Miter saw reviews

[Dave Lehnert]

I have read a lot of miter saw reviews in my research. This is about the only tool people will say it is the greatest saw ever invented and others will say Junk get brand X. Does not matter what brand you are reading about.

Do you think a lot of the negative reviews are from not properly clamping the wood or operator error. Now if a lot of reviews says "part A broke" I take that as truth but when it comes to accurate cuts I don't know what to believe.

[Dennis Peacock]

Dave,

I've been through a few mitersaws over the years. The 2 best ones I had so far was a top of the line DeWalt Compound Mitersaw that I used for about 12 years (12" CMS). I now have the Hitachi CMS, 12" with laser guide and digital readout. VERY nice saw and a very nice replacement for my old DeWalt saw.

[Matt Ocel]

I just got back from Rockler. They had the Kapex set out and were letting people use it. The dust collection was awsome.
As for the saw, $1200.00. No Way! Overpriced, IMHO.

[Vijay Kumar]

I just got back from Rockler. They had the Kapex set out and were letting people use it. The dust collection was awsome.
As for the saw, $1200.00. No Way! Overpriced, IMHO.

Except that the price is $ 1300. If you can buy it for $ 1200 do it to make a quick 100 bucks.

Vijay

[Jim O'Dell]

There has been some talk on some of the forums about Ebay and some discounts for buy it now, 2 that are stackable, and would knock the price down by 350.00. Doesn't have to be a Festool purchase, but could be as one post said there was a seller of Festool. If one was interested in it, it might be worth checking out. Jim.

[Ron Dunn]

The dirty underbelly of a lot of internet reviews is their lack of objectivity. After all, if you are getting tools free, are you going to bite the hand that feeds you? And the better you cheer for a particular brand or type of tool, the more you'll get.

[Prashun Patel]

I have read a lot of miter saw reviews in my research. This is about the only tool people will say it is the greatest saw ever invented and others will say Junk get brand X. Does not matter what brand you are reading about.

I disagree. There aren't many bad reviews for the Bosch or Makita 10/12"SCMS's.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I discussed CMS with several experienced folks. One guy had an interesting argument about bigger is better. His argument is that the larger the diameter blades are more likely to be warped and therefore less accurate.

I have a 10" Delta. My only complaint with it is the repeatabiliy or lack ther of.....of finding an angle again, once you move it. In other words, you cut a -45º angle....you switch and cut a +45º angle. When you come back to the -45º it's not exactly the same as the first one. I've tried always bringing the saw into an angle from the same direction...for example, I'm always rotating the base CCW when arriving at the -45º the first and 2nd times. Didn't seem to make a difference.

Crazy as it seems, the most accurate CMS I've used was a little 7 1/2" Craftsman my neighbor loaned me some years ago. That little rascal was dead on....every time.......every time. Only trouble....he owns it.:rolleyes:

[Jerry McFalls]

I have the DW718 compound sliding miter saw and the only time I ever had any problems with accuracy was with a dull blade. Great saw to have IMHO. :)

[Dave Lehnert]

I discussed CMS with several experienced folks. One guy had an interesting argument about bigger is better. His argument is that the larger the diameter blades are more likely to be warped and therefore less accurate.

I have a 10" Delta. My only complaint with it is the repeatabiliy or lack ther of.....of finding an angle again, once you move it. In other words, you cut a -45º angle....you switch and cut a +45º angle. When you come back to the -45º it's not exactly the same as the first one. I've tried always bringing the saw into an angle from the same direction...for example, I'm always rotating the base CCW when arriving at the -45º the first and 2nd times. Didn't seem to make a difference.

Crazy as it seems, the most accurate CMS I've used was a little 7 1/2" Craftsman my neighbor loaned me some years ago. That little rascal was dead on....every time.......every time. Only trouble....he owns it.:rolleyes:

Ken, I know what you are talking about. I have a no name floor drill press I purchased at a closeout store for $99 YES! $99. That thing is the most accurate tool in my shop. A Festool brand (If they made one) would not be any better at any price. "You get what you pay for" you hear all the time but sometimes all you get is ripped off.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Dave,
I ran into somewhat the same situation last year when I looked into replacing my Craftsman CMS - which BTW - avoid Craftsman, the Sears warranty ain't what it used to be & they change models almost as frequently as my ex wife changes husbands.:rolleyes:

I finally figured out why.
It's all in who's doing the reviews & how experienced they are & what they use it for

Joe Sixpack is going to have far different demands and expectations, than a Norm or David Marks (or even most members of SMC for that matter).
My basic 10" Ryobi CMS w/out the laser got stellar reviews for a $99.00 CMS.
(IMHO) It's an OK saw - for $99.00.
For the $59.00 I paid for it on a day after Thanksgiving sale, it's been a great saw. It has it's "warts" to be sure, but overall it's a fabulous saw - for $59.00 & for a weekend-warrior- DIY'er-sometimes user.

