Sliding Miter Saws

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  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #16
    I believe that compound sliding miter saws have progressed to the point where their predecessor (radial arm saw) was before it fell out of grace with the safety gods and was doomed! Great accuracy is not worth squat if your degree indicators are in 1 degree incriments and can not replicate them! Case in point, on my powermatic 64 table saw the bevel indicator is correct, kinda. If I want 20 degrees I still must put the Wixley gauge on the blade because the indicator may be off .50 degrees. That doesn't sound like much but it will leave a noticeable crack in the joint.
    capncarl

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    • dbhost
      Slow and steady
      • Apr 2008
      • 9209
      • League City, Texas
      • Ryobi BT3100

      #17
      Just to take counter point here, I should mention that even ghastly expensive sliders, and non sliders can make horribly inaccurate cuts when operated by those with poor technique...

      I KNOW I spend WAY too much time setting up for cuts insuring my angles are exactly where I want them to be, making test cuts, verifying angles and such... I bet you I would spend only slightly less time verifying my angles prior to making my "real" cuts on a Festool Kapex...

      Long story short, my cheapie HF slider works well enough for me, and until I get WAY more skilled, or have to make a living doing this, I can't justify the expense...

      There is far less side to side play in the actual head of my HF slider than was in my B&D non slider, or my old neighbors non slide Makita... From what I have read though, I might have gotten really lucky with this..
      Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

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      • Condoman44
        Established Member
        • Nov 2013
        • 178
        • CT near Norwich
        • Ryobi BT3000

        #18
        Weight

        Not much has been said about the weight of the CMS. When I first got a CMS I was using it to take on job sites. It was not long before the Delta with CI base was to heavy to drag around. I switched to a Hitachi that had an AL base. I continue to use that saw in my shop today.

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        • bigstick509
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2004
          • 1227
          • Macomb, MI, USA.
          • BT3100

          #19
          Originally posted by dbhost
          Just to take counter point here, I should mention that even ghastly expensive sliders, and non sliders can make horribly inaccurate cuts when operated by those with poor technique...

          I KNOW I spend WAY too much time setting up for cuts insuring my angles are exactly where I want them to be, making test cuts, verifying angles and such... I bet you I would spend only slightly less time verifying my angles prior to making my "real" cuts on a Festool Kapex...

          Long story short, my cheapie HF slider works well enough for me, and until I get WAY more skilled, or have to make a living doing this, I can't justify the expense...

          There is far less side to side play in the actual head of my HF slider than was in my B&D non slider, or my old neighbors non slide Makita... From what I have read though, I might have gotten really lucky with this..
          I could not agree more with your Festool vs other CMS slider or not comparison. I struggle with what is accurate enough, shoot for 1/64th and except 1/32. For a hobbyist that works for me. Time spent on test cuts don't bother me. In fact I purposely don't have a clock in the shop/garage as any shop time is time well spent and to be enjoyed.

          Mike

          "It's not the things you don't know that will hurt you, it's the things you think you know that ain't so." - Mark Twain

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #20
            I'd say my biggest gripe with sliding miter saws is how nearly impossible it is to check the angle and bevel against the back fence, compare it to the saws scale and get back to that spot again after it is moved. If the mfg would get the scale to blade correct we wouldn't be looking at $1400 festools.
            capncarl

            Comment

            • dkerfoot
              Veteran Member
              • Mar 2004
              • 1094
              • Holland, Michigan
              • Craftsman 21829

              #21
              I do a fair bit of segmented turning and for that, I greatly prefer my non-slider, even though it is just 10". It is just so much easier to get dead-on accurate. On the very rare occasions I need additional cutting depth, I have always been able to use my table saw. Well, one time I had to resort to (gasp) a hand saw...

              If I were ever to replace it, I'd get a 12" non-slider.
              Doug Kerfoot
              "Sacrificial fence? Aren't they all?"

              Smaller, Smarter Hardware Keyloggers
              "BT310" coupon code = 10% for forum members
              KeyLlama.com

              Comment

              • tfischer
                Veteran Member
                • Jul 2003
                • 2343
                • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                • BT3100

                #22
                My CMS is nearing replacement time as well. It was my first stationary power tool in about 2002, and my wife bought it for me as a gift and picked up a relatively cheap Ryobi. Even at its low price point it has served me well over the years and is by far my most frequently used tool, as I'm always chopping things off with it (fortunately not fingers lol) even if I"m not doing "real" woodworking, which I tend to do in bursts and spurts and dry spells.

