# Slide miter saw?



## woodtickgreg (Nov 27, 2021)

I think it is time to upgrade my 15 or 20 year old mitersaw. Back in the day my dewalt was a basic machine but a good one. By today's standards it's lagging in quality. The fence is machined pretty rough and it has never been absolutely flat since day one, I just learned to live with it. Power is good and it has a blade brake, and it's not super huge. I use my miter saw a lot, so much so that I have built a dedicated miter saw station and fence system in both of the last 2 shops I've had. But I think it's time for an upgrade and I'm having a hard time deciding what to get. I'll say this, THE FESTOOL IS OUT OF THE QUESTION!!! $1500 for a miter saw? I don't think so.
So here's the 3 candidates so far........
Bosch gcm12 slider. Good quality but it's a huge saw and it would stick out pretty far from my saw station, I could see myself walking into it a lot. It gets pretty good reviews but also many state that the dust collection is terrible, but what miter saw isn't? It has also been stated that at full extension if you push the handle to the side it will deflect. But I think all saws will do this to some extent, I know my dewalt will and it's not a slider. But this saw is very good quality and ships packed well, has very nice machining on the table and fence surfaces. It retails for about $600 to $650 ish.


Next up for consideration is the Makita ls1219l, it has a Lazer but I've never been a fan of those. I do like the simplicity of the twin rail system and how it extens to the front of the saw. The Makita is also very high build quality. If you can find one they are about $700, that's a little hard to swallow but I find once I buy a tool I never cry about it afterwards. This saw also has a short distance from the back of the saw to the fence and a shorter distance in front of the fence. It is also supposed to have better dust collection than most saws. I have read that this saw in a corded version has been discontinued, but I don't know why. There isn't a new saw taking its place I do think there is a 4 tube slider out by Makita but I would rule that one out as I don't want a slider that has tubes or rods that extend behind the saw. I want a saw that will go right up against a wall. The Makita was best at that. It is also all up front controls, I like that too. It's also direct drive and no belts, I like that too. Also I think the makita is a soft start which is nice so the saw doesn't jump when you start it.




Which next brings me to this saw, the ridgid r4251 12" it uses a similar system to the bosh articulating arms but layed out different. One good thing about this saw is the price, $499, but it's only available on line near me. I also like that it's very similar in size to my dewalt which would make it easy to adapt to the miter saw station. It also has a blade shadow line light which I much prefer over a Lazer. The bad thing about this saw is it is actually made by Delta. Which means zero customer service and zero parts availability. So if you bought this saw it must be considered a disposable use it until it breaks and throw it away and buy another one mentality. But the glide mechanism on this saw is supposed to be super smooth.



So out of these 3 I like the Makita the best but finding one in a store near me is about impossible. You can order one online but it's a huge gamble because they are packed poorly with just cardboard and no foam so they usually get damaged in shipping.
I'm kinda ruling the bosh out just because it's huge! But I do like Bosch quality and the saw has been around a long time.
Which brings me to the ridgid/delta. Has a lot of features I like, compact size, shadow line, etc. Order online only but way cheaper than all the others.
Not really sure what I'm going to do yet, but so far these are my choices to choose from I think.
My wants are it must be a 12" slider, be able to fit tight up against a wall, does not have rods that extend behind the saw, shadow line would be nice, and not be super huge if possible so it doesn't extend to far off the bench where it's going to go. Soft start would be nice too.
This is my current set up so I want it to fit here.



So I'm hoping to get some input and feedback from you all and hopefully some different options.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Nov 27, 2021)

The makita looks like the better long term choice. I do like a shadow line for the cut line however.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Ray D (Nov 27, 2021)

I used to really like Makita and always thought the quality was top notch…. Not so much anymore. My last two makita ROS have been a disappointment. My job used nothing but makita power tools up until recently.. we switched to Dewalt.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 27, 2021)

There is also metabo, which is just rebranded Hitachi and I dont have much of an opinion of them.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 2, 2021)

