Miter Saws Reviews

i've using this saw for 2 years + and i love how comfotabble it is use and the slide is without a doubt the best out there . the problems start when u try cut 1/2 a degree or even 1 degree off the positive mitre stops . i usually fit 1 staircase every 10 days or so which angle is usually between 40 and 42 degrees
I CAN NO LONGER LOCK THE SAW CLOSE TO THOSE ANGLES.
also the positive stops wear out over a short period of time so there is always 1/2 depree or more of play at o,221/2,45etc
i'm going to try the bosch next (without the laser)

I can't say enough bad things about this saw.It is a huge piece of cockie! Stay away from this.Nothing is well designed or well thought out.

I have a Dewalt model 705 miter saw that i've been using for the past 3 years and I finally decide to get a dual sliding miter saw.I been using other makita tools before but i havent tried yet their miter saw so I got one from Amazon and to my surprise it took a bit quicker to arrive than the expected delivery, The package looks alright and square and seems to be no damage as what have had other experienced. So I was pretty much okay w/ that. Now for the performance, I mounted a New Freud 40T Gen.Purpose blade as Idont want the crap blade that came w/ it. A Made in China thin Can!! The cuts from an any angle is superb w/o even undergoing minor calibration under a new saw blade.The saw performed excellent cross cuts along w/ Freud matching saw blades. The review also help me a lot in choosing this saw and I know makita Tools are one of the best. I also personally recommend that you use a matching Freud Crosscut saw blade to achieved ultimate performance.

I am not sure about the prior reviewers statement of being US made as mine seems to be made in Taiwan, as 95% of tools are today. Additionally, that reviewer trashes Dewalt or the "yellow" company. Well bad news dude, Dewalt/B&D owns Porter Cable and Delta. As stated before the blade is not remotely appropriate for this saw. It is however a very decent rip blade for your table saw. It is a thin kerf, 24 tooth ripping blade. I believe it indicates same on the blade.
The saw set up is incrediably easy and I used engineering squares and bevels to check the various recommended measurements. They were all dead on from the factory. The sliding mechanism is sturdy, easy sliding and build in such a way as to hold the settings. A prior reviewer disputed the accuracy of the saw due to the sliding mechanism, however I found no slop in the unit. The brushes are ultra easy to change in this unit unlike some other machines.
Overall I am very, very happy with the unit. I did pay about half of what they are currently selling the saw for due to Amazon price match. Amazon was great about the price match.

I love this saw. I bought it for a crown molding job and it is a pleasure to use. Plenty of power and capacity. The only problem is that the saw is so heavy that I only take it out for big jobs. For small jobs, I use my old reliable 10" Delta non-compound miter saw because it's so much more convenient to tote around.

I was disappointed during my first day of usage when the included wood clamp snapped, rendering it useless. The clamp should be constructed of better quality material because I did not subject it to very much stress. However, Porter Cable impressed me with their rapid resolution of the problem. I called their support line the following morning and asked for a replacement under warranty. The support person sent me a new clamp without any trouble. Great support.

What would I like to see to make this saw even better? A laser attachment and a longer arbor to accommodate dado blades. But no one seems to make a 10" sliding miter saw with these features.

Let me start by sharing a rule that must have been mistakenly excluded from the owners manual. THROW THE BLADE AWAY. This blade is intended for shipping purposes and as a guide to show you where a real blade should be installed. Do not under any circumstance attempt to use this "blade". Failure to comply with ths lost rule could result in your conviction as a wood butcher. A shame that will haunt you and your children, and draw questions about your manhood forever. Secondly where did you buy an American made version of this saw? Mine was made in Taiwan, and I suspect yours was too. Which brings me to my third point, your saw probably isn't reconditioned it was just made by Asians who probably hate you and me both cause we are not. My saw had the same blade marks on it. but inspection of the shipping "blade" revealed red plastic residue, this just how they cut the opening over there in Taiwan. Despite the lack of a useable blade and it not being made in the U.S.A. this is a great saw. I am very pleased with it's performance out of the box, and I reccommend buying one before they are gone being a discontinued item and all.

