Recommendations for a miter saw

[Mark Gary]

I wish I had found this site before I bought my Craftsman table saw, but that is history:mad:. I am now in the market for a miter saw. I am not a skilled woodworker, but my wife likes the bench I made to put in her garden so maybe she will let me buy another tool:). Cost is an issue but I do not want to buy something and then two months later wish I had spent 50 buck more to get something better. I will never have a “shop”. I do not plan on making fine furniture. I would like to make things like benches, swings, easels, etc. from time to time. Please give me your advice. I am currently looking at a Ryobi 12” miter saw at HD for $199. I have convinced myself that I need a 12” because the bench I made uses 2x8 boards. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Mark

[Joe Trotter]

I purchased a Dewalt DW705 12" in 1995. I have built my house, garage, and a pole barn with it. I bought a 80 tooth blade for cutting oak trim, and it had a 32 tooth blade with the saw. I am just now getting ready to replace them.

It has been an exceptional saw. They have a different model now but I wouldnt be afraid to buy another.

Some of the other folks here might have a better idea for more precision work.

Joe

[Jim Becker]

Dewalt and Makita consistantly get good comments.

[Mark Rios]

Hey Mark. Looks like you're new and it sonds like you've not bought many woodworking tools before. Well, you've come to the right place. :D

May I suggest right off the bat, when looking to buy a tool, research it like you are doing but when you get ready to buy, look online for purchase/sale/good deal opportunities. One place to look for good prices is Amazon.com. Some (a relative few) of the items that they sell actually come from other businesses but, if you buy one that Amazon sells and ships, this is noted clearly on each items page, then most of the time you won't have to pay shipping or sales tax on top of a good price.

Another good site to compare prices is Toolseeker.com.

Have you thought about a sliding miter saw? For almost all of the flat boards that it sounds like you might encounter, a 10" SCMS (Sliding Compound Miter Saw) would do the trick for you. Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Hitachi are all good solid choices with the first three being pretty much the top three (IMO). A 10" saw blade will cost you a lot less than a 12", saving you money to buy more materials to keep momma happy. ;)

Usually, the better quality the saw, the longer lasting it will be and the better it will adjust and stay adjusted (usually), providing you with safer, better, more accurate and more satisfying cuts.

You might also look for a review of miter saws in one of the woodworking mags, perhaps someone can recommend a current one.

A more important consideration than the make/model of your saw perhaps is the blade that you put on it. For your application, I might look an the Freud Avanti line of blades. I don't particularly care for the lower Diablo line however some folks like them just fine. Look for a brand name with nice thick carbide on the teeth that will allow a few sharpenings and prolong the life of the blade, saving you from having to buy another one too soon.

I'm sure that someone else will chime in with some more advice.

Hope this helps.

[Allen Bookout]

Have you thought about a sliding miter saw? For almost all of the flat boards that it sounds like you might encounter, a 10" SCMS (Sliding Compound Miter Saw) would do the trick for you. Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Hitachi are all good solid choices with the first three being pretty much the top three (IMO). A 10" saw blade will cost you a lot less than a 12", saving you money to buy more materials to keep momma happy.
I agree.

The Makita LS1013 series (10" sliders) are accurate and operate as smooth as glass. The blade that comes with the saw is first class so you do not have to spend extra there. Mine was dead on accurate out of the box. There may be some as good but I cannot imagine any being any better. Heavydutytools.net has some real good deals from time to time. I got a LS1013FL for $408 delivered from them.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Save yourself some anguish and buy the DeWalt 715 or 716 12" CMS. You will not be sorry for spending the extra cash. Ryobi doesn't have the quality it once had.

I just bought the DW reconditioned 716 12" belt drive from Amazon...it's a very accurate and well built saw for much less than prices at Home Depot or Lowe's.

Worked on the saw all day the last two days building a screened in porch. Nothing but good things to say about it. The power of the saw is unreal and it's very smooth in all operations.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a Bosch 12 inch miter saw and have been very satisfied with it - don't remember the model number offhand. However, if I had room on my bench in back of the saw, I would have bought a 10" slider.

Before I bought the Bosch, I had a cheap 10" non-slider. I know price is important but you'll really notice the difference between a good quality saw and a bargain brand.

Mike

[Jeff Weight]

Check around for discounts, closeouts, and refurbished saws. FYI, most refurbished saws come with a full mfg. warranty.

I came accross a Delta 36-255 12" CMS at OSH, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was 1/2 OFF for $172 out the door. Now it's sitting in my shop.

I really wanted a Bosch dual bevel 12" CMS. I would have been very happ with the Craftsman 12" dual bevel CMS. But I just couldn't pass up the deal on the Delta.

IMO, you'll be happy with any of the major brands i.e. Dewalt, Delta, Hitachi, Makita, Ridgid, Milwaukee, etc. Do your homework, check eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist; along with the local home centers and tool dealers. You'll find what you want and maybe even stumble upon a great deal.

