Looking to get a new miter saw with all the options, wanted some advice, I have a deltal 10 inch now, but its to darn heavy to lug around, I want a 12 inch, compound miter, but not a slider.? whats your favorite and why?
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Bosch is the winner for me. My partner calls it a vacumm cleaner but then whacks a 2x8 in a split second and calls it his buddy.
thanks, brought up an interesting choice for me, I never even considered the Bosch, but just did some quick research and seems to rate well
I have the Bosch....fine unit.
I would also consider the (I think) Makita? It has an angled motor so it can be angled left or right. Not terribly important, but it could be useful in certain situations. Also, it felt like a fine unit when I "borrowed" it!
DeWalt 706 (that's seven-oh-six)
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Really love my Dewalt 12" miter.
Can't tell you it's the best, not enough experience, but it's a really nice saw.
The Dewalt 12" slider is Awesome.True its dust bag is a joke, I take it outside and
really enjoy working with it.
Dick
One vote here for the Makita LS 1220. Smooth and accurated, plenty of power. Light,too- easy to move around. $250 from Tool Crib/Amazon recon tools. New factory tool warranty.
Ya, my 12" dewalt miter has always served me well with no complaints. If I had to do another CMS it would be that new jobber out with the bevel degrees going both left and right.
Don't know why the tried to sell that laser light crap.
Anything to sell a tool I guess. Sounds like they've been taking their lessons from portercable.
By the way, best thing I ever did was putting my CMS on the collapsible two wheeled Delta Sidekick. Rig yourself up something like that and your moving woes will be limited. Easily moves in and out of van and up and down stairs. Getting older now and gotta save the body. Go get yourself some paslode impulse nailers while you're at it.
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Edited 11/19/2002 11:49:48 AM ET by rez
Ive never tried a saw that bevels both ways, but from what I have read and heard is that its handy for doing crown and that might be it, the problem I have heard of is they are harder to keep aligned exactly at 90 becuase the head can move either way, keep in mind this is just he said she said so maybe they actually work, as the pc laser on the ms it seems like a cool idea, but just one more thing to break and get out of alignment, and besides lets be honest how hard is it really to line the blade up with a mark?
Ya, since you mentioned you were going to lug it around accuracy is definitely in the equation. I have heard the same thing about sliding compounds and kept me from getting one since I am always hauling. If I hear of honest reports from guys that use them and they say the two- way bevel holds its accuracy then I think it would be worth while to get involved with. Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Ive also heard that about sliding miters, Delta made a "sawbuck" a few years ago, not sure if they still do, but its basically a 6 inch circular saw on rails with a stationary table, kind of reminded me of a real small raidal arm saw, was marketed for trim work but I guess they never caught on, ever heard of it or about it?
Ya, heard of it but never owned one. I do use an old craftsman "motorized" Roar! (Cracks me up every time I see that on the saw) every now and then. It's a slider with a stationary arm and the table moves to get the degrees. No height adjustment like a radial arm but it's a handy critter every now and then when a need arises. Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
hey CAG
I used to use a sawbuck. It was kind of a forerunner of the sliding compound miter saw but had a much larger table and a wider crosscut. It also had integrated legs and even wheels for pulling it around. It was okay for it's day, but I find my Makita sliding 10" to be much more accurate as well as portable.
Sorry to butt in, gentlemen,just had to make a comment about that Delta "sawbuck" thingy. A few years ago our lead carpenter at the Maint.Dept
thought it would be a good addition to the shop...I always thought we needed a radial arm saw, but I guess he had some kind of traumatic experience with one.
Anyway, we never found a practical use for that Delta; it was bulky to carry around, and there was only about 3"clearance between the base of the saw/runner assembly, so aboutthe only thing I found it good for was to miter baseboard on the flat side
Maintenance Department Mottos: "If it's not broken, fix it until it is" and "At least it's better than it was"
Mrs. Guitarman
My uncle went to buy the sawbuck when it first came out something like 700 bucks, used it twice, it now sits folded up in his garage. And I just found out to today we have one at are shop same thing, never used.
I always liked delta alot but they dont have a lot to offer in the way of a miter saw these days, I love my old delta miter saw but its to heavy to carry job to job room to room. and besides I like new toys :)
Ditto. I usually end up wondering what in the heck I'm gonna do with this thing. The most recent I've said this to is a Rotozip. It looked good on the tape at Home Despot. Favorite tool lately is the "Rocket Pocket hole jig" Pulls those face frames together nice and tight and flush.
If you're not a dowel or other type of joinery purist
You can never have too many tools.
Jennifer (Guitarman)
Heres an honest report from me who has a Makita 10" SCMS and it maintains accuracy both ways. I'm only loyal to tools that hold up and perform...I'm not stuck on any brand. The limit of swinging both ways is that on cutting a 45 with the head rotated clockwise, it won't quite cut through a 2 X because the motor housing will contact the top of the board and keep the blade about 3/32's shy of cutting clear through. (annoying but not a big deal). A 12" wouldn't have that problem, but I'm not inclined to spend the extra clams for 12" blades).
I've had no problems with accuracy...this particular saw has been one of the primary jobsite saws for 2 fair sized homes and a few remodels.
I have two of the DeWalt 12" miter saws. The first-generation one, which tilts one way only, and then the big, double-tilting slider. The thing I like best about the DeWalt saws is that the primary angle scale is very precise and repeatable (the secondary angle scale is more of an estimate). In general, I'm happy with the mechanical level of tolerance, too: the first-generation saw, in particular, is very "tight", with no slop. I always get very good results with it.
