Hi All,
I’m looking at a 10″ Milwaukee Miter Saw either the solid 90 degree or single compound. I’ve eliminated dual and sliding miter saws because of weight and price. I see the Mil. and others for about $270-$330, they are light and will do most of what I want to do. I’ve also seen a Bosch 3912 12″ that’s going for about $250 locally but I’ve seen mixed reviews as well. HD has a lightweight but well built DeWalt for less than $300 as well.
Most of the work I’ve been doing would be casing doors and windows, having hung crown mold in a few years. My priorites are, accuracy, ruggedness, light weight, and price. This tool will be for site use and moved daily.
As with all my tools I’d rather get the best and cry once.
Thanks,
N
Replies
I've got a DeWalt DW705 that I'm mighty happy with. It was dead-on accurate right out of the box. So far, I don't regret not getting the slider.
Rarely even use the compound. I bought the crown stops - I prefer standing the crown up and cutting it with a simple miter.
If you wind up with one of these, do plan on upgrading the blade. The thin-kerf that comes with the saw does some serious deflection when the blade brake locks down.
I've recently replaced the stock blade with a thicker Freud diablo and it doesn't wobble nearly as much, if at all.
John
Dunno if it'll help . . . I've been slogging along for years without a slider, relying on the tablesaw and two different miter saws, a 10" Delta and a 12" DW. The Delta has been nice from the portability standpoint - it fits on the back seat of the truck if it has to. It's built like a brick s**thouse and cuts clean all the time. It is, however, very difficult to make adjustments to. The one time I decided it was out of whack it took more fanagling than I felt it should have to get the thing square to the world again. The DW . . . it's a saw. It's fine for most things. All the bad press about DW aside, it's not the spawn of Satan or anything. With a high end blade, it's been pretty decent to me, and it is very adjustable. Thankfully, it hasn't needed it often.
Spent 4 months on a church with another guy and by default ended up using his Makita 10" slider a great deal. I think that's what did it to me. I got the "how the heck have I not gotten one of these yet" syndrome pretty bad. Not to talk you into a slider, but from the versatility standpoint, sure, you're doing base today, but it's kind of like that 4x4 lever on the floor of the ride. When you really need it, aren't you glad you spent a few more ducats up front? Anyways, I researched a good deal trying to satisfy what I felt were things that would make me happy after I got over the pain of the check writing, and I got the Bosch 12 slider. Absolutely can't say anything bad about it. I'm not too far into the honeymoon, but every time I use it I just think "Geez, I was kind of dumb for not doing this sooner." DK if the slider and the other 12 are appreciably similar, but it's a heck of a good setup, and quiet. Hands down much less noise than either of the other two.
Course, the hard part is finding someone first who already has what you think you want. Test drives are invaluable. I had to order the Bosch. Little leap of faith, but worth it in the end. Think I'm the only blue saw in a land of yellow at the moment.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
I have the "light" blue....Makita LS 1211....cant imagine not having a slider. J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Just bought an LS1211 at an auction in Maine from a large cabinet shop going out of business. Almost new for $400. The blade cuts like a dream, leaving very little if any saw marks; but boy is that saw HEAVY. It sits in the back of my truck (enclosed) because I'm afraid to throw my back out moving it for anything other than a job. Powerful, though. And scary. Needs a new vertical return spring. Sure beats my Delta 10", though.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
I agree...heavy as hell...dunno that any of the others are any lighter though. I paid a little over twice that when it first came out...first dual compound on market....but I haven`t regretted a dime of it. Coulda saved some denaro were I a bit more patient and waited....but thats no fun! <G>J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Have you met the new version of the 10" Hitachi w/lazer? Your feed back is appreciated -- I am considering the Hitachi and the Mikita LT1013 (I think that is the correct model #)
Thank you - Dog
RW,
I'm hunting for a Miter-saw and have narrowed my search to the Makita LS1013 or the new version of the Hitachi C10FSH. I have read good things about both saws. The only negative thing I have found about the Hitachi is the dust collection coupler does not make the grade, but hay I would be putting a 1" to a 1.5" hose -- everything I read said/suggested hooking the saw up with a 2.5" hose. I my self do not think using a 2.5" whose is a good idea.
