Is a Sliding Chop Saw Worth It?
I’m going back into house construction for a while and will soon be on someone’s payroll as an employee. So now is the time to get some new tools while I’m still independent and can write them off. Though I don’t have an immediate and pressing need for one, I’m thinking seriously about getting a sliding chop saw. But I have a few reservations. So far I’ve gotten along without one with the combination of my circular saw, 10″ fixed head chop saw, and crosscut sled for the table saw. I’m also familiar with all the complaints that sliders are high maintenance tools prone to breaking and getting thrown out of alignment.
Then again, I know several carpenters who use their sliders as much as any other tool on the job and swear by them.
Since this is a woodworking forum (I’ve posted a message on Breaktime too) I’m curious to know what woodworkers think of a sliding chop saw’s role in the shop. If you care to respond, what operations do you find a slider excelling at, or, on the other hand, what do you use instead of a slider? How does a slider compare in terms of precision and usefullness to a radial arm saw?
If a do spring for one it will most likely be the Makita LS 1013. Comments welcome on this point as well.
Thanks for the help.
Replies
Once you own and use one of saws, you may well find yourself wondering why you weren't smart enough to buy it sooner. That's what I did.
I rationalized away from the slider for the shop since I already had a good Radial Arm Saw. I also stepped up to a 12 inch CMS and made it stationary by building a bench around it. Had it not been for the RAS and if I knew I was going to be mobile, I would have definitely gone with a 10" SCMS. Now that I'm also doing cabinet repair, the SCMS is on my list of tools to buy and outfit the truck with.
Steve - in Northern California
I bought the Dewalt 12" slider and absolutely love it. Some of the benefits are when you are cutting 1x12 for the skirt boards you no longer have to tilt the material and minimizes tear out on crown molding ( I cut my crown while it is laying down). The slider is more cumbersome then my 12"dewalt miter saw. Hope this helps.
I worked with a carpenter that owned the Hitachi 8.5" sliding miter saw and was amazed at what it could do ( and the abuse it took). This was several years before the 10" and later 12" sliding saws appeared on the market. I purchased my own 8.5" five years ago and have used it for both finsih carpentry and cabinet work with nothing but success. If you're going to cut loads of huge crown molding it may make sense to go witha larger saw, however I've found that the smaller diameter blade vibrates less than larger blades giving better cuts. (less tearout) Besides, the price on that unit continues to drop (I've seen it for around $400 on sale) leaving more money for other tools. Good luck
I purchased the Makita about 4 years ago and haven't had a single problem with it yet and I use is hard. I use it mainly for breakout of material and mitering. I've used to to cut a 3" by 11" piece of eastern maple. It can do it with a few passes. It's really no replacement for a radial arm saw but my space is limited. With a good blade it can cut miters better than anything in my shop and the angle setting were bang on from factory and I haven't touched them since. It's a little underpowered for what I'm subjecting it to and it could use a little more capacity so if I was in the market for a new saw I'd look at the 12" Makita. Very nice saw.
Before purchasing my slider, I compared the Bosch 10", Dewalt 10, Freud 10", Makita 10", and a few others. I ended up with the Bosch, and it has been terrific. It's accurate, powerful, and comes with all the important accessories. I've been using it consistently for about 2 years.
It was aligned perfectly out of the box, and I haven't had to fix the alignment at all since I bought it. Once in a while, I check the aligment, as the owners manual recommends, but it's always perfect. This saw makes beautiful cuts, perfect miters, and has crown molding settings. It comes with powerful hold-down clamps and an extension table. It cross-cuts up to 12" wide.
Another thing about the Bosch -- the "Platinum" blade that comes with it is excellent. This blade produces finish-quality cuts. Also, in 2 years of pretty heavy usage, I have not had to sharpen or replace the blade. From what I understand, the price of this saw has dropped, and it has seen a few improvements (not sure what they could have improved).
I never owned a RAS, so I can't compare directly with that. However, I would say that the slider has become an important part of every single woodworking project I do.
My recommendation -- yes, get a slider, and get the Bosch.
Edited 7/29/2002 9:48:55 AM ET by Matt Schenker
I upgraded a while back from a 10" CMS to a Makita LS1212. I use it for all most all of my crosscutting, mitering ... I cut 8/4 white oak on it all the time and it's easier than a RAS becuase the CSMS doesn't self -feed. I have added 5' tables with fences, tapes and stop blocks for each side, a 200T FS blade, and the acc'y horizontal clamp. It will do things that can't be done on a table saw, for instance cutting 4" wide steam bent chair backrails to length. I have a jig that holds these parts vertically with 3 toggle clamps that I can move between the stops and cut both ends to length without taking the part out of the clamps. I transfer the centerline of the jig to the backrail and use the same jig on the mortiser later. At the job site it'll cut all but the last little inside bit of 2 x 12 stair stringer notches. Being semi-pro I really can't justify what I spent on this saw, but I didn't want to ever upgrade again and I'm really glad I bit the bullet went top of the line.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
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