School me on Mitre Saws

[e-tek]

I want to buy a mitre saw to do some (more) renovating, but becuase I am not as much a woodworker as metallworker, I am a little confused as to all the differences. I've done a lot of basic framing, drywall and even some finishing work, but have always made do with the circular saw, jig saw and hand-mitre box.

I have seen machines that range from $129 to $878, some with sliding arms, ambidextrous switches, lasers, etc. What for-sure things should I look for? What are nice-to-haves? THANKS!

 

[trexdoink]

Well, depending on your budget you have lots of options. The slider in your picture allows you to cut a wider piece of wood. It slides like a radial arm saw not just a "chop" (as in a saw that doesn't slide). Dual compounding is good to have for doing trim work. It allows you to cut 2 angles at once. Most all have laser pointers to see where the blade will go through the wood. One thing i like is my table has extensions that make cutting longer boards easier.

 

[ultimatesooner]

I have a Makita LS1013 - I never would have bought a saw this nice as we were spending $$ like crazy when we were renovating but HD had them on clearance for $199

I have used this and some Hitachi non sliders and a Dewalt slider on various projects - all 10" saws

I would never own a non slider as my primary saw as the ability to make wider cuts is awesome - I barely use the laser and the dual compound is pretty sweet as well

 

[mkdive]

First I would start with the blade size. I have a 12" and wouldn't want anything smaller.
I have a double bevel/compound....another "must have" for me.
Sliding is something that would have been nice but was another $150 option...I passed on that because I have a full size table saw and in the rare event I have to cut large boards I have a worm drive.
Mine has a laser....not that useful IMO I never use it. I'm old school I guess.

 

[halfxspaid]

I picked up one of these used for about $125.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WR18XY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I recommend peeping craigslist until something similar comes up.

Spend the money on a nice blade for finish work, freud 80 tooth is the one I got and it works great for trim!

 

[mkdive]

Freuds are very nice! Not cheap, but worth the money.

 

[cabman]

Good summary on the basic differences
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,588986-2,00.html

 

[stafford]

Lowes had a deal just a little while back if you buy the DeWalt 12" sliding miter saw they'd give you a 199.00 dollar stand to go with it. I got one and really like it. It's for the shop I work in and doesn't belong to me personally but it does a good job. Secretary told them it was for a school shop and they gave her another 15% off , all told right at 450.00.

 

[TheGrooveking]

There are a few sites with plenty of reviews of most of the miter saws available. Again I think it comes down to budget.

http://www.saw-rankings.com/prod/28762/Delta-Industrial-36-585-10-Inch-Dual

http://www.toolcritic.com/analysis/larger-compound-miter-saws

TheGrooveking

 

[z28snksknr]

I have a cheap craftsman mitre saw. non-sliding, 10", has a laser I don't use becasue it's not any more accurate than my eye. I think I paid $100 for it 3 years ago.

I've used the hell out of it - home removation, tons of crown molding, trim, my workbench, etc. and it's never come up short. If you are just getting it so you have a better way to cut precisely or do trim work, I suggest only buying enough of a saw to get the job done. It's money you'll never get out of the thing. For the extra $$ of the 12" versions, I'll just flip the board over to cut that last inch. Anything bigger than 5" gets the circular saw or table saw usually anyway.

 

[steven083008]

Do not buy one of the cheaper Harbor Freight or whatever brands. These saws tend to have slop in them and without constant adjusting you will never get consistent cuts. I got a good deal on a low end Ryobi, along w/ a bunch of other tools, otherwise I would have dropped more money on a nicer saw.

 

[rsanter]

the dewalt 12 unit will do everything you will need

bob

 

[Johnnie]

Dumb question...Can I use a metal cutting blade on a miter saw to cut metal or are the strictly for wood?

 

[Rockerbox1]

Dumb question...Can I use a metal cutting blade on a miter saw to cut metal or are the strictly for wood?

buddy of mine use to run a metal fab shop, he cut aluminum extrusions all day long with a cheap 10 inch mitre saw

 

[djjsr]

I have 3 miter saws. For small stuff, about 5" or less, a non-slider is better but for wider stuff, a slider is necessary. Most sliders have linear caged ball bearings that slide on the 2 rods. The cheaper saws feel like there's sand in the bearings when it slides and they seem to be less accurate. The better saws feel smoother and are more accurate.

I've seen a "sliding" saw that has a pivoting arm instead of slide rods. I don't recall the brand but it seems like that would be a better design.

