Miter saw purchase decision

[schick79]

Hello, first visit and post here. I am looking to buy a compound miter saw, and was hoping for some suggestions on what to get.

I already have a Craftsman Pro 10" table saw. I am looking to add a compound miter saw to be able to cut various molding (crown, baseboard, chair rail, etc.) I am a DIYer, not a contractor.

I keep reading comments from others in various places about "I wished I would have bought the sliding miter saw". I understand the physical difference between the two, and how you can cut much longer pieces with a sliding. What I don't know is what practical uses I might have for getting a sliding miter saw. I'm not able to think of anything in which it would be helpful. If anybody could please provide some real-life examples of where a sliding miter saw would be necessary, AND that my table saw would not be able to handle, that would be much appreciated. The existing table saw is the other factor playing into this. I'm not sure where the overlap is between the two.

In general, I prefer to invest in quality tools for the long term. I would rather throw out the money for a tool that will last many, many years if not used a ton and properly cared for. But, if I can't find a good reason or use for a sliding, then I don't see the reason to spend the extra $250. FYI I am currently looking at the Dewalt DW716 (non-sliding) or the 780/782 if I went the sliding route.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

 

[Tronyadorable]

5 year warranty. Milwaukee.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Home Depot had/has a big *** dewalt 12" compound sliding for 399. It was a special on and end cap. I think it was a 742? It didn't have a laser. Only real difference I could see. It weighs a ton and is just huge. It's hard to move inside the house I am redoing. We didn't have new carpet yet, so it was easy to work inside.

I swapped it out for a 12" hitachi at lowes which is 249 on sale for 224. It's not a slider. I thought I needed it but didn't. I am really happy with the hitachi. Tad less than 1/2 the price of dewalt ( it was a slider) I am just a DIY, too. I decided to put taller 4.5" baseboard and ryobi 10" was not tall enough. So I was on the hunt. It has worked out well for the few weeks I have had it. It has a laser, which I like.

Edit. Here is the one I bought. http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-12-in-Double-Bevel-Sliding-Miter-Saw-DWS782/205197105/

I will say I like it's miter angle blade swivel lock setup much better than the hitachi. But the power button is notchy and the hitachi has a rubber grip and a smooth engagement... Just observations between the two. Weight , price and non needed features drove my decision. Biggest thing I would cut is a hardi plank, which can be done without slider

 

[comp56]

well this might not be a good enough reason but my sliding double bevel saw lets me adjust for knerf cutting for molding around corners ect ect just sayin......I love my saw but your right with the stand folded up it takes 3 men and a hairy assed boy to get it into place.......
then again future proofing with tools is good too.....you just never know when you need it especially if your paying 2/3 of a price to not get it......

 

[aggierailroad]

If you are just doing trim, and stain grade, ditch the slider. The inaccuracy will frustrate you.

I have the 12" Ridgid, it works, even better with a great blade, but I have made zero clearance inserts and fences for it. There is no good way to attach a crown molding stop, it almost forces you to use the double miter, which is more dangerous and awkward and leads to more errors. That being said I like this saw now that I've upgraded the blade (Freud 72 tooth) and done all of the tweaks to it.

I haven't heard good things about the Festool kapex for mitering.

A lot of people like the Bosch and Milwaukee for trim work. I sometimes wish I had a 8" Bosch for detail work.

 

[DRhodes]

I have the Ridgid 12" sliding miter. I don't know how I got by without it. The sliding feature is great, and I would never go back to a non-sliding miter saw. The lifetime service agreement is also great. Mine was $399.00 but I also purchased the stand which makes moving it really easy.

 

[Parrothead]

I have a 10" DeWalt and when I was cutting siding for my house I really, really wished it was a slider. I'll get one eventually, but for now...

 

[Frank Dukes]

i was cutting some 1x12 for a box project the other day and wished i had the slider so i didnt have to keep flipping the board over but other than that i have been plenty happy with my single bevel 12" dewalt. then again, that could be done on a table saw (that i dont have). some day down the road i may upgrade but its not neccesary for beginning homeowner projects.

fwiw i got my dw715 single bevel on sale for 180. the dw716 is a pricy upgrade at 350 and never seems to go on sale for the dual bevel.

 

[rice rocket]

I have the Bosch GCM12SD, not because I needed it, but because I didn't want to rebuy miter saws again.

Even if you forget the whole glide arm mechanism (which is awesome), the up front controls itself are worth it. I picked it up for $584 + tax from HD when it was sale ($649 minus 10% Lowe's coupon match). People complain that it's heavy, but I don't mind the weight really.

