Choosing a Miter Saw

[Jeremy Greiner]

I've been researching miter saws and I think that will be my next tool purchase. I've gathered a bit of information from various websites and I wanted to verify it with everyone here at the creek to make sure my info is accurate.

Chop Saw, is a circular saw on a hing/axel which allows for quick square cuts.

Miter Saw, is a chop saw that swivels 45 degrees+ allowing for mitered cuts.

Compound Miter Saw, is a miter saw that allows the saw portion to tilt to make 2 miter cuts at the same time. Especially important for molding or trim.

Duel Bevel, is a feature of a compound miter saw where the blade tilts in 2 directions instead of just 1

Sliding Compound Miter Saw, sits on a rail system (or in the new bosch case a nifty axel gadget system) allowing to cut wider stock.

That is my understanding of the various miter saw incarnations, I have a few questions.

Blade Size, 10'' vs 12'' the larger blade allows for cutting thicker stock? are their any other benifits?

Sliding saws allow for cutting of much wider boards, but I have read a lot of complaints about keeping the sliding saws accurate and squared? Is this a major problem? Perhaps this is why Bosch moved away from the rails all together in their new model?

Duel Bevel, for board cutting it doesn't seem needed if you need a specific angle you can flip the board over. However for molding or objects that are not flat on all both sides I can see where the duel bevel would be important? Am I missing any other reasons?

I'm trying to get as much information as I can before I decide on the saw I wish to buy. I don't want to pay $800 for a saw when a $150 saw would do, but at the same token I don't want to buy a saw that doesn't do what I need forcing me to buy another or producing poor work.

I appreciate any help.

-jeremy

[Will Overton]

Jeremy,

After reading your post, I'd say you understand these saws about as good as anybody. ;)

As far as keeping the saw square; in general that will be more of a problem on the $150 saw than the $800 one. One of the big issues with the sliders is how much room they take up, behind the saw. That, I believe, is a key reason for Bosch to change their design.

I have a 12" Bosch slider. It came with a construction grade blade (labeled as such) and was good for cutting construction grade lumber. I swapped that out for a Forrest Chopmaster and have had a great experience with it ever since. For 5 years it has given me clean, accurate cuts.

What I have learned in that time, is that I could have easily gotten by with the 10" slider. I only needed the extra depth of cut a couple of times and could have found other ways to make the cuts. Of course, only you know what your needs will be.

HTH

[Tom Esh]

Blade Size, 10'' vs 12'' the larger blade allows for cutting thicker stock? are their any other benifits?

For non-sliding saws, the blade size also limits the width of stock you can cut without flipping the piece. It varies among brands, but 6" or slightly less is about it for most 10" saws.

One other thing I'd take into consideration is where the motor is. With the direct drive / side-mounted motors (like most single-bevel) the motor can get in the way and limit your clamping options.

[Steve Griffin]

For non-sliding saws, the blade size also limits the width of stock you can cut without flipping the piece. It varies among brands, but 6" or slightly less is about it for most 10" saws.

One other thing I'd take into consideration is where the motor is. With the direct drive / side-mounted motors (like most single-bevel) the motor can get in the way and limit your clamping options.

The belt drive models tend to be louder though. My 12" Hitachi dual chop saw is the loudest tool I own--it literally hurts your ears if you forget to put on ear protection.

To answer your dual bevel question: it's nice to be able to decide which face of the board can stay up. For one thing, you are more likely to have tear-out on the bottom side. It's a nice feature, but certainly not as important as other considerations.

What you are doing and what other tools you have are key to your decision. There isn't a miter saw on your list which wouldn't be absolutely perfect for one person, but a poor choice for the next person.

-Steve