Chop Saw inquiry

[Tyree Custom Woodwork]

looking for recommendations for the most precise chop saw for fine woodworking. Must cut perfect miters on both the left and right sides. Also needs to be small. Wondering if I even need a glider. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[Cooler]

I used to be a picture framer and dedicated picture frame chop saws are still more accurate, faster and leave a smoother cut than any of the woodworking miter saws I have seen. 

Those saws are more expensive than miter saws. The blades are more expensive.  The production rate is vastly faster than a miter saw.  If you are assembling large quantities of 90 degree corners using pre-finished mouldings, then a picture framer's saw is the way to go. 

How are you intending to use this chop saw?

I still have my sliding table miter saw from my framing shop and also a Dewalt 12" chop saw.  The sliding table is for precision work only and 45 degree cuts only.

I just looked this up.  Hoffman, which used to sell popular priced professional miter saws to the framing industry now has their cheapest miter saw at $30,000.00.  Ouch.

You can probably find a used Pistorius saw for a reasonable price.  They were workhorses and very accurate:

[2Goober]

What about the 10" Bosch glider. I know the 12" weighs a ton, but my is very accurate. If I had to move it around I wouldn't have it.

[Admiral]

looking for recommendations for the most precise chop saw for fine woodworking. Must cut perfect miters on both the left and right sides. Also needs to be small. Wondering if I even need a glider. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

You might just be better off getting a good quality chop saw (Makita, Dewalt, non-slider, too much slop) and buying a Lion Miter Trimmer or knockoff thereof to make 'perfect' miters.  Either that, or make a shooting board with jigs for your miter angles.  These are the ways to get perfect miters.  Your call.

[MstrCarpenter]

If you're looking for accuracy, the fewer moving parts the better. I like the extra cutting width of sliders but in my experience repeatable accuracy is compromised. I'd rather go big. I'm a fan of Hitachi's 15" chop saws (I own 3; basically because if I see one for less than $300, I'll buy it.) Their newer lightweight 10" versions are not very accurate, and I would rate them a toy compared to my old 10" Makita. All the cast iron makes it heavy, but it cuts the angle I lock in exactly, every time. I bought it new and it spent a lot of it's life as the only chop-saw on site. It cut re-bar, dbl. 2x6's, bundles of strapping, then on to exterior and interior trim followed by the staircase and kitchen w/crown. Lots of saws have come and passed but thirty-something years later that Makita is still my favorite miter saw.

[Cabinet Monkey]

OMGA 

or a festool Kapex if your budget is smaller.

[Mike in kc]

I bought this 12" Hitachi slider 3 years ago, and its given me excellent, repeatable results.

[rwe2156]

"chop saw" and "fine woodworking" a little bit exclusive of each other.

Most "fine woodworkers" are cutting to rough length, using a shooting board to square and dimension. Same thing with ripping to width.

Sliders are inherently less accurate, not matter which brand. You won't know it until you cross cut a 10" wide board and check for square.

That said, I can only speak for Bosch, shelling out $$$ for a Festool -- I'll stick with my shooting board!

[Jack in omaha]

looking for recommendations for the most precise chop saw for fine woodworking. Must cut perfect miters on both the left and right sides. Also needs to be small. Wondering if I even need a glider. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I second the comment about using a lion miter trimmer
any cut even old miter boxes with hand saw and finish with a lion miter trimmer. It works great unless you seek massive volume.

[fredhargis]

There was a framer moderating another forum I was on, he had 2 that were set up for 45s and not moved, one left and one right. His saws were Dewalt 10" models if I recall correctly (not sliders). I suspect if you're doing production that's probably the most economical way to do it, and if you take the time to get the saws set up and lock them down most of the more popular brands would do nicely. But I'm thinking if you want to swing it back/forth and still cut precision miters it will take something a lot more expensive. The Kapex might do it (I don't know) or that thing in the picture above.