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Whether framing complex roofs with hips and valleys everywhere or installing crown molding in octagonal dining rooms, a compound miter saw is a must. With a good compound miter saw angle cuts are identified on the miter gauge and the manual has charts to show you the rest. It’s better working through technology.
The sliding compound miter saw has been eating market share for radial arm saws because they are compact, portable and rugged. These saws are multifaceted and powerful enough for the toughest 4x construction yet precise enough for cutting inlaid hardwood floor designs.
I enlisted the help of Sandy Butterfield to conduct the tests. He is an engineer, a fine woodworker and boat builder. We tested five compound miters and found significant differences among them. None was the tool of our dreams, so we identified the qualities from each that would put us in “saw-heaven” if they were combined into one great tool. We tested the Milwaukee 6496, Bosch 3915, Makita LS1013, Hitachi C10FS and DeWalt DW 708. Four were 10-inch blade saws; the DeWalt was a 12-inch saw. Three were dual-compound saws, two were single compound (meaning they only bevel in one direction).
Makita LS1013 – 86 points
Our pick for all around use. This saw has an intuitive design that provides features just as you realize you need them. An example is the flexible and well thought out work clamping system. It was the only saw that provided for a crown-molding clamp. Good bearing design provides for protection from sawdust and stiff, smooth operation. The bevel gauge has great readability. The miter adjustment is precise and user friendly.
DeWalt DW 708 — 85 points
For the carpenter who does it all, this is a hard saw to beat. This saw will handle the biggest timbers and withstand hard conditions on a framing job. At the same time, it is very accurate with miter calibrations down to ¼ degree. It comes with a 40 tooth framing blade that cuts clean but is too coarse for fine finish work. Buy an 80 tooth blade for interior trim work. The smooth belt drive and rear motor provide great visibility to the cutting edge of the blade. The horizontal handle and trigger make repetitive cutting easy and comfortable.
Milwaukee 6496 – 78 points
Solid and muscular, yet precise. It is a good job-site companion with clever features like the changeable fence detail. The bevel scale had the best resolution and was easiest to work. The tilted slide rails provide great stability and the bevel settings are easy to use. The side-mounted motor does interrupt the sight line of the cutting edge on some cuts. It comes standard with the best blade of the bunch (80 tooth). The 15-amp motor was the most powerful and cut hardwood like butter.
Bosch 3915 – 68 points
This is the saw we wished we could morph with some other saw’s features. Solid construction and adequate functionality. It has the best miter gauge and clamping features, but the hardest bevel gauge and locking system for accurate compound cuts. The factory settings were also the furthest out of alignment of all the saws. Like the Milwaukee, the side mounted motor interrupts sight lines on some cuts. The stock 60 tooth blade cut cleanly and serves both framing and trim purposes.
Hitachi C10FS – 57 points
For light jobs this is a good choice. It is the lightest of the group and easily transportable. The motor belt-drive configuration provided great visibility for the blade cutting edge. On the other hand, this was the only saw that had sloppy detents for common miters and an almost impossible scale to read. It has roof framing pitch calibrations in tenths rather than inches, making the miter gauge very difficult to use. It also has a very low fence that would be difficult to cut crown molding on.
Compound Miter Saw Comparison:
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Also See:
General Wish List for a Composite Saw
Install: Waterproofing Windows
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