I like to call the slider the Pig: it's both as heavy and as dirty as one -- the dust pick-up is a complete joke. I don't even like using it in my shop if I can help it. However, I believe they've redesigned the pick-up location. There are occasions when the Pig comes in handy, though. For example, I just finished up a job with a bunch of 1x10 box beams
However, most of the time, 1x8 is the biggest stuff I need to cut, and the non-slider works just fine. With the 12" blade, I can cut a 4-1/2" crown by using the accessory crown stops and not even mess with the crappy scale of the bevel angle. That alone is a strong argument for getting a 12" saw.
If I were starting over, I'd definitely get a 12" saw. Specifically, I'd get a non-sliding model which bevels both ways. The double-bevel feature is great when you're doing 1x8 baseboards, for example ---- you don't have to flip a 16'-0" stick inside the room.
Ragnar
What about the Craftsman compound miter with the laser site? Sounds kinda gimmicy, but Norm has one in the NYW and commented on how much he likes it...
marketing?
No disrespect to Norm, but I would NEVER own a craftsman power tool, several years ago Porter Cable had the same concept with a laser line on a miter box, Norm also liked that one at the time, but I havent seen him using it lately,, besides the laser is just one more thing to break or get out of alignment.
Couldnt find this tread a few minutes ago so I started a new one, but thought I would post here as well.....
ok well I have another miter saw question, I think I'm going to go with Bosch, just wondering what the general thoughts are on a regular 12" compound, versus a slider?
Also, is it me, or has delta really slid down hill with there miter saws, I have an older 10" and its solid as a rock, just to heavy to carry with me, but their new saws look like they are all plastic and cheap. anyone own one that can say anything positive or negative? I really like all the other delta tools i have, but the miter saws look kind of cheap and lower then their usual standards
and I appreciate all the advice towards the dewalt, A lot of people like it, I just cant bring myself to buy another dewalt tool, to much bad luck with them lately
Edited 11/27/2002 1:43:44 AM ET by CAG
I've got 2 regular dewalt compund miter saws that I've had for years. These saws are tough and stay in adjustment. However, my guys won't use them now that we have several Makita 10" sliders. The sliders are far more versatile, wider trim and heavier trim. We've had no problems with the saws losing accuracy from being moved from site to site etc. Also, the blades are significantly cheaper which is not a small consideration over time. We do commercial trim (often with things like 8" mahogany crown) and feel like the big 12" blades flex in the cut when they get even slightly dull and burn thru leaving a slight belly in the scarf or miter whereas the slider can be dropped partway and eased thru with several passes. Who knows?
Once I tweaked my Bosch it has been as accurate as I could want, and if it isn't totally accurate, I sure can't tell after repeated checking.
I also find it pretty easy to move. I've found that sliding it forward and locking the slider, and locking it in the down position, at a 45 degree angle makes it "lightest"! If you can find one locally, give it a try in the store.
I feel the slider comes in handy more than I thought it would. First, the increased cutting depth is great, and I also use it to slide through thick oeices in multiple passes.
While my Bosch tilts only left, it does go further than 45 degrees.
I know its not cheap, but I bet this will be one of your most used tools, and if you buy quality, you'll have it for a decade. So divide the extra $ by ten, and I bet your decision gets easier!
Good luck..just make sure that when you get home and you look at your saw, you smileJake Gulick
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
Thanks, really leaning towards the Bosch, everyone I work with has the dewalt 12 inch and Im not a big fan of dewalt.
Cag,
If you like the bosch, thought you might like to know that they just came out with a slider that bevels both directions. You might check it out before you buy the single bevel version.
Mark
Home depot November flyer seem to have a sale on the dewalt 12" double bevel it usually sells for $399. it looks like it is $299. plus you get a $50. gift card mailed to you.
It dose not say that it is the double bevel but the picture in the flyer is of the double bevel saw.
Just a thought, although DeWalt is not a favorite of mine, many others rave over them.....Tool Crib (Amazon.com) is having a DeWalt tool special......you buy one tool (miter saw) and you get another (Drill / drywall gun) free. Thought it might interest you.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
thanks for the heads up, but even with a free tool I'm not sure I can bring myself to spend my money on any more dewalt tools
Bought a Hitachi about 6 months ago and it's been great. It'sa dual slide 10" and bevels both ways. It is a bit heavy but not as bad as my old Makita. Just bought a Delta collapsable stand with wheels to take care of the moving problem. WalMart.com has them for $189.00 plus shipping which is the best deal I've seen on them. Has large wheels which makes going up stairs a lot easier.
Thanks for the info on the rolling stand, I was going to get one anyway, but never thuoght to look at walmart, There a bit cheaper then other places I have looked
I've been running the double compound non-sliding 12" DeWalt for about 8 months now, finish work, 60+ hrs a week. I've owned and used alot of miter saws in the last 20 yrs and this is, bar none, the finest miter saw I've ever used or owned. The blade has been moved forward from the old design to increase the vetical depth of cut to 6 1/2" and as a result more sawdust is thrown forward. I have adapted my stance to keep the sawdust out of my face now, but it was a real pain initially. This would be my only complaint.
Gordsco
Had my Makita 12" sliding compound for 9 years. I have yet to find anything wrong with it. I've run a bazillion miles of trim with it and I still love it.
One of my major selection criteria was weight. I went with the Makita LS 1220 12" reconditioned from Tool Crib (Amazon). I don't think it was ever used. Someone probably returned it. I find it to be very powerful, smooth swinging table and very light.
I'd definitly reccomend it.