Miter Saw Versus radial Arm Saw

[Mike Chalmers]

I currently have a Sears 10" 11amp RAS. I don't really have any issues, but am always open to better tools.

Is there any real advantsge to a Sliding Miter Saw over a RAS?

[jack duren]

There different saws and can do different things. Having both would be more advantage than one only...

[Lee Reep]

I have both. The RAS I own was my first major power tool purchase in 1975. It is my "Go To" saw for all 90 degree cross cutting. I love it's ease of use, big huge table, and I can cross cut 16+ inches, so it handles almost every crosscut need I have. But I got tired of moving it to cut a miter, and only to the right. A miter saw is simpler, and angles other than 45 are simpler.

I actually plan to move my miter saw out of my small basement shop and to the garage. I'll use it for outdoor projects, and it can be carried in for doing trim work in the house. I'm going to build a miter sled for my table saw, and use that for miters instead.

I guess I didn't really give you a recommendation! I think that since I grew up with a RAS, and then added a table saw later, my miter saw usage has always been a secondary, or tertiary, consideration, after either the RAS or table saw. And to make my choices a bit crazier, I bought a Festool track saw last year. Absolutely amazing for breaking down sheet goods, and a great tool for cross cutting and mitering also, although I've used it on a limited basis for that, since setup takes a bit more effort.

[Mike Chalmers]

I have both. The RAS I own was my first major power tool purchase in 1975. It is my "Go To" saw for all 90 degree cross cutting. I love it's ease of use, big huge table, and I can cross cut 16+ inches, so it handles almost every crosscut need I have. But I got tired of moving it to cut a miter, and only to the right. A miter saw is simpler, and angles other than 45 are simpler.

I actually plan to move my miter saw out of my small basement shop and to the garage. I'll use it for outdoor projects, and it can be carried in for doing trim work in the house. I'm going to build a miter sled for my table saw, and use that for miters instead.

I guess I didn't really give you a recommendation! I think that since I grew up with a RAS, and then added a table saw later, my miter saw usage has always been a secondary, or tertiary, consideration, after either the RAS or table saw. And to make my choices a bit crazier, I bought a Festool track saw last year. Absolutely amazing for breaking down sheet goods, and a great tool for cross cutting and mitering also, although I've used it on a limited basis for that, since setup takes a bit more effort.

This is a useful reply. Thanks for your time. I started with a table saw, and added the RAS in the 80s. I actually find moving to 45 degress and back to 90 to be no issue. The saw is good that way. By the way, tis RAS is my second, and is only about 15 years old.

[Vince Shriver]

RAS great for dados in long narrows pieces like 2x4's or narrow cabinet parts. Miter saw is very portable for job site service, also changes angles a bit easier. Keep 'em both.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My miter saw won't take a stacked dado head.

[Rick Potter]

I got a regular miter saw to augment my RAS. Most moldings and trim are angle cut on the miter saw (no slider), and I use the RAS for almost all my crosscuts. I have them both set up in line and use one fence for both. I do not have a SCMS because they take up more room than I am willing to give up.


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[Jim Dwight]

My setup sounds like Rick's - at least it will be like his if I get my shop setup. In my former shop I had my 12 inch non-slider and my RAS on the same bench with a moveable flip-stops to serve both. I want the same in my new shop I just have been busy on the house and haven't built the bench. I actually have two CMSs, a 10 inch single bevel and a 12 inch dual bevel. For furniture building, I could do without either CMS but I find it easier to be consistently accurate with my 12 inch CMS than my RAS. So for crosscuts within it's 8 inch capacity I normally use it even in the shop. I am putting base in a room on the second story of the house right now and I would not do it without a CMS. Running up and down the stairs each cut just wouldn't work for me.

A slider could replace both my RAS and my 12 inch CMS and I've looked at them but right now I plan to stick with what I have. I like the RAS for tenons on long boards and it does fine on crosscuts as long as I pay attention.

My more recent tool purchase was a DeWalt track saw. I plan to make parallel guides for it and a Ron Paulk style work surface with crosscut jig so I can get more out of it. Even without these extras it is an increasingly important part of my shop. It is much easier to move a saw through a sheet of plywood than it is to move a sheet of plywood through a saw. Quality of cut and accuracy are similar to better with the tracksaw.

[Mike Schuch]

All the sliding compound miter saws I have used have had a lot of flex and slop after not much age. I have a 1947 16" 7.5hp 3ph RedStar turret arm radial arm saw. It is as accurate and tight as the day it was new. I consider a good RAS a quality shop tool. I consider a SCMS a sloppy work site tool and generally inferior to a non-sliding CMS for accuracy/repeatability.

[Mike Chalmers]

Great inputs showing the diversification of thought.

I think I shall stick with my RAS. I am not finding good enough reasons to spend $500 - $600 on one.