I would appreciate any feed-back.
Thanks!
I just found the Milwaukee 10" 6494-6 for $199.
USA made feels pretty solid and I really like the handle and adjustments. Not to heavy either. I guess all things being equal the deciding factor should be ergonomics. I really found all the other brands awkward to use, why would you need a saftey switch on a miter saw? I hate that dual "lawyer" button jazz.
I was thinking the best bet is a 12" but this 10" will cut a 2x6 square and most trim no problem. If I continue to get drawn back into the trade more than the 20 hours a week I'm doing I'll need to get a slider and till then this'll work.
Can you beleive that price man?! Everywhere I'm seeing it for $339 then BAM $199 at a local dealer. In fact just about every 10" compound I looked at was over $300 so the good price on this tipped the scale.
Good reviews as wel, unless any of you have a screaming negative statement.
Thanks,
N
$199? ....... wow, I'd jump at it. Why so cheap?
I've got the LS 1013 and love it. (See my earlier post). I stayed away from Hitachi mostly because I've not heard much about their miter saws good or bad. At $550, I want to be sure what I'm getting. The only thing I liked better about the Hitachi was the laser guide. I've never used a saw equipped with it so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $ or just a gimmick. The only thing I'd ask from Makita is that they'd make the fence on the right side of the blade taller. Other than that, great saw and I think a lot of other people feel the same.
Thanks for the input. The one thing I found about the Hitachi is that the table is on the small side and the DC hook-up collapse when a 2.5" hose is attached to it--I would think that this would not happen if a 1.5" was used.
So a miter saw should be??? flat and square, all blade angle settings accurate and easy to read, is there anything else?
Thank you so much for your input
I bought the 12" Makita LS 1220 about a year ago when I started doing trim on my house. As the others have said, it was dead-on right out of the box and cuts beautifully. At the time it came with an "extra" blade (60 tooth I think) that cuts glass smooth.
That said, if I were doing it over, I'd get at least a dual compound saw. I'd have to think pretty hard about it, but might even go with a slider -- it's just more versatile and will do everything you'd ever want it to do.
Hey!!! What about the Craftsman 10" compound with single laser? So what if you need to engage the saw for the laser to activate. Seems like everyone forgot about this little gem.
Oh ya...I forgot, I returned the piece of crap because the table was extremely sloppy after several tightenings.
On a serious note, I had the same question in regards to replacing the Craftsman a few weeks ago. Some great advice and opinions as usual. However, have any of you had a serious look at the new PC 12" with adjustable dual laser? It puts two finely tuned laser lines on either side of the kerf. I tried it out and loved it, the lasers were very easy to adjust as needed (i.e. blade changes). Was retailing for $459 Cdn (about US$275).
The only thing that's holding me back is perhaps stepping up to the sliding 10" Makita that everyone here raves about. Like the one person said, once you have it, you always find a way to use it for some project.
Good luck on your quest....Mike
I'm lucky, the 1220 works fine for me, and I talked my father into buying the big dual compound slider - he put out the cash and I can steal it if I need the capacity...
I used to buy Craftsman, but in all honesty "Crapsman" is really more appropriate these days. I don't even buy their hand tools anymore -- everyone else's are better, and they ALL have lifetime guarantees (even Ace hardware). I did buy a roll-around toolbox last Christmas and it's fine, and they have some neat little 'gadget' tools, but they just have cheapened the product so much.
