Miter saws

[/pine]

The OP does not say what he is wanting a motorized miter saw for...assuming it's primarily just to save labor from his box and back saw...and is only going to be (occasionally) cutting standard sized moldings etc...
I suggest a less expensive saw from one of the box stores...
However if he is going to be using the saw for commercial work or cutting large crown moldings, stair treads etc. it's a different story..

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have a Bosch 10in slider. Bought about 16 years ago when they first came out. It cut dead straight, all angles, from day one, and still does - I never touched the adjustments. I used it a lot for many years, transported in the back of a pickup most the time. I used it with several different stands, the DeWalt is my choice.

 

[Boris1]

I bought a kobalt 12" dual bevel compound miter sliding saw, I think it may have been slightly over $250 but worth the cost IMO. Lowes brand

 

[SandburRanch]

Is this your own creation or did you find the plans somewhere?
I like the flexibility and storage!

No plans, just built it. One thing I like about it but didn't realize it until after I begin using it is the area on the back side of the fence to lay cut off pieces, tape measure, yard stick or whatever. It's a little shy of 8' so I can stand it in my 8 ft. shop for storage.

 

[/pine]

Since this thread is about chop (miter) saws...here is a tip I learned from a master trim/mill work craftsman...

When cutting miters for door casings etc. (generally 45*)...you should always measure "short points" (of the angles)...rather than the long points...it's not always easy to hold a tape measure on a flimsy piece of molding and make a mark...So...
...pull and mark a taken measurement on any flat piece of lumber or your work table etc...then hold the butt end of the stock flush with the end of the board/table and just transfer the mark to the work piece...this also speeds up the process on repetitive cuts...

be safe and keep your fingers out of harms way...motorized chop saws are quite unforgiving...!

 

[DFB]

Ya OP should say what jobs a powered miter saw is needed for. Make a big difference if its just average finish trim work or compound cutting rafter size material

Personally I have had a sliding beam style Craftsman for years will make wide compound cuts but a simple light weight 10" Ryobi chop saw I got for $40 bucks at the flea mkt used (the blade that came with it cost more than that price ) is my go to saw to take with me to work and used for most interior trim out.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have an old 10" Makita that I bought used in 1983... never missed a beat.

Also have a compound slide 10" Makita bought new 20 years ago and OK...

Only complaint with the compound slide is it will leave about 1/8 of an inch when cutting 4x4 material unless I use a spacer...

 

[downsizingnow48]

light weight 10" Ryobi chop saw ) is my go to saw to take with me to work and used for most interior trim out.

Agree. I have a lightweight Hitachi 10in mitre saw for same reasons.

 

[4570Man]

I have a Bosch 12" slider that I really like, but it is twice your budget. I have used a friends 12" dewalt slider which is also a really nice saw, but still way above your budget. I also have a now discontinued Porter Cable 12" non slider that has done A LOT of work, but unfortunately a nasty catch bent the fence making it too inaccurate for my precise woodworking needs. I have been unsuccessful in finding a fence for it. I could build a new on, but it would loose 1/2 inch of much needed capacity. Now I just keep a junk blade in it to cut questionable wood to avoid ruining the $150 dollar blade in the Bosch. Remember that the best miter saw in the world with a junk blade still cuts like crap. I strongly agree with whoever said build plywood out feed tables, but unless you have a table saw building an accurate set will be a challenge.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

First time Ive checked back since I posted and whoa thanks for the comments and opinions. Just general use it what Im looking for, cutting mouldings, trim etc, I have a table saw but always wanted a pwoer miter saw. Will a 12" be the way to go or will the 10" do most everything i ask of it? Seem the general opinion is the sliding miter saw which is what i was leaning towards. Whats the real difference in the radial arm saw and the sliding miter saw?

 

[EddieWalker]

I build a few decks every year and I only use 6x6's for the posts. I have never tried to, or even thought of using a miter saw to cut them. Of course, I cut every post after it's installed with my cordless saw and then my cordless sawzall to get what the cordless saw couldn't.

