# Recommendation for a Miter Saw



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

The saw choice depends so much on your planned use and budget---The DeWalt 12" is a good all around saw with a good height of cut for tall base boards.

I have a 12" Delta what is amazing in it's accuracy--that does most of my trim work and all nested crown ---

I have a DeWalt 12" slider---a good truck saw as it will cut closet shelves along with the usual trim---The sight lines are lousy compared to the delta so I only use it for smaller jobs.

I added a neat little saw to the collection a few weeks back---A Kobalt 7 1/4" compound sllider---light as a skill saw and good for small pick up jobs like trimming out one door --or cutting framing material and deck boards----Aluminum channel--

I like it so far----Mike-----


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I would go with the 12". It will allow you to cut wider trim and wider 2X material such as when building a deck without having to flip the board over to finish a cut.
Even trying to cut most laminites, or stair treads with a 10" can be a problum.
Once you have narrowed down your choises I'd suggest you go on Amazon.com and look at the bottom of the listing to check out comments from people that have bought the saw.
I will never buy another Dewault tool, had way to many brush and switch problums on all my saws and drills.
All my Makita tools have never had to be repaired, after even 5 years of every day use.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

I have a Delta 10" slider. It works great and is a very handy tool. I'm glad I bought the slider for it's versatility. I think it'll crosscut a 1x12. But it's heavy. I hate moving it. If you will be carrying it up and down stairs, don't buy a bigger saw than you need. Some stands, like the Rigid, fold down into a hand truck, with wheels, that you leave the saw bolted to. Great when you can roll it, not so great for lifting it. Some stands fold up flat and light for storage and moving; you bolt the saw to it once it's set back up. 
For homeowner use, any of the pro quality name brands will last just fine. Some will be easier to use and adjust.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

I have a Makita 10" sliding miter saw. It is model LS 1013. Awesome saw! Very quiet smooth running saw.


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## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

ridgid had a new 10" dual bevel sliding miter saw for $400. the lever is on the front for doing bevel cuts. 12" blades tend to wobble and really how often will you need to cut something that big? i do mostly interior work and i've need to go grab the 12" saw maybe once a year for some large crown


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

most newer sliding saws have a pretty large cut capacity, the differance between a 10'' and 12'' is the total height they can cut.

if your going to be cutting quite a bit of shelving the 12'' is better though can suffer from '' blade wobble'' which can create a less accurate cut,, dewalts are notorious for this

kobalt..- dont know much about them but im pretty sure its nothing more than a rebranded tool, which gets a different name and color scheme based on the store selling it

ridgid- bad record with bearings wearing out quickly, small table for material support

makita- great saws decent price

dewalt- bearings go bad fairly quick compared to almost every other brand, bad blade wobble, terribly under powered for a 15 amp saw which can actually be dangerous as it will grab the material and pull it risking major injury ( had this happen on 5 differnt saws all being hte same model) runs about 900rpms slower than almost every other brand

milwaukeee- big, heavy, but very very accurate and stays accurate

bosch- big heavy very very accurate and stays accurate, the axial glide is rated as the closest competition for the Festool kapex. my current saw is hte bosch 4212L, extremely accurate. my next saw will be the axial glide in either 12'' or the 10'' which comes out next march


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## sleong (Apr 20, 2012)

Thank you all for all the tips and suggestions. I am now considering to get a 10" instead of the 12" since I don't think I will be cutting anything that wide. Also, 10" blades are cheaper than the 12" blade. Since my storage room for the saw is not very big and with limited space the 10" will have a smaller footprint. I'm now considering the Dewalt DW717.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

Hi,Welcome to the Forum. Good luck on your pick.
Whatever your pick, the original blade (except Festool)
are not all that good. For really clean cuts on your
new saw, a premium replacement blade will give
much cleaner cuts. At least one DW717 review calls
the stock blade 'crap' but I would believe that would
be true for any brand.
Also it is a good idea to include your location in your 
profile and check out how to Post pictures in the How To section


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

PaliBob said:


> Hi,Welcome to the Forum. Good luck on your pick.
> Whatever your pick, the original blade (except Festool)
> are not all that good. For really clean cuts on your
> new saw, a premium replacement blade will give
> ...


Makita still puts a decent blade on their miter saws. My LS 1013 came with a 70 tooth carbide blade that cuts really nice. Reviewers of the saw liked the stock blade too!


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

ive heard the same, the blade on the kapex is stain grade ready

when i buy mitre saws i keep the stock blade for framing and deck work


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## scottktmrider (Jul 1, 2012)

I would go with a 10" sliding saw.It will cut bigger material than a 12" and you have more blades to chose from and blades are cheaper to.


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## sleong (Apr 20, 2012)

PaliBob said:


> At least one DW717 review calls
> the stock blade 'crap' but I would believe that would
> be true for any brand.


What is a good blade to replace the stock blade with? My first project will be to replace a carpet floor with laminate flooring.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

sleong said:


> What is a good blade to replace the stock blade with? My first project will be to replace a carpet floor with laminate flooring.


