Miter Saws

2ndGen

You guys must not have the caliber of Crackheads that we in New York have!

Tom R

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http://www.tr-built.com

dayspring

When I lived in Texas, I worked with a guy from NYC. He told me that one day he had a flat and his spare was down. Someone stopped to help, they took him to get it aired and when they got back, 15 mins or so, they started jacking the truck up(rear). About that time a car pulls up in front of them and two guys jump out with jack in hand and say, "You can have the rear but we're taking the front."

My buddy is not a small man, He set 'em to runnin'!

I could just imagine it happening

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"Never met a man yet that I couldn't learn something from"
http://remodelingncarolina.com

mmike032

dewalt double compound by far if you do alot of cutting as i do, for trim that is.I have not found another saw that is not aggervating trying to turn back and forth to make multiple fast cuts.Maybe it is because i have been using dewalt for 8 yrs but have tryed the rigid and it was horrendous. Played with the hitachi at lowes and it seems the same way.Dewalt is just easy to slide back and forth. Tie a string around the guard so you can see where the blade is and go to town.if it gets a little hard to turn just spray some silicone on the slider and underneath where it spins and your back in business.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

The Bosch has a clear guard just for that reason and there is a slot in the guard to look through when you make a "safe cut". I have seen guys get ripped by an exposed blade....not good.
The Bosch also has a laser that comes in handy at times. The laser is set for one side so you just have to remember which side.

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Norman Sharp
http://www.sharpimprovements.com

carver348

After reading all the posts I'm still kinda confussed. Sounds like the bosch gets high marks and the older model dewalt. Some of the reviews on the bosch don't sound so good. Buy a bosch or find a old dewalt? Any ideas?

2ndGen

If you look at one of my posts, I gave a couple of Amazon links that listed The Bosch as superior to most anything out right now.

While those reviews could be taken with a grain of salt, they seem to line up with the magazine review I listed.

I cut my teeth (no pun intended ) on an older DeWalt non-slide model and it took me no time at all to master it and to get creative with it. It was flawless, that's why I find it hard to see so many poor reviews of the newest model, the 718.

But hey, maybe it's just poorly designed. That doesn't take away from previous designs.

Putting away all the options, all the doohickeys and features, ultimately, for me, for finish work, I'd insist on quality and accuracy.

For general work, it'd have to be heavy duty and able to perform repeated functions over and over and over.

I'm getting the Bosch for my general use and for finish, most likely a smaller Bosch as they too have been rated extremely high.

When it comes to money, what's one or two hundred dollars spread out over the years of service a great saw will provide you with as opposed to a cheaper one that'll crap out?

I love DeWalt, but I love my reputation more and my craft more.

As it stands now, in my humble opinion and in the opinion of the experts who test these machines, The Bosch is one of the best you can get your hands on now.

2ndGen

Just let me add this, a quality manufacturer can't produce perfect products all the time. If the DeWalt 718 is not a strong design, so be it. That in no way reflects on what I've come to know as DeWalt when it comes to quality. Most of their stuff is simply tremendous.

Same with Bosch.

Here are the Amazon reviews again plus a magazine test on saws:

Bosch 5412L
Reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-5412L-12...0400137&sr=8-2

DeWalt DW718
Reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/DeWalt-DW718-H...0400196&sr=1-1


ToolsOfTheTrade Test:
http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/indus...ticleID=501379

(not current models, but this should give you an idea of each manufacturer's reputation)

Good luck.

2ndGen

One question:

Best saw blades for finish work?

General Carpentry?

mmike032

maybe ill have to check out the bosch saw. I have not seen or used one yet but it sounds like i need to give it a try.Is the slider easy to use and user friendly like the dewalt. I have the new DCMS and i have no regrets about it.The dewalt is easy to use and user friendly. How mush more does the bosch cost.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

The Bosch is the easiest/most user friendly saw I have used. All the gadgets are in the front of the saw, not the like the DW where you have to reach around the saw to make a compound. All the transitions are a breeze. The Bosch is a Cadillac. The 10" is about $500.