Well I'm thinking I'm going to go with the makita for several reasons. It has soft start, direct drive and no belts, and a ridgid slide that has less deflection than the other saws. It's also a little smaller than the bosch, it's still going to stick out past the bench that it's going on but I think I can live with it. I'll probably have to re work my miter saw fences to make it fit, but hey that's just another shop project. I like all the up front controlls too. 
I tried to talk myself into the ridgid glide saw just because of its size, it would fit much better in the space I have for it. But it has a lot of deflection in the glide system, not good. I do like the shadow line on it as well, but no soft start and it uses a belt. And then theres the made by delta thing and their lousy customer service and no parts availability.
I did call makita and the LS1219L saw is still a current model. It's just hard to find like anything else right now. They hope to see some the end of December, so this will give me some time to save my pennies for it. I have a notification reminder set with home depot for if they get them back in stock so I can pick it up local in store. If its damaged I can refuse it and have them get me another one. You really want to try and avoid shipping it long distances if possible as they are known for getting damaged in shipment due to lousy packaging. And ups around me just sucks! The only thing I really don't like is the price, $739. But it's way better than $1,500 for a Festool! This is a major upgrade and fits my plan of upgrading all the tools in my shop before I retire while I'm still working and can afford it.
So now I wait.........

Reactions: Like 4


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 2, 2021)

Amazon has it for the same price, do I take a chance and order it?


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## DLJeffs (Dec 2, 2021)

I have the Bosch and have been very satisfied with it. The saw is solid, no wobbling around that I can detect. It is a bit on the heavy side (I haul mine in and out whenever I use it) but if you're fixing it on a bench that's not a problem. When the saw is fully retracted, nothing extends beyond the back of the housing, just like the Makita, so I don't think you're gaining anything there. I can't comment on the dust collection because I don't have any. The little collection bag that comes with the saw is pretty much useless. The miter table seems to lock in accurately on the pre-sets. I haven't tilted the blade side-to-side yet so can't comment on that.

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 2, 2021)

@DLJeffs For years I wanted the Bosch. But there's a few things I don't like about it now. One is its huge and would stick out past my bench even farther than the makita. Dust collection is horrible on it, not that any miter saw is stellar, lol. It's cheaper, that's a plus. It doesn't have soft start, and it's belt driven.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 2, 2021)

That articulating arm system on the Bosch is interesting but I'd put more faith in the Makita. Still have my plain Jane 10" Makita Chop Saw from the early 1980's. 

The acid test on the sliding compound miter saws for me has always been to extend the saw as far as it will go and push on the blade from the side, see how much it will deflect. The industry standard, way back when, was always the Hitachi. Could cut huge crown moulding miters and they were always accurate. Not sure if Hitachi even make one anymore but wouldn't put much faith in them now, it's just not the same "Hitachi" as it once was. Though I hear they were bought out by Metabo of Germany...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 2, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> There is also metabo, which is just rebranded Hitachi and I dont have much of an opinion of them.


I have to admit, harsh day today and I mostly skimmed your post before commenting. 
Metabo... I just bought one of their angle grinders to add to my old Hitachi that I've been using for the truck refurb. It's an outstanding tool, really well made & a dream to use. You do have to be careful though, there are some Metabo branded tools that are made in China, possibly part of the Hitachi purchase. 
The old Hitachi compound miter saws were the only ones I had ever used that didn't deflect when you nudged the blade to the side. They were very impressive though small by todays standards. I do think they're pushing the envelope a little too far with the capacity today. 
Also didn't notice the Makita was a battery powered machine. I'm not a fan of the bigger cordless tools. The batteries only last so long and replacements are insanely priced and get more and more scarce the older the machine gets. If it's not for portable/site use, it's a worthless feature.
Curious what you're using it for that makes you want to upsize from the Dewalt?


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2021)

JerseyHighlander said:


> Curious what you're using it for that makes you want to upsize from the Dewalt?


The miter saw in my shop is used as much as the table saw, most cross cuts are done on it and rip cuts on the table saw. The dewalt has had a bad fence since day one that I didn't notice until I had it for quite some time, it's bowed, poor machining. It's OK for carpentry work but not so much for fine wood working. It's just dated and time for an upgrade to something that's more precission and with better features, it's very basic. It has served me well but it's time to step up.


