Slide Compound Miter Saws

Hello again everyone! As summer nears, and my friends in the northern states begin to thaw, its time to make those home repairs you have been long putting off. I am, therefore, going to dedicate this column to one of the hottest tools on the market today, the slide compound miter saws.

What is a slide compound miter saw? It is a tool that will allow you to cut a board up to 12" wide at a straight 90 degree angle, or on most saws, up to 50 degrees to the left and to the right. You can also tilt or "compound" the blade to obtain perfectly mitered edges for joining materials. Now you're probably saying "how can you cut a 12" wide board with a 8 1/2", 10", or 12" blade?" That's the trick to compound miter saws. The blade is mounted either on a single or double slide bar, which gives you the ability to "pull" your blade through your work piece, and easily get through that 12" material. Based upon the above, I'm sure you'll agree that this is an incredibly versatile tool, and a must for any remodeling work.

Let's spend some time looking at the different features available, and what separates the different models. Most models will feature positive stops built into the table. These are set at the most common stops, such as 22.5, 45, & 90 degrees. Most will feature a powerful motor, in the 13 to 15 amp range. You should look for a model that features a tall back fence for cutting larger stock and crown mouldings. Most models will either include, or make available as an accessory, a dust bag, vise assembly to hold down your material before your cut, extension wings to extend your table both on the left and right side, for the times you are cutting longer stock to add stability. A really fine toothed carbide blade is a must. Putting an inferior blade on one of these tools is equal to putting retread tires on a new Mercedes. The right blade on an accurate cutting slide compound miter will make an incredible difference in your cut.

When looking to purchase one of these tools, keep in mind the following: what accessories are included, check the ease of adjustment of the table swivel, the smoothness of the saw on the rails, as well as the ease of compounding the blade, and setting it at a specific degree of cut. It is also important to find a machine that is well marked, and therefore, easily readable. Another new and innovative feature that has been recently released is the addition of a laser light. The way this works is instead of taking the time to square off a board and put a perfect line on it hat you can follow as your cutting, you simply put a notch or mark on the board where you want to start your cut, bring the board to the saw table, turn on the light and line it up with our mark. IT will then project a perfect line across the board and you are ready to cut. Think of how much time you can save with this feature, and the great part is that it is not very expensive vs. the machines that don't offer this feature. As of this writing, it is available on the Hitachi C10FS, however, I would look for it to be added to several other models in the near future.

 Based upon all of the above, here are my choices for the best buys on the market, based upon blade size.

If you have questions about slide compound miter saws, or any other products, feel free to e-mail me your question and I will personally get right back to you with an answer. Speak to you again next month!

If you have any questions about 1/2" hammer drills, or any other tool, feel free to e-mail me and I'll be glad to assist.

Speak to you again next month!

Comments, questions and/or ideas for future articles are also appreciated.
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Read previous months' tips:
Cabinet Tablesaws
Slide Compound Miter Saws
Mid-Sized Plunge Routers
Cordless Drills
Detail Sanders
Random Orbit Sanders
Brad Nailers
Hammer Drills