 

[4570Man]

With your budget I would recommend a 12" non slider. I can't imagine a $250 SMS cutting worth a crap. Even the high dollar saws have more 'slop' than a good fixed saw. I was looking at cheap SMS's at the local hardware store other day, and I was extremely unimpressed. They probably had 1/4 inch side to side play at max capacity. A radial arm saw has increased capacity (over 24 inches for a big one), but they are not suited for smaller stuff like trim. Making angled cuts is a PITA. They take up far more space than a miter saw and they certainly are not portable.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I have the Milwaukee 12" compound slider mounted on a Bosch Gravity-Rise stand. The Milwaukee has less deflection than the others and ball bearings in the miter plates so they never seize up or bind. Back in 2010 I wrote an Amazon review on the saw explaining:

I've had this saw for about two-and-a-half years at this point. Most miter saws are replaced because the miter becomes difficult to make fine adjustments as dissimilar metal oxidation slowly seizes the miter plates. Milwaukee mounts their miter on ball bearings and the miter is buttery smooth. Moreover, the saw comes with an easy-to-use fine adjustment with a digital read-out that allows quick and certain miter adjustments of a tenth of a degree or greater. The digital fine miter adjustment feature alone makes me look like I'm a pro when it comes to finishing work and is worth the price of entry for this saw. The bevel adjustment is a cinch to use and has preset indexing for crown molding work and zero as well as infinitely adjustable and infinitely lockable between something like 50° on either side. Additionally, the Milwaukee has noticeably less runout deflection at full extension than the Mikita, Hitachi, Dewalt, or Bosch 12" miter saws that I looked at.

 

[downsizingnow48]

For ordinary trim and moldings a simple miter saw will be fine. No slide no bevel. My Hitachi was about $100 and cuts perfect every time. 10in is all you need for ordinary trim.

 

[RSKY]

Sears puts their tools on sale regularly. A Craftsman 10" with laser can be had for less than $250. Good usable tool with no frills.

My usual procedure is to buy a cheepy tool to see if I'll really use it that much then go out and buy a quality one if the tool proves useful.

My mitre saws are among the most used tools in my small shop. And I'm a retired do-it-yourselfer.

RSKY

 

[downsizingnow48]

Never had a laser miter saw. I use a regular pencil that leaves a mark about 1/64" wide. Then align a left leaning tooth with the mark. Depending on fit needed I leave the mark or take the mark. Important with hardwoods and fir and stained trim, not so important with softwood and paint/caulk.

 

[RSKY]

With a laser it's easy to give your wife a piece of flooring and say "take a half a blade's with off", and get the cut board back in a few seconds perfectly cut. Also the thing about if the light shines on your finger, don't cut. My wife has used mine quite a bit. RSKY

 

[sld]

I've had a 10" Craftsman non-slider for about 18 years now. It has performed flawlessly. The 10" blades are cheaper too.

I've always worked around not having a slider by using the table saw and also an old panel saw I have. The main drawback for the slider is the depth it requires. My benches are 30" deep against the wall and the last time I looked at sliders I would not have room without modifications.

It all depends on what you need it for.

 

[MMagis]

For just regular trim/moldings, there's absolutely no reason for a sliding saw nor a 12" saw. You may find you want to use it for larger boards later, but I never have. I have a 10 Rigid, partly because of their warranty. However, when I tried to register the saw they "denied" me and said I had to physically cut out the UPC code and mail it to them. This was weeks later, and though I had cut the code out of the box and still had it, I had already provided them with everything they needed to honor the warranty ( everything they specified to send), including the actual receipt. I never did register it, and won't buy another Rigid tool because of it. But I don't have any complaints about the saw itself.

 

[Deere Dude]

I bought a 10" sliding compound miter saw from Ace hardware for less than $100 if I remember correctly during a Christmas sale. I had a 10" stationary miter saw but the compound sliding part is worth it.

Basically it works like a radial arm saw but a whole lot more portable. Don't get me wrong, a radial saw can do much more than cutting ends off boards depending on what attachments you have, but are more expensive. I have both but rarely use the radial arm saw but I will have to get it out and dust it off now that I think of it.