Such a simple clamp, but makes handling the workpiece much easier and safer. Much better than the type that simply pushes from the front of the mitre saw against the fence. Very sturdy, and holds very tight. The swivel arm aids in getting the clamp exactly where you need it.

I recently purchased the Dewalt DW318 SCMS and ordered this clamp at the same time. I was disappointed when I compared the clamp that came with the saw with this one. The stock clamp has a smaller knob on the top for tightening against the work piece, and only the DW7082 has the quick release button to quickly raise or lower it. The stock clamp does have a bolt on the back of the arm that can lower it on the leg, but the fence of the saw only allows 1/4" of play unless it's slid out of the way. Originally I only ordered one DW7082 clamp knowing that the saw would already come with a clamp, but after comparing the two side by side, I ordered a second DW7082 and put the stock clamp aside. To invest in the saw and not have accessories that perform the way I want them doesn't make sense to me.

I'm a residential contractor. I bought one with my original SCMS purchase over a year ago. Ever since wished I had a second one ... so I finally did it. Now I won't have to switch the one around (I usually like it on the intake), and also I can hold both sides of my work at once when I need.

It is well made and easy to use. And it is a great help when cutting hardwood or AZEK, both of which tend to move spontaneously while cutting.

You pretty much know how it is from other reviews. There are only couple of things I like to add from my experience using it. I wish the table top is wider to cover the legs, so when attaching things that are not as thin as the table top itself, the legs and frames will not get in the way. I need to make something to fill the gaps when attaching the extension table and sliding table (of course not DeWalt sliding table), because I can bring them to make direct contact to the table top. I also wish the dust port is straight instead of angled one.

I've had the saw for several months now and feel I've used it sufficiently to give an accurate review. The saw performs very well in most respects. It's very beefy construction and well made. I have mine wired for 220V and it has plenty of power even when ripping oak.The blade that came with the saw is good quality. The sliding miter table is really nice, allowing me to cross cut wide panels I used to cut with a straight edge and clamps setup. The miter guage is good quality and has a cam type adjuster that's a little touchy but works ok. The size of the table and extention are great, giving plenty of room for large projects with nice stability. It's nice to grab a sheet of plywood and run it through without worrying about it tipping off the table.
Mine did have a few problems though, some minor, one not so minor. The front fence rail tape measure came installed incorrectly. When the fence was against the blade, the indicator read 1 1/4" instead of 0 as it should have. A call to DeWalt customer service had a new front rail to me in a week or so. One of the wheels of the mobile base had the bolt whole drilled off center and caused it to wobble. It was replaced as well. I've recently discovered that the throat plate is warped at the outfeed end, fence side. It tips in toward the blade. This comes into play only when cutting narrow, short pieces or cutting on edge. The piece tends to tilt away from the fence and in toward the blade at the end of a cut. I haven't called about this problem yet.
The saw has a couple of design problems too. The wrench hanger is positioned up high on the front of the saw and behind the front fence rail. I have to lean down or crouch down to see the pin to retrieve or replace the wrenchs. The on/off switch has a nice feature. It's large and positioned so I can hit it with my knee to turn the saw off. I've used that feature many times. It's a bit harder to turn it on though. The switch, like the wrench hanger, is positioned high and behind the front rail so it can't be seen easily.
The most severe problem is the fence. DeWalt has done such a nice job with quality materials in the rest of the saw, but really scrimped on the fence. The fence beam is light guage metal and distorts if I'm not careful when tightening the face. The face is extruded aluminum which is ok, but the one on my saw was warped. I was unable to get the face adjusted 90 degrees to the table. When I called DeWalt they acknowledled they were aware of the problem and sent me a shim kit. I was unable to adjust the face properly even with the kit. DeWalt then sent a new fence beam and face. This, with the shim kit, got the face adjusted ok. It's still not perfect, but it's usable. The face still has a problem though. The first 4-5" of it are out of line with the rest of it. I have to be careful when I start a cut to place the piece in 4-5" on the face to avoid starting my cut out of line. When I called DeWalt customer service on this one I was given the location and phone # of a nearby service center to contact. I haven't done that yet. I must say, DeWalt was very responsive to every call I made. They must recieve kudos for their customer service.
I bought this saw after comparing and considering the Delta Unisaw. Some factors I considered were the sliding table DeWalt offered and the lower price. The Delta's 3hp motor was a major attraction to me but in the end I bought the DeWalt because of a promotional offer of $100 off. Although I am not dissapointed in the power of the DeWalt, the problems I've encountered would give me pause to make the same choice again.

