Sliding miter saw versus old school radial arm saw.

[Mike Kees]

My vote is for my sliding TS. I almost never use my miter saws at the shop ,I find the slider quicker and more accurate. On jobsites and installs it is my makita SCMS that usually gets the nod.

[Mike Delyster]

Incorrect .

There are many SCMS that will do dados. Makita 1019, Kapex, and a couple of Craftsman saws all have stops that allow for dados.

And those are just the ones I own.

But try setting up a RAS for a compound miter and get back to us, especially one with a big ol induction motor. The principal benefit of a RAS is crosscut capacity. Only thing a SCMS won’t do is rip.

My 5hp Unipoint will cut a compound miter. They’re a bit of a different bird in the radial saw world though.
In the shop I use my SCMS for breaking down rough stock and the Unipoint for pretty much everything else. Being able to run dado stacks and adjustable grooving heads is very handy. A 12” two piece adjustable groover makes for perfect dado cuts on my saw.

[Jim Dwight]

I used to use mine to rough tenons in long pieces but now that I have a domino it just sits.

[Doug Garson]

Agree the old Craftsman RAS are not great at compound mitres or holding their settings but they are incredibly versatile. Try flattening a driftwood slab to make a bench with a SCMS. I've done it several times using a molding head cutter with a set of planer blades. Not precise but gets the job done (don't ask about dust collection).

[Brian Holcombe]

A Kapex cuts .120” dadoes. I found the SCMS a source of constant frustration, much happier with a short stroke sliding tablesaw and a standard chopsaw.

[Mark e Kessler]

In 30+ years of ww for others and on my own i have only used/seen ras as a rough cut to bust up hardwood planks suppose if you don’t have a slider and you need to rough cut lots of hardwood and have the space then sure why not. You are better off in the long run with a slider, my scms only sees action when a construction project comes along