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Norman Sharp
http://www.sharpimprovements.com

Trimcat

Question about the Bosch:

I'm not sure what you call the piece, but the little lever underneath that clicks into the detents.... the one you reach underneath with your fingers on each cut and pull up to release the saw so you can turn it..... (jesus what's it CALLED)........ ANYWAY...... is that plastic? Or Metal? I had a Bosch saw once where that was plastic, and it wore out and got sloppy VERY quickly. I loved that saw out of the box, but after a month I was ready to throw it away.

mmike032

i perfer dewalt saw blades for trim work. the 80 tooth does a great job and in the box stores right now u an buy the [12"] 80 tooth with a free framing blade in the pack.I have used others and they dont compare to the dewalt blades in my opinion, and no im not brand biased. Ill buy whatever brand suits my needs. For instance i have 2 dewalt framing guns and i hate them.Nails get jammed to often and had 1 blow an o-ring after i used it maybe 3 times.But back to the blades whatever u do , do not buy an oldham blade they are trash. I bought 1 to try it out b/c of the price and fresh out the pack it cut like a beaver. I have dewalt blades i have cut nails with and it cut better than the oldham brand new.just my opinion though. And the freud blades i dont like either b/c when your cutting small profiles like shoe mold it tends to pull the molding , and snatch it out of your grip

Jake Stevens

We have 12" Dewalt compound for large framing, 10" Makitas for day to day framing and Hitachis 8" siding compound for finish work. I like the Hitachis because the blades are cheaper and the men do a great job with them. My son does some custom finish work and will only use a 12" Dewalt.

2ndGen

Is a sliding saw better than a stationary saw for trim work?

mmike032

i despise sliding saws. they are two ackward to use to me. the only time i have used them is to cut shelving or something to wide to lift up and cut with 12' saw.the sliding saws are dangerous to me having the blade jump out at you,and this is coming from somebody that ties the guard back on a 12 miter saw,

Double-A

A slider has a greater board width capacity, but in theory, might give a sloppier cut, due to deflection in the sliding system. Some sliders have indirect drive blades or gear-driven blades so the motor can be mounted out of the way, allowing a greater depth of cut.

Advantage? Depends on what you want the saw for.

Compound miter saw = less weight and in theory, a more accurate cut, in reality, perhaps just a weight advantage.

Sliding compound miter saw = greater crosscut capacity and possibly more depth of cut capacity.

I think it comes down to how you use the saw more than anything. If you're using a 12" Slider to cut nothing but base shoe, you're working way too damn hard and have too much money tied up in saws and blades.

On the other hand, if you're cutting 6" + crown all the time, a non-slider is probably gonna make you cuss a lot.

Clean and tune your saw regularly. If your saw is inaccurate, it doesn't matter how easy the thing is to use, its gonna give you crap results. If your saw is dirty, those nifty features are gonna look stupid when you have to use a dead-blow hammer just to adjust your miter angle.

But most importantly, keep a damn good blade on your saw, keep it clean and sharp. Even a mediocre saw will give you good results if its clean, tuned and has a good blade on it.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

Tom F.

Does anybody send blades out for resharpening anymore? I'm speaking of these expensive trim blades. I can remember my dad having them sharpened 30 years ago, but I don't see it done anymore.

Cashking63

I own that giant, massive Dewalt 12" sliding compound miter saw with the laser guide.


pros; its a dewalt and I like dewalt, It is damn accurate. Its easy to use.

Cons: Blade changes are usually a pain in the a*&, It is heavy as He*&, the laser guide is good for nothing other than to look cool ( and I can tell my customer that their trim is cut with laser guided precision, with a straight face),

Double-A

Carbide tipped saws don't need sharpening as much as a high-speed tool steel blade will.

Yes, we do send our blades out, but its not required as often as we thought it was going to be. Keeping them clean of pith and sap buildup however seems to make a big difference.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006