Best Sliding Saw For Crown/Trim

Hardibuilt

I'm buying a compound chop saw for my trim carpenter who is doing all my work. What is the best slider compound saw on the market? What do you guys recommend? I know not the best but how is the Dewalt? Who uses a copemaster?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

send_it_all

You are going to get 20 different answers. I have a Dewalt. I like it a lot. Some swear by Makita...I'm sure it's a nice saw.

Tom R

I'm not a big fan of DeWalt anything, - - but plenty of guys do like DeWalt for crown. They seem to be plenty accurate for their needs and boast a high fence for crown-cutting. Personally, - - I cut mine on the flat anyway, - - so that's not an issue for me.

The top two picks as far as I'm concerned are the Makita and the Bosch.

I give Makita a 10 on accuracy and a 9 for ease of use.

I give Bosch a 9.5 on accuracy and a 10 for ease of use.

Personally, - - I prefer the Bosch, - - all controls are accessible from the front of the saw.

Although I have the 12", - - I would recommend just getting a 10", - - less blade deflection and being it's a 'slider', - - there's plenty of length to your crosscutting anyway, - - also, - - these things can be a bear to carry around . . .

osborn

I have the dewalt 12. I like it for the indent settings for crown but its heavy. Its made in the USA also. Also good for tall base.

SPCarpentry

I have the Makita 10" and I use it with the Saw Helper set up. The saw helper added some $$ to the overall cost. Overall it has been a good investment. Maybe ask your trim guy what he likes?

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tcleve4911

I currently run a 10" Makita and a 12" Dewalt SCMS.
Pros
Makita - Smooth operation, good dust collection, easy to trim small pieces.
Dewalt - Great detentes on bed & bevel arm, good on large pieces of trim, Accurate.
Cons
Makita- Can't do base on edge, detentes wear after a while, Tilt bevel limited by motor on right side
Dewalt- They shortened the rails on the new saw and made up the cut capacity by dropping the blade further into the bed. It makes it very hard to sight in on small trim cuts. (that's why Dewalt came out with a laser accessory). Terrible dust collection.

Copemaster is a very expensive alternate to your table saw coping.
Respond & I'll explain.
Good luck with your decision

__________________
Back in Maine
Dubbin' Around
Doin' good stuff ......

Same Old

Bosch 10" slider. Very nice saw.
All the controls up front and an offset motor, I love mine.
Put a forrest blade on it and it's unstoppable.

dougchips

Tcleve, the Makita I have has the motor mounted at an angle that permits the saw to swing both ways. I like the built in work light and the off switch for the laser.

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nywoodwizard

I also own 2-12" dewalt scms and a 20 year old delta that still works great.The dewalt like any saw has its pro and cons.unfortunatly the saw changed since i purchased my two.On the new versions i notice i get my thumb caught on the blade guard when pushing down,its because they moved the handle to close.i tend to wrap my thumb around the side of the handle.(your hands natural position).I really haven't had any problems with the two i bought but you should read more reviews on the newer dewalts to help you choose.

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Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

Chris G

If I were a bad joking tool salesman:

"Now, this here Makita...it's what we call a bisexual mitre saw..."

dougchips

I bought it at the home creapo, so no salesperson. I only swing one way so I have a "don't ask/ don't tell" policy with the saw---what it does when I'm not around is fine.

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PeteHalsted

I agree a bit of a Ford or Chevy conversation, but I will say that I have a Makita 10" Slider. I've never used a saw that had as smooth action to it as this saw does. I've had saws with the "laser washer" that only works when spinning before and they were a joke, the Makita's laser is the first one that I've actually trusted and used.

To be fair I will give my only complaint. I hate that it has a "standard circular saw" type grip. Saws like the dewalts with horizontal handle and switch in front, are much more comfortable to operate.

hatchet

I bought the Makita 12" dual bevel slider last year and I have to say it's a great saw. My only gripe about it is the bevel adjustment is on the back of the saw. And I agree with Pete - the laser actually comes in pretty handy.. more so than I thought when I purchased it. And the only reason I purchased one with a laser was that was the only way I could get it - but now I'm glad I did.

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Rich
WIT Construction Co.
Superior MT Contractor

Jer17

I’ve used Hitachi, Makita, DeWalt, and Bosch. The 10” Bosch was my favorite. Great working base and you don’t have to lean over the saw to change bevel. All adjustments are up front in reach.

Jer

In_Mexifornia

I've used the Makita 10" slider, but on this particular model the miter gauge was on the right side and I kinda didn't like it not being in the front like i'm used to. Other then that it cut well and no problems.
I also use the 12" Dewalt slider, but it stays in the shop. Now I'm not sure if all 12" sliders are that big and heavy, but the Dewalt seems to be to me. I did lug it around for a month or so while I had my other saw repaired, but it was a pain in the rear to move it around.
I've personally used the 12" Dewalt single bevel for years and recently changed to the 12" Dewalt dual bevel. I do a lot of molding and the 12' dual bevel is easy to take out and put away on a daily basis. If I was going to get a slider, I'd probably get a 10".

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

Another vote here for the bosch 10'' slider. Sooo sweet!

RTRCon

I have both the 12" Dewalt slider and the 12" single bevel, both work well for me.

THE HOUSE DR.

I have a 10' hitachi double bevel compound slider mounted to a Rigid MSUV saw stand. Excellent accuracy and reliability. Never had a problem with it, and we cut around 6000' of trim a week. Sometimes I wish the saw had a bigger table, and front mounted bevel controls, but otherwise a great saw. Love the soft start and belt drive, very smooth. I am getting a new saw soon, and am looking at the Hitachi 12" w/digital readout, or the Bosch 12", haven't decided yet . Also the Rigid saw stand is very portable and makes setup and teardown every day a breeze.

only126db

I like Dewalt very expensive though.....

Trimcat

I personally don't like the newer Dewalt 12" slide. The blade is set too far forward for my taste. It's awkward. Personally, I like my smaller 8 1/4 Dewalt believe it or not. It's light and accurate, and you don't have to worry about the huge blade warping. It was also pretty cheap compared to the big saw. I'm concerned about the longevity of it however. I don't hold much stock in these newer crop of tools. Seems like everything lately is just junk. But that's another topic I suppose.