Buying a new SCMS, 10" or 12"?

[Hal Peeler]

My old Delta Sawbuck gave up the ghost recently so I'm shopping for a new SCMS. Can someone tell me the advantage of the 12" models over a 10"? It will be used primarily as a stationary tool with the very occasional trip to the house to do something. Budget as always is a concern and I am probably at about $450 max so I'm in the neighborhood of a 10" Dewalt or a 12" Rigid. So any advice there will be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hal

[Bill Huber]

I have a 10" and find that it is just not big enough for a lot of the cuts I need to make.

So in my book a 12" would be much better, I don't know how much more cut you can get but with my 10" it is always just not enough.

[Justin Ludwig]

Look for a used one. Get a 12". Bigger is better as you'll get a more depth in a cut and a longer slide. Comb your local pawn shops and craigslist.

[Mark Bolton]

I would save up if you can and get a Bosch glide for a stationary saw. Increased cut capacity at the expense of a little more flexure and potential blade issues are the only real issues with the 12". Ltitle bit rough but the ability to do larger dados does come in handy on occasion.

[Scott Vigder]

You may also want to check out the Hitachi-C12LSH-12. I coveted the Bosch GCM12SD, bu t at $700+ it's too much money. I've owned the Hitachi for just over a year now and am very happy with it. I find it extremely accurate and easy to change settings.Once you get past the styling, it's a beast. I've only had to take it to a site twice, and if I had to move it more often I'd get something else.

The 12" capacity virtually guarantees you will be able to cut anything that comes home from the mill or off your table saw. If you've got the space, you will never regret the added capacity.

[Jim Finn]

I purchased a 12" DeWalt slider in 2000 and it still works well for me. If I need to replace it I think a 10" would suit me well also. I make small artsy crafty things now but I bought the 12" when I was building decks. A 12" saw sure takes up a lot of shop space behind it.

[Matthew Hills]

What are you trying to do with it? This will affect your need for capacity and also what else is important to you.

12" is a more expensive for the saw itself and any blades you end up getting. Size/weight are also a factor if you need portable or are space constrained in your shop (the Sawbuck is a pretty compact unit). Consensus seemed to be that 12" saws allow more flex than 10", and a slider allowed more play than a non-slider.

I noticed that some 10" saws had better cut capacities than others--with some allowing to miter pretty tall base up against the fence. But if you're going through wide/thick chunks, the 12" would almost always be the better choice.

Note that DeWalt offers a shadow cut-indicator system, rather than the usual laser marker. Reportedly works pretty well.

(I ended up getting the 10" makita slider; works pretty well)

Matt

[Hal Peeler]

What are you trying to do with it? This will affect your need for capacity and also what else is important to you.

12" is a more expensive for the saw itself and any blades you end up getting. Size/weight are also a factor if you need portable or are space constrained in your shop (the Sawbuck is a pretty compact unit). Consensus seemed to be that 12" saws allow more flex than 10", and a slider allowed more play than a non-slider.

I noticed that some 10" saws had better cut capacities than others--with some allowing to miter pretty tall base up against the fence. But if you're going through wide/thick chunks, the 12" would almost always be the better choice.

Note that DeWalt offers a shadow cut-indicator system, rather than the usual laser marker. Reportedly works pretty well.

(I ended up getting the 10" makita slider; works pretty well)

Matt

Good question, I should have been more thorough in my op. I will use it primarily cutting 1" stock, sometimes 2". I just do this as a hobby and will build anything from a small box to a piece of furniture. I really wouldn't say the sawbuck is a compact unit with the table rotating as it does but space is really not too much of concern. I will likely build a dedicated miter station.
I too have noticed that the 10" dewalt has a 14" crosscut capacity vs 12.5" with the Rigid 12" saw I looked at. My Sawbuck would cross cut 15" I believe but not more than 2" thick. The 10" Dewalt is at the upper limit of my budget but kinda leaning toward that one for now.
Thanks to all so far for the advice

[David Kumm]

For trim work and small parts fitting I'd go 10". SCMS are not the most precise machines on the planet and a larger blade magnifies the runout and wobble. If you need the DOC you go larger but if not, smaller is better. Dave

[Charles Wiggins]

I have a 10" and find that it is just not big enough for a lot of the cuts I need to make.

So in my book a 12" would be much better, I don't know how much more cut you can get but with my 10" it is always just not enough.

+1. If you'd ever tried to do 4" baseboard or 5 ¼" crown molding on most 10" miter saws you wouldn't even ask.

