Miter Saw

[dr0]

I'm looking to buy a basic chopsaw. Use will be building benches and bookshelves and things like that. I have a 30 year old table saw, it's the smallest one that Sears made at the time that has served me well for years, but it can't come close to cutting a 4x4 in one pass.

The local Home Depot has 10" Dewalt, Rigid, and Ryobi in descending order of price. The Ryobi is a lot less than the Dewalt, $120 to $200, roughly.

There are a lot of "steps up" from there, 12" and then the ones that cut compound angles and ones that slide on tracks for cutting planks... topping out with $700 ones. At each size the hierarchy seems the same: Ryobi at the bottom price-wise, Rigid in the middle and Dewalt as the most expensive.

So my two questions:

* Is there some reason that someone who is not a furniture maker or house-building carpenter would really end up wanting one of these larger or more complex saws? (The biggest thing I can imagine building is a woodshed.)

* Are Dewalt power tools worth the premium. One buddy swears by Ryobi, and I take it that battery inter-change is a big factor. He recently bought a electric lawnmower that can use the same batter has his hand tools.

These saws all run on cabled electricity, so that's not an issue.

I notice the 12,000 replies on the "Milwaukee power tools" thread, so it seems like Dewalt isn't necessarily the most loved brand for battery compatible power tool lines.

 

[dr0]

Start here with the cheapest basic saw: Ryobi $119.

Here is the Rigid for $199

Or, the Sliding Ryobi for a bit less: $169

And the DeWALT for $219.

They didn't have this one at my local store, but it's on their web page. Apparently it's the King of 10" Chop Saws, the Makita $549

 

[agrasyuk]

"Basic" sounds like Ryobi , I owned one for over a decade now, not the most precise instrument but it suits the work I do. If budget is an issue check your local Craiglist, they sell for not even half price.

EDIT: I guess I missed the actual question. Reasons to upgrade from basic:
1. I would expect the more expensive tools to provide more precision.
2. Goosebumps - Ryobi doesn't come with it. Can't explain it and maybe it's just a handheld circular saw thing, but when I use my Makita BL saw I get this magical feeling

 

[kkroger]

The 12" Sliding Double Bevel Miter Saw from Harbor Freight gets VERY good reviews, on the wood workers forums. I know someone who has one and he loves it. It is on sale right now as well for $129.99 Per the ad I received today, I don't believe it COMES with a blade. https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in...-miter-saw-with-laser-guide-system-61969.html

 

[Two Door]

I framed houses forty years ago with no power tool other than a circular saw. You won't need a miter saw to build a shed.

I now use an old, old Milwaukee miter saw for doing finish trim work. It isn't very accurate on its own but with a forty-five degree machinest's set-up block for calibration it works fine. Even if I were to buy a new miter saw, I would still use the block to guarantee accuracy.

My takeaway - the only reason I see to spend a lot of money on a miter saw is to accommodate bigger sizes or gain dual bevel capability.

Edit - No one has mentioned workpiece holding. I notice that, of your pictures, only the sliding Ryobi and the Makita show the ability to hold the piece against the base, as opposed to against the backstop. Something to investigate....

 

[stonesfan68]

I am in the middle of installing the base molding, door trim and chair rail in my house (thanks Hurricane Harvey) and I decided to buy the Ryobi 10” sliding miter saw for $169. It has great reviews on Home Depot. It has handled all of the trim that I’ve thrown at it. It was accurate right out of the box. It is a single bevel saw so you have to think about what you’re cutting. I really have no complaints with it at all. I bought the Rigid miter saw stand on Black Friday for $99 and it has worked great, too. If you don’t like the saw then bring it back to HD for a refund within 90-days of purchase.

 

[agrasyuk]

To add, my 10" Ryobi does not have the capacity to cleanly cut 4x4 - the blade nut spacer gets in the way and tiny specs of wood are left over. Not to big of a deal, I'm cleaning with chisle in the rare occasion that I get cutting 4x4s. But worth knowing. Not sure if the sliding one resolves this.

Good luck.

 

[nh_yota]

I bought a sliding 10" Craftsman miter saw when it was on sale back in 2011 and it's worked out fine for me. I like the 10" size because I can swap blades with a 10" table saw and the sliding rails allow it to cut wider boards. Sure it may not be considered "professional grade" but it cuts boards pretty well and I only use it a few times a year.

I bought my dad a 10" sliding Ryobi saw last year for the same reasons and he likes it.

