Which Miter saw to buy? Need help.

[gatordogs2]

Newbie here to the forum and novice wood worker. I'm putting down some laminate flooring in my house and want to buy a Miter Saw. This is my first Miter saw purchase so I want to make sure its a good one. Most of all, I don't want to buy a Miter Saw and have to upgrade it in a year or two when doing more projects (crown molding, bookshelves, etc) and realized I bought a piece of sh_t or not a advanced enough model.

I’m leaning towards a 10” SCMS based on what others have said about its versatility.

Is a 10" SCMS better than a 12" non-sliding?

The 2 models which seem to have the best reputation are the Bosch 4410L or Makita LS1013.

Also, I went to look at buying a Ridgid MSUV from someone a few blocks away in anticipation of the saw. This retired gentleman has a barely used Ridgid SCMS, MS1290LZ with the Ridgid MSUV for $330 total. It's 2 years old but only used for some ~10 small bird houses and seems to run great.

Is this a good buy for a 12" SCMS and MSUV?
or is the Ridgid MCMS no good?

Thanks for you feedback.
Barry

[prlundberg]

Another one to put on your list is the Hitachi 10" slider.

Between the Hitachi, Bosch, and Makita they are all great saws, hard to go wrong with any one of them.

Don't know much about the Ridgid but seems like a good deal if the size and weight don't bother you.

No matter what you buy make sure it comes with a decent blade or else add that to your budget. I think the stock Makita blade is pretty decent, don't know about the others.

I just went through this and ended up with a 12" Makita slider. Would have bought the 10" but got a deal I couldn't pass up. I saw the LS1013FL was on Amazon for $400 last week.

[LarryG]

Welcome to the forum, Barry. Be sure to stick around after your poll closes ... lots of good folks with lots of good advice here.

If I were in your position, I'm pretty sure I'd jump on that used Ridgid/MSUV deal. IIRC that's about a $550 saw, and the MSUV goes on sale fairly regularly for $99 -- so you're looking at right at half price. Reviews on the Ridgid are a little hard to find, but several folks here have them and I don't recall any serious complaints.

+1 on Phil's comments on a good blade. I put a Forrest Chopmaster on my Delta 36-255L, and it was like I'd bought a new saw. The Makitas reportedly come with better-than-average stock blades, but any stock blade is likely to come up a little short compared to the best ones out there.

Re: 10" sliding vs. 12" fixed, it's mainly a matter of size/weight, and capacity. I've not run into any serious limitations with my non-sliding 12" Delta, and I don't really have enough room (depth) for a slider. That's one of the often-overlooked caveats for sliders -- they typically need a LOT of room, front to back. This may not apply to you if you'll keep the saw on a cart or stand.

Perhaps the single biggest gripe against sliders, though, is excess slop in the slider mechanism. This is generally more of a problem with lower-priced saws -- the old spending-too-little-for-too-many features problem -- but it's something to check carefully on any saw you're considering.

[prlundberg]

Re: 10" sliding vs. 12" fixed, it's mainly a matter of size/weight, and capacity. I've not run into any serious limitations with my non-sliding 12" Delta, and I don't really have enough room (depth) for a slider. That's one of the often-overlooked caveats for sliders -- they typically need a LOT of room, front to back. This may not apply to you if you'll keep the saw on a cart or stand.

One comment to add to that is the Makita slides under the table, so it takes up less space when not in use than other sliding designs, but still is pretty heavy and large compared to most non-sliders.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

The reviews in all the mags allways have the Bosch and Makita running neck and neck. The Bosch usually gets the nod. The Makita reduces some of the depth requirement issues which is important, as SCMS take up a fair amount of room. Both saws reportedly have addressed the slop issue with the travel mechanisms.

I like the Bosch handle which you can adjust. I like the ruler indicators etched into the fence (assuming they can be accurantly set to the blade). I like the Makitas larger cutting surface area. The Bosch will tilt an extra degree or two to the right or left. The Makita is fixed at 45 degrees. The Bosch gets the nod here if you need to make a slightly oversided cut to accomodate a "special" cut you may have made on another piece (aka error!).

10" SCMS is much handier than 12" CMS IMHO. I have owned both. I currently have Porter Cable SCMS that is really awesome. I caught it on sale for a great price, otherwise it is way over priced.

Speaking of price, quite honestly that is what I would let drive this decision at the point. The Bosch and Makita in your poll are both winners. The Makita is currently on sale at Amazon with the extra light and the laser LS1013FL for $399 shipped. Bosch is $499 - $50 rebate. The Bosch is not at its lowest price. I have saw much better deals on that unit. Based upon these numbers, if I had to buy one today it would be the Makita.

