# Which Compound Miter Saw



## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi Everyone,

I was looking to purchase a new compound miter saw and can't decide which one to get. Which one will give me the best 90 and 45 degree cuts? I will be looking at my old magazines and new ones of course to see which ones received the best reviews. And of course I will be looking online also. I want to ask this question here to see what kind of replies I will get on the saws and also if you have one tell me what you like about yours and don't like and which one would you get if you wanted to replace yours if you had to. I was thinking of spending somewhere in the $200 range. I don't want to spend too much on one. I don't really need the ones that come with the laser beam. Just something basic that will give me true cuts. Thanks everyone! Stay safe!    

Boricua


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

My miter saw was a present for Christmas 2 years ago. It's a 10" Craftsman with a laser. I know this saw was under $200. The best thing I can say about it is once I changed the blade I was happy with my results. None of the factory extra's impressed me. The table extension that came with mine is not to be trusted for being square to the table. The dust collection bag is useless, even with a small shop vac attached to the port most of the dust escapes. The electronic brake works well, the pivot stops for the miter are pretty close to dead on. It is a valuable part of my workshop. I am planning on building a bench with wooden extension tables and an extended fence this spring. I feel that for the money this saw is a good value. Keep in mind that the saws with a single laser usually project the line on the left side of your cut. This makes it easy for the majority of work. A twin laser system projects a line on each side of the blade which would be a benefit to a production shop.


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## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks Mike, something to keep in mind. Later...

Boricua


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

I have the 10" Ryobi with about the same features as Mike's Craftsman and the cost was about the same also. I have been very happy with it after a year and a half of extensive use. I did mount it on the Delta folding moble Miter saw table which has made that thing as versitale as it gets. I highly recommend the Delta unit for mobility and flexibility, it is one purchase I would do over again many times if needed.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

I bought one at lowe's the gmc brand sliding 10" miter saw came with a laser guide and works really well for as far as I used it I paid 143.00 for it that was with 20% off the price. The only difference from a standard model from the sliding miter is that you can cut 8" boards insted of 6" board on the standard miter saw.


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## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

Wow, thanks guys for your answers. I just want to make sure I get a miter saw that makes perfect fitting miter cuts. Anybody have any opinions on the Ridgid brand from Home Depot? I haven't seen those yet since I don't have a Home Depot store close by. Anybody?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

All the Ridgid power tools perform well. One of my buddies has a Ridgid table saw and it is a quality built machine. My only complaint would be the single source to buy from. Competition for business makes for better service and better prices.


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## JamesEMc (Nov 4, 2004)

My wife bought me a cheapie (Mastercraft <$100) that performs well enough until you want to get accurate. Really a pain to align square and the fence wasn't straight. My advice to to look for the best one yu can possibly afford. Also, I particularly dislike the thumb safety on mine as well as the one on one of my circular saws - my next one will be designed whio assumes I'm smart enough to keep my fingers out of the way and to keep it away from children.


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## va tech hokie (Feb 8, 2005)

I have the Porter Cable 10" 3700L with twin laser. I really like this saw. I find
the laser is very accurate and does help with accurate cuts..

Hokie...


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

I have the Rigid jointer and drill press and am happy with the quality of both. Use good blades and set up properly and you should have no trouble with Rigid or most other brands. It is a master and not the tool that makes the difference. The tool only spins the blades for the most part.

(Boy am I gonna get murdered for that statement) heee


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## JamesEMc (Nov 4, 2004)

Bob N said:


> It is a master and not the tool that makes the difference. The tool only spins the blades for the most part.
> 
> (Boy am I gonna get murdered for that statement) heee


 :sold: No murder here - I've always said, "It's a poor carpenter who blames his tools," but you gotta admit that you should be able to trust your MS to remain true, but with my cheapie, it seems that I must check every time.


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## scrollwolf (Sep 12, 2004)

I have a DeWalt DW708 12" sliding compound miter saw. Now that is a saw. It is pricey($599.00) but it cut accurately right out of the box. I am in heaven. I bought it 5 years ago at Home Depot, 6 months same as cash.

