Time to upgrade the miter saw... thoughts

[Rob Price]

I have a basic 12" Ridgid miter saw. It's served me well, but it's not really accurate enough for woodworking (more of a contractor saw). I have a nice Incra Miter gage for my TS, but sometimes the pieces are too big/long to be safely handled on the TS.

I figure it's time for a SCMS. 12" probably. Most interested in precision/accuracy. I saw the Jet SCMS on Amazon, I'm a big fan of Jet/Powermatic tools (I have several) but it sure is pricey. Is it worth it? I can't find many hands on reviews. The next step down is Bosch. I haven't ever used any of their bench tools. I like the articulating arm idea, more compact, but does it work? Dewalt's reputation seems to be taking a beating as of late. Of course down at the low end is the Ridgid, which is nearly half these other saws, but I'm guessing I'd be stuck with another mediocre saw (you get what you pay for, right?).

So I guess my question- is the Jet really that good? Could I save some cash and be happy with Dewalt/Bosch?

Can't afford the Festool, don't go there

[Kent A Bathurst]

Just my take on life, but..........

I was never comfortable with the concept of accuracy and a sliding saw. Too many moving parts and too much reliance on excellent/exceptional machining - just a lack of confidence on my part. For general framing and trim work, I could see it. But for furniture builds - skeptical.

I have an out-of production Delta 12" CMS, and a friend has the modern-day Dewalt 12" CMS. Both cut dead-nuts plumb and square, very reliable. [after initial alignment/setup, of course, and periodic recalibration].

Also - if you are going with a slider, is the 12" really necessary? Bucking logs, are we?

I certainly could be wrong - never happened before, but, hey today could be the day, right?

If I had to be going with a slider, I would drink the kool-aid and find the big bucks.

[Carroll Courtney]

If your doing trim work then the scms is fantastic(trim carpenters us them all the time),I do alittle what I call furniture making and when I can I use the miter saw.Sometimes my work may not be up to snuff compare to others so the scms help with the fit.But the scms is only as good as what the blade is and the user.I have the Dewalt 12" that I purchase several yrs ago and its very nice but not the cats meow.I have a 10"Makita that very good and has a tight kerf that helps with splintering.I wish the Dewalt had that feature figure in but a good saw blade would also help.The better saws are going to cost maybe as much as what a TS cost.Good luck with your choice and lets use know what you pick and how you like it----Carroll

[Nick Coffelt]

It doesnt sounds as though I am in your tool league, but I have a Craftsman SCMS with the shallow clearance. It cuts very straight and angularly correct. I picked it up about 9 months ago and have loved it. Tough enough for the big stuff and accurate enough for the small projects. I will say that I had the laser on the first couple cuts and it hasnt been on since, its not very accurate and even after calibration it can be slightly off.

Good luck.

[Kent A Bathurst]

It doesnt sounds as though I am in your tool league...

Of course you are. Ya plays with the cards you are holding, figger it out, and share your observations.

All good. Egalitarian. Bordering on Communism.

Keep it going, Comrade!

[Jim Matthews]

You won't go wrong with the Bosch.

That said, after I finished my deck - I sold my Miter saw.
I migrated to a hand powered traditional miter
saw for moldings, picture frames, etc.

It's VERY close to the final dimension with little cleanup required.

If you're not in a production environment - it's worth considering.
Mine is cast iron, and not what I would call portable.

[Buck Williams]

I have the Makita LS1016 10" SCMS, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I had to. No problems with holding accuracy, I've had it for about 4 years, built a lot of face frames for kitchen cabinets, cabinet doors, picture frames, trim work, it's never let me down so far, I can count on a 90° cut being a 90° cut. On top of that the stock blade that comes with it is very good.

[Rob Price]

Thanks for the replies. One thing I hate is running out of tool- it'll be overkill for most jobs but I'll use the capacity. I get a lot of 8/4 stock and often in fairly wide boards. I don't think 10" will be enough.

Re: Accuracy: when I need absolute small part precision I use my incra and my SawStop. But when it's a longer piece-that's just not safe. My current ridgid is off by more than 0.5 degrees with any angle other than 90 and I can't dial it in. The detents are fixed. I'm Not looking for thousandths of an angle precision from this, but better than what I have.

All the joints in the Bosch seem like points for flex and movement. I'll have to get hands on one.

I'm Gonna see if I can find a deal on the Jet, the Makitas get good reviews apparently. Decions, decisions...

[Rob Price]

And I've got a nice Freud blade already, I realize most stock blades are junk.

[jack duren]

Most known brand saws are fine. Jet I would have no need to look at personally. Smaller the blade on the saw the less flex you'll get. Freud I wouldn't look at since I use only Amana. Reviews are like brands of soda, you like Dr. Pepper I like Mountain Dew. You need to personally check each saw for what you like. Reviews are salt in my book.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the Ridgid 12" Sliding compound miter saw and it is 100% accurate. I could split a hair with that thing.
I used a 2x10 Hard Maple board to test cut as I dialed in my saw.

IMG_0881.jpg

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Just my take on it.

Which saw I would use if I was carpenter making a living and which one will replace my SCM are two different things.

I have a Delta SCM and it's not accurate enough for my amateur finish carpentry work on my home and surely not accurate enough for the furniture I build.

The most accurate compound miter saw I have ever used was a basic 7" Craftsman I borrowed from a neighbor to install wainscoting in our living room. That thing was dead on every time and repeatable. Why was it so accurate? In my opinion, 1) it was simple 2) it only tilted to bevel in one direction 3) it didn't slide and 4) a small diameter blade.

Since I am doing more amateur furniture building in retirement, I will try to find an accurate non-sliding compound miter saw to replace the Delta for which I have so little respect.

[Steve Wilde]

I have the Ridgid 12" Sliding compound miter saw and it is 100% accurate. I could split a hair with that thing.
I used a 2x10 Hard Maple board to test cut as I dialed in my saw.

IMG_0881.jpg

I had a rigid just like the one above and it was horrible! The runout on the arbor was pathetic! I couldn't make miters very accurately and decided to bite the bullet and get a Kapex. Hands down the best miter saw i've used!

[Justin Ludwig]

I have a Dewalt 12" SCMS. It gets moved quite a bit from job to job. I've had it for over 2 years and haven't had to recalibrate since the initial set up. It still cuts dead-nuts. I used it for a year cutting face frames and door parts to length without problems. I replaced it with an OMGA for dedicated shop use. I use a WWII Chopmaster blade. I'm happy with it.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Not sure if this is an issue or not for you but something I am now dealing with. I have the Ridgid 12 inch SCMS and that sucker is huge and takes up a lot of room. Fully extended it is over 3 ft from the wall. I love the saw, mine is perfectly accurate, and has done everything I have asked it to do.