BTW : Based upon your comments here and at other sites I don't think you will be in love with the Ridgid a couple years from now. I think it is likely a fine saw, however it seems you are looking to "buy once and forget about it" knowing you have the best. IMHO the Bosch and Makita is the answer to that question. Also, the stock blade with any of these saw will be perfectly fine for installing laminate flooring. As noted on other sites, laminate has huge amounts of glue and other non-carbide friendly items in it. Don't waste a good blade cutting laminate flooring.

[prlundberg]

Also, the stock blade with any of these saw will be perfectly fine for installing laminate flooring. As noted on other sites, laminate has huge amounts of glue and other non-carbide friendly items in it. Don't waste a good blade cutting laminate flooring.

Good point, I didn't catch that.

[SHADOWFOX]

First and foremost, welcome aboard! I have the Makita LS1013 mitre saw and would definitely buy it again if I was in the market for a new one. The quality of this tool is great. The stock blade that came with it is awesome and sharp. Features and ease of use is great specially for a newbie like me. I have my Ridgid shop vac connected to the dust port of the saw and I hardly see any dust on my shop floor. On the weight side, its not that heavy at all. I was putting some trim on my daughters room earlier in the summer and I acutally had to carry the mitre saw from the basement to the 2nd floor of the house. I am actually glad to see that the tool is actually made in Japan and not in China or Taiwan. I did hear some people having problems zeroing out the mitre gauge but mine came in with no adjustments needed. I also have this saw attached to the Bosch T3B miter saw station and it fits perfectly. My only gripe is that I wish the saw came with two work piece hold down clamps.

I have no experience with the Bosch 4410L mitre saw but I do like Bosch products. I have a Bosch jigsaw 1590EVSK, reciprocating saw RS20, and the Litheon driver and they are all great and have had experience no problems so far. It did, however, surprised me to find out that the Bosch mitre saws are made in Taiwan. I've always assumed that they were manufactured in Germany or USA.

Look at the recommendation from the pros in this community and go to a B&M retailer if you want to get a feel for the tool and think of the features that people here like about the tool.

Kind Regards and Good Luck!

[TheRic]

I would go with the Ridgid 12" Slider on the MSUV that the gentleman has for sale. Since you are new to woodworking you could use that saw and get to know what features you do / don't like. Then YOU can make the decision on which one to buy which suits YOUR needs. If you do decide to go with a different saw down the road you could sell this one for about $300 - $400, using that money to put toward your new saw.

A 12" Slider will be able to handle all the things that you mentioned, and then some. The Ridgid 12" slider might not be at the top of it's class but by no means is it at the bottom.

[stormdog74]

I would go with the Ridgid 12" Slider on the MSUV that the gentleman has for sale. Since you are new to woodworking you could use that saw and get to know what features you do / don't like. Then YOU can make the decision on which one to buy which suits YOUR needs. If you do decide to go with a different saw down the road you could sell this one for about $300 - $400, using that money to put toward your new saw.

A 12" Slider will be able to handle all the things that you mentioned, and then some. The Ridgid 12" slider might not be at the top of it's class but by no means is it at the bottom.

I agree completely - it's a very good deal and will do what you want. When it comes time to do trim work you are going to want to buy a better blade than any saw comes with anyway.

[bigstick509]

My vote would be a Dewalt,only my personal preference.

[meika123]

My vote would be a Dewalt,only my personal preference.

Mine too!!
Dave in NC

[steve-u]

Bosch 4212L non slider

I bought a Bosch 4212L a couple months ago on sale at Amazon for $243 shipped after rebate. If you are considering crown molding this is a superior saw as it has a tall fence and built in crown stops. The laser is also great even when stock is being held vertical to the fence. I had a 10 inch saw and it was inadequate for all but smaller crown molding. The Bosch is also extremely well built.

Steve

[drumpriest]

I have a Makita ls1013 and think it's a great tool. I did the flooring in my house with it (laminate), it's a workhorse. Glad I got it.

[Hoover]

There is no one correct answer, as every user has different needs, is built differently, and is either right or left handed. Also we can be short or tall, what ever feels right is the correct choice.

[Cheeky]

i have the 12" sliding makita.

i like the relatively light weight of it, and the sliders are located underneath the table, which minimizes the storage girth.

the stock blade is fantastic IMO, and fortunately i rec'd an extra one via rebate.

it's assembled over here, but who knows where the parts come from.

the ridgid takes up some space, but boy does that sound like a good deal.