[Matt Burst]

The 12" Dewalt DWS782 is $399 at HD and Amazon. Not the best saw for heavy use, but for light use will do the trick.

[Scott Vigder]

I played with the Hitachi-C12LSH-12 and DeWalt DWS782 side-by-side and found the Hitachi better suited my needs and felt much more solid than the DeWalt.

[mreza Salav]

There are advantages/disadvantages to each. If you need to cut very thick stuff or doing wide crowns then 12" SCMS is better. I have a 12" Milwaukee that is good. However, with 12" blade you get more deflection especially in bevel cuts and especially if you are trying to trim a small amount. I'd pick a 10" SCMS over a 12" non scrolling one to have larger width capacity.

[Jim Becker]

Even though I don't use my miter saw for any super precise work in the shop, I do find that the additional cut width of my 12" blade really comes in handy for breaking down boards and even then I occasionally have to flip something over to complete the cut. (Mine is not a sliding miter saw so the blade width is everything when it comes to capacity) But I agree with the advise that what you get should match your intended use.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the 12" Ridgid sliding miter saw. It is dead on accurate. Cuts are smooth as glass with the stock blade.
I like the huge table on the Ridgid saw too.
Noticed Home Depot has it on sale right now for $399. A lot of saw for the money IMHO.

[Ole Anderson]

A 10" slider will cut most of what you need laying flat, the bigger issue is cutting nominal 6" trim that is standing up against the fence. Personally I would get a non-slider in 12" size, they don't take up nearly as much room and will cut a 5.5" board at 45 degrees. That being said, I have a 10" Milwaukee non-slider straight MS, no bevel capacity. Don't know if anyone sells a saw anymore without beveling features.

[Roy Turbett]

A 10" slider will cut most of what you need laying flat, the bigger issue is cutting nominal 6" trim that is standing up against the fence. Personally I would get a non-slider in 12" size, they don't take up nearly as much room and will cut a 5.5" board at 45 degrees. That being said, I have a 10" Milwaukee non-slider straight MS, no bevel capacity. Don't know if anyone sells a saw anymore without beveling features.

+1 If space is an issue, a slider requires a much larger footprint and is harder to move around. A 12" non-slider will handle most cuts. When I was looking, the Hitachi slider had the smallest footprint but weighed over 70 lbs. The Bosch glide came out after I made my purchase but is very expensive.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have both in both Hitachi and Makita. I use the 10" saw more for finish work as the cut is better with less wood stress induced blade deflection. I usually have a 10" & 12" slide on the job but my favorite is my old delta cast iron 10" saws. Most accurate chop saw outside of something like an Omga.

But if I could only have one......... Probably the 10 inch Makita slide.

Larry

[Doug Richardson]

I have the Milwaukee 12" Dual-Bevel Compound Miter Saw and couldn't be happier. Have been installing several hardwood floors at a 45 recently, so it has gotten a lot of use. Also, like mentioned before, the 12" has the advantage of larger cuts. I haven't priced one recently, and it's probably pushing your budget, but personally I think it would be worth the investment.....

[mreza Salav]

Doug, I have the same saw and have had a hard time getting the 90 degree cut very precise (the bevel, not miter), have you ever tried to cut very thick materials with it? I have changed blades and it's not the blade I think.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

For trim work and small parts fitting I'd go 10". SCMS are not the most precise machines on the planet and a larger blade magnifies the runout and wobble. If you need the DOC you go larger but if not, smaller is better. Dave

When I need ultimate precision, my go to is my non bevel Milwaukee 10". No wobble, even while plunging.
Gotta remember that sliders come from the side and won't wobble as much as a plunge into the something hard like the face of maple crown.
12" non sliders are at the bottom when it comes to precision. My DeWalt has been relegated to cutting scrap.

[Mike Henderson]

I went to a 12" because I didn't have enough cut width with a 10". And sometimes, the 12" is not enough. I'll probably replace the 12" with a good 10" slider - I may even spring for a Kapex.

I went with a 12" instead of a slider because I didn't have enough room behind the saw for a slider. But I'm in a new shop now and have the room.

Mike

[ed vitanovec]

My vote is 12" too! I use my Dewalt 12" slider all the time, its been great. I have it on a mobile stand from Home Depot and the stand is worth getting.

[Jim Becker]

With a slider, the 10" will likely do a fine job for the majority of cutting folks do because the blade doesn't limit the width like it does on a non-slider. 12" on a slider provides additional depth of cut, however, so if one works a lot with "really thick" material, that extra inch of depth can come in handy!