 

[5lima30]

Good advice here. I have a Delta compound miter saw thats about 17 years old. I need to replace it one of these days LOL! After using several different ones on various mission projects I found that I really like the Hitachi & Makita sliding compound saws! They will do more than most people are capable of. One observation I have is the lasers are a gimmick and NOT necessary maybe because I'm old school. YMMV.

 

[steven083008]

Dumb question...Can I use a metal cutting blade on a miter saw to cut metal or are the strictly for wood?

A guy I work w/ just did this, and although he said it cut fine (slow, but fine) he did end up melting some of the plastic on his saw because of all of the sparks and heat. Just something to keep in mind. You could probably put something over the saw table to prevent and keep the guard up out of the way.

 

[Monte]

 

[canuckian]

I have the older model of the Dewalt 12 inch sliding miter saw and it's been great. As someone said before, if you're going to spend the money, go with the 12 inch sliding. It's much more versatile than the standard chop saw IMHO but then again, that all depends on what your needs are in a saw. I like to be able to work with wider boards and if I want it to be a standard non sliding saw, I just lock the slider out. As also said above, stay away from the cheapie ones. They have a lot of play in them in my experience and will never make the same cut twice. Stick with the Dewalts, Bosch's and milwaukees (there are more, i know)of the world and you'll have a nice dependable saw that will last you for years.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Etec, you've got to figure out what would be best for you. What is the widest piece that you would want to cut, and at what angles? Do you plan to ever do crown moulding? Then, of course budget comes into play, but for me storage space was an issue as well as weight. Craigslist and pawn shops are full of miter saws.
I went with a Dewalt 12" dual bevel, because that was what was best for me.

Bosch has that cool articulating "slider" that doesn't take up as much space as other sliders.

 

[Jota21]

i have a 10" Non sliding Dewalt from HD for $220 new. Obviously I wanted the $800 12" double bevel slider, but I was only using it for rough framing and the occasional baseboard/shoe moulding, so there was no question. A buddy has the $800 dewalt. The sliding versitility is awesome for cutting wide planks, but it's very heavy to move around and the 12" blade (more expensive by the way) carries enough inertia when you pull the trigger that it jumps up pretty good if you're not expecting the kick.

I would say to really think about how often you need to cut something bigger than a 2x6 and weigh the $600 price difference against the inconvenience of using your circular saw

 

[e-tek]

THANKS GUYS!!
I'd lean to a larger one, because I'll be doing 10" shelving (walk-in closet) and the cedar trim on my house is all 12"....in a couple years I'll be adding a lean-to onto the shop to, so I want it to last.

 

[bchee]

Here is a revolutionary but expensive design from Bosch
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=GCM12SD

 

[tatra]

e-tek, try lifting them first, bigger is better is heavier..........and unwieldy............that said i like the new bosch design.............and research miter saw tables for festures that will perform for you...............wish they still sold these here..were around for a short time..........

http://www.google.ca/#sclient=psy&h...aqi=g3g-v7&aql=&oq=&psj=1&fp=4207714cf734fcd5

these were originally an elu design.........maybe monte or baz have some info on them?............or moose?...........

 

[Monte]

e-tek, try lifting them first, bigger is better is heavier..........and unwieldy............that said i like the new bosch design.............and research miter saw tables for festures that will perform for you...............wish they still sold these here..were around for a short time..........

http://www.google.ca/#sclient=psy&h...aqi=g3g-v7&aql=&oq=&psj=1&fp=4207714cf734fcd5

these were originally an elu design.........maybe monte or baz have some info on them?............or moose?...........

They still offer the "flip/combination saws" here in Europe:
http://dewalt.co.uk/powertools/productdetails/catno/DW743N/

http://dewalt.co.uk/powertools/productdetails/catno/D27105/

i think they´re from Italy .
I don´t know much about Elu - it was before my time...

 

[volpster31]

definately get a compound slider.....ive got a 10" non slider and its not good for much.... i think a 10" slider would handle most anything you need.
for brands,theirs a bunch out there,but if your not dropping big bucks i dont think theirs much that seperates the mid line ones. i could be wrong on that though..........

 

[8587GN]

if you go the slider route,get the Hitachi 10". Its a great saw. I do cabinet making/finish carpentry for a living,I have 2 Hitachi`s,and a 12" Dewalt[non slide]. SPEND the money on a good blade,it makes a huge diference in how the saw works/cuts. The Ridgid blades from HD are actually pretty good,Freud and Forrest are what most shops use. Remember that a good blade can get resharpened at least 5-10 times,or more

 

[porphyre]

Do not buy one of the cheaper Harbor Freight or whatever brands. These saws tend to have slop in them and without constant adjusting you will never get consistent cuts. I got a good deal on a low end Ryobi, along w/ a bunch of other tools, otherwise I would have dropped more money on a nicer saw.

