Well, I got the 10" GMC SCMS today. This is my first miter saw of any kind, so I can't compare my initial impressions with anything. I will say that I am seeing a couple of problems.
Out of the box, the blade was nice and square to the table, but it was a bit off from the fence. No biggie, I figure, just needs adjust. I loosened the bolts for the fence and began to adjust. I found that it seems to square up best when the left-hand portion of the fence is full forward (in it's range of play), and the right-hand portion of the fence is full back. I hope the way I'm explaining it makes sense. Does that sound plausable??
The other issue has to do with cutting at a full 45 degree miter angle. I was test cutting 2x4 scraps, and found I couldn't get a full through cut. The blade travel consistently left about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of material. Is this consistent with other saws? The specs seem to indicate that this should not be a problem. I made sure the trench adjustment wasn't the problem, but there is another allen screw next to the trench height adjustment that appears to possibly come into play. It is not referenced anywhere that I can find in the owners manual, and there is no adjustment instructions for the screw. I decided not to mess with it yet.
Next problem is with the laser. It is incorporated in to the saw body, not to the blade area like other saws I looked at. The line is off by a good 1/8 of an inch, and there is no alignment instructions for it in the manual. There is also no screws or adjustment point anywhere close to the laser itself that I can find.
Lastly, I don't like the way the stops for the common miter angles are done (0, 15, 22.5, 30, 45) . They are not really stops at all. Instead of locking firmly in place when you hit the angles, it is more like a shallow groove that you can feel, but still lets you go past. When you get it into the grooved area, there is still a tiny bit of play in both directions. Other saws I have looked at lock firmly into place at the pre-set angles with no play what-so-ever.
Maybe all this is nit-picky, I don't know. Like I said, this is my first miter saw so I don't know what is normal. I'm wondering if I should take it back and get the Ridgid 10" CMS like I originally planned. I want the MSUV, so I am going to HD anyway, and they have the BT3100 on sale for $249. Perhaps I should just pick them all up and sign up for the card to get the extra 10% off. Where is that phantom 20% off coupon when I need it!!! JUST KIDDING!
Out of the box, the blade was nice and square to the table, but it was a bit off from the fence. No biggie, I figure, just needs adjust. I loosened the bolts for the fence and began to adjust. I found that it seems to square up best when the left-hand portion of the fence is full forward (in it's range of play), and the right-hand portion of the fence is full back. I hope the way I'm explaining it makes sense. Does that sound plausable??
The other issue has to do with cutting at a full 45 degree miter angle. I was test cutting 2x4 scraps, and found I couldn't get a full through cut. The blade travel consistently left about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of material. Is this consistent with other saws? The specs seem to indicate that this should not be a problem. I made sure the trench adjustment wasn't the problem, but there is another allen screw next to the trench height adjustment that appears to possibly come into play. It is not referenced anywhere that I can find in the owners manual, and there is no adjustment instructions for the screw. I decided not to mess with it yet.
Next problem is with the laser. It is incorporated in to the saw body, not to the blade area like other saws I looked at. The line is off by a good 1/8 of an inch, and there is no alignment instructions for it in the manual. There is also no screws or adjustment point anywhere close to the laser itself that I can find.
Lastly, I don't like the way the stops for the common miter angles are done (0, 15, 22.5, 30, 45) . They are not really stops at all. Instead of locking firmly in place when you hit the angles, it is more like a shallow groove that you can feel, but still lets you go past. When you get it into the grooved area, there is still a tiny bit of play in both directions. Other saws I have looked at lock firmly into place at the pre-set angles with no play what-so-ever.
Maybe all this is nit-picky, I don't know. Like I said, this is my first miter saw so I don't know what is normal. I'm wondering if I should take it back and get the Ridgid 10" CMS like I originally planned. I want the MSUV, so I am going to HD anyway, and they have the BT3100 on sale for $249. Perhaps I should just pick them all up and sign up for the card to get the extra 10% off. Where is that phantom 20% off coupon when I need it!!! JUST KIDDING!
). I know I could save a lot of money on my big purchases, but I am always worried I will run into the kind of problem I now have, and it take months to resolve. It seems everyone likes Amazon.com, so maybe I will reconsider.
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