Handyman/carpentry advice on tools

[sweetdiesel]

I'm looking for a miter saw to start on a few winter projects. I'll be using it mostly to cut door trim, baseboards, and crown moulding. The door trim is 2 inches wide, baseboards and crown moulding will be between 4.5-6.5 inches. Eventually I will use it to build other things but those three projects will be it's main usage for now. I'd like to spend a maximum of $300. A few questions...Is a 12" blade model that much more useful than a 10" blade? What is the difference between a single bevel vs double bevel in terms of usage. Anyone use Ryobi?

Tips and advice are very welcome. Thanks!

 

[wannarunem]

Sweet.. yeah man..if you your willing to spend the money for the 12" miter. I highly recommend it. I'm laying laminate flooring in my home now and the 10" isnt big enough to cut all the way through the board. I have to turn the board over and finish the cut. Pain in the ass. So I'm using my table saw to do the cutting now, but would rather use my miter. Ryobi..makes craftsman. Its a japan tool Yes...i like them. They hold up well and are a little cheaper that craftsman. Ryobi would be a good choice for residential progjects.
Bevel cuts allow the saw to be tilted at an angle..to make 45 degree cuts for example. Single bevel allow the saw to tilt in only one direction whereas a double bevel allow the saw to be tilted from both directions from center.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Wasn't too sure abut Ryobi, price difference between Ryobi and comparable dewalt is about $200. That pays for a lot of wood. I'm also installing some prehung doors so a sawzall type cutter is also on the shopping list.

 

[.21Rc10GT]

Are we talking about a chopsaw? If so, then the 12" dewalt is nice. I am starting to see the newer ones with the sliding thing to make it able to cut a 16" board... Thats awesome.

 

[Plaidfish]

I had a small delta compound Mitre saw but upgraded to the DeWalt 16" one...I just came across a deal too sweet to pass up on it......however if you can get a COmpound mitre..that's the slider type RC was talking about...you may not need it now but if you ever want to do some nice custom shelving it's almost necessary....the Delta one was around 200 bucks new and I used it for my company and personal projects for about 2 years before getting the new one.........for the doors I'd recommend the dewalt cordless trim saw...truth is if you're good w/ that you can use it for all the stuff you want to do.....Ryobi is nice too, I see them alot on jobsites so they can't be total waste......

 

[sweetdiesel]

Do you mean trim saw as in this

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=7529

or this?

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=6134

 

[RatzoRC]

This is the saw that I bought.
Work really nice.

EDIT: Sorry, I just noticed that you wanted to stay under $300.
[inwindow=500]http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=9793[/inwindow]

 

[supersavage]

Double compound is a must for crown molding! I've got a ryobi chop saw, if the miter is similar quality I would recommend it for home use.

 

[sweetdiesel]

OK I think I have it narrowed down to this one

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...rtical=TOOL&pid=00921207000&subcat=Miter+Saws

specs:

Arbor Size-5/8 in.
Arbor Type-Locking
45 Deg. Bevel Capability-2 x 12 in.
45 Deg. Miter-Bevel Capability-2 x 8 in.
45 Deg. Miter Capability-4 x 8 in.
90 Deg. Capability-4 x 12 in.
Miter-Yes
Table Dimensions-13 x 13 in.
Table Material-Aluminum
Bevel Index-0-45 deg. left/right
Fence Type-Sliding
Miter Index-0-45 deg. left and 0-60 deg. right

It's $80 over budget and 10" blade but it is sliding and double bevel.

A good buy or should I go with a 12" non sliding model? Thanks for all the advice so far fellas, I really appreciate it.

 

[ZANDOR]

I have to say go dewalt..This is the one I got when I started my remodel.

Dewalt 12'' sliding compound miter

I no Its more then you want to spend BUT!
When you need to cut a 2x8 or 4x4 at a 45 degree angle This is what you will need.
NO way can a 10'' do this...In this case you will need a slider..

 

[Candyman]

Right now I use a Craftsman 10" compound miter. I like the compound miter because it makes it alot easier to cut the right miter on difficult lumber. Plus if you want to make some nice, ornate moldings, the compound is great. It also saved my butt a few times when fitting molding onto spaces that aren't quite level. Sometimes you just need a couple degrees of compound miter to get that perfect fit. I agree with the guys above. If you're going to be using 6" or wider stock, jump on a 12" sliding compound miter. It will make it tons easier to hack the wider wood.