# Advice with table and miter saw purchase



## 96DGGMWX3 (Apr 1, 2011)

Hello, first post here. Found the site while looking for info on a saw. I hope this is posted in the right place, saw several places it would fit...please move if its not. 

I am noob with some experience. Doing some home projects and seeking some input from everyone. I will be putting in some wood floors, doors, window/door trim soon. Down the road a year or two, finishing the basement off and adding a detached garage. For the big projects I will be having someone lead me who has done these projects before but I want to have the proper equipment to get the job done. 

I am not afraid to buy quality stuff, but also do not to wish to spend/waste $ on stuff that is not needed. Lowes was running a sale through yesterday on Dewalt so I picked them up but am considering returning them. (I see now it looks like its there new everyday price..guess the clerk was wrong)

I got a Dewalt 10" DB sliding miter saw: Model #: DW717 With the sale and a coupon it was $382
Also got a Dewalt 10" 15amp table saw with folding table: Model #: DW744X 
It was also $382 with sale/coupon. 

A good friend has the above table saw and the 12" version of the Miter, so I have used them a few times when I helped him on some projects. Both worked great and have held up to his abuse. Now I know I do not need the DB on the miter saw but I wanted a slider and it looks like thats the only way they make it. 

My main question is, am I way overdoing it? I do have the time and would like to try making some small projects for fun. So getting into this as a hobby is a possibility, but not going to happen for sure. 

I was also strongly considering the following alternatives:
The Kobalt 10" SB sliding miter saw for $180 after coupon. Model #: SM2505LW 

Lowes also has a nice (seemed like it to me) Porter Cable 10" table saw with folding stand for $270. Model #: PCB220TS 

Do you think the Dewalt stuff is worth an extra $314, for what I will be using it for? My take on tools is I want it to work and not be a hassle/pain to use...or screw up a project because of a faulty/cheap tool. Ok, I have rambled on long enough......open to all suggestions/advice. 

Thanks,
Jeff


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

It's difficult to make specific recommendations for someone in your situation, Jeff - that is, where you aren't sure about your interest in woodworking as a long-term hobby. Your objective at this point, it seems to me, is simply to "get the job done" for a few short-term projects. For that, the brands you're looking at are fine, I think. 

DeWalt is a well-respected brand within the construction trades, probably less-so among cabinet makers. As such, DeWalt is probably a good fit with your situation - reasonably good quality at a fair price. I've also seen good remarks about the Kobalt brand for occasional users. The big factor that goes into the price of these tools is a combination of build quality, features, and accuracy. But, "accuracy" can have different definitions for different people. For some, plus or minus 1/64 may be fine, for others, a couple of thousandths may be closer to the mark. 

One thing to look at, particularly with the table saw, is how the design allows you to "tune" the saw - essentially, how to true the blade to the miter track, and then how to true the fence. The blade needs to be as precisely parallel to the miter track as possible. The rip fence also needs to be precisely parallel to the blade, or slightly "toed-out" (a couple of thousandths farther away from the back of the blade). If the fence is "toed-in", you're likely to get kick backs when ripping - a big safety hazard. 

Saws of lesser quality are often more difficult to tune, and often go out of tune more easily. That means having to go through the hassle of making fine adjustments, or at least checking them more frequently to avoid accidents.


----------



## mpbc48 (Sep 17, 2010)

Hi Jeff,

This sounds like a job for ..... Harbor Freight...

Their 12" sliding miter saw can be frequently purchased for under $120. If you use their 20% coupon, its under $100. Right out of the box, you'd be able to do the floor installation. Since you cover all the cuts with baseboard and maybe quarter round also, the cuts don't have to be particularly clean or square. 

If you are installing laminate, rather than going through a bunch of cheap blades, buy their blade sharpener for around $65. It will be cheaper in the long run than buying a bunch of $20 blades. Don't spend money on a high quality blade for cutting laminate.

For any finish work, you'll want spend the time it takes to get it set up properly. I used a digital angle cube and am very satisfied with the results. You will need a higher quality blade than the one it comes with though.

If you decide you really don't want to pursue woodworking, you have minimal investment. Search the web for Harbor Freight "gems". 

Its kind of like buying cheap router bits... some of them work just fine for what you want to do and some of them you replace with higher quality when you decide you want to use them a lot. 

Mike


----------



## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi Jeff - Welcome to the forum. 
Just one more thing to think about, whether you stay with the hobby or not. The cheaper tools; Harbor Freight, Ryobi, etc (I'm not knocking Ryobi, I have a bunch of 'em) just don't have any resale value. With the bigger names; deWalt, Porter Cable, Milwaukee, don't seem to depreciate much, commanding 50% or more of their retail price. I've been buying name brand tools off the reconditioned market.


----------



## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

I have the Porter Cable table saw and it is pretty good specially for the money , the guide is very easy to square it up for cutting and the folding/wheels is easy to store and move around, also the Ridgid portable table saw is pretty darn good my son in law uses it for His remodeling/construction company but it costs a little more ... as for the miter saw I have owned 2 Craftsman and 2 Dewalts and now own the very ugly Hitachi 12" miter saw and it is in my opinion superior to the others ....Remember You get what Ya pay for ....with that being said I have skipped on buying the cheaper tools as Later You end up selling them to upgrade and as said in a earlier post Ya get no resale on the cheap tools .... I hope this helps


----------



## 96DGGMWX3 (Apr 1, 2011)

I wanted to thank everyone for the excellent replies. I have since found a few more projects I would like to try so I am probably going to keep what I have. Thanks for the advice on "tuning" the saw. I had no idea that was needed. I assume this would be mentioned in the manual but I have not opened them yet to find out. Been very busy with some other stuff. 

Thanks again, looking forward to learning a lot here.


----------

