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which miter saw?

N

NeoSolo

Senior member
what do I look for in miter saw?
which brand?
any recommandation?

If you have one, can you tell me which one you have and why you like it or dislike it?

Thank you much...

used for: Remodeling basement and future weekend job.
 
Bump for you. I ask these same type of questions from time to time. We do have a few woodworking hobbyists here.
 
I have an 8 year old Ryobi that I love. As soon as this one breaks I will definitely be buying a compound miter saw though. Makes some of the cuts quite a bit easier.

I'm not going to spout off a bunch of brand names like I know what I'm talking about, but the Ryobi has not given me an ounce of trouble in the 8 years I've used it.
 
if you have the money go for a dewalt. they are the best in my opinion.

craftsmans arent the best but if you arent doing a lot they are cheaper and sears has really good warrantys on their tools.
 
If you expect to cut molding with it, get a compound miter saw rather then just a miter saw.
What do you expect to do with this saw? If it's just cutting 2x4 for a basement remodel, then just about anything on the market will be adequate. For bigger stock get a 12"

If you expect to do any more precise woodwork like making picture frames, etc. You'll want a better saw. One thing to look for is to make sure that the left & right fences are either a. already aligned, or better b. can be adjusted independently so you can align them again after it takes a couple of wacks with a 2x4.

On this count, I found Craftsman & DeWalt to be crap. Or at least they were a few years ago. I had a Craftsman, and couldn't figure out wy my miters weren't accurate until I checked this with a straightedge. Was within warrenty, so I took it back. Took awhile to convince the guy there was a problem, but they finally agreed to get a new fence. This was crooked also, so they gave me a credit for a new one. So I showed up at Sears with my straightedge, and not a single display unit was true! But they had a Makita that could be adjusted. So I got the Makita, and it's done great for me.

As for radial arm saws ... I hate those SOBs Give me a table saw any day. Can't keep em true & ripping hardwood is an impalement waiting to happen. But if you have to get a RAS, I'd reccomend an old Craftsman or Delta. The big heavy ones with cast iron everywhere. The new ones are all sheet metal, and don't take the abuse as well. Plus you can often find those old craftsman saws for < $100
 
I got a 10" Hitachi on sale ($189.00 discontinued) at Lowe's for the animals to use at the plant. It's a compound miter with adjustable fences. It works great. For home use I would go with either a Ryobi or a DeWalt.
 
Originally posted by: NeoSolo
what is compound miter saw?
what is miter saw?
Click to expand...

A compound miter saw not only adjusts the angle of the straight cut (i.e. 0, 22, 45, 90 degrees) but also the "diagonal angle" I.E. you can cut a piece of wood not only at a 45-degree left tilt, but cut that tilt at 45-degrees, angled, You'd use this when cutting molding that meets at the corner of a room.

Kind of like "two dimensional" angle cutting.

ps
I know the terminology isn't correct, but my "theme/point" is.
 
A miter saw pivots around a vertical axis. ie. it can make an angle relative to the fence.
A compound miter saw does that and can also pivot about a horizontal axis. So it can also make an angle relative to the bed at the same time.
 
a Radial arm Saw is NOT a replacement for a table saw. my shop has a radial arm saw, a table saw, like 15 blades... a panel saw, a jointer, a planer, and a bunch of other cool items... i love my shop 😛

now, when i get my own sander-planer, then i'll have fun 🙂


oh, forgot i also have a standing compressor for laquering by spray. makes a much more even coat.
 
"I hate those SOBs Give me a table saw any day. Can't keep em true & ripping hardwood is an impalement waiting to happen. But if you have to get a RAS, I'd reccomend an old Craftsman or Delta."

That's EXACTLY why I said to get a "quality radial arm saw". My father-in-law bought a POS Craftsman. What a load of crap! I think the Radial Arm Saw would be the best bang for the buck for a home owner who only dabbles in woodworking. Not as good as a nice power miter saw for trim. Not as nice as a good table saw for ripping, but it WILL do those jobs well. A good miter saw will set you back $300.00. A quality radial arm will run $700.00. The table saw won't be far behind at $400-$500, and won't be as handy.

You could get a cheap chop saw for under $100.00, but that's not going to be too cool for your future work shop.
 
We used a ryobi at work for a lot of years, worked it hard, too. They seem to make pretty good "value" tools. I bought a Craftsman when i built my deck, it has worked fine. I don't use it too much though, and that's why I didn't buy a name brand one. If you want one that will stand the test of time, I would look at a porter cable, or maybe a dewalt. The porter cables with the laser beam is quite handy.
 
I purchased a Craftsman compound mitre saw a few years back. It's the one with the laser on it - which has been an asset for lining up cuts. The quality is quite good. I purchased a Delta and returned it in favor of the Craftsman.

 
Originally posted by: Tiles2Tech
I purchased a Craftsman compound mitre saw a few years back. It's the one with the laser on it - which has been an asset for lining up cuts. The quality is quite good. I purchased a Delta and returned it in favor of the Craftsman.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard that! Pretty much every Craftsman power tool I've ever owned has been replaced by Delta, Porter Cable or Makita. Except my bandsaw which is only waiting for some cash before it's on the block. And good riddance.

On the subject of RAS ... I've never used a Delta RAS, but I've owned 2 older Craftsman RAS, and used my dad's newer one. The new ones are crap compared to the old cast iron ones. But in any case, about the only thing a RAS does well is crosscuts in wide & long stock. That's a pain to do with a crosscut sled on a table-saw. But eventually, I'll trade-up my compound miter saw for a sliding compound miter saw, and reclaim the space my RAS takes up.
 
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