Unless you never plan to move it, weight should be a consideration and it varies quite a bit between makes and models.

 

[tarbellb]

Sounds like you want a 12" non sliding miter saw. That size blade will let you cut 4"x4", no fancy features, and fairly bullet proof.

Find the one with the features and price point you like and go with it. A miter saw will speed up a shed project by x2 compared to a circ saw.

 

[tom-ky]

The 12" Sliding Double Bevel Miter Saw from Harbor Freight gets VERY good reviews, on the wood workers forums. I know someone who has one and he loves it. It is on sale right now as well for $129.99 Per the ad I received today, I don't believe it COMES with a blade. https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in...-miter-saw-with-laser-guide-system-61969.html

I bought one for a project that we have gotten about half way thru, so far it has done great. The blade is sold separately.

 

[PhysicsDude]

I'd get one of the 10" or 12" sliding miter saws. The sliding function is pretty helpful, most of them can cut a 1x12, useful for making shelves, etc.

There's about a dozen cheap ones available in the $150-200 range. Most of them are probably made in the same factory in China. I will agree with above that the HF miter saws actually look pretty decent for the price. The Kobalt or Craftsman ones look pretty decent also.

Forget about the laser function on them. Worthless feature as far as I'm concerned.

 

[astrohip]

I have the 10" Ryobi sliding miter (compound). I use it for general workshop purposes, nothing fancy. Just making workbenches, cutting dim lumber, shelving, etc. It does a good job of all of that.

To add, my 10" Ryobi does not have the capacity to cleanly cut 4x4 - the blade nut spacer gets in the way and tiny specs of wood are left over. Not to big of a deal, I'm cleaning with chisle in the rare occasion that I get cutting 4x4s. But worth knowing. Not sure if the sliding one resolves this.

I can cut up to a 4x6 without a problem, in one pass. I'm surprised the non-sliding one has this problem, but mine doesn't.

 

[CTyankee]

Whatever brand you decide..I've said this before...the last criteria I'm going use when buying a miter saw is whether or not it can cut a 4x4 in one pass. Posts of this size aren't cut often, especially by HOers'.....and if they need to be cut...I'll use a skill saw before dragging them over to a miter saw. JMO.

 

[Badger 13]

I was in the same situation about a miter saw, and was thinking of the Hitachi or DeWalt DW713. Both had good reviews, and the Hitachi can be had for about $100.00. The DeWalt was $229.00. On recommendations from a re modeler I decided to go with the DeWalt. I wasn't in a hurry and waited until the Black Friday sales and found it for $149.00. If I could not find a good price on the DeWalt, I would have gone with the Hitachi.

 

[Fbmoose48]

This thread seems to be severly lacking regarding the American-made Makita miter saws, 10" & 12", sliding and compound.

They are solidly built, superbly finished, and dead accurate. That's what you get when you choose a unit assembled in America from 90% precision fabricated steel instead of slapped together overseas from abs and nylon.

 

[Wolfman6]

Let me explain the real advantage to a sliding saw.
If you try to cut a 1x6 on a non slider, when you lower the blade into the wood,it is in full contact with the 6" section of wood. In essence. it is trying to cut 6" of wood at once.

Place the same 1x6 on a slider, when cutting, you pull the saw forward, lower the blade and push it through the wood. With this setup, you are only in contact with a small cross section of wood, maybe an inch and a half. It makes the cut much easier, smoother, and less stress on the saw.

If it's in you budget, a slider is a much better saw.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I never had any problems with a non sliding saw except overall capacity and I think that the saw "cutting the whole piece at once" is not a real problem unless you get into some really dense hardwoods. Sliders are nice for increased travel and cut width but they really are best for doing 45 cuts on wide trim boards. Your cut capacity gets lopped off by about 35% when at 45 degrees. If you don't plan on cutting miters on wide stock the non slider will be fine.

If I had to get a non slider I would definitely get a 12" saw. My first miter saw was a `12" non slider and I maxed it out and more quite often.

 

[nh_yota]

This thread seems to be severly lacking regarding the American-made Makita miter saws, 10" & 12", sliding and compound.

They are solidly built, superbly finished, and dead accurate. That's what you get when you choose a unit assembled in America from 90% precision fabricated steel instead of slapped together overseas from abs and nylon.

Citation needed.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Hitachi had a 10" basic miter saw @ Lowes on BF for $89, right now it's still only $99...

