Hi. I am building a playset for my kids and am finally going to make a purchase I have been wanting to make for years: a POWERED SAW. There have been many projects in the past where I used a miter box or borrowed a circular saw where the results left much to be desired where accuracy was concerned. I decided that next time I had an excuse to buy a saw, I WOULD.
At first I was considering a table saw. I don’t have a lot of storage space, so I had been considering the DeWalt portable table saw. But then I noticed that I would not be able to cut a 4x4 in one pass, so then I started looking at miter saws. Seems to me that for everything short of ripping boards, the miter saw is king, especially for quick, accurate cuts (and one equipped with a laser seems to make it that much faster [i.e. no hunching over to ensure your cut will land where you think it will). I could have really used a miter saw during my last project, when I built a reloading bench (the only time a table saw would have been more useful is when I ripped the tabletop).
Anyway, I have been looking at sliding miter saws because they increase cross-cut capacity. The Hitachi I am looking at has a capacity of over 12”, while its non-sliding counterpart has a capacity of 8”. My main question is, how else will a sliding miter saw give me an advantage over a non-sliding dual bevel? I can see building a table, doing decking, laying wood floors, repairing porch railings, etc in the future (not certain but likely). Crown molding? Possibly. Baseboards? Definitely. We’re talking a difference of about $150 between the two though, so I want to make sure I get the right one. Also, weight of the equipment is no issue for me. These are the two I’m considering:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_42379-67702-C12RSH_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=3107745&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
http://www.lowes.com/pd_157783-67702-C12FDH_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=1037899&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
Then, of course, I could break it down further and ask how much a dual bevel miter saw will benefit me over a standard compound (moving away from $420 down to $140!!):
http://www.lowes.com/pd_40806-67702-C10FCH2_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=1085791&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
My second big question is, is a miter saw really the best way to go? Sure, I’d have to flip a 4x4 to cut thru it on a 10” table saw (and then sand any unevenness out), but is a table saw the way to go since it can rip? One thing I can think of is that the miter cuts won’t be as accurate, and cross cuts not as smooth, both of which may drive me batty.
Thanks for any input and sorry for the book!
At first I was considering a table saw. I don’t have a lot of storage space, so I had been considering the DeWalt portable table saw. But then I noticed that I would not be able to cut a 4x4 in one pass, so then I started looking at miter saws. Seems to me that for everything short of ripping boards, the miter saw is king, especially for quick, accurate cuts (and one equipped with a laser seems to make it that much faster [i.e. no hunching over to ensure your cut will land where you think it will). I could have really used a miter saw during my last project, when I built a reloading bench (the only time a table saw would have been more useful is when I ripped the tabletop).
Anyway, I have been looking at sliding miter saws because they increase cross-cut capacity. The Hitachi I am looking at has a capacity of over 12”, while its non-sliding counterpart has a capacity of 8”. My main question is, how else will a sliding miter saw give me an advantage over a non-sliding dual bevel? I can see building a table, doing decking, laying wood floors, repairing porch railings, etc in the future (not certain but likely). Crown molding? Possibly. Baseboards? Definitely. We’re talking a difference of about $150 between the two though, so I want to make sure I get the right one. Also, weight of the equipment is no issue for me. These are the two I’m considering:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_42379-67702-C12RSH_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=3107745&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
http://www.lowes.com/pd_157783-67702-C12FDH_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=1037899&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
Then, of course, I could break it down further and ask how much a dual bevel miter saw will benefit me over a standard compound (moving away from $420 down to $140!!):
http://www.lowes.com/pd_40806-67702-C10FCH2_4294857521+4294965731_4294937087_?productId=1085791&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Hitachi_4294857521%2B4294965731_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|1&facetInfo=Hitachi
My second big question is, is a miter saw really the best way to go? Sure, I’d have to flip a 4x4 to cut thru it on a 10” table saw (and then sand any unevenness out), but is a table saw the way to go since it can rip? One thing I can think of is that the miter cuts won’t be as accurate, and cross cuts not as smooth, both of which may drive me batty.
Thanks for any input and sorry for the book!