Miter Saw recommendations

[mgbgt]

I need to replace my old harbor freight miter saw with a decent (NOT top top of the line) saw. what is everyone's recommendations? I would like to stay under $300.00 but might go a little more to get a good saw. I don't do a lot of crown molding and the like, just general shop use with occasional trim being cut. I've spent a lot of time reading reviews on the web and Dewalt, Hitachi and Makita seem to rise to the top on a consistent basis. If you make a suggestion, please let me know your likes as well as dislikes about the suggestion.

Thanks

[stav]

I'd check the local classifieds/Craigslist. When I was looking for a miter saw, I found Dewalt 12" non slider with a Sawhelper Ultrafence for $120. The saw isn't perfect, but it cuts square and holds its settings. The Ultrafence is a pricey accessory to a miter saw that has come in handy many times while I have been replacing the base boards in my house.

[daddo]

I'd check the local classifieds/Craigslist. When I was looking for a miter saw, I found Dewalt 12" non slider with a Sawhelper Ultrafence for $120. The saw isn't perfect, but it cuts square and holds its settings. The Ultrafence is a pricey accessory to a miter saw that has come in handy many times while I have been replacing the base boards in my house.

 I agree.
 I have a Dewalt 10" non-slider and though it fills my needs 90% of the time, there are times I wish it did more.  The 12" would be perfect, but if it did slide, it would be more than perfect- if that is possible.

[Tapper]

I need to replace my old harbor freight miter saw with a decent (NOT top top of the line) saw. what is everyone's recommendations? I would like to stay under $300.00 but might go a little more to get a good saw. I don't do a lot of crown molding and the like, just general shop use with occasional trim being cut. I've spent a lot of time reading reviews on the web and Dewalt, Hitachi and Makita seem to rise to the top on a consistent basis. If you make a suggestion, please let me know your likes as well as dislikes about the suggestion.

Thanks

I don't know what miter saws cost these days, but I have a 12" Dewalt miter saw and a 12" Milwaukee SCMS. I've had the Dewalt for at least 15+ years now with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Were I in the market today for just a miter saw, I'd probably go for the 12" Dewalt dual compound model. The reason is that you often find a need to cut miters both ways, left or right. My Milwaukee has this feature and on occasion I've used it a lot. My Dewalt, an older model, only tilts right.

Ergonomics are important to me on any tool. I prefer the "D" handle grip on a miter saw; it just feels more comfortable and is easier for me to use. I DO NOT like the "pistol grips" - just do not feel comfortable - YMMV.

In my view you can't go wrong with either of these saws.

Doug

[Pirate]

Might be time to step up to a "good" Ras, that can do more than a scms.

[Mr Eddie]

I have owned a Makita LS1013 for more than 10 years and it's been an outstanding saw.  Cuts dead nuts square and I can nibble away the tiniest sliver of wood if I'm sneaking up on fitting a board.  Would buy this saw again in a heart beat.  I think I paid around $350-$400 when I bought it new.

Lonnie

PS  There are many on this forum who will ding the miter saw as a tool for "rough cutting" but my experience is they can be very, very precise when setup properly.

[Lynden]

I've had a 12" Makita LS1221 miter saw since 2009. It's been a good saw. For what I do, I don't need a slider. Also, I have a track saw.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-LS1221-12-...B0000DD5S7

If you need to go cheaper, the Makita LS1040 and the Hitachi C10FCE2 are good choices.

[Admiral]

For what its worth, my default choice would be a 12" non-slider.  I bought a Bosch to trim out my prior house, and never really needed the extra crosscut capacity a slider offers, what the 12" could do was enough.  I squared it up 15 years ago, and its as true today as it was then.  I don't have personal experience with sliders, but my intuition tells me there's too many moving parts to go out of alignment, so I would say keep it simple, unless you need the extra CC capacity.  Funny, when I relo'd back to NJ, I trimmed out my current house with a Stanley miter box!

[MstrCarpenter]

I have an old 10" Makita; all cast iron, always cuts true, heavy as hell. My favorites are the 15" Hitachi's. I have three aging from 4 years to about 15 years. All of them are basically identical. They'll chomp through 2 x 10's  then miter 1/2 x 6 speed base and 5-1/4" crown. You'll need an extra full bodied sharp blade to shave miters on 1 x 6  oak base. Everything else is easy but use 12 ga. extension cords.

[Cooler]

Of the miter saws I looked at only the Dewalt has a stamped index for angles.  Stampings are almost 100% repeatable and can be very accurate.  The other saws use "as cast" indents that cannot be nearly as accurate.  I bought the Dewalt.

Dewalt miter saw index (note that it is adjustable for true zero).

This Bosch miter saw has "as cast" index for angles and is not adjustable for true zero and is typical of the other saws I looked at.