I need to break down and buy myself a chopsaw so i can get some home projects done (most on my list now involve mitres) without procrastination. I am a decent DIY-er, mostly because I am aware of my limitations and don’t push beyond my abilities. Most of my projects will be building various storage units for the new old house (ca 1922), replacing some damaged moldings, etc.
I’d like good quality and handy features, but don’t need top-of-the-line. any recommendations on brands or features to look for? thanks. -Mary
Replies
i think any of the saws out there will do what you need them to do. i have a 100.00 delta ,cuts square thats all i can ask really.
go to the big box look at the ones in the price range you want to spend and play with them ,we all have prefernces of how they feel. then buy a good blade and your ready to go
oh,i would stick with a 10".larry
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
DUCT TAPE.
Here's a deal. Nice saw, especially for the price, $89....buic
http://www.reconditionedsales.com/Miter_Saws___c375.aspx
Edit to add - the C 10 FCE 2
Edited 12/27/2008 11:54 pm ET by BUIC
Home depot had the Ridgid 12" SCMS (Sliding Compound Miter Saw) for around $350. Its a good solid saw, and I doubt you'll find one as good for as cheap.
I'd also go with the larger saw too (12" instead of 10")- it's not like you'll be hauling it around, and you might need that big size on some projects
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
>>>Storage features.
That may involve wide cross-cutting for shelving. I'd think about the Maktia 1013 (SCMS). I've had it for almost nine years and it's done everything from framing to trim.
Funny, it's actually come down in price from ~$600 in 1999 to ~$400 now. Anyone else noticed this market correction in SCMS's in the last few years?
Scott.
dewalt 705
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I'll put in a vote for the Hitachi's 10" 10FCH2. It goes on sale occasionally at Lowes for $99, down from $139 or so.
I've had mine for six months or so and have been pleased do far.
Hitachi weighs in at less than thirty pounds versus 50 pounds or so for my Makita 1013, a 10" slider. The Makita is a great saw, but it is a bear to move.
The Hitachi is a single bevel and has a lousy setup for dust collection, but it's the saw I reach for when I need a miter saw outside my shop.
Edited 12/28/2008 6:50 am ET by smllr
What, you don't want one of these?
http://www.cpofestool.com/products/pt3k561287.html?ref=shoppingpt3k561287&trid=1230470006z743956z0a3d084a27267z
I have a 12" compound miter saw that is a Skil HD, now Bosch 3912. It has been a great saw. It's just basic, but there are a few optional things available like work supports and various clamps. I picked it up at Lowes for a song on the clearance table many years ago.
Here's a recon for $229.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006FS6CS
I like the 89 buck Hitachi recon too.
Here's a cheapie used, about 15 miles from home. Might be worth looking for something like that.
http://dayton.craigslist.org/tls/971155983.html
Edited 12/28/2008 8:42 am ET by Dam_inspector
I would consider a 10" non-sliding mitersaw. Brand names can be got in the $100 range.
I made a reasonable living through most of the 80's and early 90's framing and finishing with a 10" Black and Decker mitersaw, a Makita circular saw and a portable Delta tablesaw.
Buy a Hitachi chop saw, they can be had at Lowes or many on line sellers. Usually the best bang for the buck and they come with a half way decent blade.
Thanks for all the input-
Curious about the preferences of 10" over 12"; seems that it would be better to have 12 for those times it may be necessary, no matter how seldom. Is there a downside to the 12" saw that makes some of you suggest 10 instead? FYI, i won't be lugging it anywhere, and in my new garage, space isn't a problem.
I'm going to the store soon and look at Hitachis.
i have a couple 10's and 1 12" slider.when i need the 12 i stand there and look at it for 45 seconds trying to physc myself into picking it up.i hate it while i'm carrying it,then alls well.
i do feel a non slider is safer.i have found myself not securing the sliding rail and the saw kick back a little like a radial arm.operator error for sure.
other than the weight i guess it comes down to money between the 2. 12" is going to cost twice as much to buy, and the blades will run at least twice also.
sometimes the 12 is the only one that will do the job,but a 10 was all i had for 20 yrs and i thought it was fine.YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'TMOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THEDUCT TAPE.
12 inch blades are a good bit more expensive than 10", more prone to wobble, and the 12 inch miter saws are heavier and larger, so they aren't as handy.
"Is there a downside to the 12" saw"
blades can be expensive
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
In all seriousness you might consider a hand miter saw. Actually I'd love this baby!!
