Miter Saw Shopping

[Glenn F.]

I am shopping CL and Marketplace for a power miter saw for projects around here. I currently just have an old Stanley hand miter saw. A compound saw would certainly be nice but a standard one would probably do just fine. What brand(s) should I look for/avoid? Simpler is better. Quality over gadgets……

Thank you,
Glenn F.

 

[Scott 730]

Love my 12" Dewalt.

 

[caterpillar guy]

You can cut a lot of angles with a radial arm saw both sideways and cornerways at once.

 

[cwtech]

I have a Makita 10" saw I bought more than 20 years ago. ....I don't use it for business, but it still does a lot of work for me.

The yellow Dewalt saws have a good reputation, as well as some models from Harbor Freight.

Don't buy a used saw unless you can plug it in and hear it run. .....Before plugging it in, try "wiggling" the blade to see if the bearings are worn.

A good quality blade will make an inexpensive saw perform well. .....A 60 tooth carbide-tipped blade for doing quality trim work. .....If you'll be cutting mostly 2x dimensional lumber, a cheaper 40 tooth blade will suffice.

 

[SkipperII]

I had a Craftsman, that got passed to my SIL, when my grandkids got me a Ryobi compound, sliding miter saw. Haven't had a chance to use the new one yet, but it seems to be well made.

 

[old_bc]

I am shopping CL and Marketplace for a power miter saw for projects around here. I currently just have an old Stanley hand miter saw. A compound saw would certainly be nice but a standard one would probably do just fine. What brand(s) should I look for/avoid? Simpler is better. Quality over gadgets……

Thank you,
Glenn F.

I have a HF that does just fine. It the type that slides and will do a 12" board.

 

[Glenn F.]

You can cut a lot of angles with a radial arm saw both sideways and cornerways at once.

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Is this a good saw?

 

[bc]

I have a HF that does just fine. It the type that slides and will do a 12" board.

I've got the HF Chicago radial arm saw that does all the cuts I want. Sideways and slanted, no problem. All saws, including table saws, need to be checked and adjusted so all the angles are exact.

 

[Glenn F.]

I have a Makita 10" saw I bought more than 20 years ago. ....I don't use it for business, but it still does a lot of work for me.

The yellow Dewalt saws have a good reputation, as well as some models from Harbor Freight.

Don't buy a used saw unless you can plug it in and hear it run. .....Before plugging it in, try "wiggling" the blade to see if the bearings are worn.

A good quality blade will make an inexpensive saw perform well. .....A 60 tooth carbide-tipped blade for doing quality trim work. .....If you'll be cutting mostly 2x dimensional lumber, a cheaper 40 tooth blade will suffice.

I have a Makita 10" saw I bought more than 20 years ago. ....I don't use it for business, but it still does a lot of work for me.

The yellow Dewalt saws have a good reputation, as well as some models from Harbor Freight.

Don't buy a used saw unless you can plug it in and hear it run. .....Before plugging it in, try "wiggling" the blade to see if the bearings are worn.

A good quality blade will make an inexpensive saw perform well. .....A 60 tooth carbide-tipped blade for doing quality trim work. .....If you'll be cutting mostly 2x dimensional lumber, a cheaper 40 tooth blade will suffice.

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What about this one?

 

[MarkB_MI]

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Is this a good saw?

Is this a good saw?

Sears sold a bunch of those saws, and for 80 bucks you can hardly go wrong. Parts might be an issue, but there are a lot of aftermarket parts available for Craftsman saws on eBay. I think Emerson was the manufacturer, the same company that makes the Ridgid brand power tools sold at HD.

Big miter saws have pretty much replaced radial saws, so used radial arm saws are pretty cheap. If you don't need the portability of a miter saw and have room in your shop for another machine, a radial arm saw could be a good solution. I need a portable saw and my shop is full, so I use a 12 inch compound miter non-sliding DeWalt miter saw. It gets a lot of use. If I was shopping today, I'd probably get a slider.

 

[RobCons]

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What about this one?

