# Sliding mitre saw



## airlifter (Nov 15, 2017)

My grandson is looking for a sliding compound mitre saw. This is his first major power tool purchase and he is not very experienced in wood working. He is looking at a high end Dewalt that is on sale for $350. I suggested that he should look for a less expensive saw at this time. 

Would you guys suggest as a good entry level sliding mitre saw? He says that he is going to build a small deck and do some other DIY projects.

Thanks, Pete


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## airlifter (Nov 15, 2017)

I miss spoke. He is building a mantle not a deck. (senior moment)


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

The deck will probably show up on the list eventually.
You can't rip with it, but assuming he has other available the saw mentioned is nice. 

Bud


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... Has he looked at some of the chinese junk at harbor freight,..??

The plus for a Dewalt is, if he don't like it, it'll bring more money when he sells it,....


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Get the Dewalt if you have to make up for the added expense in some other way for a few months. I've done that and lost about 10 pounds and I need to shoot for another 10.:smile:Make that 15 being Thanksgiving is just over.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I have a 12" Dewalt that I am quite happy with. I was only planning on getting a 10" but it was on sale. All the name brands have pros and cons, you could Google 'sliding mitre saw reviews' and see what comes up. Many consumer groups and woodworking magazines often run comparisons on power tools. I would stay away from cheaper brands. I had a Craftsman that was 'ok' for the first few years then just became really frustrating.

Also consider a stand. They sometimes come as a sale package. Two hints: check the blade, replace if it doesn't come with a quality one; and double check the out-of-the-box settings and adjustments.

There are probably various opinions on Laser guides. I don't have one and don't miss it. I had one on a circular saw and never used it.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Ask him if he knows how to use a compound miter saw.?

Is he going to use it as a plain miter saw and buy jigs.?


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## airlifter (Nov 15, 2017)

ron45 said:


> Ask him if he knows how to use a compound miter saw.?
> 
> Is he going to use it as a plain miter saw and buy jigs.?


This will be his first power tool. He talked like he would be making a few jigs.

He did take some woodworking classes in high school so I am sure he has basic skills.

He lives over 300 miles away so I am not close enough to go shopping with him. I talked to him last night and I think he has done about the same research that I have done. I first told him that a 10' would probably be OK but the more I think about it, I believe the 12' would be worth the extra cost if he plans to keep it for a while.

Thanks for all the help.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Blades are a bit more expensive for the 12" and not always available at local hardware stores. Mine is 10" (not sliding) and other than bevels in thick wood it does fine. But I also sharpen my own blades, even carbide, love the tiny diamond disk in my dremel. 

Note, sliding is much better for laminate flooring and I will have one soon.

Bud


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Like Bud, I just have a simple 10" miter saw and while occasionally it would be nice to have a bigger blade or more features [compound, sliding] it does what I need it to. I think it cost about $100 a dozen or so yrs ago.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

I bought one of the cheap Kobalt 10" compound sliding miter saws at 
Lowes a couple years. Should have spent more. Sloppy motor allows 
the blade to wander so I can't get a straight cut at the set angle. 

I'm happy with most of my cheaper tools but wouldn't go cheap on 
sliding miter saw again.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I opted for a 10" Dewalt double bevel slider when I bought my last miter saw, and am totally satisfied with it. I checked all of the specs, and in fact remember taking a cut off piece of something that I had wondered about to the store at some point, and it has done everything that I have asked of it. I had several buddy's who tried to talk me into a 12" saw, but good blades are not inexpensive and I already had a healthy assortment of 10" blades for my table saw, plus, even a 10" saw is large enough and heavy enough to wrestle into the truck when I take it with me, so I figured why spend more just to have to buy a duplicate set of blades and work harder to move the saw when I want to. Unless planning to make shaker cabinets, doing a lot of large crown moulding, or whatever, I don't see the need for a 12" for the average Joe. And too bad that he's so far away because miter saws seem to be one of those "gotta have" items, at least in a lot of cases, because Craigslist always seems to have any number of them with little use, and obviously less cost.


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## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

I've got a Ryobi miter saw. If I had it to do again, I'd spend more and go with Dewalt or Bosch.(I would not even consider the Harbor Freight stuff for this kind of thing.)

For some things, maybe Ryobi or Kobalt is fine. It always depends on what you're doing. If I was just rough cutting 2x4s for framing or doing random jobs here or there, then fine. But for fine woodworking / furniture building, (which I do), I really should have gotten something better. And at some point in the next year or so I'll probably bite the bullet and get something in the $350 - $600 range.

What's better? The motors and the square. And less plastic parts that matter. One of the most important things about any such unit is keeping everything precise and in square. Solid, heavy tools that can be trued up well and can stay that way can make all the difference in final outcome. With my Ryobi, it's ok, but it's just never 'just right' and I often need to just to a touch of sanding or whatever to adjust things. Unlike by Bosch table saw or other tools that are usually spot on. I do have some other less expensive Ryobi and Kobalt tools, (like air tools and power screwdrivers), and they're great. Again, for what they do. So if this is for rough work, fine, go cheap. For more precise work or if the thing will be moving job site to job site, spend the extra $$$.


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## 1995droptopz (Sep 14, 2010)

I have a 10" non-sliding Craftsman I bought close to 20 years ago when I got my first house and started doing trim. It has the laser guide, but it is off by about 1/32-1/16", so I can't really use it. Essentially it gets the job done, but it is nothing to write home about.

When I built my deck, I upgraded to a 12" DeWalt double compound sliding miter saw so I could cut 2x12s and 6x6s in a single pass. This saw is hands down better in every measurable way than my Craftsman. It is very repeatable, accurate, and much more capable. The only downside is the weight. It weighs almost 60 lbs so it is a bit to manhandle if it will be moved around a lot.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Go ahead and buy it, nobody will know.


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## Davejss (May 14, 2012)

Always buy the best tools you can afford. You'll thank yourself in the future. If it turns out that woodworking isn't your thing you can always sell it. Try selling a used Harbor Frieght saw. You'd be better off tying a rope to it incase you need an anchor.


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## airlifter (Nov 15, 2017)

I found a Kobalt at Lowe's that had good reviews. I think that is the one he will be getting. I have used it a few times and the cuts are good and the angle stops seem to be correct.

I just bought a Kobalt 10" slider and it seems to work well. They come with a 3 year warranty so it should be ok.

The biggest problem I have found so far is that the laser guide is on the right side of the blade. I have no idea why they would do this. I have read that the laser can be changed to the left side but I have not seen any instructions about how to do this. Has anyone here have any experience with this? If not, I will dig in and try to figure it out.


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