I sold my RAS 3 years ago thinking I'd never use it after we moved into a new house, but I was wrong. Don't tell my wife -- she thinks I'm perfect. ;-)
I have a few projects needing more than my skill saw. I need to decide whether to buy a good used RAS (there are hundreds out there in great condition sitting unused in basements and garages) or go for a new sliding mitre saw.
Projects I currently have on my list include some framing, fence- building, and putting baseboard and crown molding in several rooms. If I hired a handyman to do even one of these projects, it would cost at least 3x what a new saw will cost. Plus, I enjoy the projects as long as I don't have a deadline and can knock off to "watch the game" when I feel like it.
I liked my RAS for cross-cutting, and in a pinch it was acceptable for ripping plywood. I didn't find it great for really good finished mitre cuts, but that could be me rather than the saw. I've never used a compound mitre saw and don't know if it would be any better than the old RAS. I have enough space for either saw.
Which saw would you choose for these projects (and more like them in future), and why? If a CMS, is there a particular 10 inch model you recommend?
Thanks,
Rick