plunge into any desired location with the saw. The cut-off saw owes its name to this trick. This technique is useful for different types of sawing jobs. For example, to make a recess for a socket or sink. A cut-off saw can also start cutting at the edge of a workpiece, just like a normal circular saw.