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5364&filter=miter%20saw
Miter Trimmer
Nobex Proman Miter Saw
Mini Combo Miter Saw Set
Nobex Champion Miter Saw
Average Rating: View ImageView ImageView ImageView ImageView Image
$169.99Each View Image
View Image
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
I have a couple of decent miter boxes and hand saws. But with a young child and not enough time, I need power tools to get the new house fixed up. No time to play at being an artisan in the olden days before 'lectricity ;-)
depends on budget... but i'd go for a harbor freight slider before I'd go for a name brand chop style... what i'm surprised at is how no one mentioned Blade choice... good blades matter... a cheap blade on a great saw still sucks... but a good blade on a cheap saw and you are ok... my saw of choice day & out is an old Hilti 8.25" slider i have had for well over 12yrs... we use it all day everyday... 90% of our cuts are on that saw... i have a 12" dewalt on a stand that is my crown saw... i have it set up (with great tips from this fourm) just for crown... I have several 10" saws and one very cool 7.25 makita that is very light weight and easy to carry around... great for detail trim...
around here the pawn shop are filled with saws (why i have so many) hard to pass em up for under $50 all day everyday... think i paind $19 for the little makita... but 12" compound dewalts for under $69 are very common... sometimes as low as $39 with a good blade...
I'd have no fear of a harbor freight slider if thats what fit my budget... get a nice blade and take the time to set it up... they stand behind their stuff better than some big names... I've never had an issue returning anything to HF
have a great new year and buy tools :)
P
I'd seriously consider the Ridgid 12" dual bevel non-slider that's on sale right now for $249.... if you can find one. They've been blowing off the shelves at that price.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100618253
It says $333 on line... but was at my HD yesterday and still marked $249 on shelf. That is a ton of saw for the money... cross cut capacity is quite large at 90 deg.... (2x8) anything wider than that you can cut with circ saw and guide, etc.
Both my father in law and brother in law have one... it's a heck of a saw in my opinion. The best feature is the rock solid lock down clamp for miter angles.
I have a dewalt 12" dual bevel that I like... but am tempted to sell on craigs list and get the Ridgid.
The Hitachi 10" others have mentoinoned would be my second recco if you are on a tighter budget.
A slider is a luxury... most are $400+ though. The advantage of a slider is wider cross cut capacity... for the most part, I'm sure others will say there are other advantages... so it depends on what you are working on.
Whatever you buy, you'll probably want to upgrade the blade... especially if working with stain grade materials and/or intricate (read: expensive) molding profiles for crown, etc.
That's my $.02.
Took a look at the Ridgid 12" dual bevel again today.It will cross cut a 2x10 (not 2x8 as listed on HD website), 6" base vertically against fence and 7-1/2" crown nested.It also miters out to 50 deg.I'm thinking about putting my DW706 on Craig's List and buying one of these to replace.... think I could get $200 for it? It's in good shape, all parts and I have the Manuel too.
Edited 12/29/2008 6:41 pm ET by GraniteStater
Well, I went ahead and got the Ridgid and tossed the Dewalt up on craigslist. 0% interest and 90 day return policy gives me 90 days to sell the Dewalt before I have to return the Ridgid.Initial impression: Well built, surprisingly light for a 12" to carry (had to take it out of the box to fit in my car!) motor seems more powerful than DW... maybe because it's so much LOUDER and doesn't soft start like the DW?The bevel is out of whack and needs to be trued up. Same with the miter. Wish it came square so you could just "plug-in and cut"... but hey, no real biggie.I do like the "zero clearance" throat plate... that's a nice touch, especially when cutting returns for itsy bitsy sized moldings.I'm resisting the urge to cut a bunch of stuff with it for now... if I have to return it (i.e. my craigslist sale fails...) I want to make sure it's brand spankin new for the next guy (and hey... it will even be squared up for him/her...)Had to run to HD today to make a return... the saw is back to it's regular price of $349. For that... I'd probably spend the extra $50 and get the Dewalt 12" double bevel... but for $250 hard to pass up.
HOLD ON!!!I got an offer for my Dewalt saw so I spend a little time last night doing more web research on the Ridgid. The Ridgid forum (and the HD website) had reports of the bevel lock not working very well past 30 degrees or so...Well, I went and played around with mine... put it past 30 degrees and with the lock down... you could push the saw out of alignment with ease... WTF?So, I read TFM and there's a process to tighten the bevel lock. I start going about the process... and it's a total PITA because the lock nuts are in a completely @#$@%%#& position to be accessed for tightening. After a few skins on the knuckles, I managed to tighten it down as far as it goes... and the saw still won't stay locked in it's bevel position.What a disappointment. I thought Ridgid tools were getting better in general and they had some good designed products lately (the Fuego circ saw got high marks from FHB). I really liked the solidity of the miter lock.. but what's the use of having a beveling miter saw if you're restricted to just the angles that have detents? If this basic feature of the saw is so poorly designed... I have no confidence in the machine at all and I will think twice now about buying any Ridgid product.It's going back to the BORG asap.Please avoid this saw.