Good Luck in your search.

[Mike Holbrook]

Hi Mark,

If I were you I would first sit down and think about the projects that you think you may want to do over the next five years. Then figure out what kinds of cuts, dados, rabbits, mitres etc. it will take to accomplish your goals.

A couple things about the Mitre/Chop saws. You want to give some consideration to how and where you are going to mount it once you buy it. Many saws can be put on top of saw horses or a cabinet but then the cutting surface has no infeed or outfeed other than the table on it, unless you make/buy something. You will be cutting a bunch of 8' or greater 2X?, 1x? lumber on the thing and doing so will be a PITA and dangerous without proper infeed and outfeed. Several manufacturers now make portable bench/stands that are convenient and give reasonable support on one side of the saw. The problem is you can end up spending as much for your support system as the saw.

Many of the people here have very nice shops where they do most of their work. In a shop many people place the chop/mitre/sliding saw on some long work bench, either mounted flush or with supports for infeed or outfeed. Personally I work in several areas on 12 acres so my system needs to be mobile. Simple infeed/outfeed roller stands are popular and "kinda" work but are tiresome to deal with on a regular basis. I think you will be happier if you give the cutting surface of the saw you are purchasing due consideration. You want to figure out how you are going to fit that table into some sort of infeed/outfeed set up before you buy it.

The 12" saw is 12" so that it can handle widder lumber. You probably save some money on the front end buying one vs a sliding saw. However if you use the saw for a few years and have to buy many of those 12' blades a good amount of the money saved gets blown on those big blades. Smaller 10" blases are easier to find, are available in greater variety, are cheaper and may do double duty in your table saw, radial saw... The 10" sliding Compund saws mentioned in posts above may or may not cost you more money over the life of the saw. They are certainly more versatile and will give you an even longer cross cut capacity.

One other thing you might look for is a dust collection port that you can connect a shop vac to. You want believe how much dust you will make with that baby. The dust is better off & happier is a dust extractor than your lungs.

[Jim Becker]

Smaller 10" blases are easier to find, are available in greater variety, are cheaper and may do double duty in your table saw, radial saw...

Just to be safety concious, you can use a CMS/SCMS blade on a TS, but you should not use most table saw blades on the CMS/SCMS. Only blades with a negative hook angle should be used on the CMS/SMCS and RAS.

[glenn bradley]

I'd shy away from the Ryobi. As soon as you get it you'll be looking for a $100 blade so it'll cut well. As you say, why spend $200 for something that is just adequate when for a bit more you'll have quality for years. As for cutting capacity, consider the cost of a decent 12" blade v.s. a 10" or even a 7 1/4" slider that comes with a top-quality blade when your thinking cost comparison.

I've been very happy with my DeWalt 10" CMS (which will not cut your 2X8's) but the factory blade lasted just long enough for me to build a stand for the saw. I now run a Freud. I'm dreaming of a slider. Example: cost of 10" saw + cost of decent blade = 75% of the cost of a good 10" slider that comes with a good blade . . . lesson learned. I already went down that road, learn from my mi$take$. ;-)

[Justin McCurdy]

One of the first tools that I purchased after college was a Ryobi Miter saw. While the only problem that I have with it is a fence that is not perfect (concave in the middle), I would change to a Makita or Bosch if I had it to do over. That said, with a $200 saw I was able to build a two-story 8x8 playhouse, a 16x24 deck, a 12x24 deck, all the shelving for my house including the shop, work area for the LOML, and dart board cabinet. It has taken a beaten and still runs strong.

My $.02.

Justin

[Noah Katz]

"Only blades with a negative hook angle should be used on the CMS/SMCS and RAS."

Is that true of a SCMS, where you're pushing against the direction of the cutting forces?

[Mike Watts]

No one has mentioned the new Delta 422L 12 CMS or any Delta for that matter. What is your opinion on this CMS? I like the built in Lasers and the Crown molding stops since I still have half the house to do the crown molding on and the 12" CMS I was borowing had to be returned.

[Mike Henderson]

"Only blades with a negative hook angle should be used on the CMS/SMCS and RAS."

Is that true of a SCMS, where you're pushing against the direction of the cutting forces?
I would think that for safety you would want a negative hook. It's too easy to make a cut on a SCMS with a downward motion (just like on a non-slider) instead of pulling the saw out and then down and in.

If you do the downward cut (only), a positive hook will tend to pull the saw outward which may surprise you and possibly lead to an injury.

Mike

[Jeff Weight]

"Only blades with a negative hook angle should be used on the CMS/SMCS and RAS."

Is that true of a SCMS, where you're pushing against the direction of the cutting forces?


I would think that for safety you would want a negative hook. It's too easy to make a cut on a SCMS with a downward motion (just like on a non-slider) instead of pulling the saw out and then down and in.

