Who here owns a Compound Miter Saw?
- Thread starter stosh
- Start date
Yeah, I have one, it's a "Delta"
Ive had it about a year now. Did all the hardwoods and trim in this house with it so far, amongst many other projects. Quite alot of cutting and still running strong.
Ive had it about a year now. Did all the hardwoods and trim in this house with it so far, amongst many other projects. Quite alot of cutting and still running strong.
I also have a Delta but dislike it.. my particular saw is a bit far out of square as compared to the marking on the saw for angles.
I had a DeWalt and loved it. I sold it when I moved. I miss it
I built all of the custom clad in sash radius windows for pozzi that went into the olympic building in utah and still build custom windows in the winter.
here are the brands I would reccomend in order
rigid
milwaulkie
dewalt
bosch
makita
the object of the miter saw game is to be able to cut true angles, if not they are useles saws. if you test one before buying cut two opposing 45 angles and see if they make a 90 with a square. that will tell you if she is legit. (used)
here are the brands I would reccomend in order
rigid
milwaulkie
dewalt
bosch
makita
the object of the miter saw game is to be able to cut true angles, if not they are useles saws. if you test one before buying cut two opposing 45 angles and see if they make a 90 with a square. that will tell you if she is legit. (used)
You have to square them up when you first take them out of the box right?
I have a Bosch 4410 and am quite happy with it. Check out the reviews on Amazon. I have really been impressed with Bosch tools.
I've got a 5yo Ryobi. Better saw than I expected for $200. I put a $60 blade in it and it does quite nice finish work.
My house is soooo out of square it really doesn't matter if the saw cuts crooked or not.
My house is soooo out of square it really doesn't matter if the saw cuts crooked or not.
btw, stick with a 12inch or better you will be able to make more cuts than a 10. you will be much happier in the long run
It is hard to explain there are adjustable stops for 90 and 45 for blade tilt; however for cut angle no.. it is infinitely adjustable but with detents at the major angles used and those are off..
I think for any future tool purchase I am going to buy Milwaukee brand..
I have a Ryobi as well. I have used to for a crap load of things over the past 4 years. The laser sight is nice as well and still going.
Wow, sounds like a cool job.
Thanks for the heads up. So rigid is good huh? Homedepot has them at some pretty good prices.
I have a ridgid, and like it. I also liked the Dewalt and Delta models.
I will say stay away from pistol grip models and stick with a "D" handle. It is more "ergonomically" correct, and more comfortable use wise than the pistol grip. (my wrist used to cramp like hell using my Bro-In-law's saw with a pistol grip)
I have the 12" version of this
here is a pic of one with a pistol grip style handle... not comfortable IMHO!
I will say stay away from pistol grip models and stick with a "D" handle. It is more "ergonomically" correct, and more comfortable use wise than the pistol grip. (my wrist used to cramp like hell using my Bro-In-law's saw with a pistol grip)
I have the 12" version of this
here is a pic of one with a pistol grip style handle... not comfortable IMHO!
after being thrown around in the back of a truck and cutting everything from steel to plastic I am sold. no maintenece and customer service is spot on. stick with a 12 inch or bigger
Got a Ryobi from Home Depot. It died halfway through a laminate floor job. Went to harbor freight and bought a $100 gig. The scale was 2-3deg off, but it survived 3 laminate jobs, 4 fence jobs, and a bunch of little odds and ends over the past 5 years.
What's nice about that one is that it runs on two rechargable AA batteries.I have one. Want to borrow it?
haha. my house was built before electric saws were invented (actually pretty cool to think it was built entirely with hand tools), so is similarly wonky. i like to refer to that as 'character'.
It's a green mining operation.
Almost exactly the same one I have but this one has the spiffy laser. Just make sure to measure the first cut so you can get your (+-) deviation. Like I said, it's worked great and the price is unbeatable.
edit: dang price went up. I'll check my local store on my lunch break... they may have it cheaper.
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It's probably because of the LAZER BEAM!
PS. The first job I'm doing with it is cutting laminate flooring.
I've had a Hitachi 10in. for a few years. Used it for homeowner type stuff- metal, wood, pvc and made quite a few picture/art frames with 45s. Still solid and running strong. I wish I went with the 12 in though. And don't pay the extra money for one with a laser. IMO its just something else to go wrong or get out of alignment.
Yeah I don't care about the laser but a lot of them just come with it now.
I'm not a fan of cheap tools.
You can buy a quality tool for a little bit more money or you can buy a cheap tool and keep replacing it.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a mitre saw from Harbor Freight.
You can buy a quality tool for a little bit more money or you can buy a cheap tool and keep replacing it.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a mitre saw from Harbor Freight.
I have a 12 inch Porter Cable that has worked really well. My brother is the product manager at Festool which blows anything mentioned here out of the water but don't ask about the prices. Their new compound miter saw is pretty amazing: http://kapex.festoolusa.com/
Honestly I'm the same way but now I'm a homeowner with little money. I figure if it lasts me a year or 2 and makes ok cuts I'll be happy with it.
They sell them at my local tool warehouse.
I'm the same way when it comes to tools that pay the bills. But for home improvement stuff, or when the tool is going to get limited used, then I'm all for cheaper tools. I always opt for the lifetime warranty option if it's available too.
bought the $99 Ryobi 10" at HD. cuts great, especially with a replacement blade on it. only complaints are 1) it's only 10" and 2) the bag "catcher" doesn't exactly catch. still, for $100 I really, really, can't complain.
Is it a mitre saw or a Sliding Compound Mitre saw?
I can't recommend the Rigid saw, we had one that was a piece of junk.
Dewalt is pretty good at making miter boxes, but in general, Milwaukee and Makita are the top of the line as far as big name tool makers go. Milwaukee is more heavy duty and usually more powerful, but Makita is only slightly less durable and powerful, but a whole helluva lot more ergonomic and easy to use.
Dewalt is pretty good at making miter boxes, but in general, Milwaukee and Makita are the top of the line as far as big name tool makers go. Milwaukee is more heavy duty and usually more powerful, but Makita is only slightly less durable and powerful, but a whole helluva lot more ergonomic and easy to use.
Also, Ryobi is pretty good for generic homeowner useage, but their stuff dies pretty quick on the job.
I bought a $150 craftsman laser one with a stand. It was on sale (normally like $200) so I figured hey what the hell. I think 2 days into using it the laser died, which I didn't care too much about in the first place.
I got one with indents for the angles. Some you could adjust to no end, but they seemed like they might tend to walk on the measurements and you'd end up cutting things not square. It does compound cuts as well but I just got it so I could stop using my cheapo miter block and just get things done faster.
I got one with indents for the angles. Some you could adjust to no end, but they seemed like they might tend to walk on the measurements and you'd end up cutting things not square. It does compound cuts as well but I just got it so I could stop using my cheapo miter block and just get things done faster.
We have a bunch of Festool stuff at work, the quality is just unmatched, as is the price. $1600 for a sliding compound miter from a local Festool supplier and we are seriously considering buying one. We actually have 5 miter saws at work. The laser cutting guide is a must IMHO.
I got big hands. Both the Milwaukee and the Makita are made for folks with tiny little hands. The Dewalt fits the bill for us....
I feel the same way , and I have bought quite a few "Chicago electric's" from Harbor freight , and most of the time I have not been disappointed. now they have a store near me , this could be dangerous.
The online shipping aint bad either.
I feel the same way , and I have bought quite a few "Chicago electric's" from Harbor freight , and most of the time I have not been disappointed. now they have a store near me , this could be dangerous.