sliding mitre saw recommendations please
fixithud
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
planning to purchase a new sliding compound mitre saw soon. We have a dewalt 708 that has never given a problem.
Would anyone recommend another unit I should look at? I think I would like to stay with 12″ Anyone have the 718 dewalt?
I don’t like the rigid, but all of our bosch tools are tops and I hear hitachi is very nice.
Thank you for any help.
Hud
Replies
I have the Makita 1013 (10") SCMS and couldn't be happier. I'm told that the 12" is just as good.
Bought the Bosch 5412 a few months ago. After tuning it up a bit, it's been great.
Laser for the cut, all the controls right up front- well built and well designed
i have two dwalt 12 inch sliders, love them
I've got the DW 12 SCMS. Never had a problem with it cept the dust bag is a total rip off! It pizzes me off that they would even sell it being that not one grain of dust goes in it.
Heavy is all.
Be well
a...
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
Dust bag works good for holding the wrench that slides into back of saw,as mine kept dropping out as I was carrying in and out of jobs. Other than that feature, dust collection is a real joke.
Thats really a good idea. I don't even know where my wrench is anymore.The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Have the Bosch and the Makita, 12" and 10". Relatively speaking, the Makita might as well be a boat anchor.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Have the Makita 1013, which is very nice IMO. Like the soft start, the ease of adjustments, and the beveled motor which allows left and right bevel cuts without a belt drive like the hitachi.
Hi,
The Makita LS1013 is hand down one of my favorite tools!
Never considered anything else. Perfect balance of size/weight and capacity/performance. Mines been on dozens of jobs and looks and works new. Actually I just sold that one as I had to move distance but had no room and boss offered me a good price for it. I bought a new one right away.
I just saw them for $449 at HD in Tucson!
WArnie
I have the Makita 10" slider as well. It's been great. I also like the large bed it has. Most of the other 10" models have puny beds...at least the ones that I have seen. My one gripe is that it weighs alot. I guess if I was lugging it everyday I would get use to it. Even though I love my saw, if I were to get a new one, I would go for a 12" model with a laser. I've had instances where the 10" blade was big enough and other instances where a laser would've been nice.
i have the dewalt 1222" slider and it is thhe one dewalt that i amm not ashamed of. i notiiced latley a bit of run out on the cut and was wondering if others see this too. iwas thiinkink of an 8 1/2" for most trim and only breaking out the big one when needed. i have used the small hitachi annd realy liked it except that the miter gauge was all one color and quite cramped
noah
I have the 708 and the only time I get runout is when trying to "trim a blade off the edge". For that reason, i've been considering a smaller saw for trim (10"?) and like you said keeping the 12 for the big jobs.
I too have the 10" Makita 1013 and its a great saw. If you think its too heavy...wait till you get the 12" slider. They all weight 6 to 12 lbs more. The only problem I have had with mine is I sheared the hold down pin two times now. It didnt happen when I was using the saw, It was from hitting bumps while in the trailer. I now bungee the saw pivot down so it cant bounce around. I also have mine mounted on a portable table with 2 wheels on one end so I never lift it..just wheel it around...much easier on the back.
I have the 8" Dewalt slider. Nicely made in Italy. Works well, and is fairly compact and light. I sometimes wish it had a bigger blade, but then I think about the diffe3ence in cost and size, and I just go back to work. It will cut a 1x12 at 90*, nice for doing shelves.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I have the old DW 705 and love it, but am going to get a slider myself. I'm thinking the DW again in the 12", mostly because of the good luck I've had with its predecessor. I have my eye on the Makita because I've used it and like it, but all the rest of those saws, including the Makita in the large slider seem to have relatively low fences on the left side, and I like my fences tall for the crown (I don't cut it on the flat)I don't want to schlep around a retro fence either. DW's fence is nice and tall, Bosch doesn't look bad, but it's more $$ and judging from the posts, now and past, I just don't think it's worth it.
another vote for the makita - couldn't be happier with my LS1013
I've the 10" hitachi with laser and its great for the back not having to do a funny bend, its also quieter with its belt drive. However you can't flip the depth stop out of the way like you can on the mak, which is a hassle when you want to do some trenching
Makita is a lovely saw if you don't need a fence. DW is the most comfortable for placement of handle, trigger and lifting the guard with thumb to see the cutline instead of dropping on one knee or bending over.
I was hoping someone would pipe up about the new Hitachi sliders. The slide has been moved to the side and is more compact. I've used the old Hitachis with no complaints, nice saw.
I was hoping someone would pipe up about the new Hitachi sliders. The slide has been moved to the side and is more compact
I saw that new slider in Lowes the other day, man it looks bulky. I didn't pick it up because it was on a shelf about chest high so I don't know what it weighs but I looks heavy and cumbersome.
Doug
I've had the 10" Hitachi with laser for a year and a half and I love it! Great, great saw. Dust bag works so well you eventually get annoyed at having to empty it so often. Saw is lightweight and well-balanced to carry, with a convenient handle on top for one-handed carrying. You wouldn't want to carry it one-handed all the time but once in a while it's handy.
Everyone who uses my saw loves it; the only downside is the short fence, which bugs the guys used to the 12" Dewalt. That is a monster saw, but not very good for trim work in my experience.
My laser quit working a couple of months ago, I'll bring it into a service shop eventually, once I get my bulky old Bosch slider working so I won't be without a saw. Even without the laser the Hitachi is a nice tool, but I miss it--super handy for angle cuts and lining up wide cuts.
Mike
For 12" sliders used mostly for trim, the Dewalt and Makita are a bit more ridgid than the Ridgid or new Hatachi sliders, at least for the saws that I've check this on. Back in Wyoming the big Dewalt was most common, while here in Idaho the best finish guys seem to be using mostly the Makita. I do think the Makita is probably at a slight advantage over the Dewalt do to the tightness of the slide and the one-piece base casting, but I'm getting ready to buy another big slider and it will be the Dewalt since it can be had for about $100 less around here.
Cheers, Don
PS For a quick slide check pull the blade out and cut the outside 2" of a board (about 6") with slight pressure on the saw head to the right. Then cut about 1" of the same board in the same position with slight pressure to the left. That's an easy test to compare saws, or to ensure that your saw's linear bearings haven't gone south or come unscrewed.
Why not check out Dewalt's website as they have a new SCMS out now. I believe the # is DW718. Since they have new mitre saws out you should be able to get one of their previous models even cheaper in stores now since their older saws (ex. DW708) is now considered an "older" model. Stores will always drop down prices when newer tools come to replace older models. Think about it, why would Dewalt have 2 SCMS out that are almost exactly alike?
Paul
Another vote for the Makita 10". Great tool. But then, all their tools seem to hold up great. Those red Makita tools I saw in the 80s weren't as stout, but all their blue stuff has made a believer out of me.