boom3 Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Does anyone have any experience with sliding miter saws that have a 12 inch capacity or greater? "American Woodworker" liked the big Makita with laser sight. I think Rigid has come out with one that will cut a 16 inch board. I have a Makita table saw right now that I rarely use. It has been a pain to set up and needs to be aligned just about every cut. It's miter gauge is flakey. It is also taking up a lot of floorspace in my garage. I also have a Delta 10 inch miter saw that I like a lot. I'm thinking of selling the two and buying a slider. Any advice welcome! TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I got rid of my 12" compound DeWalt (non-slider) and now have a 10" makita slider w/ laser. It is a much higher quality better made smoother running saw. Depends on what you cut but trading a couple small tablesaws for a good quality Mitersaw sounds like a good trade although you would not be able to rip anything. If you want a really nice portable stand check out Ryobi for one hundred bucks, just peel the usless labels off for a better look. Ryobi stand is much better quality and one half the cost of the Dewalt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 If you need a saw that durned big, why not get a radial arm? It would be much safer and you'd be able to rotate it to rip also. It does take up a lot of shop space but seems that it would have the requirements you seek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Lowe's sells a GMC brand slider miter saw, both a 7" blade model and a 10" blade model. I bought the 10" model, and it was about $200 new. I've used the heck out of it, and it works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I have a Sears Craftsman radial arm saw and a big belt drive Delta table saw. The radial arm saw gets out of adjustment so quickly. If I want to use it for any fine woodworking, I have to spend a morning adjusting it and cleaning the slide first. The whole arm mount is so flimsy, it bends very easily. I would not recomend a craftsman, if you want a radial arm saw, I would sugest a more pro model such as a delta. On the other hand, the big Delta table saw is now one of my most used tools. It rips and crosscuts very cleanly, built like a rock, never needs adjusting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Speedball, I totally agree on the Ryobi stand. Great & cheap tool! I remember I'd asked in another thread (can't remember which one) about your Makita slider (scale issue). I didn't see a response (can't find the thread, dang it!). I use a 15" Hitachi beast, thinking of going with something smaller and lighter. 95% of what I cut would be handled by a good 12" non-slider. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000EI96H/qid=1148562355/sr=8-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5027051-4238339?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013'> This Delta Industrial 36-412 12" Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw/a is supposed to be pretty nice. I absolutely need a tall fence (crown molding). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Fini, Not sure how they are now days but they used to be very heavy.....looks nice. My makita is reasonably lightweight and the table pivots smooth as silk. The angle pointer whatever you call it is a little quirky but it locks into place and is just fine. Radial Arm = old school......[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 keep us posted on this...sounds like a common problem. I needed to cut 76 pieces of wood exactly the same size (36 inches long, 2 inches thick, 8 inches wided) out of 16 foot lenths of 2 by 8 stock......with a 11.5 degree angle on both sides (not framing angles...edge joining ones) I was able to do so within 1/32nd of an inch buy removing the stock power saw unit from my panel saw, and replacing it with a hand powersaw that had a miter feature. I attached a stop on one end of the panel saw rack and locked it down with a sliding wood bench vise. once I setup the first cut...i can make 1 or 1000 more. I can feed the 16 foot stock from the other end and slide the stock forward as I pull off the cut sections. using this approach I could cut angles on stock edgewise across a sheet of plywood or the lenth of it. But I don't think the blade can swing a full 45 degrees. would be intrested in the types of cuts you are tying to make and what options sound attractive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 MY personal favorite: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=118985-67702-C12LSH&lpage=none The 12 in sliders like the Dewalt that cut 16" board usually require you to remove the fence to do so. You can do it with the one above and if space is a premium you can push it all the way back against a wall and still use the slide. But it ain't cheap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 My first choice would be DeWalt, then Rigid. Yes you can find cheaper, but when it comes to powertools, I say "you get what you pay for" You will find that there is alot better build quality, and craftsmanship in these tools. I have a DeWalt 10" and it was the best at the time.. I really liked how the table locked into place & just seemed more stable & Solid than the other saws in that size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I love my Dewalt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Wow, what a response! Thanks yall![] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Dewalt DW708 here...and love it 12" slide I do like the new version too... as for laser...I am not sold on it for accuracy....but does look neato....hehehe buy a high quality tool...so it works for you al lthe time and in the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Like Dad always said 'son, buy the best tools you can afford and you'll never be sorry." No really, he actually said that! M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerohm Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I have the 1013F (10", NO Laser, ~45lbs) You can certainly get cheaper ones (maybe not sliding) but I have no complaints with the Makita ... well actually I do ... the sawdust bag is for looks only. It is a quality tool. You may want to invest in a stand also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyjoe72 Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 I have the ridged 12". It's a monster and cuts like butter. toodles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Ah yes, I wish I had bought a slider, but alas, my chop saw does not slide. But if I was to get a new one, it most likely would be the dewalt. Ohhhh.... Look at the tool porn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAS Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Yeah, you really do get what you pay for in tools. Dewalt seems to last the longest and stay the truest in my experience. If you have doubts, just go to a large commercial construction worksite and look at what they're using. Most often it'll say Dewalt. The hardware stores that don't carry it will say the name means nothing. But use the brands side by side and you can actually feel a tangible difference in quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 I have the 1013F (10", NO Laser, ~45lbs) You can certainly get cheaper ones (maybe not sliding) but I have no complaints with the Makita ... well actually I do ... the sawdust bag is for looks only. It is a quality tool. You may want to invest in a stand also. I have a small Hoover portable vacuum that hooks up to the dust bag port without any other attachments and it gathers tons of dust for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 I have the Dewalt 12" sliding saw and absolutly love it easy set up and a breaze to work with. I also have the Ridgid stand and would recomend it to anyone. I just had to drill some extra mounting holes in the stand to mount the Dewalt. When it is folded up it wheels around loke a dolly, no more lifting that saw for me. and like m00n here is some tool porn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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