I am in the process of shopping for a compound miter saw. What specific capabilities should I look for?? I am a woodworking hobbiest, not a contractor, so I wouldn’t be using it for continuous, heavy duty work. I do, however, want a quality machine, within a $300.00 cost range. Please help. There are so many on the market, it’s difficult to choose. Also, could someone please recommend a specific brand and model number?? Thanks to all in advance.
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Replies
First, what are you looking to get out of the saw? Yeah I know miter cuts lol
But, How thick of material will you be cutting, how wide?
The Count-Down begins, 81 days left
Bish,
Until this forum gets rocking and rolling, try a search over on Knots. There have been many discussions on CMS's. I've had the $160 Craftsmen for about 15 years. Served me well, but its better for carpentry than woodworking, IMHO, Buy a better one, I'm looking to upgrade.
Gotta love those toys!
Enjoy, Roy
Try over at BT while you're at it then buy the Bosch 12"SCMS.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
I don't have a specific suggestion in your price range (unless a store near you has something on clearance). But here's a few thoughts.....
Don't get caught up in the desire for a laser sighting system. With a miter saw, you can draw your cutline, then drop the (non-spinning) blade onto the workpiece. You can then compare a sawtooth to to cutline -- rendering a laser more or less useless. Save the $$, and get a better saw without the gimmick.
Even the cheapest of saws can give very good results, provided you learn/know how to tune it up, and what it's limitations are. My first miter saw was an $89 special from big lots. But it had a 12" blade, a decent enough motor, and was adjustable enough to correct improper angles. I used that saw a lot -- it finally bit the dust when I was doing my third job as a pro, hanging crown. Make sure that whatever you buy can be tuned -- this is very important for accuracy.
There seems to be a few different opinions concerning what saw is the absolute best. The Bosch 12" slider, the Dewalt 12" slider, and the Hitachi 10" slider are all excellent saws. But unless any are on clearance, the closest to your budget is still about $200 too high. (I was able to get my Hitachi for $340, when Lowes closed out the older model, and put the laser-equipped one on the shelf.)
Great advice on miter saws. Thanks, Yes
Now get out there and find yourself the 12" Bosch SCMS
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
YesMa'am wrote:
"Don't get caught up in the desire for a laser sighting system. With a miter saw, you can draw your cutline, then drop the (non-spinning) blade onto the workpiece. You can then compare a sawtooth to to cutline -- rendering a laser more or less useless. Save the $$, and get a better saw without the gimmick."
You can say "I told you so". I bought the Ridgid 10" miter saw with the laser, and I am glad I got the saw for 10% off, because now I don't feel like I wasted as much money on the gimmick. If there were some way to adjust the line, it might be worth it, but even then I'm not sure because the line is barely visible in broad daylight. This is my first miter saw, so I can't compare it to others, but after having it for week now, I give it a 'C'.
Try to get a brand name saw, and try NOT to buy from a home center or a discount chain if you can help it. when I'am buying a tool (mostley any tool) i like service if theres a problem. If you buy a tool from a industrial distributor that services the product (authorized is better) you will get better life out of the tool and easer maintaince if needed.
The above is just my opion of how I by my tools, not to say I'am 100% right , but I know that if theres a problem I have some on to call and knows the product. And most of the time the industrial accounts are pretty competitive with the big boxes.
Good luck
BISH
I too am a weekend carpenter. I bought a compound miter saw from Home Depot (their brand)--Rigid) . The saw comes with a sturdy stand, dust collection bag, and a switchable vise that holds long pieces securely when you're cutting miters. I used it to do all the finish work on our new home and it performed very well. The price: $299.00
Happy Sawing!
Ron
actually, ridgid is not a home depot brand, but they make a very solid tool line, check out their new line of power hand tools too. I love bosch mitre saws, but I would really suggest the new ryobi 12" compound saw, for $229.00, it really is a nice set up for the price, it even has one of those new fangled laser line systems, which speeds up production, and keeps your fingers at a safer distance from the blade too.
