sliding compound mitre saw choice

[David Robinson]

I've realised that _not_ having of one of these is making my life 10x harder than it needs to be!

Uses will be cutting 4x2, joists, floorboards, skirting, architrave etc and anything else that comes along and fits it. (Pity chipboard won't!)

I've been put off by the price of a decent mitre saw for ages (from reading the FAQ I didn't think there was much point buying a poor one which can't cut accurately), but I've realised that the amount of time I've spent fiddling around with a mitre block or making a mess of things with a cheap jigsaw means that one would have been a good investment six months ago, and may still be worthwhile now (i.e. as I start to second-fix the house).

I've found these two, which seem to be the cheapest "good" makes...

HITACHI C8FSE

GCM800S (200-216mm)%20=Sliding%20Mitre%20Saws&product=3D121321Both start at about =A3220.

Has anyone had any experience with either? Am I wasting my money getting something so "good"? I reckon the 312mm cut of the Hitachi might be useful occasionally above the 270mm cut of the Bosch, but maybe not that often.

I need a stand too. There seems to be some badly thought of junk out there (Axminster seems to fall apart). The Bosch comes with a stand at =A3305. There are cheap stands on eBay. I'd be happy with a second hand stand. (I'd be happy with a second hand mitre saw, but the good ones don't seen to come up often, or be that cheap when they do!). To state the obvious: I don't like spending money.

It seems like the kind of thing that will get a lot of use for a few weeks, then go away for a couple of years, then come out and get thrashed again for a month, then go away again. So I want it to last and not rot away, to get my money's worth.

Any thoughts / advice?

Cheers, David.

[stuart noble]

(200-216mm)%20Sliding%20Mitre%20Saws&product=121321>> Both start at about £220.

Anything that slides is only as good as the bearings and IME they don't run smoothly for long, which makes them tiring to use. I'd get a cheap chopsaw and use a circular saw with a home made sawboard for anything that's too wide for it.

[Andrew Mawson]

architrave

chipboard

(from

makes...

>

(200-216mm)%20Sliding%20Mitre%20Saws&product=121321> >

stand at

anything

I bought a DeWalt compound saw and the long extending stand - can't remember model numbers but it was a biggish one, and it has proved invaluble in building several piched roofs over the last few years both at my last place and here on the farm. It has stood the test of time and slides very smoothly. Makes stud work a breeze.

AWEM

[dom]

I don't know what volume of work you're likely to do with your mitre saw, but the professional stands make a *big* difference to your production rate, particularly when handling long timbers.

Maybe look around for one bundled with a *good* stand - usually bundled at far less than the price of buying separately (I think they're fairly flexible about mounting a saw from a different manufacturer):

[The Medway Handyman]

David Robinson wrote: (SNIP)

I've got one of these

which is pretty well made.

Never used it, its clogging up the workshop. Yours for a few beer vouchers - if you can collect - I'm in Kent

[dom]

Axminster gave me one of those as a freebee when I bought a mitre saw. Unfortunately I'd have to say that's about it's value. I gave mine away on freecycle.

[nicknoxx]

(200-216mm)%20Sliding%20Mitre%20Saws&product=121321>> Both start at about £220.

I've got a Makita LS1013 which is probably outside your budget, but it is about 5 years old and has been well used. It still works faultlessly and is still accurate when cutting angles. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly. As others have said, for cutting long timbers it's important to support the workpiece and I find a roller stand on each side does the job well

[dennis]

I have a cheap one and it still slides easily and smoothly after two years intermittent use. It is a real time saver and makes things easier to do. It has some type of ball bearings on the sliding bit which work fine as long as you don't leave caked on much on the slides.

[dennis]

8<

You would probably be better off with a workmate and a couple of roller/ball stands. You can set the stands far enough apart to actually support a long length.

[The Medway Handyman]

When I build a deck I never use a stand, can't see the point. I leave the saw on the ground.

You start with a pile of framing timber/deck boards about 2' high. Drag timber off pile onto floor, onto saw, cut, drag to installation area. Saves lifting large heavy lumps of timber on & off the table.

[Dave Osborne]

(200-216mm)%20Sliding%20Mitre%20Saws&product=121321>

Can't comment on either of those two models other than to say they both come with a 24-tooth ripping blade and you're gonna want to spend £20-40 on a 48-tooth cross-cut blade pretty much from the word go, so consider allowing for it in your budget.

[dent]

I've got it's little brother - the LS0714 - which cuts up to about

60mm thick, but about 310mm width. I use it for furniture making, but have also used it to build a couple of roofs. It's had use at least weekly for the last three years, and is still completely accurate. It's a bit more than you seem to have budgeted for, but is worth the money.

dan.

[dent]

Agreed. Or just put the saw on the ground.

dan.

[dent]

One final thought: whatever saw you end up getting, get yourself one of these at the same time:

other brands also available on ebay. I don't know how I managed without one.

dan.

[dennis]

You have to be careful about that, you need the support at the same height as the actual saw bed if you want 90 degree cuts. If its something crude it wouldn't matter. I tend to use it for cutting lap joints and stuff like that and you get noticeable errors if the support isn't in the correct place

Its also tends to be uncomfortable working on the ground which doesn't help safety.

[David Robinson]

Thanks Dave - hadn't spotted that.

This just gets more and more expensive! If I'd thought "hang the cost"

6 months ago, then it would have been worth it - but from next year I hope to avoid some of these jobs for a while.

So even my "cheap" options, with stand and blade, come _well_ over =A3300 (maybe pushing =A3400, depending on stand), while a nice Makita LS0714 is that much on its own.

I think I'd better get a joiner to quote for some jobs, just to remind me how much I'm saving. Plus I like the satisfaction of doing a job well myself.

Cheers, David.

[nicknoxx]

No it isn't £340 or £377 including stand

> I think I'd better get a joiner to quote for some jobs, just to remind

[Mathew Newton]

Ooh... Now there's a tool I don't think I've seen before. I use my digital caliper all the time so I can imagine similar benefits for angles.

Presumably you're using it to set the blade as opposed to the somewhat crude printed scale and angle stops on the saw (on mine at least)?

That could well be going onto the Christmas list...

Mathew

[newshound]

Mine too!

[dent]

Yes, and translating angles from what I want to fit against, to what I need to cut. Also, the stopped mitre angles on my saw are accurate, but the bevel scale doesn't have stops, and is hidden around the back of the machine making it tricky to set up from the front, but the angle gauge fixes that.

dan.