I am extremely happy with this saw. I purchased the DW746KB package. The 52" rails, sliding table, and side table all perform superbly. However,.... if you plan to buy this package,spend 5 to 6 hours deciphering four intersecting manuals while assembling and aligning, and then trust it all to a mobile base, maybe your missing the point!
This is a robust machine, and begs to be bolted to the floor. Mine is firmly anchored to the floor in my shop. Your spending this kind of money(or considering it) because you want durability and consistent reliability. Who cares if the cast table is out 16/1000s, when you keep rolling the equipment into the same "sinkhole" you call "flat", in the only part of the garage your wife doesn't "really need". Commit! Wired for 220v, This is a very smooth running, quiet, powerful saw. Crosscut accuracy is exceptional. Do yourself a favor, dedicate some space for this saw,install it ,and save the mobile base for something you didn't spend $ and hours of setup time on.

If your saw never leaves your shop, this is ideal. Built well and easy to assemble, I am very happy with this purchase. THe stand is very portable and folds down easily.

As with most things, you get what you pay for. After quite a bit of investigation, I settled on the 2875XL. I'd been looking for a stand for my new Bosch 5412L saw and had all but given up (thinking to build my own) when I found this. At $329, it's definitely not cheap. But then again, neither is the saw and I didn't want to shortchange myself on any usability in the shop by cheaping out on the stand.

So far, it's been awesome. It is very solid and with the casters locked, it doesn't move at all. Sure, you won't go lugging this setup to a jobsite but rolling it out of the basement and into the garage is easy. It was kind of a pain to put together, as the directions are pretty bad. In spite of this, beginning to end, including time to measure and drill the holes to bolt the saw to the top, was about two hours.

Someone else pointed out that it could be kind of topheavy, which is true, though that's true of a lot of stands. One little added benefit that I hadn't even considered was all of the space underneath. It's a great place to stash all of those bulky tool cases. When I'm working out in the garage, I can just roll this stand out there and everything (including my drills, router, circular saw etc) is right there where I need it.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to my tools. I would have no reservations about recommending this to any one in need of a good, stable miter saw stand.

The Stand arrived with the box slightly torn but all pieces were there. The directions were easy to follow. This stand was built more solid then I had expected. I have a dewalt sliding witer saw and was concerned about stablity. But this stand is extremly stable, rolls easy and the side supports adjust perfectly to the saw table. This is one great stand.

I researched miter saws and read reviews, asked fellow contractors and what not, and decided to go with this instead of the hitachi 10" slider, because i noticed alot of complaints about the hitachi having way to much play with the slide rails. Amazon got the saw to me with a busted box and i dont know how it didnt fall apart carrying it to my door. So i opted to just open it up and see if anything appeared to be dammaged and it seemed fine. Took the saw out of the box and put it all together, and everything was off, the fence was way off, the bevel, miter, etc. So when i got that all squared up i cut a couple peices of 5 3/4 crown i had laying around flat, (yes it was 52Degree crown so the stops were at 31.6 and 33.9)
DIDNT LINE UP RIGHT AT ALL! Came to find that the table would lock into what degree you set in in but would have almost a full degree L & R of play. So where is it really being locked down at? .7 .2 ? I talked to a buddy of mine unfortunatly after a bought this saw and he said he had the same issue so i know it wasn't from the shipping. Unfortunatly issue wasn't adjustable so sent it back and got my refund with out a fuss, thanx amazon. Sux to because it seemed like a nice saw, just not acurate unless you dont do high end staingrade crown and cabinets and dont mind the caulk hehehe. Dont buy this saw if you want precession but if you dont mind your miters being off and dont do crown go for it, bitchin saw. By the way the fence is a 4" not a 4 1/2 so if you need to cut those 38 and 45 degree peices of crown be sure it isnt big because you wont be doing it against this little fence. Im gonna say screw a slider all together and get this beauty check this beast out (DELTA? Industrial Model 36-412 12" Dual Bevel Miter))

I am amazed there is such a difference of opinion about this saw. In my case, it required only minor adjustment right out of the box. After several months of use, the saw still cuts dead-on 90 degrees without any adjustment. I especially like the micro adjustment feature and use it frequently. Some complaints such as dust collection and less than premium saw blade are common to most saw brands. Really, to effectively collect fine dust from a miter saw you need to fit a dust hood behind the saw hooked to a very powerful dust collector. I agree with most of the positive comments other reviewers have made about the saw and would certainly buy it again.

