Miter Saws

[Frosty Thunder]

OK I have a question. What is the best miter saw made for critical angled cuts and square end trim cuts?

Thanks George

[Rumpty]

DeWalt RAS.

[Unisaw A100]

Omga?

are others.

UA100

[bridger]

any miter saw, followed by a lion trimmer.

[Chuck Hoffman]

The one that has been carefully and skillfully adjusted.

I don't mean to sound condescending but you can't trust any manufacturer's factory settings. Every power tool needs to be checked for accuracy. Most of them (at least the contractor- and cabinet-grade machines) will make the kinds of cuts you describe after being carefully set up.

I have a remanufactured Delta power miter box I spent three days adjusting (without the aid of a dial indicator). It now cuts virtually perfectly.

[Wally]

You must stay away from the sliding compound miter saws. Many here will claim they're accurate but this is pure fantasy and I advise to do the test yourself. Pull them all the way to their full extension and move them sideways. You'll see as much 1/8" of play sometimes on some models (DeWalt, Makita, the Hitachi isn't that better either, etc...).

Now factor in the vibrations when cutting through hard wood like maple... The saw will vibrate enough to trow off any carefull miter adjustments.

You're best bet is to pick a high end model with solid construction and of the non-sliding type.

Otherwise, the ideal tool for that is a table saw with a home made sled.

Wally

[Ba r r y]

What he said!

I have a(n) SCMS and usually use it only for rough cutting to length and putting an angle on trim to be coped. If the cut really counts, the saw needs to be locked into a non-sliding mode.

If the cut really, really counts, and/or it's wider than the non-sliding setup allows, the TS and sled are the shizzle. Table saws typically have less runout and better blades, as well. Stock miter saw blades aren't usually good enough for fine work. They're fine for framing or deck building.

For trim, a Lion trimmer can't be beat. Don't forget to cope when necessary.

Barry

[WoodMangler]

Fo Shizzle My Nizzle...

[NanaAno]

hear, hear!