Power Miter Saw

WoodSheddin · Post by **WoodSheddin** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:22 pm

I want some bookshelves, new audio rack, and new baseboards in the front room.

Went shopping and got serious sticker shock!

Bought a Ridgid portable table saw at Home Cheapo and am now thinking I also need a power miter saw for crosscuts/chopping, and for miter cuts.

I am just starting to get into woodworking and don't want to spend a fortune, but I also have a tendency to upgrade very shortly if the toy does not perform.

Any suggestions on a decent power miter saw or brand which would work well for the weekend woodworking warrior and last?

Hopefully before winter sets in I will also build a 150 sqft shed to replace a small metal shed which is falling apart BUT does for some reason have a 20 amp dedicated circuit feeding it an outlet and light.

chipster55 · Post by **chipster55** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:57 pm

Here's a link to the 1st page of Sears/Craftsman mitre saws:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/search.d ... button.y=9

Hope it helps.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:10 pm

I've got a cast-iron Delta belt-drive miter saw. Weighs a ton and will probably outlast me. It's floored two houses, done countless other projects and still works like new.

But if I were to do it again, I'd probably run down to the local Harbor Freight outlet and buy one of their slide compound miter saws. It's cheap enough in comparison to the Delta that if I broke it, I could just get another one.

If you've got time to do some tweaking the Chinese cast iron machinery (cabinet saw, jointer, planer, etc.) represent a very good deal. Like Chinese tubas, fit and finish isn't great, but you can correct that.

dmmorris · Post by **dmmorris** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:28 pm

I picked-up an old Mikata from a local contractor (he was upgrading). I just love this thing! chops wierd angles with ease. It lived all of it's early life sliding around the back of a construction van and still works like a charm. Very rubust motor. The blade cowling has a nipple for standard shop-vac-hose which helps keep the saw-dust-mess from spewing all over the work-shop. My advise....buy used!

Brassdad · Post by **Brassdad** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:36 pm

THere is a "reconditioned" Makita web site. Has several miter saws listed.

http://www.cpomakita.com/search.php?terms=Miter+saw

I'd go with this one: http://www.cpomakita.com/saws/miter_saws/ls1221-r.html

Because I have a 10" craftsman....and there ae times I need the additional 1".

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:06 pm

Brassdad wrote:THere is a "reconditioned" Makita web site. Has several miter saws listed.

http://www.cpomakita.com/search.php?terms=Miter+saw

I'd go with this one: http://www.cpomakita.com/saws/miter_saws/ls1221-r.html

Because I have a 10" craftsman....and there ae times I need the additional 1".

If you can swing it, get the slide miter saw. You never know when you have to cut a 2x8 at 45 degrees--and even a 12" fixed-miter saw won't do it. The slide saw is lighter and uses less-expensive blades--a big cost factor.

If you're using the saw for finish carpentry, ditch the factory blade and get a decent one, like a Freud or Forrest. You'll never regret it.

Philip Jensen · Post by **Philip Jensen** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:20 pm

replace a small metal shed which is falling apart BUT does for some reason have a 20 amp dedicated circuit feeding it an outlet and light.

That would be your simple heating. For the De-lux model, you can install a 3-way light socket. We jokingly would call that the In-law shed, for when they get too old and have to move in. If it leaks, you just through a tarp over it, and if you a feeling particularly geneous, in goes the 3 way bulb. That way they can have 3 heat setting for those cold winter nights

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:10 pm

Philip Jensen wrote:We jokingly would call that the In-law shed, for when they get too old and have to move in. If it leaks, you just through a tarp over it, and if you a feeling particularly geneous, in goes the 3 way bulb

I always thought that the socket was for the EasyBake oven, so you didn't have to fight with them for use of the kitchen...

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:38 pm

Like said before, if you can swing it get one of those nice dandy Compound sliding miter saws like our wood shop has. it might be a Bosch but who knows.

Of course this could be a problem because you are on a budget.

You did mention you wanted it for a lot of crosscuts..... in this case you can save LOADS OF MONEY!!!:

Get a miter guage for your table saw you have already bought. Much cheaper than a whole miter saw lol.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:37 pm

XtremeEuph wrote:Get a miter guage for your table saw you have already bought. Much cheaper than a whole miter saw lol.

...until you have to cut a 16' 2x10 at a 52 degree angle....

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:41 pm

bloke wrote:I buy nearly all "regular" tools (top brands/top condition) used.

Unless it's in the classifieds, most of the woodworking stuff that you find at "buy and sells" here is probably stolen from construction sites.

