Compound Mitre saw Recomendations

[phil harold]

A lot of crown molding headed my way
time to replace the old 8" hitachi
needs to have a laser
what is the most favored one?
pros and cons, please

[Victor Robinson]

Well I'll get the party started with the most expensive option.

IF you're willing to spare no expense, Festool's Kapex is a nice saw. The lasers are extremely accurate. The saw has a bevy of other nice features, but it's nearly twice the price of the next most highly rated saw.

Pros
Accurate
Lightweight, fairly portable at 40lb
Relatively quiet for a miter saw
Excellent dust collection (though not as good as other Festools)
Rail-forward design (can be placed against a wall in the shop)
Handy depth limiting feature for trench cuts
Good hold-down clamp
Festool's 3yr warranty

Cons
Really frickin expensive
Accessories (crown stops, cart, wings, blades etc.) are expensive, as with all things Festool
It's a 10 inch saw, so cutting capacity not as high as 12" saws...can do up to 6.5" crown though

[phil harold]

I can buy three Hitachi C12RSH compared to a Kapex
looks interesting, will have to check it out

thanks for the info

[George Bokros]

Hitachi 12" C12LSH

[Robert Parent]

I recently bought a Bosch - 10 inch, Glide Arm saw and it is fantastic! Not inexpensive, but high quality never is.

Robert

[Anthony Whitesell]

I recently bought a Bosch - 10 inch, Glide Arm saw and it is fantastic! Not inexpensive, but high quality never is.

Robert

That's the one I'm looking at. I am seeing prices $500-600. Lying in a void between Dewalt, Hitachi, and Makita saws and the Kapex. the At 80+ pounds, it is not light either.

[Matt Krusen]

I have heard great things about the Bosch glide saws. I've never used one in action but I've played with a display model and the arm motion is super smooth. That being said, I love my Kapex and don't regret the purchase whatsoever. Cried once when I bought it, smile every time I use it.

[Jim German]

What are your use cases? How much are you using it? Are you moving it around? Outside work? Inside?

For the money, the DW715 can't be beat, its only $200.

I'm not overly impressed with my Kapex, certainly not for the price. But if I was working in client's house all the time, it'd be a no brainer as its dust collection is leaps and bounds better than anything else.

[michael langman]

I bought a Makita 10" with a laser from CPO Outlets reconditioned for 300.00 about 5 years ago. It has suited my needs.

[scott vroom]

There are dozens of saws that will cut crown accurately. The critical info missing from the OP is the size of the crown he needs to cut.

I bought a Bosch 5312 several years ago. It'll cut up to 4-1/4 tall and 12" wide....it's perfect for me in general construction for both wide dimensional lumber and beams, as well as for moulding, and for breaking down long 4/4 for cabinet making.

[phil harold]

What are your use cases? How much are you using it? Are you moving it around? Outside work? Inside?


Mostly Inside on an AD & E saw stand
I will say this house has at least 3000sqft of coffered ceilings
4500sqft of a double crown with led rope lighting
Lets not forget all the cabinetry that has crown

just for laughs, "How much should I charge?"




The critical info missing from the OP is the size of the crown he needs to cut.

Could be any size...
My old cfs 8" Hitachi did plenty of 12" hard maple enkeboll crown
I have been using a few Makita, Default and Bosch
not really impressed with them, maybe give the Bosch the favorite of the bunch

[Ray Newman]

Geo. Bokros: re Hitachi 12" C12LSH. How effective is the dust collection??

[Cody Pierce]

I'll echo the love for the Hitachi C12RSH.

Can't beat what it does for the price and quality. The laser is useless in the sun though.

[Richard Shaefer]

I can buy three Hitachi C12RSH compared to a Kapex
looks interesting, will have to check it out

thanks for the info

I can fit three Kapex saws in the volume of one Hitachi C12RSH. That saw is rediculously massive.

seriously, I look at that saw in Lowes and I feel like the chmp looking at the Obelisk in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[Anthony Whitesell]

For some reason the 12" saws look twice as big as the 10" saws. I saw the 10" and 12" Bosch glider side by side. The 12" looked huge. I expected the larger to weigh 2x the 10", but the 12" was only about 2 pounds heavier than the 10".

[Matthew Hills]

I like my Makita LS1016 for clean and accurate cuts. Dust collection isn't good. I don't use the laser much.