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## Mr. Peet (Dec 3, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> The miter saw in my shop is used as much as the table saw, most cross cuts are done on it and rip cuts on the table saw. The dewalt has had a bad fence since day one that I didn't notice until I had it for quite some time, it's bowed, poor machining. It's OK for carpentry work but not so much for fine wood working. It's just dated and time for an upgrade to something that's more precission and with better features, it's very basic. It has served me well but it's time to step up.


That Face book Marketplace gets some deals. Brother picked up the new model DeWalt sliding miter for $350 with only hours of use. Said he saved a grand. Know he uses if for trim and has an older model for general carpentry. Might be worth a gander before making a new purchase.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Dec 3, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> The miter saw in my shop is used as much as the table saw, most cross cuts are done on it and rip cuts on the table saw. The dewalt has had a bad fence since day one that I didn't notice until I had it for quite some time, it's bowed, poor machining. It's OK for carpentry work but not so much for fine wood working. It's just dated and time for an upgrade to something that's more precission and with better features, it's very basic. It has served me well but it's time to step up.


Have you considered a radial arm saw? They stay a lot more true with heavy use. And basically the miter saws you are looking at are modified radial arm saws at 3 times the price.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 3, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> The miter saw in my shop is used as much as the table saw, most cross cuts are done on it and rip cuts on the table saw. The dewalt has had a bad fence since day one that I didn't notice until I had it for quite some time, it's bowed, poor machining. It's OK for carpentry work but not so much for fine wood working. It's just dated and time for an upgrade to something that's more precission and with better features, it's very basic. It has served me well but it's time to step up.


Ever looked at some of the sliding table crosscut attachments for the table saws? I had one on my 10" Delta Unisaw years ago, it could cut a full 4x8' sheet dead square with ease. May or may not work with the current layout of your shop though or just the way you work. I'm not even sure they still make them.

Like these. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Sliding+t...thinkbold.com/scripte/news/html/39/pic_01.jpg


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## Mike1950 (Dec 3, 2021)

JerseyHighlander said:


> That articulating arm system on the Bosch is interesting but I'd put more faith in the Makita. Still have my plain Jane 10" Makita Chop Saw from the early 1980's.
> 
> The acid test on the sliding compound miter saws for me has always been to extend the saw as far as it will go and push on the blade from the side, see how much it will deflect. The industry standard, way back when, was always the Hitachi. Could cut huge crown moulding miters and they were always accurate. Not sure if Hitachi even make one anymore but wouldn't put much faith in them now, it's just not the same "Hitachi" as it once was. Though I hear they were bought out by Metabo of Germany...


bought a Hitachi Miter saw in 2005. Hobby use. It was a bearing eating POS. still using Dewalt 12" from Business. we sorta abused it. Used it with a masonry blade to cut limestone cast pieces. I cleaned it up and it cuts well enough for my coved boxes which have it be perfect inside and out. I have never done anything to Dewalt. Hatachi ate the main bearing in 2 years. 2 years later- it ate it again. now resides at landfill.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## Bigg081 (Dec 3, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Have you considered a radial arm saw? They stay a lot more true with heavy use. And basically the miter saws you are looking at are modified radial arm saws at 3 times the price.


Has he considered it?!?!? He owns one!  (Look at the picture of his shop.) 

My old standard Dewalt miter saw has been very reliable and accurate for as long as I have owned it. Easily portable and stays true even after it gets tossed around. That being said, I have been doing my research on miter saws as well. I just feel the capacity and capability of the newer ones will justify the replacement. (Its not on the top of my list for new tools or replacing though)
Once I decide, I will be building a mobile station to fit it, so size and slide path (extending out the back) won't matter for me. I'm curious if anyone has experience with the Ridgid. I've never heard of ppl having big issues with Delta tools (has this changed?) and for my hobby use it may be great and never cause a fuss. Then again, buy once...cry once is the old saying. I tend to agree with @woodtickgreg , I have never bought a tool and cried afterwards! 

Following this thread for more insight and advice.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2021)

Mr. Peet said:


> That Face book Marketplace gets some deals. Brother picked up the new model DeWalt sliding miter for $350 with only hours of use. Said he saved a grand. Know he uses if for trim and has an older model for general carpentry. Might be worth a gander before making a new purchase.