This is incorrect. The 12" slider from HF is a fine saw. The 10", not so much.

E-Tek:
IMHO, you want a slider. They are so much more flexible and capable than non-sliders.
10" saws generally give more precise cuts than 12" because most 10" blades have less run-out than 12's. Just the nature of the geometry there. The difference is only precision, though. If you were a pro doing stain grade trim and finish work and furniture making, I'd say 10". A pro doing PAINT grade finish work or general construction, 12" is fine.

Double bevel (bevel both right and left) is nice... but not required.

Nobody's mentioned fence height or workpiece support. You definitely want to examine the height of the different fences and the different methods used to clamp and support the work. My mitering got a lot better once I built proper table extensions to support my workpieces.

As mentioned, get a good blade. I'll assume you don't know what a good blade is. A good blade is one appropriate for your application (solid wood, plywood, laminated/veneer) that has a friction reducing coating (Teflon, etc, not just paint) and has some sort of vibration reduction channels laser cut into it. Some folks say those are a gimmick, but I've used lasered and un-lasered blades back to back and the laser cut channel blades are much quieter and smoother.

Oh, and make sure the blade you buy has a "negative hook angle". Due to the way the blades move, Radial Arm Saws and Sliding Miter saws need this to keep from climbing the workpiece. Table saws don't.

 

[never enuf time]

Acme has a reconditioned 12" DeWalt slide for $ 399 free shipping, don't know about to Canada though.

I also build cabinets/finish carpentry and have have 4 DeWalt miterboxs with only a few problems(bearing went on one).

I don't care for the scale on the original Hitachi.

 

[bww_mnm]

I have a Makita LS1013 - I never would have bought a saw this nice as we were spending $$ like crazy when we were renovating but HD had them on clearance for $199

I have used this and some Hitachi non sliders and a Dewalt slider on various projects - all 10" saws

I would never own a non slider as my primary saw as the ability to make wider cuts is awesome - I barely use the laser and the dual compound is pretty sweet as well

I have this saw too and really like it. I paid near full price when I bought it 10 yes ago.

 

[enzo57]

Makita LS1016LX1. Love mine.

 

[tcianci]

I have a Makita 12 inch double bevel compound slider. Before that I had a very old Ryobi 10 inch non compound non slider. The Makita is a great saw if you don't need to move it much. Mine goes on and off the truck nearly every day and it is a major PITA. I keep looking at those 10 inch compound Ryobis that go on sale at Homies now and then. The weight alone and the relatively large capacity make them worth it. While a DeWalt or Makita or Hitachi is certainly a good saw, you may want to look into the upper end Ryobis. Great stuff for the money. The best saw stand I have found is the DeWalt folding mitre saw stand but look closely at the Ryobi stand too, it's half the price and pretty rugged.

 

[shoot summ]

I've had a 12" Dewalt compound miter since 1995. It's a great saw and does 99% of everything I want to cut. I would like to have a slider but can't justify spending the extra bucks on one as the regular compound does what I need it to do.

BTW I got by for 10 years with a 9" Rockwell non-compound.

Sometimes less is more, every one of the sliding mechanisms I have tested have slop in them, not good for fine trim work.

 

[blue dog]

I have 3 compound saws, all hitachi, 8 1/2, 10 and the 12", they all have there place but the 12" compound saw is down right heavy and awkward to carry around, it stays in the shop for the most part. The 10" is a great saw that can be taken anywhere and is a real work horse. But when it comes down to it, i usually throw the 8 1/2" compound in the truck 9 out of 10 times. That saw was purchased when they first came out in the late 80"s, it still runs like a top and has probably made a million cuts at this point. Slide compound saws are the way to go. I have used the Bosch, dewalt, makita and milwaukee, it comes down to your preference of brand and to realize you get what you pay for. Good tools are not cheap and cheap tools are not good.

 

[ducati]

Dumb question...Can I use a metal cutting blade on a miter saw to cut metal or are the strictly for wood?

I have a Dewalt 12 inch sliding compound saw that I have a 12 inch abrasive cutting blade that I cut metal spindle with all the time

I have 3 miter saws. For small stuff, about 5" or less, a non-slider is better but for wider stuff, a slider is necessary. Most sliders have linear caged ball bearings that slide on the 2 rods. The cheaper saws feel like there's sand in the bearings when it slides and they seem to be less accurate. The better saws feel smoother and are more accurate.