The DeWalt shadow line alignment system is reputedly very good for providing an accurate cut mark.
Festool lasers also get high marks (as does its dust collection).

Matt

[Jim Dwight]

I like my Hitachi C12FDH. It is a 12 inch non-slider but double bevel. About 8 inch cross cut capacity. Non-sliders seem more precise to me but my main reason for it is I use it on a bench most of the time and it doesn't require much room behind. I bought it reconditioned, I think it was only about $150. That 12 inch slider for $300 seems like a great deal, however, if you need the capacity.

I like 5 1/4 base. A saw that would cut it standing up would be great. My Hitachi won't. Bevel adjustments are easily but slower.

[phil harold]

Well The old saw would not start today
so I went to stan houston (tool store)to compare all their saws
there was only two saws that had minimumn slop
the Kapex and the Hitachi C10FSH 10-Inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser
all the rest were sloppy
We have some Kapex s at work
two motors have been replaced on them
accurate as ever, but bog down when the run into thick oak or maple crown

so I bought the Hitachi C10FSH with Laser

so what is blade(s) should I get for it?

[Martin Wasner]

Is the current Hitachi worn out? That's one of my favorite saws and would be either first or second on my list for doing crown.

[phil harold]

Is the current Hitachi worn out? That's one of my favorite saws and would be either first or second on my list for doing crown.


so I bought the Hitachi C10FSH with Laser

so what is blade(s) should I get for it?

[Jim German]

I'd get a Forrest Chopmaster - http://www.forrestblades.com/chopmaster/

[Martin Wasner]

I'd second that. They cut really well, my experience is when they start getting dull, they fall off a cliff quickly and get really dull quickly. Good blades though. FS Tool makes good blades as well, that's the majority of the blades we use, but that's more of an availability reason than anything. My carbide guy carries them and it's just a matter of telling him what I want and it shows up on his next round.

[Greg R Bradley]

You actually found a C10FSH in stock that wasn't a fortune? Made in Japan, not the Chinese C10FSHPS?

We have a Tenryu Miter Pro Plus on one for fine work. Works as well as anything I've ever seen.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com/tenryu-mp-25580ab-miter-pro-plus-series-saw-blade/

[Jim Dwight]

I just did a little play shopping on Amazon and I think if I bought another 12 inch blade for my CMS it would be this one:

http://www.amazon.com/CMT-255-096-12-Industrial-Finish-12-Inch/dp/B000P4O7AU/ref=sr_1_60?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1455153333&sr=1-60&keywords=12+inch+miter+saw+blade

I like CMT products. I also like Freud but all I saw was Freud Diablo - the throw away blades. Everybody speaks highly of the Forest blades but they are roughly twice as much. I wouldn't run away from a DeWalt but I won't buy another Hitachi. That's what I have now and it isn't completely flat. I think a Freud or CMT at half the price of a Forest is a good choice. Might not be the best you can get but it's a good blade that will hold up and cut a lot of trim well.

[Jim Finn]

I have a DeWalt 12" slider that I bought in 2000. Still cuts true. I came across a 12" Bosch for cheap (used) and it cuts just as well. DeWalt blade is much better though. No lasers. I recommend both of them.

[Frederick Skelly]

My 12" Makita does everything I've ever asked of it.

[Jim Andrew]

Those Tenryu blades are amazing for the money, and you can buy one from a forum member at carbide processors. He may even offer a discount to forum members.

[Greg R Bradley]

... I wouldn't run away from a DeWalt but I won't buy another Hitachi. That's what I have now and it isn't completely flat.....
The actual Hitachi C10FSB and C10FSH are made in Japan and really good quality. When Phil said only it and the Kapex had minimal slop, I assumed he wasn't talking about the Chinese Hitachi sliders. The Chinese C10FSHPS is about $500, where the Japanese C10FSH is more like $900, with some people trying to get as much as $1500. They look almost identical and have the same specs. Hitachi just made a lousy version of their good saw.
If you want a $500 version of a really good slider with lousy dust collection, the Dewalt DW717 at $500 was far better than the Hitachi Chinese one. The DW717 is currently discontinued and being blown out by various places including some HD at $299.

[Ben Rivel]

Got a DeWalt DWS780 12" Slider with the Forrest ChopMaster on it and I love it. Not that great on dust collection though, but thats with just a shop vac hooked to it. Havent built proper dust collection for it yet.