Thanks for that but I want new. Came down to either the Bosch or the makita.


2feathers Creative Making said:


> Have you considered a radial arm saw? They stay a lot more true with heavy use. And basically the miter saws you are looking at are modified radial arm saws at 3 times the price.


I have an old dewalt radial arm but I pretty much just use it for breaking down wide rough sawn boards that I have milled. 


JerseyHighlander said:


> Ever looked at some of the sliding table crosscut attachments for the table saws? I had one on my 10" Delta Unisaw years ago, it could cut a full 4x8' sheet dead square with ease. May or may not work with the current layout of your shop though or just the way you work. I'm not even sure they still make them.
> 
> Like these. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Sliding+table+crosscut+attachment+for+10"+tablesaw&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http://www.aw-thinkbold.com/scripte/news/html/39/pic_01.jpg


No room in my shop for that.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2021)

Well I pulled the trigger and just ordered the Makita from Amazon. I went through them instead of cpo just because of hassle free returns if it's damaged in shipping. I'll keep you guys posted on the progress.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2021)

Bigg081 said:


> Has he considered it?!?!? He owns one!  (Look at the picture of his shop.)
> 
> My old standard Dewalt miter saw has been very reliable and accurate for as long as I have owned it. Easily portable and stays true even after it gets tossed around. That being said, I have been doing my research on miter saws as well. I just feel the capacity and capability of the newer ones will justify the replacement. (Its not on the top of my list for new tools or replacing though)
> Once I decide, I will be building a mobile station to fit it, so size and slide path (extending out the back) won't matter for me. I'm curious if anyone has experience with the Ridgid. I've never heard of ppl having big issues with Delta tools (has this changed?) and for my hobby use it may be great and never cause a fuss. Then again, buy once...cry once is the old saying. I tend to agree with @woodtickgreg , I have never bought a tool and cried afterwards!
> ...


My old dewalt will get moved into the garage for construction stuff, it's still a good usable saw.
I don't know much about the ridgid, wasn't really on my radar as it's huge and heavy. Weight isn't an issue if it's permanently mounted or on a cart.
Once delta was sold the quality and customer service went right in the toilet, Chinese now. I don't have a problem with Chinese as long as the quality is there and that's determined by the standards of the company that is having the goods built. I personally have a problem buying anything delta anymore. Unless I buy it with the understanding that it's a throw away item.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## pixeltim (Dec 3, 2021)

I'd really like to hear your take on the new saw! The DEWALT DWS779 is on sale right now for $389 and that's pretty compelling. I'd love to have the Festool, but that price tag! I looked at the Makita reviews and have loved every Makita tool I've ever had, so if you find it to be great, I might have to pay a bit more and go that route.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Dec 3, 2021)

I agree on Delta- once they stopped supporting their old equipment- I bailed. Only own a Delta scroll saw with a Variact speed control. I think 1951

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2021)

pixeltim said:


> I'd really like to hear your take on the new saw! The DEWALT DWS779 is on sale right now for $389 and that's pretty compelling. I'd love to have the Festool, but that price tag! I looked at the Makita reviews and have loved every Makita tool I've ever had, so if you find it to be great, I might have to pay a bit more and go that route.



My dewalt has served me well. My main reason I'm not going with dewalt again is because of the space I'm putting it in it needs to go as close to the wall as possible and the slide rods on the dewalt protrude out the back to far. I'll be reviewing the saw when I get it as I always do here with new tools, lol.

Reactions: Like 2


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## TimR (Dec 3, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Well I pulled the trigger and just ordered the Makita from Amazon. I went through them instead of cpo just because of hassle free returns if it's damaged in shipping. I'll keep you guys posted on the progress.


Will be interested in hearing first hand opinions on your new saw. I’ve been using a Bosch sliding compound for about 20 years initially cutting stacks of 5 Hardie siding without fail and doing fine work with miter joint boxes too. The brake is not as quick to stop blade anymore in spite of both cleaning and rounding the brushes so if anyone has thoughts let me know or I’ll be in your position in looking to replace. Oh, you won’t need but I love the gravity rise stand to store when not using.