After a whole lot of research on a lot of different brands of dual bevel miter saws Bosch came out on top for a number of reasons. The quality is top notch, it came out of the box staight and dialed in and needed no adjustments. I put it on a Craftsman stand and put it right to work. The saw performed perfectly and with out any problems I cut and installed all of my case mouldings. being that not all angles are created equal the fine adjustment feature came in very handy. The only complaint I have is the dust bag is not very useful...so I attached my shop vac to the dust bag port and solved almost all the dust problems. Bosch really delivered on the 4410L and I want to thank all of the folks that reviewed it.

I love the Hitachi 10" and 8 1/2" sliding compound saws for their lightness, compactness, and portability. The power and accuracy is all one could ask for. The range of motion, mitering 57 degrees to the right, is awesome. Sounds good so far, right? Well, no . . . I will never buy another unless they change one thing:

That miter scale, with those idiotic 10th pitch marks (It's the USA, folks, and we do some things different!), crown miter marks and preset angle marks crowded on an already hard-to-read scale with poorly cast markings, is impossible to read. Many other finish carpenters agree.

I complained to a Hitachi rep. at a big tool exhibit about this and he actually told me that Hitachi wasn't going to change their tool "just for me." OK, fine! I'll take my business elsewhere.

It's too bad. It's a pretty good tool with one huge flaw that, in my opinion, makes it too-much-hassle to use.

I've owned my saw for about 5 years. It was recommended to me by a friend who is a professional chippy (his boss later bought two of them). I use it for home projects so it doesn't get the thrashing a professional might have given it. I'm very happy with it's accurate and clean cuts, and with its smooth action. I've bought a second spindle and bolt for the vise clamp so I have one on each side (saves the time and hassle of unscrewing that long thread when changing sides).

On the downside: the angles are a little hard to read; I've broken one orange plastic indicator on the bevel scale; and I find the depth adjustment bolt cumbersome to use. I suspect it is not robust enough to withstand being dropped although with the rear "holder" fitted it shows no tendancy to tip over backwards (a problem another reviewer mentioned). These are not enough to take away my enjoyment.

Ironically, here in New Zealand it's sold as a 10 1/4" saw and comes standard with a 262mm blade, although the instructions state categorically "Never attempt to install saw blades larger than 255mm (10") in diameter." - I wonder if the warranty was void before I left the shop!

This is a great tool. I bought it when it first came out and heve been the most impressed from day one. It is 6 years old now and cuts as good now as ever. It is light years more accurate that the dewalt or makita saws. I suggest buying a black paint pen with the saw and putting the pen on the 0 mark and every slash mark along the angle scale at every ten degree marks then the angle scale is easy to see. One of the nicest things is that the detents are easy to adjust minutely from for finish work and still work well enough for framing. IF the bevel marker brakes making a new one from colored tin is easy and then the tin can be bent closer to the scale for faster more accurate bevel settings. I wish I had done that sooner.

Recently purchased the Incar 2000 Miter Gauge. I have tried for years to accurately cut mitered angles with mediocre success.
I spent a very careful hour setting up the Miter Gauge. When set up was complete (followed directions explictly) I tested the product. I took 8 pieces of stock 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 12" and proceeded to cut 22 1/2 degree angles on both ends. Laid all eight pieces on the work bench and dry fitted a perfect hexagon. You can't get a human hair in the joints. This is an expensive tool but for the first time ever I can cut extremely accurate angles. This tool should dramatically enhance my abilities.
I am not thrilled about the "stock stop" feature but that is a secondary need for me.

The short version: set-up took about 3 hrs due to poor directions, sloppy detailing and bad drawings. Operation met expectations.