I have the 12 inch version of that Delta. It must be 30 years old and is still going strong. Used in almost daily when I was a remodeler.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

I have a 12 inch Makita, had it for close to 30 years now.

 

[Fred Werring]

I am shopping CL and Marketplace for a power miter saw for projects around here. I currently just have an old Stanley hand miter saw. A compound saw would certainly be nice but a standard one would probably do just fine. What brand(s) should I look for/avoid? Simpler is better. Quality over gadgets……

Thank you,
Glenn F.

I've got a compound Dewalt I bought off FB marketplace, and like the saw.
Bought it because it came with a folding roll around stand for a good price.
I don't do that much in the way of woodworking, so the stand makes it nice for getting it out of the way.
Bought a non working Kobalt table saw for $20 just for the stand, mounted my Skil table saw on it.
Space is at a premium for me (isn't it for everybody) and I just don't need things taking up space when not in use.
FWIW

 

[Tgrasher]

A ten inch will cost less and serve you well unless your cutting boards over 5 1/2", and even then, I've learned to flip the board over for straight cuts.

 

[Mark-Ia]

Get a 12" saw.

 

[Larry H.]

I have a Makita 10" saw I bought more than 20 years ago. ....I don't use it for business, but it still does a lot of work for me.

The yellow Dewalt saws have a good reputation, as well as some models from Harbor Freight.

Don't buy a used saw unless you can plug it in and hear it run. .....Before plugging it in, try "wiggling" the blade to see if the bearings are worn.

A good quality blade will make an inexpensive saw perform well. .....A 60 tooth carbide-tipped blade for doing quality trim work. .....If you'll be cutting mostly 2x dimensional lumber, a cheaper 40 tooth blade will suffice.

Agreed- a good quality blade will make the difference.

 

[bc]

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What about this one?

Basic saw with heavy cast iron base like my similar old craftsman. Will only cut 2x4 or 2x6, nothing bigger as I recall.

Anymore the cost of a stand is more than the cost of the saw, go figure.

 

[Blackhole49]

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Is this a good saw?

I've had one of those I bought used about 40 years ago. Done a lot of projects around the house with it over the years (very handy saw and I like it more than a table saw). I also own one of these. If I were doing mostly miters or cutting lumber for a pole barn etc., I would rather have the Dewalt. If you get a power miter, get a slider.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWS779-Sliding-Compound-Miter/dp/B01ESCU5WS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LG6V17Z1HOZK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qtpooas5RYMUsawdDDnk7_9gIAd5rav8zKQvuN5JGz8t6xob8EarzUVXDUi_tbhips6rStq0lk7kUC9IjEbB2aPYbOaCRALR-05eDdTZFgMCek4qbjLqgXB9eqZQfJOOQBt1oAJXBDkbEzOG8tI8ZrZJdfEKYicoQi2K8qb7Evky_PTzmk0mxvvTV84a6chv4FlIUZmS5CRSELOvlciNAbQjiJRjBgG-7JGwYb4EUqc31i8THwxpIFM3FuKQG5v0aBWxhEqxuZ5axEMHEQy65ge_FSk8gqtgDJ1bRZawume4wsX-7BNIJ10gPiVMYb8FQ84myZ7_Fupjm6Vp0zifPN6UnjZq2VZZkTEVFwZLnb-p9oVrF5rULXXeSMR8EO1dT2dKv8FrxuxcccrMznblkkNgAU2b8bEyYVaomoOQt0F3_XSVsB4erxs5JC4KMDtd.M_NTuaKWpJIpa-LCpU_elLdsNmpv1XoRaUwB4ymaK8s&dib_tag=se&keywords=dewalt+sliding+miter+saw&qid=1741787833&sprefix=dewalt+sl%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

 

[wh]

Have a bauer from harbor freight. Works perfect for my projects. It is a 12 inch.

 

[wh]

Have a bauer from harbor freight. Works perfect for my projects. It is a 12 inch.

My mistake. It is an admiral brand from harbor freight