new 12" miter saw

[Tony Gorgone]

i'm in the market for a new miter saw.

i have narrowed my choices to the following:
dewalt dws780 and a dwx726 stand
bosch 5312 and a t4b stand

will be used for framing, baseboards and crown moldings.

i like the led and the available cutting heights/depths of the dewalt and i am concerned about the rollers for the stand. thinking i would need to modify it to accept the dw7029 support instead of the rollers.

the bosch front controls and extensions on the stand are nice, but no led or even a laser and limits on the size of material i can cut.

also, there are no 5312's in stock near me, so i would have to deal with an online vendor, vs buying the dewalt locally with the ability to return and/or exchange locally.

thanks for your opinions
tony

[Kelby Van Patten]

I have a 780 (or maybe an older version that is similar). I like it a lot, but the dust collection is horrible.

[Richard Shaefer]

I have the dewalt and it's a good saw. sometimes you can spring a deal where they throw in the stand for a reducecd cost or even for free, so shop around. you should also consider the Ryobi folding saw stand, which in my opinion, is actually a better built stand for half the cost (but with less features)

I will add that if I had it to do over again, I would not get a 12" saw, I'd get a 10" saw, probably the Makita or the Dewalt. The larger saw is a bit more of a pain to transport, but over the years I've grown tired of the uneeded expense of maintaining an inventory of two different blade sizes for my table saw and my chop saw. the actual need for a 12" saw cut capacity over a 10" saw, especially for a slider, is rare (although some do need it like those who do the big moulding work in McMansions)

[Tony Gorgone]

interesting idea about the dw717.
i do have a 10" grizzly table saw. and both the dw717 and the grizzly have a 5/8" arbor.

i am not a contractor, so this saw will just be used for my home. transportation isn't a big deal for me. i want the rolling stand so i can fold it up and store it vertically in my garage when it is not in use. but since i'm not a contractor, do i need to worry about wearing out the blades?

my wife has not picked out the crown or base molding that she wants to go with yet, so i don't know the exact dimensions i need to go with.

i was looking at the dws780 ($600) which comes with the xps led vs paying 50 bucks for the led upgrade to the dw717($500). so at that point, the saws are almost the same price.

tony

[Jim Finn]

I have the dewalt and it's a good saw..........I will add that if I had it to do over again, I would not get a 12" saw, I'd get a 10" saw, probably the Makita or the Dewalt. ......... the actual need for a 12" saw cut capacity over a 10" saw, especially for a slider, is rare ......)
I agree for these same reasons. I have a 12" DeWalt slider and a 10" would work just as well.

[Steve Griffin]

I agree for these same reasons. I have a 12" DeWalt slider and a 10" would work just as well.


Just to add to the old 12 vs 10 argument:

I'm in the 12 camp.

There is almost zero cost savings--cost per tooth and resharpening costs are similar. There is no advantage to having same size for your table saw, as both use different types of blades anyway. And extra depth is not used often, but for me I wouldn't describe it as "rare". Especially the ability to cut trim vertically, or cut posts, it makes it a no brainer as to which size I want on my miter saw.

[Tony Gorgone]

looking around some more today, i don't see a reason to get a 10". the cost is almost the same, and space isn't an issue since i plan to store it on the stand collapsed. so i think its going to be a 12" for me. rather have the extra capability for the times i need it, than not have it and have to figure something out.

so its definitely down to the dewalt 780 and the bosch 5312.

what blade what you guys recommend for cutting crown and baseboards?

the forrest chopmaster 80T looks good, but pricey at $150. anything more in the $100 range??

tony

[Mel Fulks]

Me too. If you don't really need the 12 the 10 is better.Flex with the 12 can be an annoyance ,even with a good quality blade.

[Reagen Ward]

Here's why I love my Dewalt 12" - The LED light option. It blows away any laser I've ever used, perfectly indicating the kerf with a shadow, never needing adjustment when I change the blade. I have no clue why they don't market the heck it of that feature; even the packaging made it look like just another work light. That light is what made me pick the dewalt when seeking a new saw.

[Tony Gorgone]

so the dewalt takes both a 5/8" or a 1" arbor blade.

so with the options, which size should i get??

tony

[Greg Portland]

looking around some more today, i don't see a reason to get a 10". the cost is almost the same, and space isn't an issue since i plan to store it on the stand collapsed. so i think its going to be a 12" for me. rather have the extra capability for the times i need it, than not have it and have to figure something out.

so its definitely down to the dewalt 780 and the bosch 5312.

what blade what you guys recommend for cutting crown and baseboards?

the forrest chopmaster 80T looks good, but pricey at $150. anything more in the $100 range??

tony
Tony, I own the Chopmaster and a Freud LU91. Both are excellent choices and can produce glass-smooth cuts when clean and sharp. I did a bunch of moulding work with the Chopmaster and then a friend used it for laminate flooring (which quickly trashes blade sharpness). I bought a Freud while the Chopmaster was out being sharpened and have not reinstalled the Chopmaster (cut quality is the same). Given the cost difference, I'd go with the Freud.

For saws, you may want to consider the Milwaukee 6950, it appears to have the features you want.

[Mark Welte]

I have the Bosch 5312 with the T4B stand. So far I have been happy with it and it is very quick to set up. Start to finish from getting it out of the corner of my garage to being set up to cut is about 10 minutes. That sounds like a while but with all the junk in my garage it is really fast. The blade on the saw is not that great but for cutting 2x's it has proved adequate. I have a couple of CMT blades that I purchased from Lowes for use when the quality dictates it. Storage space is small and the saw has worked well so far.

Mark

[scott vroom]

I also have the Bosch 5312 with the T4B gravity rise stand. It serves both as a cabinet shop saw and a general construction job site saw. Great saw, and the stand is far and away best-in-breed IMO: I can pull the lever, collapse it, and have it against the wall in about 8 seconds. Big wheels make it easier to pull around a job site.

I looked at the DeWalt but was turned off by the many reviews complaining about the un-smooth rails.

[TODD RAYMER]

Tenryu SL-305100 12" 100tooth great blade.