But if you want to cut 4x4's in a single pass you would need a 12".

In stead of the usual sliding rails there are some alternative designs that reduce the amount of room needed behind the machine for sliders. Like this one from Bosch: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-1...ter-Saw-with-60-Tooth-Blade-GCM12SD/202568455

 

[GarageGuy89]

So my two questions:

* Is there some reason that someone who is not a furniture maker or house-building carpenter would really end up wanting one of these larger or more complex saws? (The biggest thing I can imagine building is a woodshed.)

* Are Dewalt power tools worth the premium. One buddy swears by Ryobi, and I take it that battery inter-change is a big factor. He recently bought a electric lawnmower that can use the same batter has his hand tools.

Yes yes yes and yes, you may not think of a way to use it now but it comes in handy. spend the extra $50-$100 and it will be worth it in the end.

None of the premium tools are worth their price in my opinion. They are built a bit beefer though, and tend to break less.

Anyone can make a mitered cut with a hand saw/or circular saw, where these things shine is being able to do that and keep it perpendicular to the stock in about 2 seconds, every time.

 

[Fbmoose48]

Let me explain the real advantage to a sliding saw.
If you try to cut a 1x6 on a non slider, when you lower the blade into the wood,it is in full contact with the 6" section of wood. In essence. it is trying to cut 6" of wood at once.

Place the same 1x6 on a slider, when cutting, you pull the saw forward, lower the blade and push it through the wood. With this setup, you are only in contact with a small cross section of wood, maybe an inch and a half. It makes the cut much easier, smoother, and less stress on the saw.

If it's in you budget, a slider is a much better saw.

You know what's even better at this than a sliding miter? A radial arm saw, the real kind, made by Raymond Dewalt 60 years ago and still cutting.

 

[Fbmoose48]

Citation needed.

If you're on here, you have google. Look it up if you doubt the claim.

 

[Eslader]

Just to toss another option into the mix, I've been very happy with my Kobalt (Lowes) 10" sliding miter saw. About the only disappointment is that the laser needs to be fiddled with a lot to get it sort-of accurate, and it will never be right where the sawblade will be, but I just do it the old fashioned way by lining up the blade with the cut line before I turn the saw on.

And yes, it does cut a 4x4 in one cut with no problem.

 

[nh_yota]

If you're on here, you have google. Look it up if you doubt the claim.

I'm just saying that you're painting with a wide brush and you're a few decades too late. I own a Makita circular saw that was made in the USA but the new ones are not.

 

[astrohip]

This thread seems to be severly lacking regarding the American-made Makita miter saws, 10" & 12", sliding and compound.

I could be mistaken, but most of the saws we've been discussing are $100-$200. The Makita's are $500+.

That's a whole 'nother ballgame.

 

[crewchief888]

Just to toss another option into the mix, I've been very happy with my Kobalt (Lowes) 10" sliding miter saw. About the only disappointment is that the laser needs to be fiddled with a lot to get it sort-of accurate, and it will never be right where the sawblade will be, but I just do it the old fashioned way by lining up the blade with the cut line before I turn the saw on.

And yes, it does cut a 4x4 in one cut with no problem.

i have the 10" compound slider

staying with a 10" means i have less blades to keep around, (my table saw is 10")

i caught on on sale a couple years ago.

 

[36truck]

http://bestreviews.com/best-miter-saws

 

[iowa4x4dieselman]

Hitachi had a 10" basic miter saw @ Lowes on BF for $89, right now it's still only $99...

But if you want to cut 4x4's in a single pass you would need a 12".

In stead of the usual sliding rails there are some alternative designs that reduce the amount of room needed behind the machine for sliders. Like this one from Bosch: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-1...ter-Saw-with-60-Tooth-Blade-GCM12SD/202568455

That Bosch saw is the best, smoothest saw I've ever used. If not wanting to spend that much and still want to stay close to the wall hitachi has a saw that the slides are fixed and the saw moves about the slides, unlike most which the slides are attached to the saw and slide on the frame. The laser is a nice feature if you don't use it outside in the sunlight or it will not show up very well. Dewalt has come out with what they call blade shadow, and it seems to me as that would work better in the sunlight. I personally have never used one with that feature so cannot say if that is true or not.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BikerDad]

I'm looking to buy a basic chopsaw. Use will be building benches and bookshelves and things like that. I have a 30 year old table saw, it's the smallest one that Sears made at the time that has served me well for years, but it can't come close to cutting a 4x4 in one pass.