The other aspect of the reviews - and the reviewers - is centered around the other tools they have and use & compare the CMS &/or SCMS to.
As an example, my ~$200.00 DeWalt 10" CMS, gives far better quality cuts than my table saw - hands down/no contest/not even close. 'course it's a $199.00 Hitachi job site TS.
Now that I have the new Ridgid TS almost up and running, that's probably not going to hold true.

Last but not least - is the operator.
Last Fall, we had to call in a contractor to redo a bathroom in one of our rentals, on real short notice. The day he was installling the baseboards, I was busy outside painting the garage (in the snow BTW - that's how short the time was).

He dragged this woebegone Firestorm CMS out of the back of his truck, complete with a black ring around the blade from all the burned wood, plopped it in the driveway - - and proceeded to produce joints with jaw dropping accuracy.
The room has a few inside and outside corners, each and every one of them is perfect.
I asked him what he thought of it (the Firestorm), and he had a fair amount of praise for it.

Anyhow - among the CMS's I have (4 at last count) - is an 8 1/4" Delta.
Based on the performance of it vs a 10", I'm inlcined to believe there's a shred of truth to the smaller = less deflection idea.
I somewhat suspect Festool went with a 10" blade instead of a 12" for the Kapex for that reason. They (Festool) must have done some research into what their target market here in the US would be. I'm inclined to think that the typical $1300.00 SCMS buyer would be one that's already using a 12" SCMS.

[Brian Peters]

IMO the best value for the money is the older delta 12" sliding compound miter saw. Now they are made overseas and are of less quality, hardly worth what they cost. First time I've ever seen a company unimprove their product with a cost increase as well. I bought a new miter saw recently and avoided the new dewalt for the bosch 12" compound miter saw, sliding, comes with a laser and hold down clamps (don't really need them?) :rolleyes: but it just seems to be a very well made saw. The positive stops are always dead on once it is setup correctly and it just functions well. It's a beast, heavy and big but is a better value IMO than the new dewalt slider. Don't hold me to it but I'm pretty sure they haven't been bought up by black and decker yet like every other company..

on a side note, if you can find an older used dewalt slider for sale go for it, its the best value for the money:D

[Eric B. Peacock]

I'm new to SMC, so hello to all. I'm a huge fan of the Festool product line. I recently vested heavily(without regret), but even with Festool fever pumping through my veins, $1300 for the Kapex is a lot of scratch. Unless on-site dust collection is your highest priority you may consider the Bosche sliding miter for less than half that and you can find packages that include the stand.

But before you decide try taking some wood scraps(at least 8/4) to your local non commercial vendor. (here in Houston I like Circle Saw) They usually keep a demo machine in the back and will let you test their metal to see which fits "you" best. The local MFG reps are also available and usually happy to arrange a demonstration for you. You just have to ask. I've even had them(reps) loan me a tool to help me decide. When you're buying a tool, it's all about you. Demand the service. It's an eroding asset in this country, but its out there if you look hard enough. Sometimes you have to keep going above the person you are dealing with until you reach the human being that hasn't forgotten why they are in business in the first place. If you go to the Rockler's and WoodCraft's you can find slightly better pricing, so you have to decide. Do you prefer a shiny monthly sales brochure or personal service? Maybe there is both out there somewhere, but I haven't found that to be the case. Best of luck!

[Neal Clayton]

second the bosch, i have the 10" one, no complaints other than the dust port is poorly arranged, but dust control on a miter saw isn't to be expected anyway, imo.

and no bosch isn't in danger of being bought out by anyone, they're like the GE of germany, they make everything from security cameras to spark plugs.

[Lance Norris]

I have a Dewalt 716 that was perfect from the get-go(and I mean perfect). I also have 2 Ryobi 18 volt miter saws that I use more than the Dewalt. They get the nod for portability. These battery miters are a great idea.

[Bob Slater]

I haven't tried any of the others, but my Makita 10 inch sliding CMS has been a great tool. I am very comfortable operating it, and it is quite easy to move. Looks nice too.