[Myk Rian]

The only reason I can see for a miter saw is making it easy for thieves to cart it off.

[John McClanahan]

The only reason I can see for a miter saw is making it easy for thieves to cart it off.

Had that happen once. :cool:


John

[Steve Rozmiarek]

All the sliding compound miter saws I have used have had a lot of flex and slop after not much age. I have a 1947 16" 7.5hp 3ph RedStar turret arm radial arm saw. It is as accurate and tight as the day it was new. I consider a good RAS a quality shop tool. I consider a SCMS a sloppy work site tool and generally inferior to a non-sliding CMS for accuracy/repeatability.

I'd disagree to some extent. A good SCMS will be a great accurate tools for a very long time. I have used the bejeebers out of my Makita LS1013 for the last 15 or so years. It has been the main saw for several major carpentry jobs, ie framed the whole building. Actually at least 6 that I can think of off the top of my head. It will still cut a glass smooth miter (with a sharp blade). In fact, it cuts better miters than my Felder. I do not expect it to be able to last 50 years though, a RAS can.

Now, a poorly built SCMS will definitely become a sloppy mess. Don't buy a gimmick laden fad saw of the month, and you will probably get great results for a long time.

That all being said, the RAS can beat the SCMS in several specs. Cross cut capacity is usually greater on the RAS, they are easy to tune properly and have sufficient mass to overcome some stock variances that will cause the SCMS to have problems. They have more power, so you can use a more stable blade, which helps cut quality. Last, but right at the top of the list, they take a dado stack. In short, they are different machines, and the use of both can add to a typical shop.

As soon as I get my new shop set up again (haha) I intend to use a setup like Ricks, and leave a dado in my RAS most of the time.

[John TenEyck]

To me they are complimentary. I have an old Dewalt RAS and leave it set to 90 deg unless I have to cut a really long miter. It cuts beautifully. I also have a 12" CMS - Bosch. It is every bit as accurate as the RAS, and much easier to adjust for miters. For any mitered cut within its capacity that's what I use. And for compound miters and molding work it's the best option IMO. I got along with just the RAS for many years, but I would not want to give up either of them now. If I didn't have a RAS I would have bought a 10" SCMS, but since I had the RAS already I saw no benefit, and some potential shortcomings of one, so I bought the simple 12" CMS. For me, it has turned out to be a good combination.

John

[Bill Adamsen]

All the sliding compound miter saws I have used have had a lot of flex and slop after not much age.

I too would disagree, at least, that's not my experience. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've had my Hitachi CF8B since at least the late 1980s and it is still cutting square and smooth. It has gotten serious workouts with everything from trim to major lumber (3" X 10" locust) and lots of site-cut rabbets and dadoes. Aware that I'm probably jinxing myself, it has had nary a breakdown.

I have kept my 12" Delta turret RAS and use it almost exclusively for roughing out tenons in the shop. I was never anywhere near as confident making complex compound cuts with that tool as I am with the CMS. And the idea of ripping with the RAS - while technically feasible - pragmatically would never happen. I did rebuild the machine recently, and it is cutting as well as ever.

I do wish the dust collection on both machines was better.

[Rich Riddle]

My choice depends on the shop. I like a radial arm saw, at least the well-made ones. They trump the sliding compound miter saw if room is not an issue; however, that's not the situation in the shop. When portability comes into play, there is no comparison - go with the slider. It's much smaller.

[Tom M King]

I wouldn't want to be without either. My Dewalt slider is several models older than whatever the current one is, and it's always been dead on without ever being touched for adjustment. If absolute perfection is required, that's what shooting boards are for, but the RAS is set up for perfect 90 degree cuts, and has been producing them for years.

[fRED mCnEILL]

Before I became a woodworker I was into metal work (racing cars etc) but had a RAS as well. Once I switched to woodworking I bought a Makita SCMS. Couldn't get rid of the RAS fast enough. I remember having a discussion with a friend who also was a woodworker, carpenter etc. trying to convince him why a RAS was better that a table saw. LOL. In the 15 years since I sold the RAS there has no been ONE SINGLE MOMENT where I said "wish I still had the RAS". There isn't anything I can't do on either the table saw or the SCMS. And it is very accurate. I cut a LOT of aluminum extrusion on the SCMS and it still works well after all these years.

[Mike Chalmers]

Before I became a woodworker I was into metal work (racing cars etc) but had a RAS as well. Once I switched to woodworking I bought a Makita SCMS. Couldn't get rid of the RAS fast enough. I remember having a discussion with a friend who also was a woodworker, carpenter etc. trying to convince him why a RAS was better that a table saw. LOL. In the 15 years since I sold the RAS there has no been ONE SINGLE MOMENT where I said "wish I still had the RAS". There isn't anything I can't do on either the table saw or the SCMS. And it is very accurate. I cut a LOT of aluminum extrusion on the SCMS and it still works well after all these years.

