Sliding Compound Miter Saws - Compare & Review

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Our Rating:

The miter scales on this saw are easy to read, and the miter lock is comfortable and locks down securely. Of all the saws tested, this one had the best blade guard; it never hung up on the work. Very smooth, even sliding action. Nice override feature on the preset detents, which makes it easy to set the angle 1 or 2 degrees off. Comes with a Platinum series, 60-tooth blade that gives nice, clean cuts. The bevel and miter scale indicators are cheap metal strips, and the sliding fence extends only 3 inches. This saw was tested on birch trim and never bogged down. A great saw for the money.

Amps: 13
RPM: 4,700
Weight: 47 pounds
Maximum Bite, Straight Chop: 3-1/2 inches thick by 12 inches wide
Maximum Bite, Compound Cut: 2-1/4 inches thick by 8-5/8 inches wide

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Our Rating:

The plastic base on this tool is very stable. The miter angle scale registers on both sides of the table, making it easy to read no matter which way you swing it. There is no safety button on the D-handle. There are no detents on the miter angle scale. Instead of a handle that screws in to secure the table in place and lock in the miter angle, this tool has a lever that is lifted and then released once the table is rotated to the desired setting. The lever's compression can be adjusted to provide a tight lock, but the lever is stiff. Sloppy guard action; fairly smooth slide action.

Amps: 15
RPM: 4,600
Weight: 13 pounds
Maximum Bite, Straight Chop: 3-1/2 inches thick by 11-1/2 inches wide
Maximum Bite, Compound Cut: 2 inches thick by 8 inches wide

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Our Rating:

This was our favorite saw. It has a tight, solid feel and a smooth start. The dual-range miter scale is heavy-duty metal and is easy to read and adjust. The miter angle scale indicator has a center line and 1/4-degree markings on either side, great for hairline adjustments. The cam-action miter adjuster was the best of the bunch. It locks down into any degree setting and stays put. The slide rails are stacked on top of each other, giving the operator an excellent view of the bevel scale. The blade guard works OK. Good visibility through the guard into the cut line. The fence slides on both sides, although the knobs must be securely tightened to keep it square to the table. Easy bevel adjustment. The 60-tooth blade provided with the saw made fairly clean cuts; optional 80-tooth blade made glass-smooth cuts.

Amps: 13
RPM: 4,000
Weight: 57 pounds
Maximum Bite, Straight Chop: 4-1/2 inches thick by 12 inches wide
Maximum Bite, Compound Cut: 3-1/8 inches thick by 12 inches wide

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Our Rating:

This is a sweet saw with few flaws. It has a smooth slide action and is very accurate. The bevel indicator scale is too small and is the same color as the body, so it's difficult to read. The dust bag attachment picks up about a third of the sawdust; the rest flies out the back of the saw into the air. The blade guard never got caught on work. The plastic indicator for the miter scale gave us trouble when we tried to recalibrate it. The auxiliary slide fence adjusts easily with a Phillips screwdriver and is long enough to work well. The belt drive gave a very smooth start. The difficulty in reading the miter and bevel indicators is the weak point on this saw.

Amps: 10
RPM: 3,800
Weight: 44 pounds
Maximum Bite, Straight Chop: 3-5/16 inches thick by 12-1/4 inches wide
Maximum Bite, Compound Cut: 2-3/16 inches thick by 8-11/16 inches wide

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Our Rating:

This 10-inch miter saw has a direct drive, which makes for a smoother start-up than the other two Makitas tested, which had hypoid gearing. The 64-tooth blade provided with the saw made clean cuts even in black oak and maple. For a left-handed user, the space between the handle and blade guard is too tight. The blade guard is similar to the Bosch guard, but not as smooth. The miter angle scale registers on both sides of the table, but it's hard to read. The tool has a single pole slide with smooth action. There are distinct detents on the turntable and an easy finger-release lever at the front edge of table. The bevel lock lever is easy to use, but the bevel scale is just a piece of tape.

Amps: 12
RPM: 4,600
Weight: 12 pounds
Maximum Bite, Straight Chop: 2-15/16 inches thick by 12 inches wide
Maximum Bite, Compound Cut: 1-9/16 inches thick by 8 7/16 inches wide

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