The local Home Depot has 10" Dewalt, Rigid, and Ryobi in descending order of price. The Ryobi is a lot less than the Dewalt, $120 to $200, roughly.

There are a lot of "steps up" from there, 12" and then the ones that cut compound angles and ones that slide on tracks for cutting planks... topping out with $700 ones. At each size the hierarchy seems the same: Ryobi at the bottom price-wise, Rigid in the middle and Dewalt as the most expensive.

So my two questions:

* Is there some reason that someone who is not a furniture maker or house-building carpenter would really end up wanting one of these larger or more complex saws? (The biggest thing I can imagine building is a woodshed.)

* Are Dewalt power tools worth the premium. One buddy swears by Ryobi, and I take it that battery inter-change is a big factor. He recently bought a electric lawnmower that can use the same batter has his hand tools.

These saws all run on cabled electricity, so that's not an issue.

I notice the 12,000 replies on the "Milwaukee power tools" thread, so it seems like Dewalt isn't necessarily the most loved brand for battery compatible power tool lines.

Well, if you're along the Wasatch Front, I've got a moderately used DeWalt 12" DW705 you can purchase for a bit more than a song. It's a compound miter saw, but NOT a slider. (Which is why I'm selling it, I replaced it with the DeWalt Flexvolt 12" slider.)

 

[GarageGuy89]

Just to toss another option into the mix, I've been very happy with my Kobalt (Lowes) 10" sliding miter saw. About the only disappointment is that the laser needs to be fiddled with a lot to get it sort-of accurate, and it will never be right where the sawblade will be, but I just do it the old fashioned way by lining up the blade with the cut line before I turn the saw on.

And yes, it does cut a 4x4 in one cut with no problem.

+1 to this. Have a 12" kobalt slider double bevel. It was On-sale this time of year for $199 a year ago.

None of the lasers are worth their salt, just a marketing scheme. I could be wrong on this as I haven't turned the laser on in a few years, but it hits the blade and reflects down to the work. Well that nice shiny blade loses its shine after you make one cut so it stops reflecting.

 

[ishiboo]

+1 to this. Have a 12" kobalt slider double bevel. It was On-sale this time of year for $199 a year ago.

None of the lasers are worth their salt, just a marketing scheme. I could be wrong on this as I haven't turned the laser on in a few years, but it hits the blade and reflects down to the work. Well that nice shiny blade loses its shine after you make one cut so it stops reflecting.

Wow, I had the Bosch 5412L with the laser and despite dying once, the laser has always treated me very well. It doesn't reflect off the blade at all.

My Milwaukee has the new shadow setup and while it works well, it is just as hard to see in sunlight (if not more) than the laser.

 

[Eslader]

Mine doesn't reflect off the blade. It's supposed to shoot straight to the piece, but because of where they mounted it, the edge of the blade blocks the laser when the saw is up. It gets more accurate when you bring the saw down near the board, but at that point it's pretty pointless.

 

[ryan20021982]

One of the best investments I have made

View media item 78005

 

[scarrylarry]

I don't have a mitre saw but would like one ! Ergonomically I often think of which is the best handle on a saw,the one that puts the palm of your hand vertical,or the one that puts the palm of your hand horizontal .
Thoughts ?
scarrylarry

 

[scarrylarry]

I don't have a mitre saw but would like one ! Ergonomically I often think of which is the best handle on a saw,the one that puts the palm of your hand vertical,or the one that puts the palm of your hand horizontal .
Thoughts ?
scarrylarry

Thoughts

 

[tonyciambrone]

I don't understand buying a new 10" Compound Miter Saw. A used Craftsman, Black and Decker, Delta etc can be had on craigslist for $25

 

[GarageGuy89]

Thoughts

This is purely preference.

 

[GarageGuy89]

I don't understand buying a new 10" Compound Miter Saw. A used Craftsman, Black and Decker, Delta etc can be had on craigslist for $25

Not sliders...at least in this area.

Just saw the Harbor Freight slider for $240 on CL.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You know what's even better at this than a sliding miter? A radial arm saw, the real kind, made by Raymond Dewalt 60 years ago and still cutting.

But not even remotely portable.

Not that a 12" sliding miter saw is easy to haul around.

 

[crewchief888]

I don't understand buying a new 10" Compound Miter Saw. A used Craftsman, Black and Decker, Delta etc can be had on craigslist for $25

never seen one on CL around here..