In the market for a compound miter saw

[rec]

Any suggestions on brand, features, etc. Mainly will be used for honey do projects. First use will be to cut baseboard molding for our den. I am
sure it will get used for speakers as well.....lol. I would like to stay in the $250 range. Should it be a 12" blade or 10"? Do I need a slider?
All opinions appreciated as the number of choices is a bit daunting

[Jon Barnhardt]

Max depth of cut determines if you need a slider.

I have a non sliding 12" miter saw and it has served me very well. It has about an 8" max depth of cut.

Most of your normal tool brands are good choices. Mine is a Menards brand and has worked fine for 5-6 years...

[LelandCrooks]

Screw that price. You need THIS!!!

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tool ... id=GCM12SD

Seriously badass. Zero clearance to the wall.

[sandwichman]

My father in law just got that bosch, it is seriously badass! He also has the bosch jobsite tablesaw, that rocks too.

[rec]

Dang LeLand are you trying to get me divorced? Ha ha......that thing is bad azz.
Not sure I can justify the price....we shall see

[CoronaOperator]

Since it looks like you"ll be new to a miter saw, I'll offer my $0.02

First off, all power tools should be used with caution. The miter saw is not only no exception, It will be one of your most dangerous tools in your collection! Its right up there with chainsaws and axes! The reason being that it is one of the few tools where the workpiece remains stationary but the very dangerous blade moves position. Your hands may be in a seemingly safe position when you start your cut, but be lying on the floor when you bring the handle down. Be careful and always have your work piece tight against the fence, make sure your finger isn't between the workpiece and the fence, use the clamps provided.
End of safety lesson but head it well.

Options:

Dual Bevel: You'll pay a huge premium for this option. There is nothing a dual bevel saw can do that a single bevel saw can't. With a single bevel saw you will be constanly fliping over your work piece to cut the other end to length (if your doing miters). Flipping 14' lengths of baseboard around in tight quarters to cut the other end is no fun. If your a contractor, get this option, if not, is it really worth the $200 premium to you?

10" vs 12": Again a premium but depends on your intended use. A 10" blade cannot cut a 4x4 fence post in half in one cut. If you are doing fencing, decks, etc you might want to go 12". Large diameter objects (over 3" thickness) and some methods of cutting crown molding (cut on the angle of instalation rather than cut flat with a bevel) may also neccesitate the 12" blade.

Sliding: Almost always worth this option on a 10" saw unless your strickly doing thin base molding or picture frames. On a 12" saw you may or may not need it. If you need to cut 2x8's or 2x10's for framing or for decks then get this option.

Lasers: Little bit gimicky but the better aligned ones can really save some time and material, especially for newbs if you have friends helping you out on your project.

Dust Collection: If your building fences you can easily fill up an extra large trash bag in a couple hours with one of these saws, If you don't want sawdust everywhere, don't plug one of these saws in! I think the built in dust collection bags is for WAF factor only.

That about everything I can think of.

[rec]

Pulled the trigger on this bad boy yesterday
http://www.lowes.com/pd_42379-67702-C12 ... fo=Hitachi

[LiefStevens]

I was just checking that one out yesterday. I like that it can take up less space than most sliding 12" miter saws. Been reading a lot of reviews and trying to decide which miter to get. Let us know how you like it.

[rec]

CoronaOperator, thanks for all the info. I have much respect for anything with a spinning blade. Hopefully I will be trying it out this weekend and getting some baseboards cut. I will check back in and let everyone know how I like it. This saw may be a little over kill but you never know what projects may pop up now that I have it. It seems like just about the best bang for the buck.

[koturban]

Been happy with myFestool Kapex

[el_ingeniero]

Been happy with myFestool Kapex

Saw porn, or get out of here!

[Chris Betancourt]

Got this one @ Sears for $160 and Im very happy with it.

Help me soooo much with my 16dr's built.

IMG00257-20110725-1412 (400x300).jpg (110.92 KiB) Viewed 2926 times

[thekl0wn]

Buddy of mine just got that Hitachi. Seems very happy with it, though he doesn't do much in the way of trim carpentry. In all honesty, it looks like a lot nicer saw than the 12" DeWalt slider we have in the shop. I've hated that saw since day 1. Just has a cheap feeling to it, and the miters never stay zero'd. Pretty sure the only reason we went with it is because we have a friend that worked for a tool company and could get us deals on DeWalt crap.