[Travis Rassat]

It's tough to find good reviews. I personally put the most weight into the magazine reviews, but that doesn't mean that I will trust them 100%, either. The side-by-side comparisons are really compelling, but how do you know if the advertising costs are affecting the review? How long did they actually have the tools? Did they buy the tools off the shelf somewhere or were they loaners from the manufacturers? How many people tested the tools? Are the people doing the testing new woodworkers, seasoned pros, or a mixture? All of these factors will skew the results.

I think the big key regarding the magazine reviews is to look beyond the "Top Super-Bestest Tool" award icon and really read the entire article and what they say about each unit. I've noticed that they'll praise one tool but give the award to another. Being that I'm a hobbyist (although a very fussy one), I could probably be adequately served by most tools on the market, as long as I take good care of them. I've bought tools based on favorable magazine reviews, and I've not been disappointed.

On another note, I like to look at the user reviews/comments left on sites such as Amazon/Rockler, but sometimes I think I shouldn't. I've tried to do a few of those reviews myself, but it's hard to be fair when you've only had one item of that kind. A lot of folks seem to leave reviews if they're really happy with their purchase, or they're really mad about their purchase. Some people forget that they're reviewing the item and instead review their purchasing experience. I tend to look at these reviews looking for trends (for example, everybody complains about the same issue), but it's hard to put any weight into each individual review.

I would like to see a tool review forum here on Sawmill Creek - I could see putting up a thread for a tool containing maybe the press release and specifications for a tool, and then comments could be left by people who have experience with it. Rating the thread could be a way to rate the tool. When it comes to tools, I would trust the readers of this website more than anywhere else.

[Randy Carnley]

My vote, after having owned Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman and Delta, is the Bosch, hands down. Like someone else said, very heavy but dead-on accurate every time.

[Neal Clayton]

www.consumersearch.com determines ratings from a collection of review sources.

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/miter-saws/

[Jerome Hanby]

An observation about magazine reviews. I worked for UDS/Mortorola at the time we "crushed" the 9600 BPS modem market by releasing our V.32 for $1499. Shortly thereafter we had the back cover, full page advertisement space in PC magazine every month. When PC-Mag did a 9600 BPS modem benchmark issue and our product didn't make a stellar showing. Our Engineering staff chewed PC-Mag a new one. Supposedly PC-Mag's testing criteria was faulty. Since they knew jack about telecommunications over analog phone systems, I'm sure their tests were not that well thought out. Still, they ran all the modems through the same battery of "flawed" tests and rated them accordingly. Next month, PC-Mag featured an elaborate retraction and new test results. I'm pretty sure it had much more to do with making their biggest advertiser happy than with giving accurate reviews.

[Harry Hagan]

While researching a Festool purchase I talked with a customer service representative at their home office in Indianapolis and was told that Festool dealers are required to have loaners on hand for potential customers to take home for a test drive.

[Joe Von Kaenel]

David,

I have had a Delta 10" miter saw for 12 years and it is still running strong. I use it for treated lumber and such. In the shop, I have a Makita 10" Dual Slide Compound Miter Saw with Laser and Fluorescent Light Model LS1013FL.

Haven't found much use for the Fluorescent light yet, but the saw is outstanding. With the sliding option, I can cut boards up to 12". I added a wooden miter station, with a stop so I can duplicate pieces of wood with precision.

Miter saws are a big help. I agree with others that have replied, all tools have their limitations.


Joe

[Peter Quinn]

Its hard to get good consumer information regarding tool purchases, and its hard to know to what extent even a qualified reviewers personal work habits and preferences will color the results. I guess I like FWW and FHB for miter saw shoot outs, but even they can't tell me which tool is right for me. They can steer you free of the real junk or point out major flaws or features that are worth noting. Picking a winner using standardized scores on a multi point test can be tricky at best.

I have a makita 10" SCMS that has served me well both in the shop and in the field. It's not one of those saws that takes well to getting banged around in the back of a pickup and spends most of its time secured to a bench in my shop. It holds its settings well and has never had any mechanical issues. Its also got adjustments that allow you to keep it cutting accurately over its life.

If I had to buy another today it would probably be a bosch as I prefer the way the motor is oriented to the fence, but I'm in no hurry to discard the makita.

[Izzy Camire]

I have the Hitachi 10" SCMS and it has been very good for me.

[Dar Lounsbury]

Makita 12" Sliding Saw with laser has worked well for me. Have used and like Dewalt 12" Sliding Saw also. Bosch is always good. Too many choices make this a tough question.

Dar