Slidin Miter Saw Advice

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
I hope youre not just going to swap it for another one! Sounds like crapola to me!

Oh I did it one step worse. I returned it and bought the more expensive model. Which is just as bad. I thought the fit and finish would be better. NOPE. I took it out of the box in the store and checked a bunch of stuff with a square...but I didn't check the sliders. Sliding back was fine, sliding forward was terrible. Metal on metal grinding. So I returned that and the stand because I'm not shopping at big box stores anymore.

It takes a week for Lowe's to process returns, so now I've got to wait a week to get $1200 for two defective saws. I am beyond pissed. I played myself.

So at some point they changed manufacturers for these saws. My boss has the same model, made in Mexico. It's a great saw. The fit and finish is great, they de-burred all the castings (the casts on both the saws I bought were covered in razor sharp flash). He's had it like 5 years and we've beat the crap out of it on the jobsite and it still works great. The display model at Lowe's is also a Mexican made saw. The saws you get when you open the boxes are taiwanese made. Usually I'd think this was fine, but the two saws I bought this weekend were like bad Alibaba knock offs of the Mexican saws. Am I just ridiculously picky? I expect more from a $400-600 purchase.

I'm kicking myself for the good saws I let go of now. My old roommate and I used to share a 14" makita non slider that would cut a 2x6 on edge. He pulled it out of a flooded building in New Orleans after Katrina and it still worked. That saw was cast iron and you needed to people to move it, one to lift the saw and another guy to hold in the first guy's hernia. But what a great, un-killable saw. I mean it would make you wear your dirt in your jockies when you cut shoe mold on it. I later sold it because the blades were so expensive. Stupid!

Back to the classifieds. I haven't seen a saw available to buy in a store that meets my quality standards. The great cheapening of everything. I'll just do what I do with everything else, fine a 20-30 year old model.
 

Allrightnow

New User
Blair
Like I said earlier, I have a DW718 with the laser I’m asking $225 for. It’s made in Mexico if you want to take a look. I am in Morganton.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
I can’t believe DeWalt could be that bad. Their scms is very highly rated.

since Black and Decker owns them maybe DW is going the route of Porter Cable.

I have a Bosch axial glide. First slider I've owned. Very good saw.
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
I can’t believe DeWalt could be that bad. Their scms is very highly rated.

since Black and Decker owns them maybe DW is going the route of Porter Cable.

I have a Bosch axial glide. First slider I've owned. Very good saw.

The point of establishing a good name is to cheapen it later to maximize profits.
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
Thanks for the tip on the Taiwan made DeWalt. Mine was made in Mexico (as were most of my other DeWalt tools) and is a very good saw. Looks like I will be looking another brand when these finally give it up. I think a good part of the reason for loss of quality in the name brand tools is the actions of the big conglomerates that buy up the brand.
 

Allrightnow

New User
Blair
Interesting thread. My newest Dewalt, DW779, is a Taiwan made saw that is seemingly quite well made. I have gone as far as adding the light kit found on the DW780 at a significant savings over the 780. All of the castings seem to be fine and smooth, and the saw seems to be okay. I will keep an eye on it as I go forward. It operates smoothly and cuts straight. The only gripe I had with it is blade guard has some play in it but not enough to impede operation of the saw. I always take the time to square everything up when I am using it. I understand that there will always be bad samples. I have gotten a few myself. Guess I am lucky with this one for now. It could change.
 

UncleJoe

Joe
Senior User
I have a 12 inch Hitachi I am going to sell along with a best fence stand . If your still looking. I have been away for more thaqn a month so I place the listing in the for sale until tomorrow and that is fine. I want to offer it here before Craigs list or facebook
 
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Sourwould

New User
Taylor
Interesting thread. My newest Dewalt, DW779, is a Taiwan made saw that is seemingly quite well made. I have gone as far as adding the light kit found on the DW780 at a significant savings over the 780. All of the castings seem to be fine and smooth, and the saw seems to be okay. I will keep an eye on it as I go forward. It operates smoothly and cuts straight. The only gripe I had with it is blade guard has some play in it but not enough to impede operation of the saw. I always take the time to square everything up when I am using it. I understand that there will always be bad samples. I have gotten a few myself. Guess I am lucky with this one for now. It could change.

This could also be a pre/post pandemic thing. Like they're rushing things out of the factory. It could also be a different taiwanese manufacturer. Or there's just a bad batch at lowes. Or I'm too picky.

There was a lot of variation in fit and finish between just the two saws I bought.
 

Allrightnow

New User
Blair
This could also be a pre/post pandemic thing. Like they're rushing things out of the factory. It could also be a different taiwanese manufacturer. Or there's just a bad batch at lowes. Or I'm too picky.

There was a lot of variation in fit and finish between just the two saws I bought.
Or all of the above. I can be picky about it too. I have gotten bad samples and it’s just maddening. Especially to return one and still get one with the replacement. If I had another place locally to buy the saw I bought I probably would have. I will never trust mail order for things like that. I’m so anal about it I won’t even consider an item if the box isn’t pristine.
 

Partman

Danny
Corporate Member
I just got a Grizzly PRO T31634 - 10" Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw the end of May. I am very happy with it . :)
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
If anyone is curious as to where your tools and their profits are really going, watch this:
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
Or all of the above. I can be picky about it too. I have gotten bad samples and it’s just maddening. Especially to return one and still get one with the replacement. If I had another place locally to buy the saw I bought I probably would have. I will never trust mail order for things like that. I’m so anal about it I won’t even consider an item if the box isn’t pristine.

Sadly, the local tool store is all but dead. Ours is for sale right now.

This hitachi I've got has had the crap beat out of it for 15 (maybe 20) years and everything on it is dead square in every direction. It's not a cast iron saw either. I'm hoping it will do what I need until I find a good slider. Or maybe I won't need to. It'll cut 6" base standing, a 2x10 flat, and something like 9" crown bedded.

When I was framing we use to spike together 16' lengths of header and cut them to length with one of these saws.
 

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