Miter Saws

[kon_jelly]

The one thing my shop is really missing right now is a miter saw. I don't have a ton of room to cross cut long materials on my table saw, which means I end up having to set up saw horses outside and using my circular saw and a guide. Not a problem per se but it's a pain and I'm not always the most accurate with these cuts. Plus repeat cuts are right out, which is a lot of what I need. 

Really all I plan on using a miter saw for is cross cutting boards. I feel like a dual-bevel compound miter saw may be a bit excessive for that role. And even if it was in my budget I feel like shelling out $600+ for a top of the line Dewalt or Bosch wouldn't be the best use of my funds. 

Should I be looking at a lower-featured saw from one of the more reputable brands, or would something like the Harbor Freight $200 saw work well enough for what I need? I try to avoid buying Harbor Freight tools because I feel like they end up getting replaced frequently, but I also don't want to drop $1400 on a Festool that gets used just for occasional cross cuts. 

[21meyer]

I use the jig saw to break down rough lumber.  It is much safer if your lumber is warped or twisted.  I have a nice miter saw for furniture and a beater miter saw for DIY that lives in a storage shed.  

The miter saw for furniture cuts is a debate for many.  If all you are wanting to do is rough cuts, I would buy something used from Craigslist.  I bought a decent quality Delta (DIY saw) 5+ years ago for $40 and it still cuts fine.  

[Chet]

In the case of furniture making and the use of a miter saw, you start getting into the category of you get what you pay for.  If like meyer stated above you are going to us it for rough cut sizing of your lumber it can be dicey if you are dealing with warps and twist and there are better, safer ways to do that.  If on the other hand you are speaking of using it on final cross cuts for size then you are going to be disappointed in the results you get from low end prices.  In the lower end saws you are going to have a lot of deflection which is going to give you disappointing results.  If you invest in something like the Bosch glide you can get nice results and have a tool that will last a long time.  I have the 12 inch glide and am extremely happy with the cross cuts I get for final size.  

[Tpt life]

I don't set up horses. I take the circ saw to the stack. The jigsaw is growing on me as lighter, but it is also slower. A miter saw is only going to marginally improve your crosscuts. There will usually need to be cut dressing after the fact. There is a lot in these forums on that topic. Full disclosure, I have a miter saw that serves me well. I just want to make sure the expectation is not too high for critical cuts. 

[BonPacific]

Now, this doesn't apply to top-line saws like the Kapex, but most miter saws are intended for jobsite use, so they can handle rain, humidity, and getting knocked around. If you're tight on space, there's no reason you can't keep the chop saw out in a shed, or just under an overhang. As long as it's not getting constantly drenched, there's not a lot you can do to hurt it.

Don't bother with Harbor Freight here, if you need basic these saws show up all the time on Craigslist.

[freedhardwoods]

Most of the cabinet shops (there are several dozen) in my area use miter saws for finished cuts in the shop.

Dewalt 12" sliding compound miter is the saw of choice for cutting trim for high dollar cabinets on the job. They definitely do not bang them around because the cuts have to be right.

That is the miter saw I have and will use in my shop (if I ever get it finished).

[HuxleyWood]

21 minutes ago, BonPacific said:

Now, this doesn't apply to top-line saws like the Kapex, but most miter saws are intended for jobsite use,

1

The Kapex was designed as a site saw just like all the rest.

To the OP the first questions I think you need to answer is how wide of a cross cut (and in what thickness) do you want the ability to cut and second what is your "real" budget.

[kon_jelly]

8 minutes ago, HuxleyWood said:

The Kapex was designed as a site saw just like all the rest.

To the OP the first questions I think you need to answer is how wide of a cross cut (and in what thickness) do you want the ability to cut and second what is your "real" budget.

Probably max of 8/4 and width of 6-8". My real budget is pretty much whatever I want it to be, but I want to get what makes sense for my use case.

[HuxleyWood]

15 minutes ago, kon_jelly said:

. My real budget is pretty much whatever I want it to be, but I want to get what makes sense for my use case.

 

That is what I meant by your real budget, what do you feel is reasonable for your use, some people will buy a Kapex to cut one board a year, some will search CL for a $25 saw because they won't pop for even a Harbor Freight miter saw even though they would use it daily.

 

Most non-sliding 12" miter saws will cut crosscut 2x10s @  90* and 2x8s at 45* so for your 8" 8/4 cuts you will be fine at 90*.  

[BillyJack]

On 1/12/2017 at 8:05 AM, kon_jelly said:

The one thing my shop is really missing right now is a miter saw. I don't have a ton of room to cross cut long materials on my table saw, which means I end up having to set up saw horses outside and using my circular saw and a guide. Not a problem per se but it's a pain and I'm not always the most accurate with these cuts. Plus repeat cuts are right out, which is a lot of what I need. 

Really all I plan on using a miter saw for is cross cutting boards. I feel like a dual-bevel compound miter saw may be a bit excessive for that role. And even if it was in my budget I feel like shelling out $600+ for a top of the line Dewalt or Bosch wouldn't be the best use of my funds. 

Should I be looking at a lower-featured saw from one of the more reputable brands, or would something like the Harbor Freight $200 saw work well enough for what I need? I try to avoid buying Harbor Freight tools because I feel like they end up getting replaced frequently, but I also don't want to drop $1400 on a Festool that gets used just for occasional cross cuts. 

You can always buy used and in new condition. Look around...

 

A harbor freight saw was bought one time for a sub on installation, The saw broke in one day. I think it tore itself up...

[sjm1580]

On 1/12/2017 at 1:08 PM, kon_jelly said:

Probably max of 8/4 and width of 6-8". My real budget is pretty much whatever I want it to be, but I want to get what makes sense for my use case.

I went with a Dewalt 10 inch sliding miter saw and am very pleased with the quality of my cuts ( dead on 90s and 45s out of the box - and I mean dead on).

That's my personal experience.

[freedhardwoods]

4 hours ago, sjm1580 said:

I went with a Dewalt 10 inch sliding miter saw and am very pleased with the quality of my cuts ( dead on 90s and 45s out of the box - and I mean dead on).

That's my personal experience.

Same with my 12"

[Immortan D]

I use a battery powered Makita jigsaw to break down the lumber right at the parking lot. I even used it on 3x8 stuff, it can handle it, no problem. My miter saw is a 12" Bosch glide and I couldn't be happier with the final cuts it delivers.

[jplemons]

I get good results with a Makita 8-1/2" Slide Compound Miter Saw (model LS0815F). I built a rolling cart with extensions to support longer stock. I've used it for accurate cuts before I got my table saw and now use it mainly for rough cutting.