??compound miter saws??

[Toyoda]

My wife wants a compound miter saw for her b-day, yes she really wants one. I know nothing about these kind of tools. Who makes the good ones, what size blade, is it worth the extra money for the sliding compound miter?

[morpheus]

what size material does she want to cut with it ? that will determine what size/type to buy ...

[Toyoda]

crown molding, base boards, 2x4, stuff around the house.

[plunkinberry]

I have a Dewalt 12" compound miter and love it. I use it all the time. A 12" can cut up to around an 8" board; I've never had any trouble. A sliding one would be nice, but its a truckload extra money... and I've never felt the need for one. The slider makes the tool into a mobile radial arm saw...

I have also used Makita compound miters and liked them as well. I bought the Dewalt 'cause I liked the D handle better. However, I think the Makita now has a D handle too.

A Milwaukee would last forever and be a great tool, but unless yer wife is a professional, I wouldn't worry about the extra cost here either.

[morpheus]

Then just get a Delta 10" from Home Depot or Lowe's for $89.

An 8" one is just too small as they will just barely cut a 2x4. The sliding ones are nice if you need the capacity but are quite pricey for a decent one.

[fj40guy]

Uh.... If you can do it, spend the extra coin on a 12" NON-SLIDING Compound Miter Saw.

The 12" Makita runs about $300. The sliding version runs about $580.

I love everything about this saw! Bought a couple of different blades so I could do trim, crown moulding, various jobs around the house. Yep, used alot for building the shed (18' x 24') to shelving... etc.

Disadvantage. That "dust bag" is a joke. Just aim the discharge out the back door! Inside I leave the vacuum hooked up and running.

For any serious stick work, build a nice 8' long bench with end supports for a piece of wood. Used a 3/4" plywood base with 2x4's built up to make in and out feed shelves.

Scale is easy to read. The "quick release" and lock work fine. Handle is great for my big hands and my wife can still use it.

Tom

pic on Amazon

[plunkinberry]

I don't use the dust bag at all; didn't even buy one. Have never had any luck with the damn things anyway.

For set up, I built a small table along the garage wall and 2 outriggers for either side. I hinged the outriggers so that they can fold against the wall, out of the way, when not in use. Additionally, I don't have the extra counter space covered in junk (I'm not good at putting stuff away right after use).

[steveh]

I have the Makita 10" slider. Love it! does a soft start so it the pieces stay put when you pull the trigger. As far as the dust bag goes, put a 1.5" to 2.5" vacum adapter in it, and use your shop vac for dust comtrol. Works like a champ!

[F-Trooper]

i use a 12" craftsman @ home & it's works great,
has some nice features, & was priced right(free).
it doesn't get alot of abuse though.

a few years ago i worked as a machinist in a large
furniture production facility. we used a DEWALT for
cutting edge banding. that thing got beat for 16hrs
a day for the two years that i was there, was there
long before i started, & is probably still there now, &
never missed a beat with the exception of replacing
a switch. i was quite impressed to say the least.

[SeanP]

12" ridgid here. Lifetime warranty when I bought it. I have to-date cut exactly three pieces of wood in it. I have run about 10 abrasive discs in it. I just like the ease of doing 45s with it compared to the chop saw.

SeanP

[412unner]

DeWalt is the clear leader, and once you use one, it is obvious why. Look to get a 12" refurbished model, shouldn't cost any more than 200. I am always weary of refurb'd stuff, but I have had mine and used it hard for the last 3 years w/out any trouble, and only recently upgraded to a 12" sliding saw, which was the deal of the year for me:

usual price 599.99-25% holiday bidding war between lowes and HD, came to 480 or so, DeWalt was running a special promotion, and I received a free 2" brad nailer, but, in the meantime, DeWalt had such a large response to the promotion that it took them 6 mo's to get it to me, and as a goodwill gesture they also gave me a 1/32 through 1/2 drill bit set- SAAAAA-WEEET, So you can see why I have so much respect for DeWalt.

[whypave]

The Ridgid has another nice feature which is a label on the front telling you what angles to set it to left and right and compound for cutting crown moulding. The lifetime warranty is nice but I haven't had any problems with mine for 3 years. My father has the Dewalt 12 inch compound and I like the Ridgid slightly better. I've cut many pieces of concrete Hardy Plank siding with his saw and it comes back for more. I don't think the dual compound is necessary for most people. I'd rather get a sliding unit at that price point. The sliding type saws are great for vinyl siding and cutting 8"-10" 1 by stock for making shelves etc. You can always "roll" the material to get more cutting width on a non sliding unit.

Also consider whether a brand such as Delta or Sears Craftsman might work for her. It may not be "industrial strength" but several models in these brands have a laser sight on both sides of the blade which would help a first time user get the cut on the right side of the line and help reduce the number of cuts to get things right.

Investing in one blade with 32-40 teeth for construction work (2x4s etc) and one 60-80 tooth blade for finish work such as crown moulding or trim is well worth the extra money. At Lowes and HD they sell a Dewalt combo pack with both types of blades for about the same money as you can get each blade separately (within $10).

Nice present for the wife to ask for

[jeeplord]

Originally Posted by fj40guy

Uh.... If you can do it, spend the extra coin on a 12" NON-SLIDING Compound Miter Saw.

The 12" Makita runs about $300. The sliding version runs about $580.

for my big hands and my wife can still use it.

As a Union finish carpenter of 10 years I would have to disagree wholeheartely. With 12" blades the blade actually flexes going through even medium density hardwoods. The 12" fixed is good for building decks and that's about it. You'll get alot higher quality cuts with the 10" Slider, I personally like Makita because of the side by side rails system.

You get what you pay for with saws, spend the extra $ and step up, you'll be glad. And don't buy cheap blades, so many people go wrong there. You're going to spend about $1 a tooth for a good finish blade, so don't be afraid to drop $80 on one. And don't use that blade for cutting framing lumber.

Jeeplord
LU 87 Carpenters

[F-Trooper]

good point. i don't cut alot of hardwoods,
but the cut-off saws in both edgebanders &
Cnc that i ran had to take alot of abuse, cut
maple/oak all day long, and be accurate- they
were all 8'' & smaller.

[Toyoda]

I got her a dewalt dw705.