What Miter Saw to buy, slide or chop??

[Travis]

My buddy took back his miter saw so I thought I might as well buy one. A 10" sliding compound miter saw goes for around $550.:crybaby2::crybaby2::crybaby2: This seams very expensive and was wondering if I really need a sliding saw. I wanted to get some opinions from those of you who have owned both.

Thanks.

 

[FredP]

sliders are nice but not as nessesary as you may think. ive been getting by with a 15" hitachi for years and havent seen the need for a slider. BUT i also have a radial arm saw!:-D If i remember correctly you do too!8-O I also have a compound MS and have never beveled it other than to see if it would.:roll: compound miters are better done on the TS IMHO.

fred p

 

[Travis Porter]

I have both. A 12" regular DeWalt and a 12" slide. IMO, and I don't know why, the non-slider from DeWalt seems to have more power, but it may just be me. The slider is nice to have, but I haven't seen the point that I couldn't live without it. The nice thing about the non-slider is that it doesn't need as much bench depth (if you are going to put it on a bench) as the slider.

 

[ashley_phil]

i have a 10" shopmaster from delta for$ 89 with a $ 99 freud blade. it does great. would live a slider but can't justify the jump in cost.

 

[nelsone]

Travis, do you have an idea of what you will be using it for? If you are planning to cut molding, especially crown, I suggest you look at a 12" saw. I have had several times when it would be nice to have the slider, but I have other saws to handle those times.

 

[sapwood]

FWIW, Consumer Reports reviewed compound miter saws in June. The Ridgid MS1065LZ was No. 1, DeWalt DW703 No. 2, and Hitachi C10FCH No. 3. All are 10" models that list for $200 and under. Regretfully, they didn't include 12" models. I tend to believe a 12" or 15" CMS would give more accurate cuts than a SCMS without giving up much capacity.

My $.0000002,
Roger

 

[junquecol]

I have three, I mean four of the DeWalt family. Two of the ten inch CMS, one of the twelve inch CMS, and a 12" slider. Bought the second 10" to do a simple crown job in my dentist's office. There was no room to work, so it made sense to have a saw at each end of bench. Only used on that one job. The 12" slder was given to me several years ago as a Christmas present from my kids, and my wifes former husband. Seldom use it, as I have a couple of RAS. The 12" CMS will be bench mounted when back bench is built. The 10" CMS sees daily use, either in shop or on the job. For most applications, 12"CMS is too bulkie to carry. Just my two cents worth, adjusted for inflation.

 

[sapwood]

FWIW Bruce, your comments based on experience have much more value than CR :icon_thum

Roger

 

[scsmith42]

RE Miter saw, Woodrat has a very sweet Craftsman SCMS for only $300.00. The darn thing looks brand new!

Scott

 

[Gofor]

FWIW: I have a Craftsman 8 1/4" SCMS the wife gave me for our 20th anniversary (1992). The first 10 years it saw occasional use because I was on the road a lot. The last 5 it has seen considerable use. Still makes cuts exact enough for a fine fit on furniture projects, altho it has seen the abuse of building decks, sheds, etc and getting bounced around in the back of my truck.
I have looked at many of the display models in the stores and have noticed that the larger the slider, the more slop in them. Also noticed the larger the blade, the higher the $$, and if you are working rough or treated lumber, that occasional rock-hard knot can knock a tooth off a blade in a hurry.
What I like about mine:
Being a slider, I can crosscut a 2 x 12 even with the 8 1/4" blade.
The blades are inexpensive compared to 10 and moreso the 12 (altho getting hard to find)
Very good quality (the supplier for this model designed and made it well)
Don't like:
Single bevel
Depth of cut only about 2 3/4",

Because I still do a lot of work using 10" and 12" wide lumber, when this one dies I will either go with a 10" slider or a 12" double bevel non slider. (If the 12", I will have to flip the board for 12" lumber) If I was only doing fine miters/bevels for furniture or trim work, I would go with the 10" double-bevel non-slider.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I can get as accurate a miter and bevel on the SCMS as I can on the TS. It is also easier to shave that few thousandths off for the perfect fit. (Of course that may change if I ever get the Osborne miter guage for the TS).

