10" SCMS or 12" CMS -- Which would you keep?

Over the years I've managed to acquire a 10" Hitachi sliding miter saw (without laser) and a 12" Porter Cable non-sliding miter saw (with dual laser). Both in excellent condition. I have limited space and want to sell one of them. But I can't decide which to keep. I mainly do hobby woodworking, and occasionally Pergo. I don't do construction, and rarely need to cut a 2x12. Which would you keep?

Reply to
Albert
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Keep the slider. More versatile and is there when you need it (which will occur immediately after you sell it). Will also do almost every cut that the 12" non slider will do. Add to that the Hitachi is a better machine than the Porter Cable and you have my vote.

Reply to
Robert Allison

I have a 10" SCMS, don't have a 12" CMS. Personally, I'd keep the slider, but that best matches what I do. You should keep the one that best matches what you do.

The 10" slider will cut wider, the 12" miter will cut deeper. What do you do most off, wide cuts or deep cuts? Also, if you give up the wide in favor of the deep, do you have a workable way to make the infrequent wide cut? If you give up the deep in favor of the wide, do you have a workable way to make the infrequent deep cut?

Answer those questions for your particular situation, and the choice that's best for you will be obvious.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

Reply to
Tom Veatch

Since you know what you do, you also probably know which one gets the most use.

Reply to
B A R R Y

I'm not sure if you are attempting a gloat or a drive-by. Most of us have no frame of reference for your dilemma. "Shall we take the Rolls or the Bentley today, James? I really can't decide."

DonkeyHody "Even an old blind hog finds an acorn every now and then."

Reply to
DonkeyHody

Is it unusual to have more than one chop saw? Then I finally have a gloat. I have 5 of them. I have the Dewalt 12" SCMS, the Hitachi 10" SCMS, a Delta 10" MS, a cheapo 8" CMS (for shoe mold, small jobs, it is easy to carry), and a Delta 10" CMS. They each do slightly different things and it is nice to have more than one saw set up when you are running alot of trim with several carpenters. No lines at the chop saw.

Reply to
Robert Allison

I'd keep the one you don't want.

Reply to
TH

You are not a hobbiest. I think owning five chop saws and having several trim carpenters working for you separates you from at least

51% of us. It was an attempt at humor, perhaps misdirected.

DonkeyHody "I'd rather expect the best of people and be wrong than expect the worst and be right."

Reply to
DonkeyHody

My first impression: Keep the 12" (especially if you have a good table saw). But, before making a final decision, I would determine which one gives the most accurate cut and keep that one.

Reply to
Phisherman

I had a Hitachi 8-1/2" slider and sold it to get a 12" CMS.

A CMS takes much less bench depth - I wanted to get my workshop benches down to 24" deep. The slider needed 30. Fewer moving parts on a CMS should mean better accuracy. Should -- but that's tool dependent. If I was going to cut wide material, I'd use the TS - in fact I'd used the TS for small stuff also If I want the most accurate cuts. The 'chop box' was mostly for rapid cutoffs and rough sizing. I got a reconditioned dual-bevel 12" Dewalt for 209. I may regret it when I do my home reflooring. I'm not sure the CMS will give as good a cut as the SCMS, but then again.. I have the TS.

Reply to
Kevin

Over the years, I've found that a TS is a royal pain in the patoot when you're cutting something like shelving to length, or bookshelf sides, or anything else that is liable to be less than 12" wide and

3/4" thick. I've done it. I'll do it again, if I have to. But a 7' tall bookcase, with 3' long shelves, all cut from 9-10' long stock...nah, I'll take an SCMS any day. One assumes that the SCMS is accurate, and those Hitachis always have been among the most accurate.
Reply to
Charlie Self

Mon, Feb 4, 2008, 10:43am (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Albert) doth query: Which would you keep?

Trick question, right? I'd keep both of 'em, and at 8'X12', my shop is probably more limited in space than yours. I've got a 10" CMS, and the way I've got it set up right now it'll make a cut just a shade under 7" wide.

JOAT - who does not welcome thread question e-mails..

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker I don't have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
Reply to
J T

Albert questions:

I've read all of the replies and no one mentioned the laser. I'm surprised at that. If you have ever had a saw with a laser, you'd never go back. At least, I wouldn't. I have the Delta version of the PC with the dual laser. It's accurate and convenient. Sure beats bending down low to see where the blade will enter the wood. If it were me, I'd keep the PC.

Reply to
Phil Anderson

That's simple . If someone else is driving then you sit in the back of the Rolls, If you yourself are driving then it's the Bentley.

Reply to
Mike

Have they got those lasers down to the width of a razor blade? If not, then they are just not accurate enough for me. I have used several with lasers and the laser was pretty much useless for accuracy within a 32nd or less.

Reply to
Robert Allison

That has been my experience, also. Fine for rough cuts, but those I've seen just don't serve the purpose for cutting to final size.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

Reply to
Tom Veatch

To be really accurate the laser should be mounted so that the beam is parallel to the blade and aligned so that it strikes the highest set point on a tooth, so that you use the tooth shadow for your alignment point. I don't know if any of the commercially available lasers intended for attachment to saws allow this or not, having never dinked with one, but having spent quite a lot of time in a laboratory working with lasers in my youth that's the way I would design it if it were up to me.

Reply to
J. Clarke

I find them highly accurate. They are adjustable, also. On mine, there is a laser on each side of the blade. I did a little review on my Delta, it's on my site at

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I will say, when I'm cutting picture frames, I will set stops and use those rather than the laser. I do find that to be most accurate and quick.

Reply to
Phil Anderson

I did a little test once with the laser. Made my mark several places on the wood test piece. I use a metal scribe to mark with to be more accurate. It makes a mark about a 64th of an inch or less wide. I then did cuts at 90, 45 left and 45 right once using my eye and once using the laser. My eye was better than the wide laser line on every single cut. That was enough for me. The laser mark is so wide that you have to choose where to put the pencil mark in the laser mark. With my eye, I put the edge of the blade in the center of the pencil mark.

The laser would give me a cut that was off by at least a 32nd and many times by more than that.

Reply to
Robert Allison

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