What is the best size miter saw for you? Let me try that again – what’s the best size miter saw for YOU?
The Dewalt DWS779 12″ sliding miter saw is one of the most popular and best-value miter saws on the market.
The DWS779 has a maximum cutting capacity of 14″ when cutting 2x dimensional lumber at 0°, and 10″ at 45°. This is about the largest cross-cutting capacity you can find in a miter saw.
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But there’s a tradeoff – it’s a large and heavy saw.
In this image from quite a few years ago, I placed the Dewalt DW713 – which has since been replaced by the DWS713 – next to the DWS780.
The DW713 and DWS713 are single bevel 10″ miter saws, and the DWS780 is a 12″ sliding miter saw.
12″ sliding miter saws are often considered the best you can get, but who are they best for? Larger blade sizes are better for cutting wider trim pieces, such as crown molding or baseboards, either vertically, flat, or nested in the case of crown molding.
Sliding miter saws offer increased cutting capacity for cross-cutting wider boards, such as larger 2x dimensional lumber and boards for shelving or other projects.
This is the Dewalt DWS716XPS, which offers a compromise. It has a 12″ blade and dual bevel capabilities, but isn’t a slider.
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It has greater cutting capacity than a 10″ non-sliding miter saw, and is considerably smaller, lighter, and more portable than sliding 12″ saws.
Some will point out that, the larger the blade, the greater the potential for deflection, and this is generally true. With all other things being equal, a non-sliding 7-1/4″ or 10″ miter saw has the potential to deliver higher precision on average than a sliding 12″ miter saw.
Then there are 7-1/4″ sliding miter saws, such as this Dewalt 20V Max cordless model.
Smaller-blade sliding miter saws, such as 7-1/4″ and 8-1/2″, can cut wider boards and 2x lumber, but aren’t well-suited for applications such as cutting nested crown molding. If you don’t need to cut trim, your back and arms will appreciate more compact size and lower weight.
The difficult part is that it can sometimes be easier to pick a less than ideal size.
The Dewalt DWS779 is hugely popular partly because it has become the standard holiday season model; volume sales allow for very aggressive pricing.
At the time of this posting, the DWS779 12″ sliding miter saw is $399 at most retailers, with at least one offering it for $349. It might dip back to $349 at more retailers for the Father’s Day shopping season. Even if not, $399 is still a very good price.
The DWS716XPS 12″ non-slider is $355 right now.
While the DWS716XPS has something the DWS779 doesn’t – the LED shadow cutline indicator – the larger miter saw delivers greater cutting capacity for less than $50 more.
There are occasional sales on other 12″ sliding miter saws models, such as the DWS780. The DWS780 is similar to the DWS779, but features the LED cutline indicator, crown stops, and I believe a better starter blade.
Because of volume and promotional pricing considerations, the ideal size of miter saw isn’t always the one we buy.
If a 10″ sliding miter saw is priced at $400, and a 12″ sliding miter saw $350, would you still buy the 10″? Or would you spring for the greater capacity and slightly greater size and weight of the 12″ at a lower price?
Dust collection is a sore point for every miter saw I have ever used. Dust bags collect a little dust, and dust extractors connected to the same port do just a little better. But, dust and chips will still cover the surrounding area. Dust hoods can help contain the coarser spray, but the one I tried was a greater hassle than cleaning up when I was done.
I would gladly accommodate a larger miter saw than I need if it had near-perfect dust collection.
To simplify things, let’s ignore single vs dual bevel considerations for the sake of this discussion. Following are the most common sizes you can buy today.
- 7-1/4″ sliding
- 8-1/2″ sliding
- 10″ non-sliding and sliding
- 12″ non-sliding and sliding
I have used and tested quite a few miter saws over the years, and if I had to pick one today, it would likely be a 7-1/4″ slider. I might eventually try an 8-1/2″ miter saw that offers better dust collection, but I have other tools for cutting wider boards too large for smaller miter saws.
