Miter saws. Sliders?

How important is it to buy a slider model? How is it better? I am looking to buy my first miter saw and am getting exhausted from reading everyone's reviews. This saw will play an important part in my new home workshop. Please advise me. So far, construction friends have pushed me toward DeWalt. I'm not going to be using it a lot so durability and protability aren't important to me. I want to ge tthe most accuracy, flexibility and reliability for my buck. Ryobi, Hitachi, Craftsman, Rigid, Delta, DeWalt? Weigh in on this one, you guys.

Miter saws. Sliders?
If you have read that many reviews, than you know what each model offers, obviously a sliding compound miter saw will cut a wider board than your standard miter saw.That's how it's better, nothing more.


It all boils down to "How much do you want to spend"


I am a finish carpenter, and have been for 19 years, my tools are how I make a living so I buy the best, and in this case I think the best is the Dewalt 12" sliding Compound Saw,....... But if I just needed a saw for a home workshop I don't think I would spend the $650- $700


I've owned a few saws through the years,and have had good luck with Hitachi and Craftsman, both very reliable saws for the money. I don't know much about the Rigid. I would stay away from the Ryobi if reliability or durability is an important factor( I've seen more than one of these die on a job-site) I've used a couple of different Deltas and found them bulky and uncomfortable to use.


In my opinion,(which might be worth 5 finish nails) as far as accuracy, flexibility and reliability the Hitachi is the saw for me


Go to the local Home Depot or tool warehouse, touch them , move the slide around grab the handle , just see which saw feels comfortable to you and then the decision will probably be an easy one,
Reply:It will allow you to work wider material.
Reply:pfft , tables saw! what a joke. they both have their uses. but you asked about a miter saw. if you dont get a slider saw (which is better for wider boards) get a compound miter. they are universal in their movement. and they are totaly easier than flipping your boards and confusing which way you lay your board. dewalt is a great brand on the sites across america but craftsman has their famous guarantee which, may cost but will be better for the long run.
Reply:Buying a slider is almost always a waste. It's a feature that nearly doubles the price, and if you need to cut something that wide, you can flip the board over and make a second cut. You don't need it unless you are cutting a large number of very wide boards. The slider also takes up a lot more room and is much heavier. I own a DeWalt 12" double bevel (leans both ways). It sells for about $400, (slider is $600). The 12 inch model gives you plenty of width for most people. Another useless feature is the laser that shows where you're going to cut. You can cut more accurately by lowering the blade with the blade not spinning and lining it up with where you want to cut. Good luck!
Reply:For a NEW home workshop, I wouldnt buy a Miter saw at all. I would buy a tablesaw, it is simply a more versitile tool for one's NEW home workshop. The miter saw is most useful in home construction projects, particularly moulding isntallations, but even at that, a tablesaw does very well too, particulary on miter cut corners when one uses the angle tables which are available on the Net. .
Reply:I've had quite a few miter saws, and used many others. I just bought my self a new one. I've worn out two others. the first one was didn't have a rear bevel, and didn't slide. It was bare bones early 90's edition. I could still do all the same stuff, but it was a lot harder to accomplish. the second one didn't have a Lazar, but it had a rear bevel, and it slid back and forth, which enabled me to be a lot more precise. the best part about a slider is that you can place the blade right on your mark, to check your bord position. (until you get a Lazar) you can also cut crown a lot easier, and shelf boards a lot easier. so if it's in your budget i really recommend a double bevel slider saw. I looked at the dwalt for a long time, and com paired it with many saws. It's an amazing saw, but there were two things i couldn't get over. Price and weight. if i remember right the dewalt is in the 600s and doesn't even come with a Lazar. plus the thing just looks heavy and bulky. I ended up buying the makita LS1013FL. if you can afford it, i think it's the best saw on the market. My cuts are amazingly precise with the Lazar that comes standard, and the saw is flawless. good luck, and remember the number one rule of carpenters is at the end of the day you still need to be able to count to ten



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