Miter Saws?

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guitardemon

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Jun 8, 2005
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I am looking to buy a new miter saw and am looking for suggestions. I am looking to spend around $200-$250. I like doing a lot of do it you self stuff so that's what it will mainly be used for. Id like a laser on the saw, but its not a complete deal breaker if it doesn't have one. From the reviews I have been reading the craftsman miter saws are crap. So what would you guys suggest?
 
I'm in love with my DeWalt - the DW716 or similar. http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW716-12-Inch-Double-Bevel-Compound/dp/B000ASDN60

Wife bought it for me years ago and I use it for everything. No laser though, but you don't really need one on this type of saw. Wish I had a sliding model though for wider boards, but they charge a ridiculous price for the sliding models, nearly double. http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW718-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1243236237&sr=1-1

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I've looked at the Craftsman models. They don't seem that bad to me.

There's a Makita at work that I use regularly. It slides and has a laser but doesn't 'feel' as solid as my DeWalt - maybe a difference of the sliding action, the way it's mounted, or a smaller blade diameter.
 
Hm....I don't think I should get into a long miter saw screed.

Bottom line, I like the Makita, I like the Bosch and I like the Dewalt. Not a big fan of many of the others, but the reality is these days pretty much all the good names will give you a good saw. You will gain one thing and lose another. I really like the adjustment system on Milwaukees for example.

The biggest thing people don't like about the Makita (if they don't like it) is that the handle is up and down like a circular saw, rather than side to side. Some people love that, some people hate it, and I'm apathetic. Otherwise it's a fantastic saw in pretty much every way.

ANNNDDD....I just realized you're looking to spend $200 to $250. That limits you to pretty much the low end of the Dewalts (I just saw a 10 inch slider on sale for $250 but I forget where) or maybe the Hitachis. Either should do you fine.

Craftsman power tools are pretty much crap these days, with a few exceptions. Save yourself the trouble.

I will say this in case you decide to up your budget slightly. The biggest reason to get a slider rather than non-slider is flexibility and a need to maybe cut bigger stock. If you don't plan on cutting anything even close to 10 inches, you don't need anything other than a ten inch non-slider. On the other hand, a 10 inch slider will give you most of the same perks as a 12 inch fixed saw because of the sliding feature, and there's not a whole lot in this world that you really need a 12 inch slider for.

Oh, and almost all of the lasers are not great. The Craftsman ones are shudderworthy, and most of the other ones not so hot either. I suggest good measurement and eyeballing, or maybe getting an aftermarket laser. Maybe someone else has had different experiences, but I think the lasers are mostly a gimmick accuracy wise.
 
I had a craftsman 10" for years that served me well. Now I have a 12" dewalt that is the catz azz. It will do a 6" board no problem. The slider would be better but I don't do enough big stuff to make it worth the price. You can add a laser for about $30. In your budget your going to be stuck on the low end, like mentioned above check the pawn shops, might get a deal on a good used 12" slider.
 
I got a dual slide Makita when Home Depot closed them out. Boy am I glad I waited and stumbled into the Makita. It has so much more power that I can do stuff with it that borders on the abusive. I've cut 4x4's which isn't too bad but, the pressure treated 2x12's were a hard pull and the Makita came through it all no worse for wear.

The complex cuts it can do makes me ask myself why I waited so long
 
I suggest good measurement and eyeballing, or maybe getting an aftermarket laser. Maybe someone else has had different experiences, but I think the lasers are mostly a gimmick accuracy wise.
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I find them handy on some tools, like a handheld circular saw, but don't find it useful on the miter saw. The reasons, with a miter saw you can lower the blade to the wood for a perfect match before starting the cut, and the saw and wood are stationary through the process.

Craftsman power tools are pretty much crap these days, with a few exceptions. Save yourself the trouble.
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My Craftsman tablesaw is about ten years old, and it's a wonderful beast. The only thing recent from them, a router and belt sander maybe three years ago - no problems with either. The router is especially nice.

My next purchase will likely be a power hand planer, probably a Dewalt.
 
It's one of those things that I'd like to have, if only for cutting nice, straight scarf joints on my cigar-box guitar necks. Still, that's about all I'd use it for....

A regular hand-saw miter box would work as well, but I need one with infinite adjustment, rather than the cheapies which only give you a few angles.
 
I'm a carpenter by trade:D and (here ye here ye) you "CAN NOT" go wrong with DEWALT tools:thumbup: nuff said!!! ;)
 
mwerner said:
It's one of those things that I'd like to have, if only for cutting nice, straight scarf joints on my cigar-box guitar necks. Still, that's about all I'd use it for....

A regular hand-saw miter box would work as well, but I need one with infinite adjustment, rather than the cheapies which only give you a few angles.
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There are small miter saws on the market with 8" blades. Install a very fine-toothed blade and you'd be all set. :thumbup: Doesn't sound like heavy work either, so one of the less-expensive brands should do just fine.

Here's a basic saw for $80. Doesn't do compound cuts though. http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10...ch+Power+Tools&filter=Product+Type|Miter+saws
 
I did trim carpentry for several years and we always went with DeWalt. They are great tools and are very reliable.

I went with Rigid for my own personal use though, mostly because of the Christmas sale that Home Depot does every year on a large power tool. A couple of years ago it was their portable table saw, which I bought for $249 or so. Last year it was the compound sliding miter saw for $349 (regular $549). They had the stand on sale for $99 as well, so I grabbed that too. I have been very happy with the saw so far and have always been impressed with the Rigid quality. I would definitely put them up there with DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, etc. Keep an eye out for sales on the big Rigid tools, since Home Depot does it a few times every year and at a deeper discount than other brands.
 
id saw dewalt. most contractors use dewalt. you pay alil more but i think its work it. if you dont think you'll use it much ridgid isnt a bad brand.
 
I work at Home Depot (got laid off last year). Rigid has a lifetime guarantee, if it breaks, bring it in, we'll replace it. My sister had her Rigid sump pump die after 6 years, HD replaced it no problem.
 
guitardemon said:
Does anybody have any experience with factory seconds? I saw this on amazon and was slightly intrigued.
http://www.amazon.com/Factory-Reconditioned-Bosch-3912-46-12-Inch-Compound/dp/B0006FS6CS/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1243191774&sr=1-38

I am a little weary though as I've never bought a "Factory-Reconditioned" before.
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I purchased a dewalt router that way. The bearings went in about a year. I would recommend against it. There's a reason they went back to the factory, and I don't think they always fix the problem at the factory...
 
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