If I could pick two, maybe I would add a 12″ saw on top of that, or maybe a non-sliding 10″.
Portability has become a high priority for me, and so I wouldn’t want a 12″ slider to be my only miter saw. But, I also don’t cut trim or shelving material on-site. I feel that there’s a mentality that 12″ miter saws are the best one can get, but they just haven’t worked as well for my personal project needs as more compact miter saws.
Which miter saw size or sizes are best suited for your needs? Is that the size of miter saw you own?
Dave P
Carpentry: 7.25” slider, easily portable (lightweight) cheap blades, not much accuracy needed.
Woodworking: 12” “chop” ( non-slider). A quality one is more accurate than any slider, keep you from having to use your table saw crosscut sled all of the time and is about 1/3 the cost of a decent (but still less accurate) slider. With the money saved ( vs a less accurate slider), you can have several other woodworking tools.
A W
I completely agree on the non sliding 12″ for woodworking. I’ve found the DeWalt 12″ noon sliding saw to be very accurate, and the capacity to cut through a 4×4 in one pass is a feature that I still occasionally make use of.
Franco
The non slider for accuracy in woodworking, but being able to cut a 4×4…I suppose, but counterintuitive.
fred
Unless you’re building a cradle for the likes of Finn McCool (as in the legend of Ireland’s Giant’s causeway.)
Abner Diaz
I have this exact same setup. My edc 7 1/4 slider gets me through 90% of cuts, while i use my non sliding 12 for things like crown, toekicks and baseboards. So far i havent had an application where i have needed a 12in slider yet, so this works for me. And having both saws be cordless is the cherry on top
Jared
General purpose: 10″. It’s the best compromise. That said, I have a sliding 12…
I probably fell for the same trap explained in the article.
MIKE GUENTHER
I bought one of the first sliders when it first came out, the Hitachi 8 1/2″ SCMS. I’ve had it for over 30 years. And I have a Kobalt 7 1/4″ slider.
Franco
I remember those Hitachi’s, some people did not know what they were, but they helped revolutionize the industry/market. Do you remember how much you paid for it? I know the were pretty expensive for that time period.
MIKE GUENTHER
Over $900 bucks.
Franco
WOW, in today’s money, maybe $1800…for 8 1/2″?
Back then they were new and between the price and many not understanding the benefits, it took a while before they became mainstream and the prices came down.
The very few I knew that had one, would go on about how great they were and how happy they made the investment. Timesaver and gamechanger for them in their work.
MIKE GUENTHER
Another reason I’ve held on to this saw and paid nearly the price of new ones for repair, is because the motor on mine is a Japanese manufactured motor and all the new ones have chinesium motors.
L
I’ve built award winning $50k+ Trex decks with a DWS779 as the main workhorse saw, if you know what you’re doing then this saw can do it and at an extremely affordable price. The extra cut capacity really shines when cutting wide fascia or 4x and 6x materials.
fm2176
I had a 10″ store brand one years ago, that was liberated by a drug addict along with most of my other tools and property over ten years ago. Now I have the FlexVolt 12″ SCMS and a couple of the 20v Max 7-1/4″ saws, and I have to say that the 7-1/4″ is the best fit mor me at the moment.
They’re a lot lighter weight, even with the miter stand bases that I use with my DWX725 stands. The FlexVolt saw, on the other hand, is semi-permanently mounted to a Ridgid rolling stand.
Ultimately, I guess it depends on the project at hand. Having the “right tool for the job” is important for most projects, and frankly, I’m glad I’ve got the option of setting up the two smaller saws for rough and fine cuts while having the big saw on standby for larger lumber.
Dave
I’ve settled on an 8 1/2 for my jobsite saw, and a 12 for my shop saw. I found 7 1/4 to be too limited, and just keep a metal cutting blade on it and use it for that. If I’m doing a big job where I’ll be setup for more than a week I’ll bring my 10 as it’s a good compromise between portability and capacity.
dave
The beast. Twelve inch, sliding, digital angle indicator Milwaukee. Nicely square.
