Somebody Doesn't Know Shit About Tools

valis

valis

Super Anarchist
3,773
597
Friday Harbor, WA
And that would be me, sometimes...   

So I've been considering getting a compound miter saw (?) for casual chopping up of pieces of wood.  Up to this point I've used a handheld circular saw for cutting 1x12"s down to size (for work-holding fixtures) and building small stuff that needs square or miter cuts.  I've done OK and haven't lost any fingers, but I would like to have my cuts be a bit truer, cleaner, and safer. 

So is a compound miter saw a reasonable addition to my collection, and what might be a decent non-junk brand / model?  I'm not doing fine cabinetry, but want something I won't have to fight.

And here's a quick rant.  I hate Chinese screws!  I've had them snap way too easy, and the head gets reamed out even when I am using the correct driver (not always, yesterday I used the tip of my pocket knife to get a screw out.)  There's a reason they call that metal "Chinesium".

 
Snaggletooth

Snaggletooth

Morrelle Compasse
32,277
4,700
s-l500.png



Ryobi 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw (TSS121)


I belive in Ryobi stuffe.                                            :)

 
IStream

IStream

Super Anarchist
10,729
2,932
Budget?

If money is less of a concern, Bosch makes a nice unit that uses a pantograph rather than sliding rails. It's less vulnerable to dust and crap gumming up the works and it lets you use it right up against a rear wall, which can be handy at times. 

 
H

hdra

Anarchist
610
127
We've got the smaller 7 1/4" Ryobi sliding compound miter saw and have been very happy with it - hard to beat for the money.  We really have enjoyed the portability as it's gotten used on the porch, in the garage, and have taken it over to a friends place a few times to help build some picnic tables.

 
Leeroy Jenkins

Leeroy Jenkins

Super Anarchist
1,393
483
Vancouver
IStream said:
Budget?

If money is less of a concern, Bosch makes a nice unit that uses a pantograph rather than sliding rails. It's less vulnerable to dust and crap gumming up the works and it lets you use it right up against a rear wall, which can be handy at times. 
Click to expand...
Festool's has the sliders in front and lets you push it up against the wall as well.  The first time I saw one I thought "Brilliant!  And such an obvious thing to do, why aren't they all like this?" 

Of course it's probably 2X the price of the Bosch but hey, it's not my money. 

 
Mrleft8

Mrleft8

Super Anarchist
25,102
3,221
Suwanee River
Sorry to have to stomp on the cat, but.... Ryobi is crap.

 Get a DeWalt 12" or a Rigid 12".

 I prefer the DeWalt, but the Rigid is good too. I don't like the laser guides, and put a piece of tape over them because they're almost always slightly wrong. For rough framing, they'd be fine.

Festool, Bosch,.... You're wasting money better spent on better wood.

 Spend $120 and buy a 60-80 TPI carbide blade. I like Amana, but DMT, and Freud make decent all purpose blades. If you cut a lot of PT SYP get a Freud. They seem to take more abuse, but still deliver a fairly decent cut. Do not get a thin kerf blade.

 
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Point Break

Point Break

Super Anarchist
25,849
3,441
Long Beach, California
Leeroy Jenkins said:
Festool's has the sliders in front and lets you push it up against the wall as well.  The first time I saw one I thought "Brilliant!  And such an obvious thing to do, why aren't they all like this?" 

Of course it's probably 2X the price of the Bosch but hey, it's not my money. 
Click to expand...
Got one on order.............its only money...........

 
Grande Mastere Dreade

Grande Mastere Dreade

Snag's spellchecker
19,246
3,969
30°26'36.2"N 88°32'13.8"W
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Ishmael

Ishmael

Granfallooner
49,408
10,145
Fuctifino
My go-to is Makita for power tools, but for the amount of tight work I do I use a manual saw. Silky smooth cuts, super accurate and no risk of cutting my fingers off. Lee Valley Nobex saw. 

01H0605-nobex-economical-miter-box-f-07.jpg


 
L

Lowly Crew

Member
198
72
sailing
WTF is it with needing a 12" SCMS?

I use the 8 1/4" Makita for everything.

Cheap throw away blades, light compact tool.

How many fucking people really need a trim finish on a fucking 4x4?

SMH.

 
Grabbler

Grabbler

Grabbler
3,267
325
Mrleft8 said:
Sorry to have to stomp on the cat, but.... Ryobi is crap.

 Get a DeWalt 12" or a Rigid 12".

 I prefer the DeWalt, but the Rigid is good too. I don't like the laser guides, and put a piece of tape over them because they're almost always slightly wrong. For rough framing, they'd be fine.

Festool, Bosch,.... You're wasting money better spent on better wood.

 Spend $120 and buy a 60-80 TPI carbide blade. I like Amana, but DMT, and Freud make decent all purpose blades. If you cut a lot of PT SYP get a Freud. They seem to take more abuse, but still deliver a fairly decent cut. Do not get a thin kerf blade.
Click to expand...
The Bosch and the DeWalt are in the same price bracket...Ryobi makes decent tools if you're not making a living with them...I have tools I make a living with that get used most every day...and I have a handful of 18V Ryobis that get pulled out for shit that doesn't get done every day...the price point on them is perfect for that...1/2" impact wrench for tire changes/lag bolts/J-bolts/trailer shit, cordless finish nailer for when you wanna throw in a handful of nails without busting out a compressor, small jobsite/porch blower, r/o sander for touch-ups...and my favorite, the battery operated caulk gun which is the absolute fuckin' bomb for laying down beads of  NP-1 or other polyurethane sealants...big miter saw I have and like the Bosch which I use on trim jobs...but I've got a 7-1/4" Kobalt (Lowe's house brand) which weighs about a 1/3rd as much that I am more than happy to use on day to day basis for shit that doesn't need such tight tolerances...horses for courses...

 
F

Fah Kiew Tu

Curmudgeon, First Rank
9,612
3,024
Tasmania, Australia
Mrleft8 said:
Sorry to have to stomp on the cat, but.... Ryobi is crap.

 Get a DeWalt 12" or a Rigid 12".
Click to expand...
This. I've had a DeWalt 12" sliding compound saw for 20 years. Built 2 houses and a big shed using it. One replacement set of brushes, a few blades. It's still tight and accurate.

Ryobi are the tools I buy to trash or lend, which often comes to pretty much the same thing.

For a smaller lightweight one, my old Hitachi 8" saw was brilliant. Unfortunately it was so good that some arsehole stole it.

FKT

 
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