I plan on putting some hardwood floors in my house in the next month or so, and it's a perfect opportunity to buy a miter saw. I looked at a Dewalt compound miter saw that seemed pretty good for I believe $300, but then right next to it, we have a sliding miter saw. What's the advantage? Why would I need one? Will it just cut a wider board?
First ask yourself why do you need a sliding compound miter saw,if you are only planning on installing a hard wood floor.
Larry,
The sliding miter saw is better, obviously this is why the extra cost. For me as a "woodworker" I would rather have the slider but at the time regular was what I got. The advantage is you can cut the occasional wider board.
I have found out that the slider is better for me when I am doing "fine" woodworking. This enables me to make finish cuts on wider boards without the hassle of flipping the board and trying to line up the previous cut. For "rough" carpentry etc it is not a big deal since your tolerances are larger.
Will you be doing serious woodoworking in the future? Are any of your hardwood floor cuts beyond the capacity of the standard miter saw? The last hard wood floor I saw installed they used a skill saw. I was surprised.
Also Lowes is having a 20% off sale on saws this weekend only. Check it out.
My 2 cents. Sincerely, Rich
Dan, perhaps this is just the FIRST project he'll use it for, and is thinking ahead to his needs to cut boards much wider than hardwood floor planks. I borrowed a 10" miter saw to cut 8+" wide boards one day, and found to my dismay that it wouldn't cut them in one pass. A couple days later, I became the happy owner of a 12" miter saw...
dave
Dan Parrell wrote:
I'm thinking about getting this one for $144:
it's not accurate, you might as well use a hand held circular saw and eyeball the cut.
Look around the 'net, you may be able to get a very nice, brand name saw, reconditioned, for about that or a few shillings more. PC, Delta, DeWalt, and Bosch all sell recons via dealers. I've never bought a reconditioned tool I didn't think was just as good as the new version, after one job.
Here's some examples:
They come and go from most dealer's shelves, but with some diligence, you can get a good tool at a good price.
Barry
Personally, I won't buy a cheap no-name tool. Some private brands are very good, but in this case, who knows? If you are going to use it to frame out a shed, it is probably a good deal. If you are going to build nice projects, furniture, etc, it is risky at best.
I have the DeWalt 12" that I bought for a flooring job. I could not justify the extra cost of the slider, but this is a very accurate saw and the stock blade give a good cut. Got mine at HD, but I saw it for $10 less at Coastal Tools today. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net
When I was shopping for a replacement I was convinced that I did not need a slide model. Well Idid get the 10" sliding model and I do not regret it at all. I find that it gets used more combined with table saw it sort of replaces a radial arm saw in most cases. I got the Bosch and have been buying Bosch ever since.
D.Martin
Thanks for the responses. Yes, I have been pretty serious in WW for the last year. Made many hardwood projects, and figure this is my next tool. I thought the sliding feature was for larger capacity, and you all have confirmed my suspicions!
Thx.
The other advantage is the better range of angle mitre cuts - up to 60 degrees on the slider. I second the Bosch too. Prfer it over my friends DeWalt slider. Except for the damn dust collection. I think I have yet to get ANY sawdust it that bag...
I've not got one but the cheaper ones I've seen lack rigidity. A slight sideways pressure will move the saw and that will affect cut lengths. If you are going to get one check the sideways rigidity.
John
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