Just some thoughts
Go

 

[WoodWrangler]

My vote is slider.

However, if you decide you want a standard one I may be willing to sell my Ridgid 12" saw. It's probably got less than 100 cuts on it and has two blades (one needs a little sharpening)

 

[FIVEBYFIVE]

sliding is nice for a job site, if ya have to cut 2x6s or or 2x12s. For wood shop. Chop for the money. are you going to get a compound miter?

 

[skysharks]

FWIW: Can I chime in here too. ;-)
I have worked on job sites installing kitchen Cabinets and installing crown Molding for years using a Porter Cable 10" Miter Saw.
With the right blades she has and currently is serving me very well. Easy to move around and set up.
I always had wanted to have a 12" Duel Bevel, sliding Miter Saw. Permanently set up in the shop. So I bought the big Dewault, with all the side gadets. (Prior to the Lazer indicator)
1. Mounting: You must have the increased depth to that portion of the bench to handle the slider, and it must be that depth to handle full rotation on either side of 0.
2. Back Bezel Ring for Compound miters I find hard to read. You really have to get right up on it do to the angle the indicator sets at.
3. Accuracy is there. I haven't had any porblems in this area. And I do allot of fine woodworking.
4. Power no problems. 4x4's, 4x6's, 12" oak, what ever, goes right thru. But then again Blade sharpnest and the correct blade for the correct job. Me I'm a bit lazy and have a tendenency to leave the same blade in all the time. :eusa_whis.
The Slider does give you some other tasks that you can do IF you don't have a rad. arm saw.
I seldome cut miters on my TS. Cause I havent made a cross cut sled yet and really don't have a good miter setup that I like yet.
So almost all miters are done on the chop saws.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Ray Martin]

I might (maybe) vote for a slider since I have the Makita slider. I also use DeWalt and Makita non - sliders on build sites. I got the slider before I had a table saw. I think you should consider what you will be cutting AND what other tools you have before you make a decision. I'm all for buying the best you need... but don't overspend because whatever you save, could go toward the purchase of another tool... or a really good blade for the new saw.

Ray

 

[sawman]

There are some excellent comments on this thread for either one.
I chose a 12" Makita LS1220 single bevel miter saw based on what I needed it for. Accurate square and miter cuts for material 6 inches or less,
wider than that it goes on the table saw.
I really wanted the 12" Dewalt slider but based on the need and cost I did not buy it. It is a highly rated saw for the wide base and crown molding.
My 0.065 worth.

Later,
Albert

:saw:

 

[JimmyC]

I've got a Makita and a Delta 10" MS, I also have a Dewalt 12" SCMS. For what it's worth, they all do a good job. My Dewalt SCMS is mounted on a Ridgid MS table, it may be heavy, but it rolls around great even up and down stairs.

I love the SCMS because it does everything, and when I move it around, it's a complete work area. Besides hardwoods it cuts pt 6x6's like a hot knife through butter. I use it for everything.

That being said, I think you could probably do 99% of your work with a 12" CMS, and you would be happy.

Jimmy

ps. This is my opinion, and my wife tells me it's pretty much disregarded in the lower 48 states.

 

[McRabbet]

You'll undoubtedly get as many suggestions as answers here, but in my experience, a 12" CMS is an excellent mid-priced choice. I have a Porter-Cable 3802 dual laser 12 inch (I had used Steve DeWeese's on one of our deck projects and loved it) that I bought on Amazon.com last year for about $265 and bought a Freud 96-tooth Ultimate crosscut blade at the same time. This saw is easy to use, has two adjustable lasers to mark right and left-side cuts and will crosscut an 8 inch board. I have a Grizzly Mitersaw stand for field work and am designing a station for my shop. I like it and use it a ton!

 

[Travis]

Thanks for all of the great feedback. I am always impressed with the well thought out opinions I receive on the forum. I have decided to go with a 12 CMS DeWalt. I beleive it will serve me well.