01-13-2018, 04:51 PM
Well, in the next few months I'm looking to upgrade to a better miter saw. My 11-year old Ridgid 10", besides having limited capacity (6" wide), just isn't the best quality. The blade guard doesn't retract automatically and moves stiffly, as does the miter table. Plus, the fences aren't co-planar and don't look to be independent from one another, and the positive stops are nowhere near accurate. It's just nowhere near up to par with what I need or want.
The first, most obvious requirement is some kind of sliding model. I don't think I need a 12", as pretty much any 10" slider will cut to around 12" wide or so. Not that I wouldn't be willing to go with a 12", but it's not a necessity to have that size of blade. I also need something that, unlike my Ridgid, won't have basic functions crap out on me within the first year of use.
Of course, as some probably could have predicted from the get-go if you've read other threads of mine, pretty much every saw that fits these specs is a couple hundred more than I'd want to spend. I'm honestly turned off of Ridgid and Ryobi saws based on my current miter saw and previous table saw, and the reviews for the Ryobi miter saws don't look very encouraging. The same goes for Craftsmen sliders, and as far as Harbor Freight, forget it. Those miter saws seem like they're more fit for the hobbyist doing rough carpentry, not for long term use demanding reliable accuracy (like for full-time workers or, in my case, hobbyist furniture builders). A lot of reviews after a year or more of use for those saws has shown me this. One that I was looking into was Hitachi's 8.5" slider, as it's got a 12" crosscut capacity and a 3.25" depth capacity, which is thicker than stuff I use 99.9% of the time anyway. Plus it is only $299 new. However, it seems like it might be a bit under-powered given its amp rating and quite a few comments and reviews on Amazon are disconcerting. Another I was tempted by was DeWalt's 709 model. It's got pretty much perfect reviews on Amazon and Youtube, and at times it dips into the mid $300's, but despite being a 12" slider it's only got 9.5" capacity when making a square cut. I'd want at least 10"-11". I know that's just a half inch or so, but it's nice to have that extra capacity.
Thus, I've kind of been looking into getting a used one. I've seen well-reviewed models such as Hitachi 12" sliders as well as one Milwaukee 12" slider and, more recently, a couple of DeWalt 708 12" sliders. For the most part, these seem to go for $250-$350, which is good. I'm wondering, though, what other models to look out for and maybe which ones to avoid. I'm looking on craigslist, although if anybody knows of any used tool sales companies (especially if they ship to your house), that'd work as long as they're in the same $250-$350 range. I'd also be open to factory refurbished models. I'm sorry if my refusal to spend $400+ on a quality sliding miter saw is annoying, but that's just how I function, haha.
The first, most obvious requirement is some kind of sliding model. I don't think I need a 12", as pretty much any 10" slider will cut to around 12" wide or so. Not that I wouldn't be willing to go with a 12", but it's not a necessity to have that size of blade. I also need something that, unlike my Ridgid, won't have basic functions crap out on me within the first year of use.
Of course, as some probably could have predicted from the get-go if you've read other threads of mine, pretty much every saw that fits these specs is a couple hundred more than I'd want to spend. I'm honestly turned off of Ridgid and Ryobi saws based on my current miter saw and previous table saw, and the reviews for the Ryobi miter saws don't look very encouraging. The same goes for Craftsmen sliders, and as far as Harbor Freight, forget it. Those miter saws seem like they're more fit for the hobbyist doing rough carpentry, not for long term use demanding reliable accuracy (like for full-time workers or, in my case, hobbyist furniture builders). A lot of reviews after a year or more of use for those saws has shown me this. One that I was looking into was Hitachi's 8.5" slider, as it's got a 12" crosscut capacity and a 3.25" depth capacity, which is thicker than stuff I use 99.9% of the time anyway. Plus it is only $299 new. However, it seems like it might be a bit under-powered given its amp rating and quite a few comments and reviews on Amazon are disconcerting. Another I was tempted by was DeWalt's 709 model. It's got pretty much perfect reviews on Amazon and Youtube, and at times it dips into the mid $300's, but despite being a 12" slider it's only got 9.5" capacity when making a square cut. I'd want at least 10"-11". I know that's just a half inch or so, but it's nice to have that extra capacity.
Thus, I've kind of been looking into getting a used one. I've seen well-reviewed models such as Hitachi 12" sliders as well as one Milwaukee 12" slider and, more recently, a couple of DeWalt 708 12" sliders. For the most part, these seem to go for $250-$350, which is good. I'm wondering, though, what other models to look out for and maybe which ones to avoid. I'm looking on craigslist, although if anybody knows of any used tool sales companies (especially if they ship to your house), that'd work as long as they're in the same $250-$350 range. I'd also be open to factory refurbished models. I'm sorry if my refusal to spend $400+ on a quality sliding miter saw is annoying, but that's just how I function, haha.
Near future projects:
-Curly Maple display case
-Jatoba and Quilted Maple dresser
-Curly Maple display case
-Jatoba and Quilted Maple dresser
. I can see where you're coming from with the extra moving parts, though.