I have a old 60 tooth Freud TK 106 that cuts smooth,that being said, a Freud 80 tooth fine finish blade would work great minimizing tear out.Amazon has a LU98R010 10 in h 80 tooth that Freud recommends for laminates.It sells for $78. It states one side of laminate has smooth cut so some research is in order on which side is cut face down.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

freud blades are great and can be resharpened 6x. i use 40 tooth blades for cutting mdf trim and switch to a 80 tooth for stain grade work

if you cutting laminate i wouldnt invest in a expensive blade for it. laminate flooring is full of resin and glue which will destroy a blade in no time. when i install laminate i just cut it with a circular saw, but cut from the bottom so the saw foot doesnt scuff up the new flooring and so it doesnt chip hte face


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## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

the ridgid 10" dual bevel saw comes stock with a freud diablo blade.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/MS255SR-Miter-Saw/EN/index.htm


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

home depot has a deal with freud where freud is the primary brand of blade they sell, since ridgid is exclusive to hd freud blades go on the saws


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I have the Ridgid 12" with their stand and I like it a lot. My neighbor has the Dewalt with their stand. The big advantage with the Ridgid over the Dewalt is the Ridgid fastens to the stand and can be left mounted there and their stand has wheels so it's easy to move. The Dewalt has to be removed from the stand every time you move it or you need a friend to help carry it.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

yah. the ridgid stand is handy in that sense but makes loading the tool a 2 man job as the stand alone is almost 70 lbs.. add the weight of a saw too and your over 130lbs depending on saw model. i have a bosch 12" on the rigid stand

dewalt now has a stand similar to the ridgid and bosch axial glide but not as good a design.. and yet still costs more than most other stands....as for saws stick to the proven 3. makita, bosch and the milwaukee..


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## riddlers (Oct 3, 2012)

Makita 1013 10" sliding saw if you are happy with a decent to good quality saw and a Festool Kapex if you want the best of the crop.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

woodworkbykirk said:


> yah. the ridgid stand is handy in that sense but makes loading the tool a 2 man job as the stand alone is almost 70 lbs.. add the weight of a saw too and your over 130lbs depending on saw model. i have a bosch 12" on the rigid stand
> 
> dewalt now has a stand similar to the ridgid and bosch axial glide but not as good a design.. and yet still costs more than most other stands....as for saws stick to the proven 3. makita, bosch and the milwaukee..


My friend has the Bosch 12" slider and he has had quite a bit of trouble with the fence. But he has had it for quite a while now so hopefully they have that problem solved or maybe he just got a bad one it happens.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

it depends on how often its transported and handled while doing so. if its just thrown in the truck or van it will get knocked out of alignment. ive only had to adjust mine once and that was after 4 years of service getting ready for a stain grade trim package throughout a full house .the saw merely needed a shot of lithium spray lubricant more than anything


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## sleong (Apr 20, 2012)

I've narrowed it down to two saws now. Which is the better one to go with.

10" Double Bevel Sliding Compound Saw
Bosch 4310 (no stand - purchase separately)
Dewalt DW717 (there is a promo for the free DW723 heavy duty stand now)

I'm more concerned about the performance and the ability to give accurate cuts.

I plan to buy the saw early to mid next week. Hope to hear your thoughts by then.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I've got the DeWalt ---A little disappointing---poor sight lines---and early failure of the head tilt stops---

Still a good useable tool----but I think the Bosch might be the better choice.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> I've got the DeWalt ---A little disappointing---poor sight lines---and early failure of the head tilt stops---
> 
> Still a good useable tool----but I think the Bosch might be the better choice.


I haven't bought dewalt in a dozen years. I have their drywall gun from the 90s and a sidewinder circ from the 90s that is made in USA. I think the circular is model 953. Their newer stuff just hasn't tripped my trigger.


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## robs660 (Feb 14, 2012)

Although it is very expensive. I would suggest checking out the festool kapex saw before you make a decision. It is a "do everything" saw. Just change the blade and you can go from cutting framing to stain grade crown in minutes. Love everything about the saw. HD mine for 3 years


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## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

festools saws are vvvery expensive and i dont even look at that.
ridgid is probably the best bang for your buck.
bosch is a little pricey but you get what you pay for.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

robs660 said:


> Although it is very expensive. I would suggest checking out the festool kapex saw before you make a decision. It is a "do everything" saw. Just change the blade and you can go from cutting framing to stain grade crown in minutes. Love everything about the saw. HD mine for 3 years


Wow if he's just putting trim up around the house and stuff for himself talk about sticker shock your going to put him in the hospital.:laughing:


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## sleong (Apr 20, 2012)

robs660 said:


> Although it is very expensive. I would suggest checking out the festool kapex saw before you make a decision. It is a "do everything" saw. Just change the blade and you can go from cutting framing to stain grade crown in minutes. Love everything about the saw. HD mine for 3 years



Festool is too expensive and out of my reach. I know they are a good saw but really how many times in a year will I pull it out to make cuts? Probably not enough to make it worth while to invest in that!! I'm just the typical DIY guy.

Well between the Dewalt and Bosch one is made in Taiwan and the other Mexico. Whether this matters or not in quality.

Bosch I'd have to spend an extra $200+ for a stand and the Dewalt includes a stand till the end of the month. 

Maybe I may look at Rigid as princelake noted. 

I've had a few Dewalt tools but no issues with them so far.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

For what you are going to use it for I think any of the ones you are looking at will be a good choice just decide whice one has the bells and whistles you want and go for it. About where they are made, as sad as it is to say, all power tools are made overseas now if i'm not mistaken (possible) the last one to leave was Porter Cable.


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