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 7, 2021)

Well I got the saw today. Tracking was horrible. And the box took a beating pretty bad thanks to UPS. I posted pics of the box in the what's in the mail thread. But this is about the saw, it's very nice. I just came home from work for a minute to get it in the house as UPS just left it at my house without a signature. The saw appears to be ok and all the parts are there. I'll do a better review when I get time to play with it and set it up. But first impressions are wow is the fit and finish on this nice! Machining on the table and fence is excellent.

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 5


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## Bigg081 (Dec 7, 2021)

Enough said


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## Nature Man (Dec 7, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Well I got the saw today. Tracking was horrible. And the box took a beating pretty bad thanks to UPS. I posted pics of the box in the what's in the mail thread. But this is about the saw, it's very nice. I just came home from work for a minute to get it in the house as UPS just left it at my house without a signature. The saw appears to be ok and all the parts are there. I'll do a better review when I get time to play with it and set it up. But first impressions are wow is the fit and finish on this nice! Machining on the table and fence is excellent.View attachment 219133View attachment 219134


Looking forward to the review! Chuck

Reactions: Like 1


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 7, 2021)

Hard to go wrong with Makita. The "way cool" button seems, almost insufficient.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 11, 2021)

Well I'm getting a little time to play with the saw and get it set up.
First I cleaned up the packing and the box to get it out of the way.


Other than the blade this was all the loose parts.
the little dust bag will never get used, lol.



Here's something no one ever see's, the bottom. I cleaned off any excess grease and removed the table extensions. If I was using the saw on a stand I would keep the extensions on, but on my work station I won't need them. My fences are 6 to 8 feet long. 



The table extensions are held in with a E clip, I pulled the clips.



Easier with regular pliers.



Then I installed the blade and checked everything for square, it was all true. They even provided a small plastic triangle square to do this, nice touch.



I installed the dust hose. It collects dust from 2 rubber dust chutes



I pulled the dewalt out of the miter station. This is where the new saw will go. I did a test fit and I will have to make a new dust hood. And I'll have to move the fences forward.



The old Dewalt is still working so it will go to the garage for construction purposes. It feels like a toy compared to the Makita.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 2


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 11, 2021)

Well I set the saw in place to see how much I had to move the fences by, about 1 1/2"



And I. Also going to have to pull the radial arm saw forward since it shares the fence.



But I can put this saw almost right against the wall and it will still turn to both sides for a 45 cut.



I mounted it with some 2" long wood screws because that's all I had on hand but I'll change these out to regular hex bolts later.



I took the face off the front of the fence on the right side to access the mounting screws.



And I removed the clips that hold the back of the fences down.



This is how they go on, holds it very ridgid



Since I've moved these fences a few times I drilled new holes for the front mounting screws and screwed it back down.



This was my set up for getting the fences straight with the miter saw fence.



So after I mounted the saw and the fence I noticed that the saw sat 1/4" to low, so I had to cut a piece of scrap plywood to bring it up. Not a big deal but something I forgot to check. So I had to remove the saw again to do this.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 11, 2021)

I nailed the 1/4" plywood down with some Brad nails.



I found an adapter for the dust hook up. It's going to be really close to the wall so I think I need to come up with some kind of an elbow.



I got the saw set back in place, but I think I'll pick up some better bolts to mount it with tomorrow.



Left side fence is off and ready to be re positioned.



I'm going to have to make a new dust hood too as the old one is to small and the saw hits it in many places when tilting the saw or at 45 degree angles.

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 11, 2021)

I've yet to make a cut with it yet but I did install the blade and set it up for square. I plugged it in and tested the laser, it seems to be accurate enough and can be set for either side of the blade. It has a soft start motor so there is no jump when you squeeze the trigger, I really like that. The ergonomics of the trigger is also nice and the safeties are right where your hand naturally falls. The slide mechanism on the saw is very smooth and super easy to move. It's also very ridgid, more so than my dewalt was so there is very lite side to side blade movement if any. I mean you really have to push hard on it to the side to get it to deflect and you don't do that under normal use. I think a lot of that stiffness is in the design, the rods are mounted ridgid and they don't move and the saw head rides on those.

