Miter Saw - Slider Advantages-?

[Martin Wasner]

What do I want? and OMGA with Kapex slider, angle adjustment, and dust collection. Still made out of OMGA cast iron and weighing 150 pounds but that is just me.

A Kapex is a toy compared to an Omga or a Derda. I'm not sure if mentioning them in the same sentence is blasphemy or not.

[Martin Wasner]

And I'd take the omga angle adjustment any day

[Greg R Bradley]

You're right, I meant the slider and bevel capability of the Kapex. Omga angle capability is great. Limited crosscut capability and horrible dust collection is the problem.

The Kapex is seriously compromised for portability and light weight and too expensive for what it is unless you work only onsite. Even making it out of something more rigid than magnesium would lower cost and could raise rigidity. I know of no slider that doesn't flex. Omga, of course, doesn't. Upcut saws are precise and have good dust collection but are limited on width and only do 90 degree cuts. No hobby shop would buy one or even dedicate the space as its too single purpose.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I know of no slider that doesn't flex

That's been my experience also.

I have a really cool Marlin Cowboy II in .357 Magnum. I can push some rock em sock em boogie down the road handloads through it, but, try as I might, I can't make it a .35 Remington.

A SCMS is the same. Try as it might, a SCMS can't ever be as rigid as a RAS.

Even the lofty priced Kapex, @ full extension, has a pronounced back and forth wobble.

[Bill Stephenson]

Have a Dewalt 12 inch non slider for 10 years and have not wished for a slider. For wider 90 deg.cuts I use my table saw with a sled. The Dewalt is dead on and has been reliable. I opted for the non-slider due to the inherent slop in a slider and the added cost. Never felt the need for anything else.

[Glenn Clabo]

When I moved from a house and full shop I got rid of most of my tools. I kept a Griz Bandsaw, a DeWalt Slider, and Ez Smart guide rails in storage. I now live in a house wth a large honey do list...and still am having trouble deciding why I need a table saw. I'm not into production or have the need for speed. If I really need more precision than the slider...I'll build a miter box like the one I used when I was a finish and cabinet guy. The slider gives me all the extra depth I need. I'm thinking a worksite table saw would be more than sufficient IF I every feel the want is overwhelming.

[William C Rogers]

I have a 12" Milwaukee slider and I am darn happy with it. I also have a 12" Ridgid non slider. I use the Milwaukee for 90% of my cuts. I have not had any issue with accuracy in angles or anything else. The Ridgid is fine also but I definitely prefer the slider.

[Rich Riddle]

I use a Makita LS0714 sliding miter saw on worksite jobs. It's a very small saw but can cut up to 12" wide. Love it. For working in the shop on real things, I go with the sliding table saw. It's more accurate.

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[David Kumm]

Even though I have sliding table saws, my old Hitachi 10" SCMS still gets lots of use. Seems to be stiff enough for the amount of miter work I need but mainly useful for crosscutting rough. I don't use lasers so I like being able to mark the board anywhere and still be able to drop the teeth on the mark to verify location. I prefer a 10" heavy plate blade to minimize deflection for that last three or four half kerf cuts as I timidly sneak up on the fit. Wide boards do need some finess as the SCMS can beat you do death if you try to force the cut. Dave

[BOB OLINGER]

Thanks to everyone for their answers. Given the many responses, I'm just going to keep my Dewalt 12" non slider. For what it's worth, I also have an old Riobi 10" (like 15+ yrs ago), not on a stand, that I've found very portable to move around to get closer to jobs when simple cross cuts are needed.

[Bill McNiel]

FWIW-I have the Dewalt 12" SCMS, a 10" chop saw, a 10" CMS, a slider extension for my Unisaw and a MFT set-up. Which saw/technique I use depends on the type, size and end use of the material. The slider is primarily used for rough sizing of material and onsite finish work or deck construction. It has more than earned its keep over the last five years.

I too have not yet experienced a slider that does not have some amount of wobble but then again I am not using it in situations where thousands are significant to the finished product.

[Martin Wasner]

I use a Makita LS0714 sliding miter saw on worksite jobs. It's a very small saw but can cut up to 12" wide. Love it. For working in the shop on real things, I go with the sliding table saw. It's more accurate.

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I've got that same little guy for an install saw as well. Love the fact it weighs almost nothing. I do wish it had soft start and the ability to bevel both sides though. I get confused cutting crown with only one bevel angle, but once I'm in the groove and my brain warms up I do fine. I bought it mostly for the weight. It get's broken out once in a while in the shop, but pretty rare.

Have you ever tried putting a skil saw blade in it? I've noticed that with the tiny blade it goes from sharp to dull very quickly, Even though its a bit smaller a 7-1/4" blade would probably be a cheap, good, disposable blade for it. Forrest is the only aftermarket blade that I've seen, and while good, it doesn't take much and it's dull.