[Shop-talk] Miter saw or compound miter saw

[bjshov8 at tx.rr.com]

A non-sliding saw is limited by the diameter of the blade and the angle of the cut.  If you are cutting perpendicular to a board, you could cut a certain width of 1" board, or you could cut a certain size of square board.  If you angle the cut it reduces your capacity.  You can always cut halfway through, flip the piece over and cut the other halfway through but this reduces your precision and can get more difficult if you are cutting a miter.  If you want to cut larger, you need a bigger diameter blade, OR you need a sliding saw.  I don't think a good sliding saw affects accuracy that much, a poor sliding saw might.  It just depends on what you need.

You should pick a saw based on what size you want to cut or think you want to cut.  If you think you will plan for the worst case then you will have to buy the sliding saw because you can always visualize the need to sometime cut something wide.  BUT the bigger the saw, the heavier the saw, and they can get heavy in a hurry.  If you need to carry it around, you don't want any bigger saw than you need.

I wanted the DeWalt sliding saw, but it is more expensive than I could justify and also it is pretty darned heavy.  I didn't have an immediate need so I gave up on that desire.  The next time I have a real job that I need a saw for, then I'll start shopping again and buy one, maybe just big enough for that job.

I have a table saw right now, if I had a big sliding saw I probably wouldn't have much need for the table saw anymore but a smaller saw would not replace the table saw nearly as easily.



> OK - here's a little more of my ignorance exposed. Aside from cross-cutting
> wider boards, which isn't my main need, is there any other advantage to a
> sliding compound miter saw saw vs a chop-style compound miter saw ?  Isn't
> the maximum material cut thickness almost completely a function of the blade
> diameter, or do these saws vary significantly in that respect ?
> 
> Looks like the ways in a sliding saw are a major deflection potential, as
> compared to a relatively rigid simple pivot of the chop-type.