Miter Saw help!

[nate379]

I am looking to pickup a miter saw. I don't do all that much woodworking, so I don't need a top of the line unit or anything like that.

I have been borrowing a 10" one and it has been really nice, though it won't cut 4x4s in one pass or a 2x6 other than at close to 90*.

Lowe's has a 12" Skil with laser lines for $189. The thing I don't like though is it's like 2x the size of the 10" model (for $129). I'm talking going from being able to put it on a shelf to needed a whole freaking workbench pretty much. Also the 10" model doesn't have a laser.
The size of the 12" one is going to make storage and portability a bit of a challenge I think.... but the blade size and laser would be nicer.

What do you all think?

 

[djjsr]

Check out the 10" sliding models. I have 3 miter saws and that's the one that I use most frequently but don't use it at all for fine work.

 

[scott37300]

I have a bosch 12" slider that I really like. Also have a dewalt 10" non slider that I use for trim except for really tall crown molding, more accurate and less blade deflection than a 12". I have used a kobalt 10" slider helping a friend and it is a pretty nice saw. Lowe's has them for 199 bucks and I know I have seen them on sale or you could use a 10% coupon to bring it down to the price of the 12" skill. A 10" slider will cut a 2x12 at 90*, and should do a 4x4 also in one pass. http://www.lowes.com/pd_141994-4606...r+saw&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=miter+saw

Forgot to add that whatever saw you buy get a good blade for it. I always buy a good freud or similar blade right away and save the factory one for cutting things that might ruin a good blade. The factory blade will get you by but it's amazing how much nicer a quality blade cuts. And another thing is the 10" blades are way cheaper than the 12" blades. My last freud 12" blade was around 80 bucks but its well worth it.

 

[plinker]

If you cut alot of wide boards (2x8"+) a sliding compound miter saw is nice.

I've got a 12" Ridgid that has preformed well except the electric brake is out. The laser came with it, but I havent used it so I cant comment on that.

Another thing that helps with cutting accuratly is taking your time when cutting and not just "chopping" the board off.

Freud diablo blades are nice too.

 

[babzog]

In my experience, you need to spend at a certain price level to get reasonable quality. In Canada, that line is $300 ($299.99). A $250 or under saw will not hold a miter angle - the mechanism will torque off the setting as you tighten the knob. The $300+ saws have a different locking mechanism that actually works.

Now, this was all about 2 years ago, so it's possible the price points have come down slightly. I checked out many saws and without fail, every single one under $300 had the same flaw in the design.

If I were you, I'd either rent (rentals are usually good saws), swallow the pill and buy a good saw (you will never regret it, even for occasional work) or wait for an auction and buy a good saw at the price of a new cheapie (probably your best bet).

A 12" saw will perform most cuts for you. A sliding unit is (very!) nice, but probably overkill (and the clearances for the sliding mechanism are large). I've got a Dewalt 12" saw and it's the bomb!

 

[halfxspaid]

Wait for a nice used one on CL and spend some money on a nice freud blade.

 

[Homoudont]

IMO if your not a woodworker and just doing 2X4 cuts etc that don't need to be super accurate.. Then just go to Harbor Freight and pick up one of their saw, throw a nice blade on it and be done with it. I don't consider myself a wood worker, but I've done quite a bit of trim and hard wood floor installs on various homes using a Kmart house brand miter saw with a Dewalt fine tooth blade with no problems. I've always said I would upgrade my saw but it never failed me and never saw a reason to upgrade.

If you plan on doing finish carpentry, then go ahead and invest in a nice saw, but if your just a homeowner, then grab whatever will do the job.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Ive been using the Rigid 10" non-slider for 4 or 5 years now, its inexpensive and durable, and works fine. Its seen several good sized projects commercial and residential. Its been used for production cutting as well (has allot of miles on it). It holds square..and take a licking. I think I paid around $175. Id buy it again, and I'm pretty picky with my tools (most all my stuff is Bosch and American Made Milwaukee)

A 12" Bosch slider would be nice, I think I just saw it on sale at Menard's for $699 !, Id love one, but just can see part with that much cake, and I actually could use it.

 

[nate379]

Just using to cut lumber for framing, etc. More accurate than a circular saw. Maybe once in a very blue moon cut a piece or two of trim, but that is not the primary use.

 

[nate379]

No such thing at Harbor Freight up here in Alaska.

IMO if your not a woodworker and just doing 2X4 cuts etc that don't need to be super accurate.. Then just go to Harbor Freight and pick up one of their saw, throw a nice blade on it and be done with it. I don't consider myself a wood worker, but I've done quite a bit of trim and hard wood floor installs on various homes using a Kmart house brand miter saw with a Dewalt fine tooth blade with no problems. I've always said I would upgrade my saw but it never failed me and never saw a reason to upgrade.

If you plan on doing finish carpentry, then go ahead and invest in a nice saw, but if your just a homeowner, then grab whatever will do the job.

 

[bargainzplus+]

If you want inexpensive try the harbor freight ones (i have had zero experience with them whatsoever) or go with a decent 10" sliding w/ a good blade. home depot does deals all the time that includes the stand free so be on the lookout.