Well that stinks. I bought the Rigid two nights ago - couldn't pass up the price after seeing this thread. My miter was dead nuts out of the box, but I did have to adjust the bevel slightly to get it true. I hadn't read anything about the bevel issues you mentioned though. You can bet your sweet patooty I'm going to check it out tonite when I get home though.I do have an issue with the laser though. And maybe this is true of all of them, as this is the first time I've had a miter saw with a laser, but ....When the blade is fully up the laser line is dead nuts where it should be, but as I lower the blade for the cut it starts moving left and by the time the blade contacts the board, the laser line is probably 3/16" to the left of the cut line. I know they aren't the most accurate contraption, but is that normal?? Shawn-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
Edited 1/2/2009 8:42 pm ET by CheckerContracting
Here's the thread on the Ridgid forum about the lock issue. People also dislike that for right bevels at 45, you need to remove the right fence. Didn't seem to be a big deal to me though.. the fence pops up out of place in a snap.http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21705&highlight=r4121re: the laser... according to Ridgid site that's to be expected... play with some scrap to confirm this, but apparently you align your cut mark with laser line in up position and then cut..the line drifts because it's a fixed angle and the distance from laser to the point it's marking gets shorter as you lower the handle.My FIL has the same miter saw, btw, and I called him to make sure his doesn't have the same bevel lock issue. One, because it could be frustrating when you need to make that 42 degree cut (he has an 1800s farmhouse... beautiful but crooked!) and Two (more importantly!) it just doesn't seem safe to have a locking device that doesn't lock!
Edited 1/2/2009 4:32 pm ET by GraniteStater
Well, I am happy to report that my bevel lock does not appear to have any issues. I could force it to move (emphasis on the force), but it took the same effort as at any point in its range so I'm calling mine good. I really don't see it budging during a cut - even a deep, high stress one. Now that I think about the laser deal the fixed angle from the aperture point to cut line makes sense. Thanks for making me stop and think about it though!Did you FIL's end up having the bevel issue?Shawn
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Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
Looks like you lucked out... good.On my way to Home Despot to return mine now.... I'm just going to stick with "tried and true" DW 706 even though the miter lock isn't as good as the Ridgid (turn knob... when you tighten, it sometimes wants to knock the miter reading off a BCH or two when you start to put a little torque on the knob).My FIL is going to check his... I felt bad telling him but though I had to. He's pretty frugal (for himself... generous where it counts) and the purchase was a splurge to be sure, partially on my review of the specs and comment that the price was incredible.If he ever needs to cut an off index bevel he can always borrow my saw... he's only 5 miles away. Not a normally required cut but like I mentioned before... his house is older than dirt and the only thing square in the place is... hmm.. maybe a baking pan in the kitchen?BTW, did you look at the bevel lock mechanism in the back? It relies on friction and the lock nuts.. be sure you keep an eye on them being tight. and they area a total PITA to tighten.also - if you don't like the idea of the laser line moving.. the Irwin after market laser shoots straight down... I have that on my saw and it's pretty good. Lines me up close enough and I either nibble up to the the line from the waste side or eyeball it from there... depending on accuracy needed.
"BTW, did you look at the bevel lock mechanism in the back? It relies on friction and the lock nuts.. be sure you keep an eye on them being tight. and they area a total PITA to tighten.
also - if you don't like the idea of the laser line moving.. the Irwin after market laser shoots straight down... I have that on my saw and it's pretty good. Lines me up close enough and I either nibble up to the the line from the waste side or eyeball it from there... depending on accuracy needed."
I did look at the mechanism. Quite a pain. Not looking forward to having to tighten those.
The laser really isn't a deal breaker. I don't think I would ever truly trust one anyway. I'll just use it to get me in the ball park and nibble up to my line. If I see this one stays pretty true though, maybe I'll invest in the Irwin and rely on it a little more.
Thanks!
Shawn
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Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
I guess it's too late to withdraw the dewalt from the auction? bummer.
That's why i take too long buying the tools i need, and still you find out about faults when it's too late.Christmas eve I bought a 10" Ryobi, as advised here. It was $99 and worth it for the time it's already saved doing shelving. I'm working with 1 x 8s, so I have to flip them, but it's no real biggy. I'll be working with 1 x 12s on my next project, so i'd have had to flip them anyway even if i'd bought the 12" saw, which some of you advised would be too much saw for me.Thanks for the advice and opinions!
What Buck said. 705 is cheap now and it's a pro tool. Also look at the Ryobi 10". I think Ryobi gives the most bang for the buck.
The DW 705 is still available? Where? I thought it was discontinued, replaced by DW 715.
Probably so. I'm not up to date with all this.
If you have the DW 705, check out the DW 715 that replaces it the next time you're at a big box. You'll be glad that you have the older one.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Hopefully this 705 will serve me 'till the end of my days of making a living as a finish carpenter. I treat it well.
Yup. For the most part, I want for nothing more in a miter saw, other than the occasional need for larger capacity.
Ditto on that. It's basically why I have the 718.
msm-s:
Put my name on the list of guys advising on budgeting $100.00 for a saw blade, especially if you get the 12".
The blade that comes with the saw will crosscut 2x4's adequately, but if you want any quality performance cut at all, you must replace the factory blade. These are unbeatable as far as I'm concerned: http://www.forrestblades.com/
Save the package the blade arrives in so you can UPS the blade back when it's dull. Don't let the locals touch it.
Kowboy