For woodworking and carpentry projects, you'll want the best miter saw you can afford. Here are eight of our favorites.
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Buying a Miter Saw
If you frequently cut boards, a compound miter saw can be a great addition to your shop.
Sometimes called a chop saw, the compound miter saw offers a major advantage over a circular saw. Because the blade is always in the same position, you can accurately make repeated cuts. That’s harder to do with a circular saw, which requires manually placing the blade on the cut line.
A few important terms to know about a compound miter saw:
- Miter cut: This is the cut made when swiveling the blade in one direction or another to cut a board at something other than a 90-degree angle to the back fence of the saw.
- Compound miter cut: Here, the blade is tilted in relation to the base of the saw in addition to swiveling it. This sort of cut works for crown molding because the molding will sit at an angle to the wall. It will also need to be mitered in the corners.
Some features to look for when selecting a miter saw:
- Single or dual bevel: Single bevel allows the blade to tilt in one direction — typically to the left, when looking at the saw from the front. Dual bevel tilts left and right, giving more flexibility when setting up cuts.
- Blade size: Traditionally, miter saws have 10-inch- or 12-inch-diameter blades, with a larger blade accommodating wider pieces of wood. Some smaller saws use a 7-1/4-inch blade. It may not be as versatile, but it’s less expensive because it’s the most common size blade for a circular saw.
- Sliding functionality. A slide allows the blade to be pulled on rails or some other mechanism through a wider board. This increases a smaller, less expensive blade’s cutting capacity to that of a larger, more expensive blade. With some saws, however, the slide function can be bulky and sticks out behind the saw. This takes up precious space in a small shop.
- Cost: These can cost roughly $200 to more than $1,600. For most DIYers, a lower priced compound miter saw will suffice. However, as skills develop and you take on projects with more precise joinery, a more deluxe model might be worth the investment.
Metabo HPT C10FSHCTM Miter Saw
One of our favorite compound miter saws is the Metabo HPT C10FSHCTM miter saw — great features at a great price. Its 12-inch blade offers plenty of cutting capacity, and a sliding function extends the maximum cut width to 12-1/2-inches. And the slide mechanism is compact, so the saw can fit tightly against a wall in a small shop.
The Metabo HPT also has dual bevel for compound cuts in any configuration. A built-in LED light that illuminates the cutting area to help you cut safely.
Makita LS1018 Miter Saw
Makita tools have been highly regarded by tradespeople for decades. This Makita LS1018 miter saw offers 12 inches of cutting capacity with a 10-inch blade, a slide and dual bevel for left and right cuts. One exceptional feature: The soft-start 13-amp motor. It ramps up to top speed smoothly for consistent, accurate cuts every time you pull the trigger.
Bosch GCM12SD Miter Saw
Rather than a traditional slide, the Bosch GCM12SD miter saw features a patented “axial glide” system that extends the 12-inch blade to a cutting capacity of 14 inches.
Amazon reviewers note the axial glide system doesn’t clog with sawdust as easily as traditional slides, so it takes less maintenance under heavy use. And despite its functionality, the glide system doesn’t take up extra space.
DeWalt DWS715 Miter Saw
More than a decade ago, I worked in sales for a construction supply company. Contractors, without fail, would gravitate toward the older version of this 12-inch, single-bevel DeWalt DWS715 Compound Miter Saw over every other type of saw in our warehouse.
It was simple, yet rugged and reasonably priced. Contractors knew they could rely on this saw every day, so it should be plenty of saw for most DIYers.
Ryobi PBT01B Miter Saw
Sometimes the job isn’t near a power outlet, or you don’t want to deal with an extension cord for just a few cuts. If you’re already invested in a lithium-ion battery system, it’s worth looking at a cordless model like this Ryobi PBT01B Miter Saw. It’s powered by Ryobi’s popular 18V One+ system of batteries.
It uses a 7-1/4-inch saw blade, like the one in your circular saw. With a slide mechanism, it can make a 90-degree crosscut on a 2×10 board. The single bevel limits the complexity of cuts you can make, but it’s more than enough saw for nearly any DIYer. This model is called a “bare tool” because it doesn’t come with a battery or charger.
Ridgid R4113 Miter Saw
Sometimes, a basic compact saw is all you need. This 10-inch dual-bevel Ridgid R4113 Compound Miter Saw is compact yet powerful enough for nearly any job.
If you’re using it for framing and light trim work, like baseboards and smaller crown molding, it can easily handle square crosscuts on a 2×6 board. Ridgid offers a lifetime service agreement so this could be the last compound miter saw you ever buy.
Craftsman CMXEMAX69434501 Miter Saw
If you lots of big jobs ahead of you but lack a big budget, the Craftsman CMXEMAX69434501 Miter Saw is a great choice. Equipped with a 10-inch blade and a slide, crosscuts of up to 12 inches are no problem.
The big D-shaped handle is easy to grip with either hand. Sometimes it’s safer to steady the work with one hand and use your non-dominant hand on the handle.
Festool KS 120 Miter Saw
If you absolutely must have the best of the best, look no further than the Festool KS 120 Miter Saw. Prized by precision cabinetmakers and woodworkers, the compact slide compound miter saw from Festool is built to perform — and to last.
With plenty of cutting capacity from the slide and a 12-inch blade, there is almost nothing this miter saw can’t do. Rockler.com reviewers especially love how well the Festool manages dust collection when combined with a good vacuum system.