Oh, also check out the craftsman miter saws, they might be alright as well

 

[ZRX61]

I have a 12in Dewalt that didn't come with a lazer, but they are cheap to buy & attach, Irwin makes one.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Just using to cut lumber for framing, etc. More accurate than a circular saw. Maybe once in a very blue moon cut a piece or two of trim, but that is not the primary use.

If you can read a tape, Im not really sure what a laser will do for you. When Im using a chop box, I measure for the board, put a board in the saw and bring the blade down on the tape, remove tape and cut. That is the fastest and most accurate way I know how to cut a board in a mitre box.

Not saying anyone else does it that way, but having said that, Im not really sure what the laser is supposed to do, so I dont know that the laser is really a selling point. Or at least that's something to think about. I dont see where it could hurt, just dont know what its supposed to do.

I keep two mitre boxes going on most jobs, right now Im restoring/rehabbing a 100 year old farm house, so I have one saw outside and one saw inside, we do most all of our 2x4 cuts with those saws, not a circular. Most all of the cuts are repair, and re-framing cuts, so they are all different cuts and need to be within a 1/16", nothing like new construction work. Ive also got a shop table saw and the dreaded radial arm saw on site, for all the odd ball stuff, and siding and large trim.

Id look more at warranty, than bells and whistles.

 

[nate379]

I measure and put a mark then cut. Laser would allow me to not have to mark a line with the triangle ok eyeball it.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I measure and put a mark then cut. Laser would allow me to not have to mark a line with the triangle ok eyeball it.

Ive found that marking and cutting, you can loose a 1/16 or more, thats how I got to placing the board in the saw, bringing down the blade with the tape on the board, to see where the cut will fall. I was fabricating for at least 10 years before I ever picked up a hammer, so when Im working with wood, Im probably the slowest carpenter on earth, but all my work is snug-tight.

Its hard to go from working with metal to wood. When doing construction, I really enjoy working with steel studs, but that doesn't happen in anything residential, and since the collapse of the economy, Ive not done any commercial work in 3 years, cant wait to get back to steel, I fricking hate wood ! But on the flip side, looking at the health problems associated with fabricating for a living, the construction aint so bad, and the enviroment is sooo much better !

 

[MrMark]

There's a cheap Hitachi 10" that routinely sells for 100 on Amazon. It's good enough for what you want. Most 10" will cut 4X4 lumber, I know my Milwaukee will. If you are interested in a slider, and it doesn't sound like you are, the blade size isn't that big a deal. I have a Dewalt 8.5 (Italian not Mexico) that will crosscut a 2X12 on a 45. If I were in the business of trim carpentry and cutting crown then I would buy the Dewalt non-slider 12 inch. Otherwise 12" is overkill and not as accurate as the smaller saws, IMO.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

And there is nothing wrong with Hitachi, probably one of the better brands, albeit, not American. I traded my Hitachi 8.5" slider for a GMC 2500 4x4 with a plow, if that is any indication...

 

[ZRX61]

I use a lazer because I'm as blind as a bat...

 

[MrMark]

I never understood what the laser was supposed to do. Is it the kerf, the left side of the kerf, the right side of the kerf? Is it aligned correctly? Too much trouble for me. I bring the saw down on the mark and experience teaches exactly where to put the teeth in relation to the mark to get a perfect cut.

 

[MrMark]

And there is nothing wrong with Hitachi, probably one of the better brands, albeit, not American. I traded my Hitachi 8.5" slider for a GMC 2500 4x4 with a plow, if that is any indication...

I don't know if you've seen the new Hitachi 8.5" sliders, but they are really cheap looking compared to their rock solid ancestors, like the one you traded for that truck.

Didn't Hitachi invent the slider with that 8.5?

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I don't know if you've seen the new Hitachi 8.5" sliders, but they are really cheap looking compared to their rock solid ancestors, like the one you traded for that truck.

Didn't Hitachi invent the slider with that 8.5?

Im not sure, it was a nice trim saw. The truck swap was "driven" buy a buddies wife who was tired of looking at in their driveway, and he needed the saw for work, and didnt want the truck anymore. It only had 36k on it, was a sweetheart deal. I traded the truck to another friend for a gehl 4516 skid loader, another sweetheart deal. The best part of the whole string of trades, I traded a box of used dodge factory repair manuals for the Hitatchi saw... so started out with a box of books that maybe I had $10 in, and turned it into a skid loader. I took about 2 years for all that to happen though.

 

[MrMark]

Im not sure, it was a nice trim saw. The truck swap was "driven" buy a buddies wife who was tired of looking at in their driveway, and he needed the saw for work, and didnt want the truck anymore. It only had 36k on it, was a sweetheart deal. I traded the truck to another friend for a gehl 4516 skid loader, another sweetheart deal. The best part of the whole string of trades, I traded a box of used dodge factory repair manuals for the Hitatchi saw... so started out with a box of books that maybe I had $10 in, and turned it into a skid loader. I took about 2 years for all that to happen though.