 

[cheechi]

Unless you absolutely don't have room, get a 12" slider. Ridgid, Hitachi, Dewalt, Bosch, or Milwaukee. Of those I chose Hitachi. I can use it backed up against the wall unlike most of the rest.

Don't buy a craftsman power tool.

 

[madcrisis]

I personally dont have a miter saw but my dad has a little POS craftsman 10 inch. Non sliding and he probably paid around 100 for it. I personally dont like it but it gets the job done. I would have given him the extra money for the sliding version but he would ahve never gone for it since we have a radial arm saw as well. I would say if your going to keep it for years get the slider. You WILL end up wanting it because flipping boards get real old real fast.

 

[Sal Bandini]

Of the moldings you listed only the crown has a spring angle. You don't need compound saw for base or chair rail. In fact, I think you are better off not using one at all. Put the crown on the bed at the spring angle and cut it like that with your existing saw. Less frustrating and more accurate than trying to set your bevel at say 32.4 degrees.

Save your money and use your existing saw.

EDIT: I just re-read OP. I thought he already had a Craftsman miter saw, not table saw.

I still think a simpler non-compound saw is best. If it's mainly for trim I would stick with 10". It is lighter and the blades are considerably less expensive than 12".

 

[Crown Imperial]

Not an expert on miter saws, but I have the 10" compound Evolution and love it. Cutting metal with it is a big plus for me. Priced at under $300 also.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Good discussion! I only do base , chair , casing and occasionally crown. I tend to stand the moldings up when I cut. It's easier to change the angle than on the bevel. Sliding I'm sure is good for really wide stock, but I have a table saw, circ saw , rtc. I have never considered cutting 2x12's with a mitre box. I use a circ saw for that stuff. I will saw that the 12" is really tall and there is a lot of teeth spinning if you have to get your hand in a little closer than the red warning lines. Fort. I figured out how to cut mitered returns using the non cut off your hand approach

 

[cagullett1]

If you have a decent cross cut sled for the table saw, I wouldn't mess getting the sliding feature. Atleast that's how I justified not spending a lot more last year when I bought my miter. I contemplated getting a sliding saw, but didn't see the benefits worth the extra money.

 

[FMC1959]

I have the Ridgid, works great. I got my son the Milwaukee, he and his buddies love it. I have used a Craftsman and a Dewalt buddies have. I think they are all good choices, depend your preferences.

Things I would personally look for if I was buying again today. The size of the table, nice on my Ridgid. I like a good laser that is fixed on the head just in front of the blade, and that has an on/off switch. My Ridgid has the "spinning wheel" laser on the spindle, only comes on when the blade is turning, not a fan. My sons Milwaukee does not have a laser, but lights to light up the work area. This is decent also, better than a spinning laser.

The Hitachi can go up against a wall, can be an asset depending on your setup. They are all kind of heavy, my Ridgid is up there. If you want it mobile, a good folding stand is an important feature.

Once you go with one, you will get used to it's features. In our world of more, and bigger, I would always recommend 12" & a slider. The rails should not have enough play to create inaccuracies. I bet that their is more wobble due to so many of the thinner kerf blades than the rails. You need accuracy, get a 120 tooth blade, they usually are thicker and prone to less wobble. I have done some molding work with mine and a 60 tooth blade, any inaccuracies were more my fault than the saw.

Good luck.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I use the DeWalt 12" slider. I love it. I also have a 10" Ryobi slider as a beater saw and that performs very well too.

 

[FMC1959]

Not an expert on miter saws, but I have the 10" compound Evolution and love it. Cutting metal with it is a big plus for me. Priced at under $300 also.

I hope to try one of these some day. Seen some videos , very cool concept and could make for one great all around solution.

 

[Crown Imperial]

I learned about the Evo saws here on GJ.
It pretty much eliminated my need for a bandsaw which I was planning to get to cut aluminum piping for intercooler stuff. It cuts through steel as advertised but the blade won't last very long if you start chopping rebar or something all the time. For thin metal cuts that require precision the thing works great however.
One problem is that the protective lens of the laser will get damaged from the sparks when you cut steel. It's made of plastic and the hot shavings just blur the surface rendering the laser useless.

 

[rancherbill]

They are better because they are built for a higher price point - the overall quality is better and they are generally more powerful and better balanced.

Buy a used slider, for DIY it's all you will ever need. Buy a good blade like a Freud.

 

[tarbellb]

If you do indeed go with a slider (my personal recommendation) you really dont need a 12", the capacity of a 10" slider is huge.

Plus you will save money buying the much cheaper 10" blades.