Bosch makes great tools. Does the saw come with stand? I looked long and hard at their sliding compound miter, but it was almost as much as DeWalt's, which is a real nice saw.
In my opinion, you are thinking backwards.
ANY Bosch tool that I've ever seen or used, was WAY higher quality than the same tool from Dewalt.
Don't forget, Dewalt is nothing more than Black&Decker with yellow paint. Same company, same plants, same componentry, same mediocre record.
Dewalt's are good for homeowner/DIYers. Bosch will be found on jobsites, with pro's looking after them.
Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
I've been looking at the Dewalt DW708 (slider) for a while now, and have gotten to use it on a couple of jobs. I haven't seen anything wrong with it, and while I haven't seen it used for several years, it still seems to be a good saw. It looks like the Dewalt has higher fences for crown molding. It has a higher no-load RPM. Please enlighten me. Is this just a personal tool bias? (I have them too), or a real warning against Dewalt? I have noticed a similar body style with Dewalt to Craftsman. I heard Sears owns Dewalt. Any truth?
I don't think that Sears has anything to do with Dewalt (although my opinion of the power tools from them is similar).
No, I don't have any specific warnings about the Dewalt slider -- in fact, I can't recall a single story I've heard that was negative about that specific model.
My impression of Dewalt is a general one. They are the same company, same engineers, who make Black and Decker. And B&D is absolutely fine for the homeowner -- but not optimum for the pro's.
The return rate of Dewalt tools for defects seems to be higher than many other brands. And when you find somebody for whom money is not a concern, Dewalt seems to not be on their list.
Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
DeWalt makes good products, and they make some dogs, too. Just like most companies. On average, I'd say they are average. I own several of their tools; some I wouldn't trade for the competition, some I wish I spent the money elsewhere. But I haven't found one that is complete garbage, where I don't pull it out and use it when needed.
The 708 slider is one that I have not much experience, but I have heard great things about. Even most DeWalt detractors admit this is one of the better DeWalt tools, and more importantly one of the better 12" sliders available. Overall (IOW in every review I've seen), it seems the Makita 10" (LS1013) gets rated the best SCMS period, and the DW 708 is the best in the 12" class. However, IIRC the Bosch 12" slider (4412) came out pretty recently, and has not had the benefit of a competitive review that I've seen. Most who've seen the Bosch (I have not) rate it better than the DeWalt.
As for Sears, they do not "own" any tool company as far as I know. They don't make their own handtools, portable power tools, or stationary power tools. Instead, they contract out to different makers for different models. (See my post 22 above) The only direct manufacturing connection between Sears and DW that (I think) I know of is something I read here. There is a certain Craftsman reciprocating saw that is identical to a DeWalt saw, only instead of yellow labeled DW it is black labeled Craftsman. They contract to Ryobi for most of their stuff, except I have heard of the DW saw and their wormdrive is supposedly identical (ie., made in same plant as) to the Skil 77.
Sears has two model numbers for their power tools. One is an SKU, and typically has a prefix of 9 (9 indicates tools/hardware dept.) and will look like 912345. This is what'll appear on reciept, and if the barcode can't be read is what they'll type in instead. The othe is a true model number, and has a three digit prefix; it looks like 123.12345????? The prefix identifies the manufacturer of the item, and the ?? digit number the item itself. For example, I have a Sears rotary tool with prefix 572. It's made by (surprise) Dremel. The DeWalt/B&D/ELU prefix is 900. There is a web resource that can tell you what company goes to what prefix:
http://www.owwm.com/Craftsman/Manufacturers-Prefix.aspIf everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
While being an admitted tool junky I think too often we, as tool fans, can pay more for a more expensive tool to make up for shortcomings in maintenance of tools/equipment. Sometimes when using a backup drill I've left on a jobsite(unfortunately have fallen into the trap of owning 7 or more cordless drills) I'll realize that a fresh bit/battery and tightening of the chuck makes a dramatic difference in performance. I've been on sites where people have sitebuilt beautiful railings and windows out of what I'd consider a ragtag collection of cheap tools, something I try to remind myself while drooling over new stuff is that I can probably accomplish it with what I have with some patience and care.
