What is a Miter Saw?
A miter saw is an extremely handy tool that allows you to make miter cuts angled to your exact specifications as well as perfectly accurate crosscuts (90 degrees) . It relieves you of the burden and frustration of trying to create mitered corner cuts using a miter box and a hand saw.
However, shopping for this particular tool can be quite tricky as there is a great variety of miter saws available in the market from compound miter saw to single bevel miter saw to double bevel miter saw, with prices ranging from less than $100 to $1,000+, weighing from 20 pounds to more than 60 pounds and blade sizes ranging from 7 and a half to 12 inches and finally corded and cordless miter saws. Hence, we have done the work for you in testing and compiling the best miter saw reviews in this article so that you do not have to find out yourself the hard way.
Hi, I have an old miter saw. I really need to buy a new one. Do you have any suggest ???
Hi Anthony,
Hitachi C10FCE2 is a good option for quality and money. If you need a 12-inch miter saw, then DEWALT DW715 or DEWALT DWS780 Double Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw will be the best choice.
Thanks so much, hitachi C10FCE2 is the best option
You’re very welcome, Anthony.
I just bought a miter saw over the holidays and I’m loving it. I already had a circular saw, so I’m really getting into woodworking and looking forward to new projects (and buying a table saw in the future). I do have a question (that I probably should have done before I bought one):
Why is there such a huge price difference in compound miter saws? I’m loving the one I bought, but is that because I don’t know any better yet? I bought a ToolShop 10″ 15 amp sliding compound miter saw. is there a big difference between this $130 saw and a DeWalt $500 sliding compound miter saw? or some other expensive ones that appear to have the same features?
Hello Jose!
Thank you for coming to us with this question. We are more than happy to supply you with the answer. For starters, don’t assume that you don’t know any better, the miter saw that you chose to purchase is a fine machine made by Tool-Shop.
But if you would like to understand why the DeWalt brand is more expensive as opposed to the one you chose then we will inform you.
The 10” DeWalt you are referring to comes with many features and specifications that warrant the pricing. Dewalt is one of the top name brand in tools, especially their miter saws. They have market control just like craftsman does as well. Tool Shop though a great tool brand, is one of the lower ended brands.
This means that it is built with lesser quality parts and therefore may wear down over time. The question you need to ask yourself is how often you are going to use this saw? If its going to be used for household projects here and there, then you chose the perfect miter saw! But if you are going to be frequently using it over a long period, then you need to be ready for some required maintenance on lesser known brands.
Now not only are DeWalt’s made from premium material, they also operate at a high efficiency and have done so for years. The opposing miter saw that you are referring to comes with some of these types of features that they use to enhance their price:
Dewalt 10” Miter Saw
–An exclusive bevel detent system that comes with 7 different positive stops that can allow you to saw quickly, accurately, and with repeatable cuts.
–Crosscut stop positions that optimize your cutting accuracy positions the cutting blade for maximum vertical cut capacity.
-Dual horizontal steel rails with a clamping mechanism and linear ball bearings.
These saws get high ratings, and with features like those, they enhance your cutting abilities to versatilities other saws may not be able to maintain.
We hope this answers your question better, and if you need anymore assistance or would like to return the saw that you previously purchased for a DeWalt we would be more than happy to accommodate that!
-MiterSawJudge.com
what is best small chop saw for cutting small accurate angles?
I would recommend DEWALT 715 as the best choice for cutting accurate angles.
I worked at a log furniture place and they had a large miter saw, mainly for cutting the ends off the logs. The saw cut 8 inch logs. Where can I find a saw like that ? Im starting my own business and thats the last piece of tools I need. Thanks,
Hi Mike,
A 10 inch miter saw should be adequate for cutting 8 inch logs. The Dewalt 717 or Makita LS1016L is a rugged, commercial grade saw which should serve you well
Any saw blade can only cut 1/2 the blade size, minus the arbor and drive. The largest capacity 12″ miter saw (Dewalt 780) can cut up to 4X4. It cannot cut the 8″ logs Mike is asking about.
Thanks Jim. It’s fit with Mike’s question.
hi im new to this and starting into woodworking lately. iv’e been looking around and found alot for good review for the hitachi miter saws. what is the difference between the hitachi c10fch2 and the c10fce2?
or should i just get the dewalt dw713?
btw i forgot to mention the dewalt dw713 and both the hitachi miter saw are about the same price here in canada. amazon.ca
The main difference worth noting is that earlier models of the C10FCH2 came with a laser guide. If the price is the same then our impartial advice would be to seriously consider the Dewalt. Enjoy!
There are supposed to be two adjustable bolts, to set the miter, referred to as bolt 8a and 8b.
I can just see one very large bolt that is pretty inaccessible with a spanner or any suitable tool,
neither of which are positioned as 8a or 8b shown in the manual, so the saw is unusable.
Dear Bill, Since you seem to also be educated about sliding compound miter saws, can you give me your opinion on the DWS709? Home Depot has this and a place to set it on for 399.00, do you know if this is a good deal or not and if it has certain problems like the ones listed with DeWalt above? IE: crummy dust bag or bag location etc. Thanks, Catherine
I was watching the review on the Hitachi 10in miter saw. My question is can that saw cut a 4×4 at a 45 degree miter?
Hi David,
I would cut 2×4 at 45 degrees but I am not sure about 4×4. 10inch saws generally cut up to 2×4.
Is there a saw that can cut 6×10 lumber?
Lance, it might be too late for the answer but I saw your comment right now and I don’t think so you can cut a 6 x 10 lumber with a miter saw, however, you can use other saws for such types of projects such as a table saw or a radial arm saw.
How can I find the country of manufacture?
Can you mill wood with these? I’ve got an old mitre saw and nothing else, but I found this great log in the woods with some beautiful grain that I want to make something out of, so I was thinking I could just cut planks little by little out of the logs. What do you think?
how imporant is dust coletion? Can’t you just vaccuum it up i hav a really good shop vac that i use for everythig cleanin up shop and clesning my equipment
I can’t find the comment anymore, but I’m pretty sure I saw on here someone asking how to take off the guard from a miter saw. I just wanted to comment and say that thaat’s definitely the WORST thing you can do. You don’t how many carpenters I know missing fingers or parts of their thumbs. It’s easy as hell to make a really small mistake that results in missing limbs with these things… DON”T CHANGE ANYTHING. Keep the guard, it doesn’t make you less cool, it just makes you less handicapped!
The DeWalt says “without any snags”. Does hat include osage orange?
Do you think it ends up making a big difference how heavy the saw is? Will a lighter saw be more likely to shift or tip over or something? There’s a prett big difference between the weight of the Dewalt and the Bosch.