MM
I have a 7 1/4″ cordless slider (DCS361) and a 12″ corded slider (DWS779 with the light upgrade kit). That combination suits my needs perfectly.
fred
My first miter cuts were made on a vintage Stanley 360 miter box with a 24-inch backsaw that was passed down to me. Pretty accurate once you got all the moving parts adjusted. When I invested into a remodeling business the carpenters were using corded Hitachi chop saws – and migrating to Dewalt. A personal oak flooring project was accomplished using a Delta Sidekick (33-060) saw that had a 6.5 inch blade saw that rode on 3 rails oriented in a triangular frame. It was fine for that sort of work – but had its limits and eccentricities – so I never saw the design repeated. I had also inherited a vintage Lion Trimmer that uses lever-action knife edges to do final trimming. I built quite a number of picture frames (and furniture moldings) using my table saw with the trimmer for final truing. The combination produces almost machinist-quality smooth fitting joints. I’ve never seen a powered miter saw alone that is capable of such dead-on accuracy – but I have not tried all models.
When I retired – and was roped into a major casing and large crown molding project for one of the kids – I made the mistake of buying a Bosch GCM12SD. We had bought a few for our business – so I thought I knew what to look for to insure I got one without some of the issues we had seen on some we had received. Mine was fine as far as fences and table were concerned and worked well enough on the first and subsequent projects. But even with its collapsible rolling stand moving it is sort of like trying to push a battleship up onto the beach.
My take on all of this is that were I to buy today – it probably would be a 10 inch slider for trim and general casing work. Either that or I need to put a yard crane on my pickup truck to make loading the GCM12SD easier.
If I were doing flooring – the Mafell KSS 40 18M BL (120 mm cordless track saw) that I recently bought for gifting to someone who does – would likely be my choice.
If I wanted a saw for framing and deck construction – the Mafell KSS 60 18M BL (185mm cordless track saw) might replace a miter saw – and maybe I’ll hear back from a nephew who gets this for Christmas that it does – although it’s not going to handle posts and structural pieces beyond 2x .
Finally – if it is dead-on accuracy that I want for picture frames or furniture moldings – I’d still stick with my table saw and Lion Trimmer.
Here is one of today’s knock-offs:
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/32922-miter-trimmer?item=03H0101
Adam
I still believe my Makita LS1013FL is one of the best miter saws ever made. 10″ slider with possibly the biggest base/cutting table ever available on miter saw, zero deflection, comfortable handle, accurate and adjustable laser cut line and another unique feature – the gooseneck fluorescent lamp. It might be a bit bigger/heavier than other 10″ sliding miters, but it’s not unwieldy and I never needed the slightly bigger max cut capacity from the giant 12″ sliders. There are only 2 things I can think of that would really be an improvement over the features of this saw – 1) fixed rails like the newer models have and 2) front accessible bevel lock. Beyond that, it came with one of the nicest stock blades of any saw and something I’ll always be proud of – the price I paid. I got mine on clearance from a Home Depot for something like $300 back when you could regularly find ridiculous markdowns if you knew where to look. This was at a time when it was still regularly being sold for around $500. It’s also why I find it hard to stomach the cost of anything currently on the market…
Adam
I have the same miter saw saw, makita LS1013 I’ve had it for 18 years and it’s still working nothing wrong with it, it’s a good saw I’ve looked at the new makita LS1019 which I like, I like the way it’s designed with the fixed rails but it’s quite heavy, I also like the makita cordless 81/2 inch XGT 40 volt but it’s expensive , and the Festool kapex KS 120 but very expensive.
Franco
“the Mafell KSS 40 18M BL (120 mm cordless track saw) that I recently bought for gifting to someone…”, can you adopt me?
Adam
I would look at blade selection as well. Not as many options in 8¼”, but a ton more for the others.
Also cost. You may need different blades for different projects, and can really add up on a 12″. Granted they will last longer, but many home users never use the blades full life if it just for a couple small projects, though a few will go way beyond.