I've seen a "sliding" saw that has a pivoting arm instead of slide rods. I don't recall the brand but it seems like that would be a better design.

Bosch

Etec, you've got to figure out what would be best for you. What is the widest piece that you would want to cut, and at what angles? Do you plan to ever do crown moulding? Then, of course budget comes into play, but for me storage space was an issue as well as weight. Craigslist and pawn shops are full of miter saws.
I went with a Dewalt 12" dual bevel, because that was what was best for me.

Bosch has that cool articulating "slider" that doesn't take up as much space as other sliders.

It is a great saw, you can put it right up against a wall and not have to worry about the slides hitting it.

Here is a revolutionary but expensive design from Bosch
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=GCM12SD

Great saw, I picked one up a few weeks ago to replace one of my 12 inch Dewalt saws. Christmas bonus to myself from the company. I absolutely love it. Everyone wants to use it over the dewalt. Don't get me wrong the Dewalt cut everything I wanted and precisely. It comes down to usability and effort. I have never used a saw that cut as effortlessly as the new Bosch. I didn't realize just how much easier it cut until today when I had to switch back to the dewalt because a guy that is working with me had the Bosch set up on a compound miter and was fitting a piece of crown.

Let's get realistic though, not everyone has the need for a $900 saw. If you use one to make a living like I do, the craftsman slider that is on sale at sears, probably isn't going to cut the minor adjustments that you need for high end finish work without spending 1/2 the day trying to get it adjusted just right. For 90% of people the Bosch will be overkill. Do get a slider and get the 12", you won't regret it. You will however regret not getting it when you need that extra 1" in length of cut or 1/2" more depth. When looking at blades, spent the extra few bucks for a good blade, they are able to be resharpened and something like a Systimatic, CMT, Delta or Dewalt heavy kirf resharpened will cut better than a throw away blade fresh out of the wrapper.

If you want a little more life out of your blade before getting it resharpened, get yourself some easy-off spray oven cleaner. Just pull your blade, spray it down, let it soak for 15 minutes, wash it off and dry it. Sounds goofy, but it will work.

 

[MrMark]

Blue, I'm with you. I have the Dewalt Italian made 8.5 slider and a Milwaukee 10" regular model. This is the only Euro Dewalt (all others made in Mexico or China) and it is a totally different machine. That 8.5 slider will cross cut 12 inches on a 45 bevel. I love that saw. I put a heavy industrial freud with neg hook on it and you need to be gentle with it - no banging and it will treat you right. It did not like the thin kerf freud.

 

[onewaydave]

Well, there are other options. Saying that, I have a Mikita 12" that does most of the work on the house. Eventually it will be moved to the shop and then replaced with a vintage RAS.

If under 12', sliding is a must.

But a RAS is a very versitile (if dangerous) piece of equipment. a 12" blade and the arm can vary up to 48". Some of the older ones can be had for the price of the saws you get at the local Box store but usually need a rebuild. Once that is done you will have a saw that will last 40-60 years. If interested visit OWWM@dot@org. and OWWM@dot@com. Search RAS, radial arm saws.

Then there is the old swing arm saws. Build like brick sh#t houses but less versitile and more space consuming.

With some creativity, one can do almost anything with a circular saw or a table saw. Just more (or a lot more) set up.

I've seen folks use just about every saw type with a metal cutting blade to cut metal. Not that it is the best way to do it, but for one or a few off cuts it works.

Dave.

 

[e-tek]

Thanks for everyones help here. Another reason to love this forum!

So I pulled the trigger (doubles as my Valentine's Gift!) on a 10" sliding Compound Mitre Saw from one of my fave stores, Canadian Tire (CT). I couldn't justify a 12" saw for 2 reasons: I'm not building a deckwith it and I didn't want to spend more than $300.

CT's house brand is MasterCraft and has a 3 year warranty which is rare nowaday. I'm going to use it to install a kitchen in a basement suite next week, then to reno our Master Bed/Bath and Walk-in closet area in Spring. Retail: $250, On sale: $175, after my CT credit card points: $110.00 out the door!

 

[steven083008]

Congrats on the purchase!
I recommend you pick up at least a 60 tooth blade if you're doing any finish woodwork, and keep an eye on the angle adjustment to make sure it doesn't get any slop in it. My Ryobi is due for an adjusting currently because it has 1° or so of wiggle in it, which is very noticeable when both piece wiggle in opposite directions.

 

[e-tek]

Good call on the 60 tooth steven! I have several for my table saw, so I'll just have to REMEMBER!!!