Compound mitre saw.

[ferg]

It's not really an electrical question but I'm struggling to find unbiased reviews.

I'm looking to get a decent sliding compound mitre saw for personal use.

Woodworking is a hobby of mine and I also have a bit of renovation work to do in the house.

I have in mind this one Makita LS1018LN

I'm a bit of a Dewalt fanboy but this seems to match my needs better.

My main priorities are accuracy and reliability.

Does anyone have any experience of these saws or alternative recommendations?

Cheers.

 

[123]

All the good (and most of the bad) joiners I know have the Dewalt

 

[davesparks]

We've got an evolution compound mitre saw in the workshop, we chose that one because it cuts wood, metal, plastic etc.
It's a bit of a 'jack of all, master of none' kind of thing as it's not quite perfect at anything but good enough for most of what we do.

 

[buzzlightyear]

buy a double bevel saw not a single one .

 

[ruston]

A friend of mine has one of those , he has had it about 15 years plus.
I replaced the motor for him about 10 years ago and it has never missed a beat since.
The original motor failed because of unusual abuse on a rushed job.

 

[richy3333]

The main issue for me was how the rails go backwards on the sliding part of the saw head. It inhibits fitting the saw to a bench when there is a wall behind the saw and close by.

I had the big Dewalt 305mm unit and it was very heavy if you had to move it around.

 

[ferg]

The main issue for me was how the rails go backwards on the sliding part of the saw head. It inhibits fitting the saw to a bench when there is a wall behind the saw and close by.

I had the big Dewalt 305mm unit and it was very heavy if you had to move it around.

I had looked at a Space saving Dewalt one for that reason and also the similar Makita but I'm having a bit of difficulty justifying the cost.

 

[davesparks]

My main priorities are accuracy and reliability.

Accuracy will often be reflected in the effort put in to setting the saw up.
If you take the time to square it up, or tune it to whatever angle you need then you'll get more accurate cuts than if you just trust to the protractor markings on the tool.

 

[ruston]

I had looked at a Space saving Dewalt one for that reason and also the similar Makita but I'm having a bit of difficulty justifying the cost.

Judge that on how many times you wished you had one, and the times you have been dissatisfied with the results of your alternative substitute.

 

[ferg]

Accuracy will often be reflected in the effort put in to setting the saw up.
If you take the time to square it up, or tune it to whatever angle you need then you'll get more accurate cuts than if you just trust to the protractor markings on the tool.

Absolutely. I had to do this with my last saw but the accuracy was terrible when using the sliding function and the head would move slightly if I didn't pay attention when cutting.
[automerge]1590164200[/automerge]

Judge that on how many times you wished you had one, and the times you have been dissatisfied with the results of your alternative substitute.

There is also the fact that if I spend too much on the saw I might end up keeping it company overnight...

 

[Sparky5473]

I’ve got a Festool kapex ks60, very nice to use and super accurate

 

[Pennywise]

Festool as budget wasn't mentioned

 

[telectrix]

don't none of you young whippersnappers use a handsaw? lazy buggers.

 

[richy3333]

I think it's Lewden and they are cheap in Englandshire.

I can't get them from Wholesalers and have seen them only once, jammed in to a crappy proteus board.

I stick to Hager but as they are a good bit dearer customers always go for the Dual board.

Tut, tut...

"signable off"???

signoffable, surely...

I had looked at a Space saving Dewalt one for that reason and also the similar Makita but I'm having a bit of difficulty justifying the cost.

I’m going to get the large kapex as soon as I can slip it past the boss!

 

[NDG Elecs]

I've had the Bosch GSM8SJL for a few years now. Cracking single bevel mitre saw for the price with great cut length.

Mitre saws are more likely to stay accurate if they are not lugged about in and out of vans a lot. Mine has been lugged about a lot and is still sufficiently accurate.

 

[Baddegg]

If you look up robin clevet on YouTube, genius carpenter who has tools thrown at him he has festool mafell and hickori gear but his chop saw and on site table saw is dewalt...must be a reason..

 

[ruston]

Maybe a bit of subtle product placement .

 

[static zap]

Do any have soft start ?
My cheapie starts with a
"Manly _Clang" and robs the garage supply of a
half-cycle .

 

[Baddegg]

Maybe a bit of subtle product placement .

Could be but he had them even in the earlier videos...

 

[ruston]

Could be but he had them even in the earlier videos...

To be fair it is excellent gear too, it is just a matter of personal preference. Another of my mates is a joiner/locksmith and he has mainly Dewalt, but has a lot of Makita too,
They both work hard and do the job with very few problems.