Compound Miter Saw

[Cole Roberts]

I have been reading this forum for a while now, but this is the first time I have posted a question. I am looking to purchase a miter saw and need help deciding what type would best suit my needs. I am a junior in college so my budget is not huge, probably a few hundred. I mainly do lathe work, I have a small steel city lathe and would use the miter saw for cutting segments. I have been looking at craigslist and what not here in norman/oklahoma city. So my main question is, single bevel, dual bevel, sliding, 10 inch, 12 inch. I have found a 12 inch delta on craigslist for 170 and a hitachi 10 inch for 100. I need a miter saw that is very accurate and can be used for long periods of time.

Also, I am in the market for a table saw and have been checking craigslist a lot, I saw a hitachi 10 inch, C10FL I think it is for 200 dollars. I have to have 120v and space is limited since I live with 2 other students. So any thoughts on a brand of table saw that won't take up a whole bunch of space and can do general woodworking tasks. I hope to start doing more cabinetry. So all in all help me figure out what the best bang for my buck is for both of these.

[Chris Kennedy]

A big issue is the size of the stock you will be cutting. You mentioned cutting segments for a smallish lathe, so I would guess that you won't need a lot of capacity. A 10" non-slider can cut 3.5" square in cross section at 90 degrees, but not much more. If you need to cut larger blocks than that, you will need to go up to 12" and/or consider sliders (which give you depth, but not really height, I think, but I am not certain). When you get to 12", you get more blade deflection on the cheaper brands.

If your budget is tight and you are only going to be making 90 degree cuts for the most part, you could consider a no-frills 10" non-slider. I have a Ryobi, which I calibrated for 90 degree cuts, and it is great. I wouldn't use it for crown-molding at odd angles. I haven't had need of more, so the minimal investment was fine.

If you think that you are going to expand your operations in the future, think about a better saw.

Cheers,

Chris

[Josh Reet]

If you are on a budget, stay away from sliders (in my opinion). Find a lightly used 10" or 12" non-slider from a brand like dewalt, makita, hitachi, or even Delta. My delta 10" served me well for years before I bought my dewalt 10" slider. The delta is actually still being used by my brother.

You can actually find really good deals sometimes on brand new non-sliders. Sliders have become so popular that non-sliders have gotten a lot cheaper. Here's a good deal on an older dewalt model:

http://grizzly.com/products/DW703-Heavy-Duty-10-Compound-Miter-Saw/H4369

[Matt Stiegler]

12" non-sliding might be a good compromise for you -- more capacity than a 10", less expensive and smaller than a slider. If you go used, you save enough to pick up a quality blade for it too, which I think is important. I haven't been pricing them, but off the top of my head $170 for the CL Delta sounds reasonable.

Can't help you about smaller TS options, but I believe that's been discussed in a couple recent threads, including this one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=120581. If you search, I'm sure you'll find many others.

And, welcome to SMC, Cole.

[Bill White]

I've trimmed many a house with a 10" compound MS. Granted, not with huge crown, but all the other stuff worked just fine. 10" blades are a bunch less expensive. Wish you were closer 'cause I've got a 10" Delta that ya could get for a song.
Bill