As far as miter saws, the DeWalt 12inch dual compound is a nice one and I've seen some great work out of the Hitachia 8.5 sliders. I'm currently using a Tradesman(cheap one from Sears) with a blade that costs double what the saw cost, working alright so far but think I'm going to try a blade stabilizer.
-Ray
That last post on sept. 30 was crap, I've been trimming for a long time and have used and abused my compound 10" for a long long time. I am here at this site because I am in the market for a 12" dual compound, and have decided again on a D+ewalt. Just trying to figure if I want to go for the slidder. And am looking for reviews. I am thinking not the slidder, because the DW706 will give me a far better height on vertical cuts(6"). I have also used my Dewalt biscuit joiner, 12" planer and various cordless drills with few complaints. Price and quaility match. They may be made by B+D, but I find them considerably better. chris
I'm happy for ya Woody. Go for the Yellow and black. While you do, I'll stick with mostly green, some blue, and some red.
Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
As I understand it, Home Depot bought Ridged several years ago and that's why you see it in their stores. So, for all practical purposes it is the Home Depot brand.
Is this REALLY true?
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
http://www.ridgid.com/bobl Volo Non Voleo
Linked Rigid and Emerson but not to HD
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
i suspect the relationship is contractual, not ownership.bobl Volo, non valeo
It must be, cause you don't see Rigid, anywhere but HD. Which makes me a little leary of buying them...
http://www.ridgid.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=000006
I have the same concerns so i'm looking slowly
bobl Volo, non valeo
Edited 10/5/2003 12:05:11 AM ET by bobl
The Dewalt 12" compound miter (not sliding, not double compound) is a good tool that will fit your budget. I have been using mine for about 8 yrs and it still cuts true. Yes, I wish I had a slider or a double compound (or is it double bevel?) but mine costs less and weighs less and is smaller, and does a very good job.
Do it right, or do it twice.
I see Rigid tools everytime I'm in an industrial location. Don't often see them in homeowners hands, but around here, there pretty common with the trades.
Home Depot does not own Ridgid. HD simply has the exclusive rights to distribute/sell Ridgid woodworking power tools.
Ridgid woodworking tools are not exactly the same brand/heritage as the Ridgid industrial tools, perhaps most famously their plumbers' tools. Ridgid is part (maybe just a trademark/brand name) of the Ridge Tool Company (RTC). RTC is owned by Emerson, as part of their Emerson Professional Tools (EPT) division. EPT includes the companies RTC, Louisville Ladder, Knaack Manufacturing, among others. Emerson (the conglomerate) also includes Emerson Electric. Until about 10? years ago, Emerson Electric made tablesaws and other tools for Sears under the Craftsman name. Sears decided they wanted a cheaper vendor (or at least more profit margin) for their power tools. Sears ended their agreement with Emerson, largely going with Ryobi to make their power tools.
At that point, Emerson sought another outlet for their power tools. They finally struck the agreement with Home Depot, who at that time was early in their rise to power and IIRC also looking for a 'house brand' power tool vendor. Emerson figured no one (consumers) would know/want an "Emerson Electric" brand saw, so they looked at their in-house brands and selected Ridgid to become the new brand moniker. They launched the Home Depot line of tools with a name recognition ad campaign something to the effect of "Ridgid tools have been trusted by professionals since 1923." That may have been true for their plumbing tools, but Ridgid woodworking tools (while having a worthy history themselves) did not truly exist until about ten? years ago.
Now don't get me started on hand tools, and small power tools...If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
Everything Mr. Pita said is true to the best of my knowledge.
In addition, just this past summer, Emerson announced that they would no longer manufacture the power tools. Instead, they would maintain "engineering control" over the design, and would have the manufacturing sub-contracted.
So, "Ridgid" is actually no longer making Ridgid power equipment. It's just a brand name, kinda like Kenmore.Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
I thought emerson dropped ridgid last year?