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## woodtickgreg (Dec 12, 2021)

I had to trim the fences a bit to get the miter to the full 60 degree lock. I don't think I've ever done a 6 degree miter but if the saw can do it I want the clearance to do it.



Just enough but it doesn't touch.



It locks in the detent at 60 degrees both ways.



Saw is bolted down and so are the fences.



Next I'll be making a new dust hood. I think I'm going to call makjta and see if there is an adapter to hook up a shop vac hose. I don't like what I have been coming up with, I would like something that looks cleaner. We'll see what they say.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Dec 12, 2021)

That 60 degree thing is rarely used but the first time you use it, you will wonder why the old one didn't have that. Our new dewalt has it, but only to the right side. Left side is still 44, 45, or 46 degrees depending how long it has been bouncing in the truck.

Reactions: Like 2


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 12, 2021)

I don't think I've ever seen one that goes to 60˚ on both sides before. Only places I've seen a common need for it is roof framing and exhibit shops but yep, it's a blessing when you need it. Like those tools that only do one specialized task which you take out once every couple years but then they save you several hours of struggling and then it was worth every penny.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 18, 2021)

I got my rockler dust fittings today, I think they are going to work great!
The large one fit well and angles away from the wall. There should be enough clearance for the hose.



And with the shop vac right underneath the saw I can shorten the hose to fit.

Reactions: Like 4


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## DLJeffs (Dec 18, 2021)

JerseyHighlander said:


> I don't think I've ever seen one that goes to 60˚ on both sides before. Only places I've seen a common need for it is roof framing and exhibit shops but yep, it's a blessing when you need it. Like those tools that only do one specialized task which you take out once every couple years but then they save you several hours of struggling and then it was worth every penny.


or making hexagons.


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## Ray D (Dec 18, 2021)

I purchased the same dust collection hose kit from rockler. Seems handy for sure

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Bigg081 (Dec 27, 2021)

Wife surprised me with the Dewalt DSW779 for Christmas. She heard me talking about sliding miter saws a while back and how it would help us in the shop. Funny part of it all is that day she went and bought it, I mentioned that I was probably going to buy the Mikita that @woodtickgreg got. She was a bit taken back and was nervous I wouldnt like the Dewalt. When she gave it to me, of course I was overjoyed and extremely happy. She offered that we could return it and get the Makita if I wanted but asked why the Makita was 'better'. Told her it wasn't better but just more compact, and the Dewalt is an incredible machine and I am very please. Space is not an issue for us, as we have a 1200 sqft basement shop that is 90% dedicated to our creativity with only a bit of space being used for some house stuff storage. 
As of now it is sitting on a workbench where the previous saw was and will continue to throw dust everywhere whenever we use it. My initial plan is to build a mobile cart with wings and a dedicated dust collection unit. Not that it needs to be mobile but, IMO, its always nice to keep as much bench top space available. Wife wants to build a dedicated miter saw station like @woodtickgreg has so we can add the extra storage cabinets and pipe in our full size dust collector. We shall see. 
Don't want to take over this thread but thought it would be well received if I threw in my experience with my saw as well. Please let me know if it would make more sense to start a separate thread.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 27, 2021)

@Bigg081 that's a great saw and has many very positive reviews. Only thing that removed it from my short list was the slide rods sticking out the back, just wouldn't work in the space I have dedicated to the miter saw. But my old dewalt has been a champ and served me well and I would not hesitate to buy another one. The machining on the fence and table of the one you purchased is far better than my old dewalt. Very cool gift you got for sure! Congrats.


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## Bigg081 (Dec 27, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> @Bigg081 that's a great saw and has many very positive reviews. Only thing that removed it from my short list was the slide rods sticking out the back, just wouldn't work in the space I have dedicated to the miter saw. But my old dewalt has been a champ and served me well and I would not hesitate to buy another one. The machining on the fence and table of the one you purchased is far better than my old dewalt. Very cool gift you got for sure! Congrats.