MFC
Flexvolt 12″ slider and 8.25″ table saw is what I use for everything from framing to cabinetry. I can understand the portability issue but mine stay on rolling stands in my cargo trailer and are easy to set up as long as I don’t have a bunch of material in the walkway. For small jobs it’s all circular saws/track saws.
garrett
I have the Dewalt 12″ slider on a fixed
base. I deliberately chose the largest slider I could find when I replaced my Radial Arm Saw. I’ve been very pleased with its accuracy.
Roger
7-1/4″ slider- Common size and swappable to circular. Does 88% of normal cuts.
10″ non-slider- Common size and swappable to table. 90% of normal cuts.
12″ – That’s a bit over sized for my needs and by that time I’m opting for a 12″ square and a circular saw.
The mentioned DeWalt 7-1/4″ slider needs a Brushless update. Waiting for that update. Maybe a slightly longer stroke, and lighter over-all weight. An 8-1/2″ slider might be a sweet spot. I wouldn’t mind it being either 20V or 60V. Could use a little more power and speed to push through materials other than regular pine.
The Ridgid 7-1/4″ slider does a good job but still has that tiny 1/8″ mis-cut at the back.
I have an old corded 10″ SKIL non-slider that’s loud. Still works and even better with a thin kerf blade. I would say the 90deg depth of cut is about the same as the 7-1/4 slider. Was looking at the Ryobi 10″ BL miter slider but many have said it’s a little crusty in the rails’ bearings.
Kent_Skinner
I have a 12″ DWS799. I’ve never once thought “this is too large”.
That said, it’s mounted to my bench and never goes anywhere. I’d probably choose differently if I was in construction.
And for $100, you can add the shadow line feature, which is the *only* blade guide things I’ve ever used that doesn’t suck.
Jbongo
I have a Kobalt 7 1/4″ slider, which I bought about 4 or 5 years ago. Space was limited and it seemed like the most flexible option. The most immediate need at that point was cutting baseboard and quarter round.
Which brings up the question, where do you get 7 1/4 blades made specifically for miter saws? I know you can rotate circular saw blades, but the hook may affect the cut. The only one I’ve seen is the DW7114PT. I can’t even buy the blade that came with the Kobalt miter saw (40 tooth and says for miter saws). I would have thought with the numerous 7 1/4 saws you can buy, finding blades made for, or at least says you can use it on, a miter saw would be easier.
John
Makita ls1019l 20” slider. Front facing rails provide the cut capacity I need and I can park it up against the wall in a small shop. Heavy, but I don’t move it.
Jorn
Home gamer here. I purchased a Bosch 12” cordless “slider” because it can do everything/anything and it’s the only saw I’ll ever need.
If I were a contractor and had to lug it around to a different job site every few days I’d probably invest in a smaller/lighter saw when the big one isn’t required.
IronWood
12” non-slider for me. I’ve used about all the variations at one time or another, but for my home shop the 12” is best. Keeps me from rearranging the table saw for crosscuts and I can move it around if needed. I have an older DeWalt that has been very solid and accurate with a good blade. At work we have 12” Makita and 10” DeWalt sliders that are good, but not very portable. The Makita always seems awkward to use and adjust for me, but other guys like it so who knows
OldDominionDIYer
I own the Ridgid R4221 12-inch compound sliding miter saw. This thing is a monster! 64lbs! It can cut 70-degree angles both ways, 90-degree cuts in 2×16 lumber and it’s made pretty easy to get around (for a 64lb saw) mounted on Ridgid’s excellent collapsible rolling cart (MS-UV). It has the LED shadow cutline indicator which I love it has performed flawlessly for me so far. It also employs a blade brake to speed up coast down another under-appreciated time saver that really helps on bigger jobs. Capabilities were the main concern for me, there is nothing worse than coming up an inch short on a cut so I would likely purchase a 12 in saw again.