There was a recent story about this kid who trades some **** all the way to a Porsche boxster on Craigslist. I think the Boxster was a turd though. Sounds like you invented the story before the kid.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

There was a recent story about this kid who trades some **** all the way to a Porsche boxster on Craigslist. I think the Boxster was a turd though. Sounds like you invented the story before the kid.

This happened about 4 years ago, the GMC is a 1976, but was actual miles, another friends family bought it new, so I knew the history, plus Eric had recently put new rubber on it. I really wanted it because it had the old school Meyer full hydraulic plow on it, engine driven, also has a "hoist kit" on the box, electric over hydraulic. I didn't really want the Gehl, because I have a nice late model new holland, but I realized the value of the Gehl, and took the trade. I do have first options on the GMC if Roger ever wants to peddle it. He has 10 acres with a long drive and just wanted it for his drive, so it gets a couple hours a year on it. The low mileage on it is pretty much from the same thing, its only pretty much been used for plowing private drives. Its still in pretty good shape and would make for an easy resto, so some day I hope to get it back.

This is also one of those things that just kinda of happened, there was no plan to keep trading up, it just happened.

 

[woody 73]

Hi, although I am not a big fan of craftsman electrical tools you should look into a craftsman miter mate #21226 for under $250.00 dollars. This saw should be what you are looking for.

Now if you want a top notch saw and money was no object I would look at a Makita LS1016L for a tad over $500.00 dollars.

In my area people can not give away radial arm saws fast enough I see sears ras going for $75.00 dollars. But then again they take up a lot of space; The small light weight miter saw killed off those heavy machines.

As you have said you don't want the saw for using all the time I would look for used saw on cl; Also as someone pointed out buy a good saw blade.

Best of luck Woody.

 

[nate379]

I should have mentioned my price range. I was looking to spend under $200 at the very most, closer to $100 would be better.

As far as a good blade, I have never spent more than $20 on a blade and refuse to. I am not Norm Abrams and it would be stupid to use a $80 blade on 2x4s for framing something. I have better things to waste my money on.

 

[Bigpigdave]

I should have mentioned my price range. I was looking to spend under $200 at the very most, closer to $100 would be better.

As far as a good blade, I have never spent more than $20 on a blade and refuse to. I am not Norm Abrams and it would be stupid to use a $80 blade on 2x4s for framing something. I have better things to waste my money on.

Check out the Ryobi sliding 10" at Home Depot. I got a reconditioned model from CPO Ryobi for $169 shipped last year. Not sure of the current pricing but the saw has been a huge improvement over my non-sliding 10". I did add a nice Freud blade.
Good luck, Dave

 

[nate379]

It's $230 or $240 at the Lowe's here. Out of my price range. I think I am just going to get the $90 10" unit and use a skill saw for whatever it can't do.

 

[scott37300]

I should have mentioned my price range. I was looking to spend under $200 at the very most, closer to $100 would be better.

As far as a good blade, I have never spent more than $20 on a blade and refuse to. I am not Norm Abrams and it would be stupid to use a $80 blade on 2x4s for framing something. I have better things to waste my money on.

That was one of my points about getting a 10" vs. 12". The 10" blades are a lot cheaper, they are 20-30 bucks for a decent blade vs. 80 for a nice 12" blade. I used to use the blades that came on the tools and thought they were good and replaced them with same quality. Then after reading a bunch of stuff about how much difference a good blade makes I went out and spent the money. It's amazing the difference, they cut like butter, are more accurate because they have less blade deflection, leaves a nice cut, it's safer because it cuts easier, and once you use a really nice blade you won't go back to cheap ones. In my opinion a 90 dollar saw with a top of the line blade would be better than a 200 dollar saw with factory blade. The teeth count on a blade makes a big difference also.

They really get you on pricing up there! 40 extra dollars for the same same, I know it cost more to ship up there but I would think a big store like lowes would be able to offer the saw for around the same price.

 

[griff99]

Way out of your price range, but I have been using the Dewalt 12-inch slider for 5-6 years now, and it still works as well today as when I bought it. I started looking for an inexpensive 10-inch saw, just like you are doing now, but after looking and looking and looking some more, I ended up sucking it up and buying one way outside my price range. By the time I bought the saw, the laser, and the stand I was up to a little over $675 and that was on-sale with coupons.

But in all honesty, I have no regrets, but I think I would have if I had gone with the 10 inch non-sliding saw. I use that saw probably more than any other tool in my arsenal of power tools. I have found a lot of projects to use it for, ones that I probably wouldn't have tackled if I didn't have it and/or cut things I probably couldn't have cut with the 10-inch saw. It has definitely paid for itself and I am just a amateur. I have 2 blades, the one that it came with which could use a sharpening, but has really only been used for framing. I also have a fine finish blade, that I use for trim and some of my wood working projects and I always make sure that one is nice and sharp. I could probably stand to pick up another blade.

 

[babzog]

The laser just aligns the blade with your mark. I don't have one, though my saw is equipped for the addon. I can see the value of them - rather than getting low and eyeballing the edge of the blade to the mark, you just flip on the laser, adjust your workpiece and cut.