Miter Saw Recommendations

So I am in the market for a Compound Miter Saw and figured I would seek some advice. I plan to use it for putting up new trim in the house (baseboard, crown on the kitchen cabinets, etc) and other small projects. I am unsure whether I should buy a 10" and get a really good blade and call it good or spend the extra cash on a 12". Anyone have any good or bad experiences with Ridgid? I am leaning toward them because of the life time warranty, but I am also considering Hitachi.

Pretty much any advice on size, brand, and features would be appreciated.


Sully

 

I have a 12" Porter Cable. I have 2 different blades for it, one for fine work and the other for cross cutting.
No experience with the Ridgid or Hitachi saws, but I do have a Hitachi brad nailer, no complaints.
I say if you have the extra cash, go with the 12", for me it makes those quick cross cut jobs easier with a larger blade.

 

I have the Rigid with the 12" blade and the laser guide. Thats a pretty nice saw.

Think it was under $350.00, though not sure as it was a gift from a girlfriend.

 

Its currently $300 at the local HD, and the Hitachi is the same price at Lowes.

 

I almost went with a 10" when I was purchasing mine (i gotta sweet deal on a used 12" dewalt so I bought that). 10" should be fine for 90% of the jobs, the exception being large crown molding.

Just think of how much you will be loading/unloading that thing. My 12" is a heavy beast, that is the only drawback.

 

Gee, i thought she liked me more than that...

Anyway, the Rigid is a good saw. Can't speak for the Hitachi as i never used one. There stuff looks and feels (in store) quality though.

I know my Rigid came with a steel stand at the time. Don't know if that is still part of the deal.

 

I agree the Makita dual slide w/ laser and light is fun to use, my company has 2 of them I love them but they are expensive as hell. I mostly use 12" dewalts at work and never had a problem with any of them.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I guess that takes one brand out of the running.

 

the rigids are guranteed for life so you can take them back if they fail. I know the one guy was talking about dewalt, stay away, they are not the same company that built there old great tools, shitty warranty and no service centers cuz they dont back their stuff. Get a 12 whatever you buy. There will be a time you need it and then the 10 will be worthless.

 

What saw you get should depend on your situation. How much can you spend? How much will you use it? I hate paying $400 for something to sit around 99% of the time.
Since I own a two familly, I can write off tools as an expense as long as I use them for the rental unit.

I have a rigid 12" With the laser thing i never bothered to put on. Cuts fine for me! Never bothered with the laser thing though. I know it needs to be calibrated if you use it. much like most tools.

 

It depends on how often you will be using it and how big of trim you will be cutting. I have a 10" delta compound saw and I can't bed crown any bigger than 5" because the blade won't cut all the way through.

My dad has a 10" rigid and it is built pretty solid.

My next miter saw will be a 12" Hitachi. Hitachi builds some good tools IMO. I have a hitachi 2.5" brad nailer and a hitachi router. Both are great tools. My next purchase going to be a Hitachi Table saw http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=159372-46578-C10FL&lpage=none

 

If your only going to be using it for small projects get the 10", the weight alone will make it worth it. I have a 12" delta that my old man bought 5 years ago, i cuts much straighter then the makita and there pretty inexpensive.

 

Can a 10" miter saw cut a 4x4 post? I think that will be about the biggest thing i will need the saw for, otherwise i have a table saw and my trusty circular saw.

 

How old is your miter saw? I was reading that there were some issues back in 2006-2007 with bevel cuts and the ridgid units, but I haven't seen anything recently.

 

My 10" delta will. I think just about all 10" saws will seeing as how a 4x4 is only 3.5" thick.

One thing with the rigid laser saws is be careful not to go too deep with the laser thing on. My dad melted his down and broke it cutting 5.25" crown because it would rub the wood. You can always remove the laser

 

I've got a Craftsman 10 inch sliding compound saw and love it. It cuts up to 12 inches wide. Only complaint is the dust collection system sucks. Great saw in the $200 price range.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921237000P?keyword=craftsman+10+inch+compound+miter+saw

 

Apparently this is the same saw as the Kobalt one sold at lowes. I saw a few reviews that said the carrying handles broke, and one or two that said the miter angles were off a degree. Have you noticed either of these issues?

 

I also saw those reviews. My saw is stationary so I don't use the handle. I checked all my angles when I set up the saw and everything was right on. I think it is a great saw for the homeowner / DIY'er. A professional would probably want a higher end saw. I love the sliding aspect of the saw because it allows you to cut much wider boards than what you would otherwise be able to do.

 

Don't buy the kobalt sliding miter saw!!!! It's trash.. mine only last a few weeks and the entire thing is made of cheap plastic. The saw rocks side to side.. so every cut will be different. You said you were doing trim, when you go to miter or cope the corners, the joints will be way off. Don't waste your money.

 

I wonder if there is a substantial difference between the Kolbalt one and the craftsman saw, I see the one is more expensive, but they look identical.