Alex
12″ nonslider for woodworking. As others have said, very accurate and you can get zero clearance inserts and fences for the popular models that make it even better.
Old school miter trimmer for anything that needs better cuts than the 12″ can do.
Also have the Bosch glide 12″ mostly because I inherited it, it’s useful but doesn’t feel necessary for anything. Been handy for cutting shop plywood shelving but could’ve done that many other ways.
10″ nonslider for non-ferrous because that’s all the capacity I need. Also nice to keep metal and wood saws separate.
MKY
Stuart –
Typo?
While the DWS716XPS has something the DWS***799*** doesn’t – the LED shadow cutline indicator – the larger miter saw delivers greater cutting capacity for less than $50 more.
Portability has become a high priority for me, and so I wouldn’t want a 12″ slider to be my only miter saw. But, I also don’t cut trim or shelving material on-site. I feel that there’s a mentality that 12″ miter saws are the best one can get, but they just haven’t ***work*** as well for my personal project needs as more compact miter saws.
Stuart
Thank you – *fixed*!
Lawson
I had to replace my 8.5″ Hitachi that was stolen, bought a 12″ Rigid slider with collapsible stand. It wobbled too much and took up way too much space. Sold it and bought a DeWalt 716, 12″ dual bevel but without the shadow-line at Lowe’s for $172.00. I’m impressed with it, compared it to my buddy’s super nice Italian miter saw with a way better blade and the cuts were comparable. Set up was good right out of the box. Again, for $172.00! I have to go mobile and the weight and size is always a factor to consider, the Transit van is only so big.
Charles
I have a 20 year old 12″ dewalt non slider that is plenty accurate. 713 I think. I abused the crap out of it and it never let’s me down
MT
Started with a Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi) 10 inch non-slider, and I still grab it for quick small cuts. But I needed to cut larger stock, like 2×6, 4×4, etc at eider angles than it could reach, so I picked up a 12” slider on sale, also Metabo HPT. Lots bigger and heavier, but not too hard to move around on the rolling Ridgid stand I picked up for it.
Hans Hauge
I’ve owned a few 10″ sliding miter saws. I just replaced my 10″ Hitachi slider with a 12″ Dewalt slider (DW780). I’ve found that even with a fresh Chopmaster the smaller saws burn the ends of cuts on denser hardwoods. I started to think it was a power issue. My hope is that the larger saw with it’s 15amp motor will cut cleaner. I’ve been cutting fingerjointed poplar with the stock blade since I made the purchase so the theory is yet untested.
One fun surprise of the big saw was being able make a 21″ crosscut on a melamine shelf by tilting the material.
Sure, its a little heavier. But, they all take both hands to carry safely. If you’re not a complainer or if you’re moderately strong it’s a non-issue.
Jim P.
We still have a 15″ Hitachi miter saw and a 14″ Makita. They don’t get used much anymore since we acquired two 12″ Dewalt sliding miters years ago. The Dewalts have the foldable stands and are more portable. Also have two 10″ non sliding Makita saws for smaller projects. All have a use.
mattd
I have a ridgid cordless 7/1/4 and a ridgid non slider 12. I have not used the 12 in years, the 7/1/4 gets a minimum of weekly use. They are especially nice because you can buy a diablo steel demon blade and cut angle iron in a pinch.
Rx9
My setup of choice is an Milwaukee M18 10″ miter saw coupled with a Ridgid M-SUV rolling stand.
A 10″ slider gives me all the capacity I need, and it being cordless is incredibly convenient.
The M-SUV’s big wheels make transport easy, and the gravity assist makes setup and takedown quick. The extending support arms make handling long boards a lot easier.
SecretSquirrel
Carpenter/Millwork/Furniture Professional here.
Used to have the Dewalt 12 slider for years.
4 years ago I got the Festool Kapex (10″), the dust collection and accuracy are great, the extension wings are incredible and a game changer. In the 4 years I’ve had my Kapex I’ve not once needed 12” Capacity.
