Miter saws

[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.