Agree that a table saw is a must. Not sure your experience is typical, cutting aluminum and such. Apples to oranges perhaps.

[Bill Ryall]

I have 2 CMSs, one in the shop and one for job site use. Had a RAS for years and got rid of it when I had to move to a smaller shop. I have seriously regretted it....
Currently am mid-restoration of an old Dewalt to fill the void again.
Different tools, different strengths. I personally like a well tuned RAS.

[jack forsberg]

Ras is not limited to a 120 volt plug and so has way more power. some of the cheaper consumer grade RAS did and there a POS. Big tables, motors, blades, cross cut,rotating heads with far more tooling options that the SCMS like a 4" tenion head on my 18" wadkin . Cut a timber on a SCMS and watch the plastic get crunched. The SCMS has lots of flex in timber cutting because it has to run thin blade because of the 120 volt plug power supply. for trim work the scms is king. for timber the RAS

[Peter Aeschliman]

Does anybody make a good RAS now, or have they gone the way of the dodo?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Does anybody make a good RAS now, or have they gone the way of the dodo?

There are so many great used ones out there, why buy new? I know Omga and Original Saw still do, and probably others.

[Roy Turbett]

Does anybody make a good RAS now, or have they gone the way of the dodo?

Most of the new ones don't hold a candle to the old iron because they're made out of stamped metal. Sears still sells a radial arm saw for $899 that doesn't compare to old cast iron saws that can sometimes be found for under $100 in unrestored condition and $200 to $800 depending on the saw in restored like new condition. Go over to OWWM.org and you'll find a number of threads on what to look for in an old saw. The cast iron DeWalts from the late forty's to late 50's are very well made and the GWI is regarded by many as one of the best ever made. Some prefer the turret style Deltas from that era and the Multiplex series is the most sought after.

OWWM also has a section for people to buy and sell parts and machines. You can probably find a fully restored one by posting a wanted to buy ad because alot of guys like to upgrade. I started out by restoring a 3/4 hp DeWalt MBF that I bought for $50. No sooner did I have it complete and I found a GWI on EBay for $50. While I was restoring that one someone gave me another MBF. I've since restored and sold all three saws and am just finishing up with another GWI that will have an improved table. I also have a Delta 40B Multi-Plex in the cue.

[Rod Sheridan]

Does anybody make a good RAS now, or have they gone the way of the dodo?

They've mostly gone the way of the dodo.

Yes, there are good RAS's being made, like all good machines think in the thousands of dollars, not hundreds.

I've used a RAS in industry, as well as a swing saw. I think both were 16" or 18", they worked well, not something you would have at home.

I don't have a RAS at home as it takes up a ton of space and doesn't do anything better than my sliding saw does, and many things it doesn't do as well. I do own a CMS, it sits unused in a corner except for the every couple of years I carry it outside to cut a fence board. Once again a sliding saw makes the CMS useless for my applications.

Regards, Rod.

[jack forsberg]

They've mostly gone the way of the dodo.



Regards, Rod.

they have mostly gone the way of Dado.

[Rick Potter]

I have to fess up. I have four RAS's. My DeWalt 12" 7790 is my everyday saw, used for almost all my crosscuts, then I have a 10" Sears that I picked up to do dado's on my kitchen drawers etc, and the several closet organizers on my list, plus the two floor to ceiling bookcases. When I got it, I planned to sell it as soon as I was done with the dado's. That was about 3 years ago.

It is so handy to have set up with a dado blade, that I have already bought a replacement for it when it's sold. That is a 10" JC Penny turret (Rockwell) one owner that I picked up for $50.

Finally, there is the OMGA RN600 12/14" with the 37" crosscut that I couldn't turn down. It is three phase, but I also have a new, in the box single phase motor for it. Unfortunately, I have decided that it will also go, when I get around to it. Had to have it, but I really don't need it.

I really need to get started on phase II of cleaning out the shop.

[Ken Parris]

'I have two RAS's as well as another older Delta, several years ago I built a bookcase that need a lot of ten degree cuts. On it I used a miter saw and it did ok. A couple years later I built another and on it I used a ten degree wedge on the 90" RAS and I like it much more, so now if I have a number of miter cuts to make I make a new wedge. I now have five or six wedges. I have the two radial's set at 90* with one having a dado set on it. Like the radials much better than the miter.

Ken

Ken

[Rod Sheridan]

they have mostly gone the way of Dado.

LOL.....................Good one Jack.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

LOL.....................Good one Jack.


I didn't catch that earlier, LOL Jack!

[Rich Riddle]

I had pondered purchasing a radial arm saw prior to buying a sliding table saw. The slider functions as a radial arm saw as well as a table saw, so that thought passed.