I also have the Dewalt 7 1/4″ for quick and dirty tasks. I like the portability, I hate the blades. Too thin and drift in cuts making it inaccurate. Also only bevels to one side. Has been an issue.
I have the Festool KSC60 (8 1/2″)on pre order. Once I receive that, it will be my jobsite/install saw. I’ll sell the Dewalt 7 1/4″, and keep the KS120 in the shop.
Mobility and accuracy with the KSC60 will be critical for jobsite use.
JoeM
Umm… My answer is currently “Yes” … My needs and means don’t match up currently, due to a recent family loss. There are at least 4 scales of projects that I could use a Mitre Saw for, and no one size covers them all.
The projects are currently on hold while affairs are put in order, so maybe some day, in the next year or so, I may have a more definitive answer for this question. Right now, it’s “Yes” due to the fact that I really would like to get some carpentry done, build myself some shelving and a headboard (with shelving built in) to expand my organizational capacity. But also, I’m aware that I may have to use my more precision skills to make the money required to afford materials and… y’know… a mitre saw plus blades… So one of those little precision mitre saws may also be one I need most… It’s up in the air until some family affairs are taken care of, and I recover from some surgery I had back in february.
I think this is a valid point to how one chooses any of their tools. What’s going on in your life, that you might have to put things aside for a while before purchasing? I’m certainly in that boat right now, and I know the models I would Like to own… but life gets in the way sometimes. We all have to consider this when purchasing, I believe.
Dave P
A standard workbench is around 24″ wide. A “slider” will protrude way out into the room and be a tremendous nuisance. Just another reason to use a 10 or 12″ “chop” saw in your woodworking shop (even though the best reason is that they are way more accurate).
Christian Reed (REEKON)
Owning about 14 Miter Saws that we have acquired over the years for M1 Caliber testing, I found we have gravitated towards 10″ cordless as one of the most versatile ones.
Milwaukee was a go to for a while but found the power can lack sometimes with thicker and harder materials. I found the Makita to be an excellent saw with remarkable noise and dust control. Haven’t tried a cordless DeWalt yet but would be good to try out as they’ve been our go to for cordless. The Bosch Glide is a great saw as well but super heavy and not really meant to carry around.
Soup
I had an awesome JET miter saw. Really liked it.
However, like all Miter Saws, it was huge and took up tons of space. I found that since I don’t do trim stuff, most of my miter saw work was rough cutting things down to get to a more workable size, then final cuts would be done on the table saw for the most accuracy.
I sold the miter saw and went to the $20 Kreg crosscut station that uses your circular saw. Way smaller but super easy to use and doesn’t take up all the space a big miter saw station would take.
Pete M
I am surprised that no one mention the blade that can make or brake the end result. I currently run a Dewalt 780 because sometimes I need the extra capacity. It takes a little get used to slide the saw to make accurate cuts vs a chop saw with inherited accuracy. If money was no option I would run a Kapex or a Makita for a slider and complement with 10in fixed when it can handle the job.
I be tried the Bosch with the flex arm so it can go against the wall and as much as I wanted to like it, it was crawling like a crab apart from flexing side to side when fully extended. Had to go back the next day.
Alexk
Would a thin kerf 7 1/4” have less flex than a thin kerf 10”?
MFC
Yes, definitely. But if you are getting flex from a blade then the blade is probably not sharp, is bent/out of balance, the arbor size is wrong, or you’re pushing too hard through the material. Any of those things could cause problems.
AlexK
Thank you. I haven’t experienced it, but wondered if that would have any bearing of which size to choose. I have a corded Makita 10″ slider. It’s heavy and I’m thinking about switching to a cordless and those seems to go with thinner blades. I’d like a 10″ if I’m only going to have one miter saw.
