Need help choosing a miter saw

[Bruce Cohen]

After spending 4 days and ruining about $150.00 worth of Wenge, I have finally realized just how stupid I really am.

I'm building another Jewelry Box (this is getting addictive) and the design requires a 18˚bevel and a 45˚miter cut on the ends of each piece (of which there are 32 cuts.) I finally figured it out, but as I was finally finishing, a trim guy I know came by and said "Gee, that would be a lot easier to cut on a miter saw", well thanks a lot and where was this guy 4 days ago.

Ergo, I have now decided to get a miter saw, as my wife, daughters and just about everyone else I know (all 6 people), are ready to make me part of the end zone in the new Giants' Stadium.

So to cut to the chase, how about some recommendations. I don't think I need a sliding model, and I think that about $300 is about what I'm willing to spend to keep from being hung.

I looked at the 12" Rigid, looks nice, but will need a blade (thin kerf and more teeth than the stock one. The Dewalt looks good too, but I feel it's overpriced.

What are you guys using, now keep in mind I won't be using it for framing or continuously cutting 2X6's

Thanks in advance,

Bruce

[Mr__Bill]

I set the price point I wanted to meet and then went out and tried each one that could be bought for that. How it felt in the hand so to speak. Was the handle right and all that. I figured that I was not getting the best of anything but at least it would feel right. I also looked at how hard to change the blade, how hard to zero the saw and if dust collection via the vac would work. When I was done I went and bought a cheap one and have regretted it ever since. The hundred I saved is long gone and I still have that cheap saw.

I agree, as long as you are not cutting wide boards the sliding feature adds considerable to the cost for the same accuracy.

My advice is to look at the price last, that is what MasterCard is for.

Bill
$150 for the wood, 32 hours of labor and a perfect cut, Priceless!

[herb fellows]

I agree with Bill about the feel. There's plenty to choose from in that price range. You would think the simplicity of the tool would make one pretty much like another, but I have 3 and I prefer my Hitachi. Not to say that you will, it really is a feel thing. The resistance, the grip, the return feel different on all three. It's largely a matter of what feels comfortable in your own hands.

[dbhost]

I have a cheap B&D Firestorm (no longer made) 10" CMS. Not a slider, but VERY accurate as long as I make sure I clear the table / fence between cuts. OEM blade was lousy, Freud Diablo blade cuts real nice.... Funny compounds like what you are talking about are easy to set up and verify. the angles... What Herb says above is about right. I really hate my other few B&D tools, but this CMS just feels right, and works the way I want it to...

I am not sure a slider is capable of the sort of accuracy you are wanting, but maybe they exist...

[LCHIEN]

I'd look at the Hitachis, a dual-bevel compound miter 12", if i was to buy a new one today.
I think Lowes carries them.
of course it depends on what dimensions you need to cut.

[phi1l]

I would think that cut would be reasonably easy to do with a table saw with a decent miter gauge too. May I ask what the problem was??

[JimD]

I have two compound miter saws. One was about $100 and works fine. It is a Pro-Tech. It is 10 inch, however, so the cross cuts are limited to about 6 inches. And it only bevels in one direction which made cutting crown moulding upside down and backwards (my preferred method) possible only in one direction.

So I bought a C12FDH from these guys for $150 (it is $200 now):

http://www.reconditionedsales.com/Miter_Saws___c375.aspx

I added a blade to that so I really spent $200 or a little more. I am quite happy with the saw. It bevels in both directions and will cross cut nearly 8 inches. Plenty of power and seems accurate. For precise work the laser is a gimick, however.

You might also want to look at the C12LCH. It gives you a digital measurement of the bevel angle. I've read a review or two that said it is very accurate. It is $215 reconditioned (I see no disadvantage of reconditioned tools so I buy them whenever there is a significant savings) so you should be able to get it and a good blade for your $300 budget.

Jim

[Hoover]

Another vote for the Hitachi dual bevel!

[sailor55330]

I remember reading issues with many of the fences on several brands about a year ago. The issue what that the fence face was not flat. The article recommended getting a framing square from the shelf and use it as a straight edge to see if the fence is flat. I remember trying it out on a couple of Dewalts and a couple of Rigids and a Ryobi. NONE Of them had a flat fence. The straight edge would rock about 1/16 of an inch every time. I even switched straight edges to be sure it wasn't the culprit. I was very surprised. I have no idea if this is still the case, but might be something to think about.

I have a Delta that is several years old and it is still rock steady.

[BrazosJake]

Starts with a "Muh" and ends with "kita".

I have the LS1221 (12" CMS) and love it. I bought mine 6 years ago when Lowes closed them out and used it for all crosscuts, miters, and bevel work until buying a tablesaw. I still use it quite a bit, it rocks on crown with the pre-set miter and bevel stops. It's light, so I can tote where it's needed.

I have never felt deprived by not having a slider.

[cabinetman]

This is a serious decision. Right after you buy a 10", you'll wish you got a 12". Right after you buy a CMS, you'll wish you got a SCMS. Right after you buy a single bevel, you'll wish you got a dual bevel. There are considerations for what to look for, and what will suit you.

You don't want to hear this, but your table saw can more than likely do what you want. It's also up to the operator.
.

[JimD]

I like my BT3100 for crosscutting small pieces. I haven't had much success crosscutting large pieces on it. I've used the SMT, I have an Osborne and have added miter slots that are parallel to the blade, and I have sleds. It is not that they do not work, it is just that I have a problem, sometimes, moving a big piece of wood. It makes more sense to me to move the saw when the wood is big.

I do not know how big a piece of wenge was being cut but if it was more than a couple feet long, I would use a CMS. If it was more than 6 feet long, I would want a moving saw of some sort badly. I use my RAS when the cut is too big for the CMS.

I should probably also say that my RAS and CMS are on a separate table with support for wood over 8 feet long. A CMS without supports would not obviously be better than a table saw in cutting long pieces of wood.

Jim

[Rand]

I have a 12" Dewalt CMS that's about 10 years old.

If I were to replace it I would probably go with a 10" slider. The reason: Cheaper blades. A 12" 96 tooth saw blade is expensive and I never need to cut really thick lumber.

[toolguy1000]

bruce...what is your price range? what will you be using it for? some of the previously mentioned saws are upwards of $500. not a king's ransom but still a not insignificant purchase. why buy a lot more saw than you need?

[RAV2]

I bought the Harbor Freight 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser Guide for about $100 on black friday with coupon on a sale price.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98194

I tossed the laser and installed a laser washer.

I had the 10" for a couple of years and sold it for $65.

A friend of mine who does basement remodeling on the side had the 10" for several years without issues.

For prices like this, you may wish to check it out.

I also have the Ryobi Miter SUV and the combo is great!