ScrollWolf


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## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

*I finally made my decision!*

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies! Thanks everyone! Well here's the update. After reading reviews from amazon.com, other websites and replies from here and other forums and after driving around to the different hardware stores and checking out what they had and trying them out and going by my price range, I finally settled for one and made that purchase. And wow, what a nice deal I got from it also! Can anybody guess which one I bought? I tell you what, the first one to guess which one I bought I will send you 200 points! Hmmm... so how 'bout it? Would you like hints first?    

Boricua


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

I'll take a crack at it my guess would be delta miter saw.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Boricua said:


> Wow, I didn't expect so many replies! Thanks everyone! Well here's the update. After reading reviews from amazon.com, other websites and replies from here and other forums and after driving around to the different hardware stores and checking out what they had and trying them out and going by my price range, I finally settled for one and made that purchase. And wow, what a nice deal I got from it also! Can anybody guess which one I bought? I tell you what, the first one to guess which one I bought I will send you 200 points! Hmmm... so how 'bout it? Would you like hints first?
> 
> Boricua


The Dewalt for sure. :sold:


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

My guess is Craftsman. They are hard to beat for the price.


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## DONALD (Sep 12, 2004)

Boricua said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I was looking to purchase a new compound miter saw and can't decide which one to get. Which one will give me the best 90 and 45 degree cuts? I will be looking at my old magazines and new ones of course to see which ones received the best reviews. And of course I will be looking online also. I want to ask this question here to see what kind of replies I will get on the saws and also if you have one tell me what you like about yours and don't like and which one would you get if you wanted to replace yours if you had to. I was thinking of spending somewhere in the $200 range. I don't want to spend too much on one. I don't really need the ones that come with the laser beam. Just something basic that will give me true cuts. Thanks everyone! Stay safe!
> 
> Boricua



DeWalt at HD for $198. Get a good crosscut blade from Freud and you'll be very happy with the cuts you get.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

That only leaves the "Ridgid", or "Ryobi".


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## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

*What a sweet deal!*

And the winner is Bob N for being the first one to get it right! Bob N 200 points is coming your way! Donald I'll also send you 200 points just because you hit it right on the nose! I actually did purchase both. Take a look at the pictures. Okay this is the great deal that I got. I went to several hardware stores to see what they had and when I went to Sears they had the Dewalt DW703 miter saw on sale for $189.99 until the 16th of March. After that I went to Lowes to check out what they had on their prices and really liked the Dewalt so I went to customer service and told them if they do price matches from competitors. They told me yes plus 10% off on top of that. And wow, what a sweet deal! I paid $170.10 for the miter saw and $39.67 for the Freud blade. I bought the Freud blade for finish work of course. So all in all I just paid $220.26 for both. Nice!    Thank you all! Stay safe!

Boricua


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Nice pull of the trigger. I would say from my experience of miter saws that you got a fantastic deal on a top notch machine. You will enjoy that one for many years to come. When the time comes to replace mine that is most likey the name I will go with as a large portion of my shop is already "yellow".

Congrats


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## -Sam- (Sep 24, 2004)

Bob N said:


> Nice pull of the trigger. I would say from my experience of miter saws that you got a fantastic deal on a top notch machine. You will enjoy that one for many years to come. When the time comes to replace mine that is most likey the name I will go with as a large portion of my shop is already "yellow".
> 
> Congrats


Thanks Bob! Yeah, I was so happy with the deal that I just had to post it on this thread as you can see. I didn't mean to show off or anything, sorry folks. I was just too happy about it. I just took those pictures with my picture phone just in case Lowes wanted proof or something. Hehe...  Well thank you everybody! Stay safe

Boricua


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

There is nothing better than a "gloat" when you deserve one and I'd say you deserved this one for sure. Actually I am a little jealous :~)

BTW.... thanks for the points


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