I've got the 10" Makita dual compound slider with a sawhelper fence. Love the saw, not impressed with the fence. Whichever saw you buy, get a good blade, Forrest is a good choice. Assuming you're not going to be lugging it around from job to job, build a sturdy extension table as your first project.
I have the dewalt 12in compound that i use at home , and have the deawlt 12in dual compound sliding miter saw that i haul for work and love it , i checked the bosch touched it saw it felt it used it is a great saw 100.00 more but didnt buy one because when i pulled the little knobto go left to right beval it fell off in my hand , and i didnt pull to hard. so i got dewalt and havent regreted it one bit.
Dogboy
have a 10" dewalt compound miter. lightwieght easy to haul around , it's a good all around saw . good for framing , siding , 1x6 exterior trim, smaller interior trim and such.
also have a 10" bosch sliding compound miter,
it has big lock down grooves that are hard to wear down. it also has the markings on the miter and compound adjusments for "crown molding"
i geuss it's all what your looking for in a saw.
i have had a couple of miter saws. first was a rockwell, that was a good saw. then i bought a rigid, which has not been a good saw at all. and now have a 12" slide dewalt. at home depot your looking at $599. but a 10" dewalt would be an excellant saw. try ebay for miter saws, bought that 12" dewalt for $430. i am not a dewalt fan, but they seemed to have the best features, and the scales are still ledgible with lumber on the saw. other than the saw, everything else is milwaukee.
I have to agree with you , I also have the 12in slide duar comp saw and I to do not go yellow except the chop saws, I also have the old stand by 12in compound saw and love both saws and both are very dependable .so far. but everything else is slowly becomming big red, millwalkee with the exception of air tools. dogboy
Look at Milwaukee right now, I belive they are coming out with a major design change, My normal tool supplier has the current Milwaukee miter saws marked down to give away prices. The standard 10" chop saw normally goes for $280.00 is now $170.00. The slider is also marked way down.
I'm going to pick up another chop saw at that price.
Good luck
I bought the Milwaukee 12" compound, and have regreted it ever since. The fence is a piece of junk, won't stay put. I can't keep it in line with itself, let alone 90 to the blade. You get a different cut, depending on what side of the blade you're on. Now get this one, I called their customer service line, and actually talked to their regional manager about 2 years ago, right when I bought it. He ACTUALLY recommended that I remove the fence, and step on it to straighten it. If I broke it he would send me a new one. I swear I'm not lying. So, I'm in the market for a replacement, which brought me here. Any thoughts from anyone on the new Porter Cable with the double laser sight, one on each side of the blade. I haven't read anything about it yet.
JC
I agree with Steve concerning the DeWalt 12 Com/mitre. I have seen that saw used day after day cutting seven inch Red Oak and Hard Maple crown, and the saws performed well. The Hatichi 15 inch is also a pretty reliable saw but is heavy to move from site to site. Do not consider the MAKITA LS 1013. It has revceived great write ups but the one I had would not stay square for more than five to six cuts.
I've been very happy with my 10" Hitachi slider - but it really came alive when I bougt the chop saw blade from Forrest. The cuts are incredible smooth and after I spent a little time calibrating and fine tuning the machine, it's a real pleasure to use. Before I tuned it I was just using it for general carpentry.... but now it's so accurate that I use it for furniture building too.
see Taunton reviews and toolsofthetrade.net reviews
New Ridgid compound slide is excellent - I have one.
Makita Hitachi, Bosch and Dewalt exc. Bosch and Ridgid made offshore but in modern ISO rated type factories.
If only 8" required then top rated for the money( not sure if compound) is made in taiwan from company in Conneticut.
Saw has been at Sears etc(brick red color) and other locations - I just forgot the name though they make for other companes.
it maybe a little pricy for your budget, but the dewalt 12 inch slider/compound cant be beat
i cut 8 inch solid maple or cherry crown with mine everyday and the cuts are perfect everytime
dont forget to budget for a really good blade, like a hundred bucks or so, you'll be glad you did
caulking is not a piece of trim
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