MM
Many cordless saws come with thin-kerf blades because the thinner cut takes less power, therefore you get a longer runtime from the battery. You absolutely can mount a standard blade on a cordless saw it just reduces the number of cuts you get per charge. I regularly use a Forrest Chopmaster and a Diablo aluminum-cutting blade on my Dewalt 7 1/4″ cordless miter saw. The Forrest blade is .094 inches thick and the Diablo is .106 while the factory Dewalt blade is only .063, the saw has no problem running any of them.
That said I actually like the thin factory Dewalt blades. They’re not fantastic but they’re surprisingly good for a factory blade and I haven’t had any issues with them flexing, even in tricky cuts. I agree with MFC here, flexing isn’t caused by a blade that’s too thin, it’s caused by a dull blade, pushing too hard, or something mechanically wrong, like physical damage to the blade, the saw being out of square, a bad arbor or blade mounting hardware, etc.
Alexk
Thanks MM. With deflection not being an issue, I’ll “weigh” the pros and cons of the two sizes of battery powered miter saws. No 12” for me until I get a permanent shop.
I like the idea of a 28lb saw vs 45lb. So maybe I’ll keep my corded Makita and go with a lighter and smaller saw.
Skye
I have the m18, 7 1/4 slider in the van. Excellent saw I use for almost everything, but I also have a 12″ non slider for large crown nested and for large hardwood cuts like handrails etc, but those are fairly rare for me so most of the time I use the little m18.
I am a contractor with a finish carpentry background.
I really think most sliding, bevel both way chopsaws have fatal flaws.
The Bosch axial glide is so bulky I can’t ever look at the back of the board which I sometimes mark as it saves steps for measuring. It’s also too heavy to be moving it around a lot for me anyway.
The makitas have issues too, the bevel control often gets lurked the wrong way and broken as it’s a plastic part and prone to breakage and it’s righty loosy, it’s very easy to try to tighten it, and just keep forcing it, even if you know, itz esy to forget.
Etc etc, but I like that little red one
eddie sky
I have a 12″ slider (Hitachi). Its heavy and not very accurate (bevels). The detents aren’t as good as the DW779 that a neighbor lets me use. Honestly, I would have gotten the Dewalt had it been priced less at the time. Thing is, I can’t even give away the Hitachi as its a PITA to get out the basement (going down steps is easier than up).
I think 10″ compound slider would be ideal. And a cordless 7-8″ version like the Festool because a portable, lighter slider for on jobsite, works well for most trim/moulding/frame work.
I’ve never had a non-slider. To me, that is a chop saw. (If doing hundreds of repetitive cuts like blocking, steps, etc, that could be accurate and ideal).
Hoser
That is not a chop saw. If it miters it’s a miter saw. Miter saws have nothing to do with sliding.
Hoser
I am so sick of the words “best” and “finally”. I understand that you need to use them to lure people to the site, but it just gets so old and sounds ridiculous.
The reason there are different saws is because they are all “best” at doing different things. It’s like asking what size socket is best for 7/16” bolt head, well, that would be a 7/16” socket. However doing the same job of tightening and loosening a bolt but with a 3/4” head would require the “best” socket size of 3/4”.
If you walk through homes, furniture stores, millwork department, lumber yard, you will see that there are a vast array of things that need to be cut, and they vary in size greatly. There is no “best” saw whether it be miter, circular, coping, jig, or any other type of saw. You use the tool appropriate for the job. And beyond just the tool, you need proper accessories. A great saw, oops, I mean the “best” saw can fail miserably at a task because it has the wrong blade for the task in it.
I have been professionally building things for many years. I haven’t found a “best” saw yet, that’s why I have seven different miter saws in my job trailer and several different ones at the woodshop. It’s also why I have different sizes of drills, hole saws, bits, etc., because all jobs require different tools to accomplish them properly.
So what is the “best” saw? One of each please. And yes, I will regularly have three or four “best” saws set up on a job site at one time, all for different purposes.
John S
I love my Dewalt 7-1/4” slider. It’s my go to for most things. When I need something more, I have the GSL04. That’s the nicest saw I’ve owned. It mostly stays in the shop but uses batteries and comes to site for crown or shelving.