If you buy, prepare as follows:

1. Get about 10 machinist shims in increments of .001 or .002. These will be needed to adjust to square with your table. This beats measuring slips of paper with a micrometer and figuring out how many to slide into place. Mine took .005 to square. Their "Tip" between steps 1 and 2.

2. Do calibration step 1before step 2 in assembly to avoid double handling. Remove the allen screws and rub with some wax or dry lubricant. The screw heads build-up so much friction against the plastic expansion washers that you can almost break your 7/64 allen wrench.

3. When setting up for the right side --IGNORE their drawing and instructions. They show a through slot connecting the fence to the mounting bracket. It is not slotted which means that when you remove the fence; you can't get in back in with loose washers supplied. I ended up making a ball of wax paper to put behind their slotted washer to be able to reinstall the cap screws -- this will make sense when you see the unit.

Remember that you will have to do the same table squaring step for the right side as you did on the left.

It's incredible that they supply a part that's completely different than their drawing.

4. The Shop Stop is generally well designed part, but the manual provided is useless for initial set-up. The rack system is very accurate and the positioning works well after you set the rule to your machine.

In operation, the unit is excellent. Changing from 90 to 45 takes 5 seconds and is totally accurate.

Too bad they don't have someone in engineering actually assemble the unit from their drawings and instructions before sending out to customers.

Any Incra jig is a winner. The 2000 is no exception. For a few dollars more than the Incra 1000 you get positive stops every one (1) degree, rather than every 5 degrees as on the 1000. Additionally there is another indexed stop which then makes all the positive stops on the 1/2 degree. Marvelous instrument, especially when compared to the miter gauge that came with my Sears table saw 22 years ago.

Update 31 Mar 05: Now that I've been using the Incra 2000 for a few months, I find zero defects, zero detractors for this miter gauge. In fact, I finally can make 45 deg angles that are more accurate than the wood movement that occurs in any project. You cannot get any better than that!

I am a trim carpenter and cabinet maker and a good saw blade can make or break a job. I put this blade on my unisaw to rip up 800 feet of Hickory style material and this blade purred right through it. No hesitation, just quick cuts. Now i read some reviews that said jointing wasnt necessary. I would have to disagree. I still needed to joint. For a good ripping blade at a reasonable price, this one cant be beat.

Smooth cuts from a ripping blade is almost a contradiction of terms, but this one cuts smoothly enough to make mention of. It's not quite as clean as my 40T Forrest WWII general purpose blade or my Freud 60T crosscut blade, but it is clean enough to make good on the promise of glue line joints. The LM74 is a bit of a compromise between an aggressive 24T FTG ripping blade and a 40T ATB general purpose blade, offering cleaner cuts than the 24T and better ripping than the 40T. Because it's a full kerf blade, it does slow my saw a bit on thick stock > 2". The triple chip grind (TCG) carbide teeth have the most durable grind available, making it an excellent choice for laminate flooring, MDF, aluminum, and other tough materials that tend to dull blades. Wish it were available in a thin kerf.

I do not want any other rip blade. I have been using this blade for several years now and the effeciency of this blade is superb.

Nice but no cigar,fit and finish need to be improved,the fence is a wreck waiting to happen.Its like a cheap suit thats all over the place

I've had this saw for several months and believe it to be an outstanding choice. The fit/finish is excellent and the accuracy is exceptional. Out of the box, the blade was parallel to the slots by a thousanth of an inch. I also have the fence parallel to the blade within 2 thousanths'. The only weaknesses are the xacta fence installation instructions and the free blade. It would be nice if the guard/splitter was quick attach/detach but I guess you can't have everything. You will also want to put a mobile base on this baby cause its heavy.

Got my JWTS10 last weekend. The saw runs great and the XACTA II fence system is extremely accurate and easy to use. I didn't have help, so unloading the saw from the back of my van involved tearing open the box and carrying all the pieces to my basement shop. Assembly took about 6 hours, and I am overjoyed with the quality of this saw.

One area that was lacking (at least for me since this is my first non-portable table saw) was the instructions on assembly of the rails and fence guide. They could have used better diagrams and part descriptions.

Overall an excellent saw for the money. I will probably trade out the accessory wood table for a router table.