The better brands are much more available now compared to 20 years ago (when Craftsman gained their reputation), so there's really no reason to buy inferior tools anymore.
for maximum accuracy get a 12 inch saw
i use a 12 inch dw single compound non slider to cut prefinished solid maple and oak trim for kitchen cabinets including 6 inch crown
saw was dead on out of the box and still is after 2 years
blade that came with it sucked though
fine finish blade my a**
I use a 12" DW every day at work. Pardon me saying (to all the folks who love their 12" DW's) but it is a beastly machine. It's not THAT light. And it starts up with the most evil roar.... it practically feels like the machine will shake itself apart. I have no idea if it is accurate or not..... it is a well used machine and we do remodeling work.... absolutely nothing is square, flat or easy. So, as far as I'm concerned, my miter joints are as much a matter of my skill as they are the will of the gods. Some days they look like the wood grew that way and others.... well I don't like to claim those. I do not like the DW blades at all. Both the miter saw blades and the circular saw blades I find to be less than serious blades.
I own personally a makita dual sliding compound miter saw. Worth every single penny of $500. Way more than $250 better than the DW 12". Even the stock makita blade is heads and shoulders above the other stock blades. Very accurate. Has a soft start motor and an easy brake that is effective.
I am afraid to use the Dewalt saw at work. I look for reasons to use my makita.
Dewalt however, makes a killer miter saw stand that my makita fits very nicely on. Even got an extra set of "feet" and made myself a little work table. Also worth every penny.
Rob Kress
Which DeWalt are you talkin' about? I'm sure I know without even asking.
"evil roar"................you got that right. Though mine has a little more banshee scream tone to it. : ) OMAE
Rugby,
Just the standard 12" non slider is the saw I am talking about.
And the break is equally evil. It comes on with such a loud racket and is so "forceful" that the saw takes an immediate dive towards the table. Definitely have to keep your hands out of the line of cut on this saw at all times.
Rob Kress
You sent me digging but FHB issue No. 119 (Nov. 98) did a compound miter saw review. Don't know if there's been updates on any of the saws reviewed but the 12" Makita LS1220 was the reviewer's top pick. You mentioned looking at a Milwaukee and it reviewed well (Model 6494-6). Seemed to come in as the 3rd pick mainly based on the 10" blade. Described as rugged, light weight, decent fence. I haven't used either so no first hand experience there.
I do have a good old DeWalt 705 12". It's been around the block a time or two and mainly use it for rough work. I use my "Yellow" slider for trim work. Lately though I have been turning a little bit blue with envy. ; )
This may or may not be useful to you. I bought the 10" Makita slider (LS 1013 I think) just a few months ago. Previously I had a Crapsman. If all Makita miter saws are built like this one, I'd consider one of their models. The accuracy is impressive and the blade that came with it is excellent. Also, if you can find a model with it that's not a slider, the soft start feature is really nice. I've used the 12" DeWalt that these other guys are talking about and it really kicks when you fire it up. That's virtually eliminated with the soft start feature. I understand what you're talking about regarding size and weight. Any slider is a bear to move around but they sure are nice to have. Happy hunting.
A vote for the 12" Makita LS 1220. Smooth and it has soft start. Light enough to lug around. Mine was dead on out of the box. Check out Tool Crib/Amazon's recon tools. Factory new tool warranty, free shipping; $249.99 as is DeWalt's DW 705. Talked to one person who had the Milwaukee- he was really pleased with it. I went with the recon Makita because of the capacity and price. The downside is when you go to replace blades, the 12" ones are more $. If you're going to be doing a lot of crown moldings, DeWalt's dual compound DW 706 might be worth a look.
Ditto for the LS 1220. Mine's great, and the stops are dead on. Too bad that my walls aren't, so I have to tinker with my outside miters anyway...
I've had the Bosch for 6+ years now. Never had a problem. The best blade I ever had for it was the one that came with it, I've had it resharpened 3 times and hate to get rid of it. I've cut delicate crown molding and 4 x 6 landscaping timbers with it. Typical Bosch product...it's rock solid!
I bought the Bosch 3912 brand new from a guy on eBay who seems to offer a few of them each month. The total cost with shipping was $237 for me. I got it in January. I would recommend this saw to anyone. It is light (I carry it by the table sides rather than the handle), the blade it came with is STILL on the saw, it is powerful, accurate, relatively quiet, the steel fence face is ground so any piece placed against it doesn't slip, etc, etc, etc....The only negative is that the table extension is useless - but I think all of them are. Its a great saw and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.