Miter saw crosscut technique issue or saw/blade issue?

[jason mowery]

I have a Milwaukee 12" sliding compound miter saw that I'm very happy with. It is properly adjusted and now has a Freud LU85R012 blade on it, which was a considerable upgrade over the LOWES CMT blade that I did have on it, from both a cut quality standpoint and from a blade flex/squareness of final cut perspective. Still though, albeit to a much less degree, the new Freud blade produces cuts that are consistently a little deeper (shorter from the non-cut end) at the edge of the board NOT contacting the fence. I find that if I sneak up the to the cut, nibbling off a little at a time, I can get better results, but still, it's aggravating. Has anyone had this situation happen to them? I would think with a saw as good a quality as this one and with as good a blade as that one is, it shouldn't be happening. Is there a technique issue I should consider? Thanks!

[Will Overton]

Assuming you are right about everything being aligned, it must be technique.

First, if you're not, you should be pulling the saw all the way back, lowering it, then pushing it through the cut. Shut the saw off and wait for the blade to stop before moving the wood.

Second, try clamping the board in place to make sure you are not allowing it to move.

Third, be sure you are not pulling the head to the side as you push it through the cut.

HTH