Circular saw vs Miter Saw

[old goat]

I've had a Makita for over 20 years--used it to frame my second story, build a dog outhouse up here in Truckee (worth a thread of it's own some day) and dozens of other major projects--still going strong. The worm drive is heavy--really a saw for professional framers. I can't compare the Makita to anything else (except a POS Craftsman) because I haven't tried any others. 12 amps I believe.

[mcsquared]

I find the weight of a wormdrive to be beneficial. Or maybe its the design but I find it easier to keep them straight by steering with the elbow rather than the wrist. Plus you aren't gonna cut a 2x6 propped up on your foot with a sidewinder. I've got a makita that I like. But Skils that you will hand to your kids someday are a dime a dozen at pawn shops. I'd get one of those and a nice new blade. The stock blade on mine sucked.

I also have the Festool TS55 and its pretty slick. I was hoping it would replace my tablesaw but I am not quite ready to get rid of it yet. Its true that you don't need to clamp down the rail unless whatever you are cutting is warped or something.

[spanghew]

Very true. Even for melamine faced boards. I think if you didn't use dust collection and had piles of sawdust everywhere the guide would slip....but then if you work like that you are probably not even bothering with a guide besides yer eyeballs.

I've not needed to clamp my Festool rails. Now the system I tried before Festool, Eureka Zone, did require clamping.

The Ftool clamps are quick and easy to use, though not always necessary. For important cuts, it's no added effort (well, you have to walk around the sheet of stuff) to anchor both ends so you can't bump or deflect the guide with carelessness or the awesome strength of your hairy arms.

Using the guide on smaller pieces it's a great idea to use the clamps, as the piece being cut can shift a bit. Having an adaptable bench offering many clamping opportunities for odd-shaped and -sized pieces helps a lot. I've never used the Ftool table, but from pictures it seems a well-thought-out and usable tool for making repeat cuts, square cuts and odd cuts, particularly on less than full sheets of material.

[crackboy]

can anyone recomend a decent miter saw that won't break the bank? moderate use, nothing serious. a tool outlet by me has a refurb 10" ryobi w/laser for super cheap but don't know if i should spring for something better.

[spanghew]

can anyone recomend a decent miter saw that won't break the bank? moderate use, nothing serious. a tool outlet by me has a refurb 10" ryobi w/laser for super cheap but don't know if i should spring for something better.

you can always look in some of the trade magazines that review a wide assortment of the current saws and examine all the different features and evaluate value, etc. Most of them will have no idea how long the saw will last, remain accurate and so on, and this might be why some of the lower-end saws seem to do well in their tests.

Some depends on what you want to do and how well the saw is suited to that. The last time I bought a chop saw, I got the Bosch slider because it was the only saw that would cut up to 60 degrees, albeit only on one side. Knowing what kind of range you want can affect your choice, even down to whether you want a slider or a fixed saw, ten inch or twelve.

Lasers to me are just a neat trick,maybe more useful than I know, but I am not convinced they provide the kind of accuracy I want. . But then I tend to find most such saws horribly inaccurate, with warped back fences and other sorts of tweaks that need to be adjusted or replaced before true repeatable cuts can be made. Buying a very good chop saw blade, thick kerf to avoid deflection (especially on narrow cuts) and lots of teeth for a smooth and shiny cut, makes a big difference, too.

[strawjack]

I've had a Makita for over 20 years--used it to frame my second story, build a dog outhouse up here in Truckee (worth a thread of it's own some day) and dozens of other major projects--still going strong. The worm drive is heavy--really a saw for professional framers. I can't compare the Makita to anything else (except a POS Craftsman) because I haven't tried any others. 12 amps I believe.

ya, the old makita chop box was bomber, mine is just over 20yrs too. i don't know about their new products. i also have milwaukee compound slide that is really nice and works well. i have a couple milwaukee circular saws that work fine. the old skil worm drive saws worked really well for the price.

i'd say buy the circ saw first, then the chop saw.

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At this time it looks like BlogEngine is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I've read) Is that what you're using on your blog?

[wolfelot]

Bump I guess. I came across this on google and the insights here are actually helpful. I'm about to start finishing my 1100 sq ft basement and I'm not sure if I want to get a cheap mitre saw or just borrow one for finish trim. I have a decent circular saw. I also have a number of other projects around the house where I can get by with just a circular saw, but it will be "nice" to have the mitre saw. However, I don't know that I want to deal with storing a mitre saw when I know it will sit for months at a time. Decisions decisions.

[alias_rice]

No real decision. Get the mitre saw. Makes life much easier.

[adrenalated]

X2 if you're doing trim and don't hate yourself, get a miter saw. You can always buy one used and resell it when done with your basement if you don't want to store it.

I use mine all the time though. Way more than my circ saws.

[dunfree]

Get a power chop/miter saw for trim work. As said above you need both. 12" or sliding is way more useful. Craftsman blows. No idea what's good for brands now other than that.

As for miter saws, these things are overrated

[wolfelot]

Thanks guys. I found a Dewalt DW713 10-inch mitre saw with a Rigid saw stand for $150 that looks to be in good shape. I'm checking it out tonight. Craigslist find.

Everyone needs a quiver of power saws.