Delta 10" miter saw died. What should I get?

[Anthony Watson]

My 10" Delta miter saw died today after 10 years of hard use (built a garage, a house, and more cabinets than I can count). I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel, so I need to get a replacement fast.

I cut a lot of cabinet face frames and other detailed materials, so accuracy is the most important to me. My current saw is a 10" single bevel and has served 80% or more of my needs just fine. There have only been a few instances where I wish it had more capacity, but if everything is setup accurately I can usually flip the board over and complete the cut.

I know sliders are rather popular, but my space and budget are rather limited. I don't think I will cut enough wide boards to justify the extra expense and complexity.

I am thinking of a fixed 12" miter saw like the Dewalt DW715, which would give me slightly more capacity without a huge investment. But I don't know how it compares to other models currently on the market. What advantages/disadvantages does a 12" saw have compared to a 10"?

My priorities:

1 - Accuracy

2 - Doesn't take up a lot of space

3 - Light and small enough to move to another location when needed.

4 - Something I can pick up locally (I don't have time to wait for shipping). That basically means Home Depot or Lowes around here.

5 - A soft start would be nice, but not required.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Anthony

[Doug Colombo]

I just bought the Bosch 12" Glide "rail-less" slider. I chose this saw for it's crosscut capability, moulding cutting height, and one of the biggest reasons was the fact that the saw fits tight to the wall vs. a standard slider. If I would of went with a non-slider saw (which I also looked at), I was bouncing between the Bosch 12" and the Rigid 12". Both looked like good saws, with the Rigid being a bit less cost. Good luck !!

[Larry Edgerton]

Forget the Dewalt DW715 for cabinet work. Its just not accurate enough. I just gave one away just to get it out of my shop as it was useless. Never broke, but it never made a good cut either.

Look at the fixed 12" Makita, I have one that has been working very well for many years and once tuned stays good with reasonable care.

My next saw will probably be the Bosch Glide saw, but I have to actually try one first. Everbodys new car is the best car, so I don't necessarily trust the initial reviews, but they do sound like an awesome saw. For the price they better be.

I have sliders, and they are just not the ticket for cabinets. Just enough play that the cuts are not perfect, still good but not perfect. I want an OMGA chop saw, but for now I keep an old Delta cast iron chop saw, the one with the jackshaft, around for styles and rails. Perfect cuts every time, doors almost never need to be squared once clamped. If you can find one in good shape snatch it up, great saws.

Happy hunting, Larry

[Paul McGaha]

Hi Anthony,

As urgent as your need is I'm thinking the selection will be fairly limited. I have a 10" Hatachi slider with a lazer that I really like. I think I got it from Amazon.com if I remember correctly.

I've read good reviews on Makita miter saws.

I really dont know what HD and Lowes might have in stock?

PHM

PS-Might check w Sears also in the event they have something the other stores dont.

[Ralph Butts]

I think that Costco carries the 10" sliding Hitachi as well if you have access to the warehouse retailer.

[Mark Ashmeade]

It's the 12" in my Costco. I bought one, and returned it the next day, it was extremely coarse on its slide, and in the motor. It was then replaced with the Bosch glider which was a world apart. With a better blade (just a RIDGID 90T), it crosscuts like glass. Doesn't take up much room at all.

[Anthony Watson]

Forget the Dewalt DW715 for cabinet work. Its just not accurate enough. I just gave one away just to get it out of my shop as it was useless. Never broke, but it never made a good cut either.

Can you explain in more detail why the DW715 was not accurate? I thought a fixed saw (non-slider) would avoid the play and inaccuracies of a slider.

90% of my cuts are simple 90 degree cuts, either face frames to length, cutting framing lumber to length, or chopping wood scraps into firewood lengths. Obviously, the face frame cuts are the most critical.

Anthony

[Steve Griffin]

I've found the Dewalt 715 to be excellent for cabinet work. I've owned several.

I also like the 12" makita, but certainly don't find it much different than the dewalts.

I like both better than my 12" Hitachi non-slider for sure. The Hitachi has more flex and is absurdly loud.

I'm not a fan of sliders for the shop--save your money for crosscut sled or sliding table for your table saw for when you really need some capacity.

Making a nice station for your saw with indexed stop system and buying good blades are just as important as saw choice.

And don't let anyone tell you 12" blades are too expensive--per tooth they are about the same as a 10" and can go noticably longer between sharpenings.

-Steve

[John TenEyck]

I make furniture, cabinet doors, etc., so I need a very accurate saw, like you. I went back and forth a long time trying to decide which saw to buy. I ended up buying the Bosch 12" DCMS primarily because of the great reviews it got. I was between that and the Rigid, which I've never run, but I liked the features and price. Anyway, the Bosch was around $400, but they sweetened the deal with an 18 gage, 2" brad nailer which feels like a toy but rocks. The saw is heavy for sure, I think something like 64 lbs, so it's a bit of a chore to move around. Out of the box it didn't cut square in either plane - so much for the stellar reviews. Well, 2 hours of going through the manual and I had it dialed in for square/square and the miters and bevels, and it has stayed true ever since, after moving it back and forth to a couple dozen jobs. It only had a 60 tooth blade on it and I thought for sure I'd have to replace it immediately but it cuts surprising smooth as well as straight. For example, 45 deg miters on 6" wide oak fit together perfectly. I bought another blade but haven't needed to put it on. All in all, I'm happy with the saw. If it was lighter by about 20 lbs I'd be very happy. Whatever you buy I'd leave price out of the decision. For high quality work, precision is the most important requirement, and if the saw you buy has it you won't regret having spent the money. If it doesn't, you'll hate it every day.

[Ben Thomas]

I have had the DW716 for a few years now, it is a great saw on the jobsite. Most of my woodworking is small stuff for the house though, having a saw that doesnt cut perfect 45 degrees is a PITA when you are married to a photographer who likes homemade picture frames. None of the corners lines up right.

[michael veach]

I don't make my living with my shop but do have to please the wife with the cabinets. I make do with a $200 kolbalt slider. If I were in business, I would buy the best I could afford. More important than the saw though is the setup and squaring of the saw. I can cut a 24" wide board by flipping it with less than 1/64" difference. And this is using a cheep mobile base with only the saws fence. Note: I do not do production work on it.