Miter Saw - Woodworking Talk

hubaseball · 08-05-2008, 11:33 PM

I am looking to update my miter saw. I have one that is not too percise and it is showing in some of my work now. Currently I have a 12" but don't know if I need the new one to be that big. I think a 10" would be fine. I have looked at the Rigid and for the price and quality it looks like a good deal. Any feedback or input would be great.

firefighteremt153 · 08-06-2008, 06:58 AM

I have the Ridgid 12" compound ms and love it. It's about 1.5 years old and has been banged around and has stayed true. The only thing I don't like about the saw is the factory blade and the laser thats installed on it isn't adjustable and it hasn't ever been right on the mark. The dust bag doesn't catch as much dust as I would expect but those problems are minor to me. I can't really say anything about the 10" but I would think it would be built exactly the same but only smaller.

John in Tennessee · 08-06-2008, 10:59 AM

or so. My laser got broke off the 2nd time I used it. No great loss.

dbhost · 08-06-2008, 05:09 PM

I know this is a hokey saw, but my Firestorm FS100L 10" has been dead accurate every time I have used it once I learned to just ignore the laser and line up the blade!

firehawkmph · 08-06-2008, 08:48 PM

Hubase,
It depends what kind of work you want to do. I am on my second hitachi sliding compound saw. The first one I used for over fifteen years to trim houses. It was their first saw, an 8" one. I now have their 10" sliding compound WITHOUT the laser. I have been using this for 5 or 6 years now with no problems. Forget the lasers, they are just a gimmick. Learn to use the teeth on the blade to determine your cut. Hitachi invented the sliding compounds and I think they still make one of the best saws on the market.
Mike Hawkins

John in Tennessee · 08-20-2008, 08:33 PM

I'm sure I'll get in trouble saying this but here goes. I think the higher end models will stand up to heavy use longer than the cheaper lines. This goes for tools, fishing reels and most anything. If you only use it a few times a week you'll be ok. Now if you were in a high production environment you would get in trouble. I dare say that the guys that buy the high end stuff know what they need and it'll get heavy use. A good example is the Titans training parking lot. You'll see $500 clunkers and a $200K Ferrari. Guess who has the used cars..? :) BTW PacMann had a butt ugly butterscotch
Lamborghini

mmtools · 08-21-2008, 01:14 PM

I would have to agree with John in TN, that the higher end models outlive the cheaper ones. I have been in the Power Tool business for 66 years and I cannot tell you the number of times that contractors have said they get 2-3 years longer life out of a higher end models. The accuracy of a better built saw will stay longer.
The issue we have with Rigid is the part replacement. It takes about 6 weeks to receive a part if you need it. Customers do no want to wait that long, simply because they cannot afford the down time.
I would recommend a Brand name such as Makita, Festool, Bosch, DeWalt, or Delta. Each of these Power Tool Companies have been in business for a long time, with factory reps in each town, authorized parts and service centers in every town, which results in more accessiblilty and customer service.
The price varies for each Brand and there are so many options for a 10" or 12". Sliding, laser, dual compound, or single compound, etc.
I would recommend for the price a Makita 10" LS1040 for $249.00 This is a single compound miter.
Mike O www.toolsandmachinery.com