Buying a Used Mitre Saw

[swimrr]

I need a mitre saw for home projects and have found a few on CL that look solid. I'm by no means an expert on saws and would appreciate some feedback on what to look for when buying a used mitre saw. My first inclination is to buy a new saw for safety reasons, but I'm not really basing that on much. I'm sure there are good used saws out there, I'm just not sure what too look for.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[drivesitfar]

Swimrr: what's your budget?

what are you going to use it for and don't just say cutting wood?

I had a little 10 inch Makita I picked up at Costco maybe 25 years ago and I couldn't kill it. I sold it to a friend for $40 and have asked him several times if I could buy it back and he's happy with it. I kept my Ryobi 18v miter saw thinking it would do the job and I do like the convenience of the battery, but it is nowhere near the saw.

so if you have a slim budget and just need to cut a few boards the old Makita miter saws work great. not great on 45's matching on molding, but mine might have just needed an adjustment that I didn't know existed.

I just bought a Dewalt 718 compound miter that I think the guy paid $700 for about 7 years ago for $250. it should do any job I need it to including building a house and a shed. i'm starting with a fence and deck and moving forward from there and will chime in later on how I like it. I've heard many good reviews from some of my friends and builders. not sure what other options you have across the boarder, but we are practically neighbors in the GJ world so feel free to get on the PNW thread in Free Parking and ask the same question and maybe a fellow Vancouverian will have one to sell you or some good ideas.

good luck

 

[theoldwizard1]

Safety on a used saw should not be an issue if it has all of the guards, they aren't broken and they function properly.

A couple of things that raise the price on a miter saw

• Blade size (which implies motor size). The average home owner does not need a 12" blade.
• Compound. (Angle and bevel at the same time.) There are a few cases when you are framing when you need this. This is more useful for cutting molding. Not a "must have". Also, if you ARE going to make compound cuts, you will probably need a 12" blade, unless you are going to limit yourself to small moldings (no big crown moldings).
• Slider. Nice to have especially on a 10" saw, because you can make cuts on larger boards than on a "swing" style.

A lot of rookies get drawn in by lasers. The are slick, but they are not always accurate !

Stick with a name brand.

 

[ddawg16]

Lasers are worthless. The battery in mine died years ago. Once you know how to use the saw, you don't need it.

If you can get a slider, that would be the way to go.

Best solution is finding a guy who is upgrading.

At the end of the day....half the quality in a cut is based on a good blade. Chances are you will pay more for a blade than the saw.

 

[swimrr]

Thanks for the advice guys. To start I'm only going to be doing baseboards but I'd like to buy a mitre that I can eventually used to build a fence, etc, if I get to those types of projects.

My budget is about $200-$250, mainly because I think you can probably get a good used saw for that amount, if new price is $400-$500 - but I could be wrong on this. That Dewalt is a nice looking saw, thanks for posting pics.

I figured the laser was a bit of a novelty and have dismissed it as a requirement. I like the idea of a 10" sliding saw so it's not too big but still allows for bigger cuts that than a swing arm 10".

I think a 10" sliding mitre saw is probably the sweet spot for me. I've seen a few on CL and will see who responds.

 

[Davefr]

I need a mitre saw for home projects and have found a few on CL that look solid. I'm by no means an expert on saws and would appreciate some feedback on what to look for when buying a used mitre saw. My first inclination is to buy a new saw for safety reasons, but I'm not really basing that on much. I'm sure there are good used saws out there, I'm just not sure what too look for.

Thanks in advance everyone.

Make sure there's no lateral play/wobble in the arbor shaft from worn bearings. After that I'd make sure the cord is safe. (3 wire including ground).

Then just test it out and ensure it's complete.

Once you get it home, get an engineers square and check all the alignment. Table, fence, tilt, etc. Get a high quality blade!!

I like the 10" compound/sliding Makitas but that's just personal preference.

Around here, I see lots of good ones at g-sales and they're pretty cheap.

I'd also recommend a work stand designed for these saws. It makes the work sooooo much easier then trying to cut boards while kneeling on the ground.

 

[Zeke]

Might not be a big issue but some are quieter than others. Basic work is done by my Hitachi 10" which can be had for >$100 on sale new (it is quieter than a Ryobi). I have a 14" for lumber and an 8 1/4" for trim. I CAN do 3 1/4 crown on the 8 1/4. You just have to know how. I prefer the smaller saws if they will do the job. A 14 or 15" miter saw for door stop is stupid.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I need a mitre saw for home projects and have found a few on CL that look solid. I'm by no means an expert on saws and would appreciate some feedback on what to look for when buying a used mitre saw. My first inclination is to buy a new saw for safety reasons, but I'm not really basing that on much. I'm sure there are good used saws out there, I'm just not sure what too look for.

Thanks in advance everyone.

First question is how big of a piece of wood do you want to cut? I had an old Delta that would almost cut a 4x4 but not quite. It was a bit a pain. But its replacement cuts 4x4's well so I like it better.