The crooks even steal windows and doors--the latest with the high price of scrap copper is wiring and plumbing. Some idiots even jumped the fence at a substation and ripped the grounding wires from a 500 KV transformer farm. It even surprised the repair crew from the utility that they didn't find a crispy critter...

tubafatness · Post by **tubafatness** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:30 pm

I don't know anything about buying miter saws, but I know enough to advise you to WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!! It's very easy to cut off part of or a whole finger with such a high-powered saw. Well, I guess you could use the saw with your right hand; that way, you cut a finger off, it wouldn't matter that much!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:46 pm

tubafatness wrote:I don't know anything about buying miter saws, but I know enough to advise you to WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!! It's very easy to cut off part of or a whole finger with such a high-powered saw. Well, I guess you could use the saw with your right hand; that way, you cut a finger off, it wouldn't matter that much!

Hey, how about all of us left-handed people forced to a right-handed tuba world? We're the only ones in our right mind!

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:33 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:
XtremeEuph wrote:Get a miter guage for your table saw you have already bought. Much cheaper than a whole miter saw lol.
...until you have to cut a 16' 2x10 at a 52 degree angle....

No kidding, thats why I mentioned it being on budget and only for that particular reason of crosscutting!!!

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:26 pm

Harbor Freight and Grizzly are the first places I check. It's all made in China now. Often the Harbor Freight stuff might require some fine tuning by you. For example, the blades on the 6-inch jointer might come looking like they were "sharpened" with a brick, but you are going to need to sharpen the Delta jointer blades anyway. The 14-inch Harbor Freight band saw might come with a rinky-dink motor mount, but it's simple to rig up a sturdier one. The wood lathe is a dead ringer for the one sold by Jet at twice (or more) the price, but the casting hasn't been finished off as nice, and the paint might flake off -- no problem, it still turns wood just fine.

(There sure are a lot of "might"s in that previous paragraph. Do you think maybe that guy has bought some of this stuff?)

Many of Grizzly's tools are obviously the same as what is sold by Harbor Freight. But many of their tools are unique to Grizzly. Fancy a trip to Springfield, MO?

Buying Harbor Freight tools requires an adjustment of attitude and mentality. You can order something, and maybe you'll get it soon; or maybe you'll get it after a while; or maybe you won't get it. You can't be in a hurry. And plan on doing some tweaking and adjusting after you get it. Not that you will have to do it -- it might be fine -- but plan on it, then you won't be disappointed.

If ordering online, don't order a few small items along with a big item. If the big item is no longer available (their inventory tracking isn't the best), they will just ship you the small items and forget to adjust the shipping charge.

And never ever buy something from Harbor Freight unless it is "on sale". That's just the Harbor Freight way. Definitely not a place for people in a hurry.

WoodSheddin · Post by **WoodSheddin** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:41 pm

SplatterTone wrote:Harbor Freight and Grizzly are the first places I check.

There is a Harbor Freight store close to me and I got a gift card for Christmas a couple of years ago so I went to buy some stuff. Took it home and literally EVERYTHING broke within days.

The stuff was freakin dirt cheap but most all of it only has the overall shape of a tool.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:57 pm

Well, you gotta know what you are buying. Some of it is OK and a real bargain. You'll develop an eye for telling the good stuff from the bad stuff. Just go back and buy some more, then see what lasts. Go on, now. They're waiting for you.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:26 am

I'll add (Having been there, done that): Whatever you decide to get, try to test the bed that it is perfectly flat. And grab something to test accuracy of the angle readings. You are in a tool store, right?. There should be stuff laying around you can test with.

I bought my compound miter saw about 25 years ago when I built a storage shed with a barn type roof. Sears sold one that was kind of like a little radial arm saw where all the angles were adjustable. As I learned more about this, I realized that the bed on my saw is not perfectly flat -- it is slightly higher on one side of the blade. So the size of the wood affects the accuracy of the angle.

Another thing to look at is how true the blade turns (i.e. no side to side movement, and you can't wiggle it around by hand). That will affect the smoothness of your cuts ... another thing I learned the hard way.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:04 pm

SplatterTone wrote:I'll add (Having been there, done that): Whatever you decide to get, try to test the bed that it is perfectly flat. And grab something to test accuracy of the angle readings. You are in a tool store, right?. There should be stuff laying around you can test with.

...and the same goes for any of the cast iron stationary tools there. There are some very good bargains, but you have to be willing to true things up and sometimes go as far as reworking the ways.

I have a little 4" tub saw that bought at HF for $40. It did the job for less than renting one would have cost--and it probably still has a few tiling jobs left in it, so I'm money ahead there. But I had only a few tiles to miter-cut, so it was a fair gamble.

Unfortunately, many consumer-end tools today are at least partly made in China.

If you want something that will last for years, be prepared to pay real money for a name brand like Porter-Cable, Milwaukee, Hitachi, etc. If you want something for light use, HF is just fine if you're careful in your shopping. Stay away from Ryobi, B&D and the "consumer-only" lines if you spend real money.

runelk · Post by **runelk** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:38 pm

get a Dewalt.

But check out Ebay first!
I've got almost all my tools (brand new or slightly used) from them. At more that half the cost.