I need a small miter saw that I can haul around for doing small jobs. I have a 10 inch compound miter saw and a 10 inch sliding compound miter saw. Both of these are too big and heavy to easily haul around. I don’t need anything fancy, just something that will be quicker than a manual miter box and steadier than a jig saw. I remember seeing 6″ miter saws but not recently….7 1/4″ seems to make sense. What brands do you folks recommend? Also, don’t want anything too $$$$….just for infrequent use.
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Replies
I would buy a sliding saw if I wanted a 7 1/4 blade. This Kobalt sliding saw is very compact, gets good reviews, has a laser if thats important to you, and is $129 at Lowes.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_358937-46069-SM1850LW_0__?productId=3512783
But I would personally choose a Makita LS0815F 8 1/2" slider, a couple more pounds of weight, a little bigger blade, a whole lot more quality. About $350.
Miter Saw
Sears has a 7 1/4" slider for $169. I stopped buying Sears power tools years ago. I needed a 10" slider to cut treads for my hardwood stairs and based on review in WOOD mag I bought the Sears 10" slider which worked very well. The Kobalt will be about $50 less so I may give it a go. I'd like a higher grade tool but can't justify the $350 price tag for occasional use. The laser is ok for getting close but I don't rely on it for the final cut.
Yeah, lasers sound helpful, but I don't have a single tool with one. I have an old red colored Makita 8 1/4" miter saw, but it's not too handy because an 8 1/4" saw can't cut much. I'd rather have a 7 1/4" slider than the old Makita, but that saw is very light, as long as the blade size isn't a problem. Then, I would need the 12" compound miter skil saw, which is so heavy it once was stolen, but I found it in the field behind my house because the thief couldn't carry it to wherever he wanted to take it.