                The 10"'s capacity is a little too low for my taste, so I need to decide if I'm going for a SCMS or a 12" CMS. Or maybe a 12" SCMS?? lol. Definitely require accuracy though.

                Comment

                • lrr
                  Established Member
                  • Apr 2006
                  • 380
                  • Fort Collins, Colorado
                  • Ryobi BT-3100

                  #23
                  I've got the basic Ridgid 10" CMS, and for most work, it is just fine. I've even used it for crown molding, and it was dead-on accurate. A bit more capacity would be nice for angled cuts on larger lumber. For 90 degree crosscuts I go to my radial arm saw. It's an oldie, I bought it in 1975, and with proper tuning and a high quality blade, it delivers incredibly smooth, accurate cuts. I have not used it for miter cuts in 10 years, I want to keep it locked in at 90 degrees. And miters are so easy to set up on my CMS instead.

                  After purchasing a Festool track saw last year, I will be getting a Festool Kapex in the future. Its hard to settle for anything less. I have used a Bosch slider, and would not hesitate purchasing one, if I had not been severely affected by the Festool bug. But my Ridgid CMS won't go away, it will just go to the garage workbench for rough outdoor projects that don't need the precision I expect in my shop (and to save me the pain of running in and out of the basement when building projects outdoors).
                  Last edited by lrr; 11-07-2014, 10:50 AM.
                  Lee

                  Comment

                  • jussi
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 2162

                    #24
                    Not everyone's cup of tea but I love my Kapex.
                    I reject your reality and substitute my own.

                    Comment

                    • jussi
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2007
                      • 2162

                      #25
                      Originally posted by lrr
                      I've got the basic Ridgid 10" CMS, and for most work, it is just fine. I've even used it for crown molding, and it was dead-on accurate. A bit more capacity would be nice for angled cuts on larger lumber. For 90 degree crosscuts I go to my radial arm saw. It's an oldie, I bought it in 1975, and with proper tuning and a high quality blade, it delivers incredibly smooth, accurate cuts. I have not used it for miter cuts in 10 years, I want to keep it locked in at 90 degrees. And miters are so easy to set up on my CMS instead.

                      After purchasing a Festool track saw last year, I will be getting a Festool Kapex in the future. Its hard to settle for anything less. I have used a Bosch slider, and would not hesitate purchasing one, if I had not been severely affected by the Festool bug. But my Ridgid CMS won't go away, it will just go to the garage workbench for rough outdoor projects that don't need the precision I expect in my shop (and to save me the pain of running in and out of the basement when building projects outdoors).

                      They had a recon Kapex earlier today. I think 2. But they go pretty quick.
                      I reject your reality and substitute my own.

                      Comment

                      • Cochese
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jun 2010
                        • 1988

                        #26
                        Originally posted by jussi
                        They had a recon Kapex earlier today. I think 2. But they go pretty quick.
                        Like a rare white elk.

                        I was lucky to snag a recon Midi.
                        I have a little blog about my shop

                        Comment

                        • jussi
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2007
                          • 2162

                          #27
                          Originally posted by Cochese
                          Like a rare white elk.

                          I was lucky to snag a recon Midi.
                          Nice. I wasn't in the market for another vac but picked up a ct33 when they came around. Will replace the fein I use with my kapex. An added bonus is that it came with an air module.
                          I reject your reality and substitute my own.

                          Comment

                          • Pappy
                            The Full Monte
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 10453
                            • San Marcos, TX, USA.
                            • BT3000 (x2)

                            #28
                            I have an older Porter Cable 10" SCMS that I got a killer deal onback when Sam/s Club had a decent tool section. ($500 at Sears and I paid $140) After I dialed in the scales I haven't had any accuracy problems.

                            Unfortunately the saw is no longer produced or supported with parts so I may find myself in the hunt for a replacement before too long.
                            Don, aka Pappy,

                            Wise men talk because they have something to say,
                            Fools because they have to say something.
                            Plato

                            Comment

                            • wardprobst
                              Senior Member
                              • Jan 2006
                              • 681
                              • Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
                              • Craftsman 22811

                              #29
                              I've had a Makita 12 compound saw for a few years and really like it. Mounted on a Rigid MSUV it has done a lot of different jobs around here for a few years.
                              DP
                              www.wardprobst.com

                              Comment

                              • jabe
                                Senior Member
                                • Apr 2006
                                • 566
                                • Hilo, Hawaii
                                • Ryobi BT3000 & Delta Milwaukee 10" tilting Table circular saw

                                #30
                                If I had to replace my old Hitachi 10" slider, I would go with the Bosch.

                                Comment

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