Compound mitre saw

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Blue Jay

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I have a Dewalt 12" compound miter saw, only a couple of times would I have used a slider.
My use was to build a log home.
 
Hello first post! My question is i am looking to buy a mitre saw but i dont know witch to buy. I am looking at the dewalt from lowes but they have all different sizes. I want a double bevel saw but i dont think i want the sliding one. I wan to buy the one that i will use fore a long time the main purpose for buying it is to build a new front and back porch and other projects later on. help is dewalt a good brand? or would something else work just as good for less? I am a mechanic by trade and know nothing about carpentry Please help.
 
I can't advise on brands, but I have a Ridgid 12", and I like it. I use the sliding feature all the time, especially for wide trim pieces (e.g large crown molding, exterior fascia). BTW, I bought a refurb, and it was in basically brand-new condition when I got it. I highly recommend that you consider one and use your "savings" to upgrade to a nicer saw. Not sure about the linking policy, but a Google search will turn up sources.

Matt
 
I have a Dewalt 12" compound miter saw, only a couple of times would I have used a slider.
My use was to build a log home.

Thats what i needed to know.. I think i am going to get the 12 inch double bevel saw..
 
I bought the dewalt Dw716 and this thing works great.. I also bought the rockwell jaw horse with the miter saw adpter and i love this stuff works great together. I now look forward to doing home remodeling projects...
 
I own three differant brand compound saws.
Hitichi 12" double bevel, with slide (super saw, powerful, will cut up to 12" in one pass, great when trying to cut things like wide rim joist, soild stair treads, porch fasha boards.

Ryobi 12", I've had this saw for 15 years and it still works fine, never has given me any trouble except the bearing are getting old so I nolonger use it for fine trim cuts. Ha for under $200.00 when new I expected that.

12" Dewalt, it get the least use because between the switches and brushes going bad it's been a pain.
 
I have two Ryobi saws, one standard miter saw I bought new way back in 1986 when I started to frame and trim out my house. It has been all over and still runs pretty darn good. My new sliding saw and stand is used for trim and cabinet work. The slide is great as you can get a large board in there and make a perfect cut ( as long as you measure twice, cut once!) New version is not as heavy duty as my 1986 model, but what's new? I also have a Ryobi table saw, not really intended for commercial use but good around the house for home projects, ripping, easy to transport. My Craftsman skill saw was bought back in 1980s and still can do the job.

Hey TNTROY: Send us some pics of your first projects there.

Hey BlueJay: How about pics of that Cabin you built.
 
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Hello first post! My question is i am looking to buy a mitre saw but i dont know witch to buy. I am looking at the dewalt from lowes but they have all different sizes. I want a double bevel saw but i dont think i want the sliding one. I wan to buy the one that i will use fore a long time the main purpose for buying it is to build a new front and back porch and other projects later on. help is dewalt a good brand? or would something else work just as good for less? I am a mechanic by trade and know nothing about carpentry Please help.

Hi TNTROY -

I’ve had quite a bit of experience with DEWALT tools, and so far, touch wood (pun intended), I’ve had no major issues. Had a couple of small issues here and there over the years, but nothing that I haven’t been able to fix myself or that hasn’t been covered by warranty (I’ve read horror stories from other manufacturers denying warranty claims, but again, I’ve had no issues here from DEWALT - as I mentioned though, all my problems have been relatively minor).

On the subject of miter saws specifically…I use the DWS779 with the sliding mechanism. To be honest, it’s a feature I could take or leave as I never come across the need for larger crosscuts.

The dual bevel is something I 100% use. The thought of pulling out and flipping round the wood on a single-bevel model seems like a real hassle, so I’d recommend you stick with the dual-bevel idea.

As you’ve mentioned, miter saws come in several different sizes (8”, 10”, and 12” are typically the most prevalent, with these sizes referring to the blade size).

For the porch building project you’ve mentioned, I don’t think there’s any need to go with a 12” model. Yes, they’ll be able to cut wider and deeper, but they tend to be bigger, heavier, and more expensive all of which put me off larger miter saws in general.

If I were you, I’d probably opt for a 10” model. They’re a good compromise in terms of size, and because the blade is smaller (than with a 12” model), it’ll spin faster to give a better quality finish, and you won’t be sacrificing that much in terms of cut width/depth.

Check out this miter saw buyer’s guide if you want to know more re: size, blade type, and other features to keep an eye out for.

Anyway, that’s just my two cents! Hope this helps.
 
Welcome Geoff,
The original post was from 2011, doubtful they are still looking for an answer. He's only made 5 posts in 9 years and three of them were on this thread.
 
But one heck of a write up!
 
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