If you do the downward cut (only), a positive hook will tend to pull the saw outward which may surprise you and possibly lead to an injury.

Mike

I'm confused. If the CMS is not a slider, why wouldn't you be ok with positive or 0 degree hook? It is my understanding that a negative hook makes the saw work harder.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Glen, I have a trick that will allow you to cut the 2x8 on your saw....raise the work about 1-1.5" so that you use more of the blade's diameter. That's how the new DW's cut on their back fence. We've been doin' this for years on the jobsite.

No CMS NEEDS a negative hook blade, but it couldn't hurt. The difference in the saw motor's work between the two blades is negligible unless one balde has significantly more teeth than the other.

SCMS's and RAS's on the other hand, should ALL have negative hook blades on them.

[Wayne Ashing]

Mark, I bought a PORTER-CABLE Twin laser 12" about 3 years ago or not long after they came out and though some think it is a gimmick It is dead on accurate. It is however very heavy to lug around and farily large in size for storage. Mine is mounted in a bench,but I also have a ProTech 12" that I use to move around the property and which I used to cut framing for a 12x24 Shop at my former house and I am still surprised at how accurate it still is. Remember 12" is quite a bit heavier and bulkier! At the time the ProTech was a DeWalt clone and a lot of Bang for the buck.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

My first miter saw was a ProTech...I had it three years then sold it to another carpenter for $100 and he still has it. Dang good saw for the money. I also had their 10" bench saw for the same amount of time.

Last month I saw the 'new' one...now grey instead of yellow/black. They were on special buy sale. I think they made these until Lowe's dropped them upon under duress from DW. No telling how many there are out there for sale in odd places.

[Charlie Plesums]

If your use is as light as you suggest, maybe you should build some jigs for angles and use your table saw.

[Jeff Weight]

No one has mentioned the new Delta 422L 12 CMS or any Delta for that matter. What is your opinion on this CMS? I like the built in Lasers and the Crown molding stops since I still have half the house to do the crown molding on and the 12" CMS I was borowing had to be returned.

Mike, I just purchase a Delta 36-255L. For the money I paid $172 out the door it's a great saw. The laser is sweet and an added bonus IMO.

[Bob Aquino]

Mark, I bought a PORTER-CABLE Twin laser 12" about 3 years ago or not long after they came out and though some think it is a gimmick It is dead on accurate. It is however very heavy to lug around and farily large in size for storage. Mine is mounted in a bench,but I also have a ProTech 12" that I use to move around the property and which I used to cut framing for a 12x24 Shop at my former house and I am still surprised at how accurate it still is. Remember 12" is quite a bit heavier and bulkier! At the time the ProTech was a DeWalt clone and a lot of Bang for the buck.

For years, I got by with a 10" Ryobi that I bought new about 15 or more years ago. Nothing fancy, no compound miters, but I did alot of work with it. A couple of years ago, I got a porter cable 12" saw to replace it. I was going to get rid of the ryobi till I tried carrying the PC around, I quickly gave up on that idea. The PC like many of the 12" saws weighs a ton and I'm not getting any younger. I now have it permanently mounted in a bench. Since I do work all over the house as well as outside, I kept the Ryobi for that purpose. I'm not kind to it but it keeps working and its easy to drag it and set it up on some horses over a couple of 2x's. You might find you do just as well with a cheaper 10" saw starting out and use the extra cash for a decent jisaw and other tools. Good Luck.

[Keel McDonald]

Another vote for the DeWalt 716. I love mine. Wouldn't have anything else. It's well worth the money.

[Bob Reda]

Anyone get the laser for the Dewalt 716? just asking, is it worth it?

Bob

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I'd love to have one but they don't show up outside well. Once I move the Dw into the shop full time, I will get one.

[Brian White]

grizzly has dewalt 8 1/2 slider that will crosscut 12" also includes the mitersaw stand model dw723 all for $379 for sale in one of the christmas sale catalogs

[Bob Reda]

I just pulled the trigger on the Bosch 12" dual compound with the laser and shipping through amazon $319

[Chuck Wood]

:)
No one has mentioned the new Delta 422L 12 CMS or any Delta for that matter. What is your opinion on this CMS? I like the built in Lasers and the Crown molding stops since I still have half the house to do the crown molding on and the 12" CMS I was borowing had to be returned.

I too own a Delta 36-322L and love it! I've had it now about 2-3 years. Framed a 26x36 garage with it. And now it works in my shop. Look at Lowes and Home Depot especially now during the holidays. You can pick up some good deals!:)

[Jim Bell]

I have used miter saws professionally for nearly 30 yrs. My experience with the Dewalt saws has been excellent. That said any of the mentioned saws should serve you well......The exception being the Ryobi.
Jim

[James Carmichael]

Well, I found my way here same as you, with a Craftsman TS. BTW, they have a 6-month, 100% warranty, so mine went back:)

I have the Makita LS1221 and love it. That's the non-sliding, 12".