Thank you. 
100%, with your setup you needed the Makita. I am lucky to have the space and not already have a built-in miter saw station. I have an old Dewalt single bevel miter saw and it never once gave me an issue. Stayed at 90 and 45 degrees after setting it up once and even stayed accurate after many years of it being taken out and put away for any use. GREAT saw and will stay in the shop for those times I need to take it anywhere.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## sprucegum (Dec 27, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Well I got the saw today. Tracking was horrible. And the box took a beating pretty bad thanks to UPS. I posted pics of the box in the what's in the mail thread. But this is about the saw, it's very nice. I just came home from work for a minute to get it in the house as UPS just left it at my house without a signature. The saw appears to be ok and all the parts are there. I'll do a better review when I get time to play with it and set it up. But first impressions are wow is the fit and finish on this nice! Machining on the table and fence is excellent.idpn





woodtickgreg said:


> View attachment 219133


Mine is a 10" DeWalt but I have quite a few Makita tools, you can't go wrong with them.

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## Nature Man (Dec 27, 2021)

Bigg081 said:


> Wife surprised me with the Dewalt DSW779 for Christmas. She heard me talking about sliding miter saws a while back and how it would help us in the shop. Funny part of it all is that day she went and bought it, I mentioned that I was probably going to buy the Mikita that @woodtickgreg got. She was a bit taken back and was nervous I wouldnt like the Dewalt. When she gave it to me, of course I was overjoyed and extremely happy. She offered that we could return it and get the Makita if I wanted but asked why the Makita was 'better'. Told her it wasn't better but just more compact, and the Dewalt is an incredible machine and I am very please. Space is not an issue for us, as we have a 1200 sqft basement shop that is 90% dedicated to our creativity with only a bit of space being used for some house stuff storage.
> As of now it is sitting on a workbench where the previous saw was and will continue to throw dust everywhere whenever we use it. My initial plan is to build a mobile cart with wings and a dedicated dust collection unit. Not that it needs to be mobile but, IMO, its always nice to keep as much bench top space available. Wife wants to build a dedicated miter saw station like @woodtickgreg has so we can add the extra storage cabinets and pipe in our full size dust collector. We shall see.
> Don't want to take over this thread but thought it would be well received if I threw in my experience with my saw as well. Please let me know if it would make more sense to start a separate thread.


Congrats! So nice to have quality equipment! Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 15, 2022)

I finally got some shop time to finish up the install of the mitersaw.
Framed in the dust hood, with free wood of course.



Mounted the automatic shop vac switch.



I had to drill a hole for the yellow shop vac cord.



Next I drilled a 2" hole for the rockler dust hose.



Since I don't really need the tall fences ues I'm doing crown mounding I drilled a hole for the post to go I to to store them until needed.



Each fence is stored on its corresponding side. Here you can also see the dust collection hose.



I did the same thing for the hold down clamp. I've never had one of these before, but I hear this is one of the better designs because it is quick adjust.



I made some holders for the table extensions out of some wormy ash.



And then mounted them to the sides of the dust hood. I'll only need these if I ever remove the saw to use it somewhere else and I'll probably never do that since I still have the old dewalt for mobile work.



Only thing left to do is re mount the radial arm saw to get the fence in line, but that's for another day.



I did cover the pegboard behind the saw with a pice of 1/4" particle board to keep the dust from going in the holes, lol.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jan 15, 2022)

That is a decent idea... I really gotta get the auto vacuum switch, but then I would be forced to install the shop vac. Currently I have only procrastinated about 6 months to a year...

Reactions: Funny 2


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 15, 2022)

Install is done for the most part.


I made a bunch of test cuts with the saw to test the dust collection. I use the shop vac with the auto switch and there's a 4" hole directly behind the saw that a cyclone dust collector hooks up to. Miter saws are notoriously bad for dust collection, I don't think any of them are really any good, but this one is way better than my old dewalt was.
Now about the saw itself........wow! I can't believe how precise it is, every function on it is so smooth. All the controls are up front and very easy to access. The trigger and safety release.for the switch is very ergonomic and my hand just naturally falls on it. The Lazer has an on off switch, I never had a Lazer before so I'm not sure how much I'll use it but it does seem fairly accurate. I still like a pencil line, but I'm kinda old school. The right to left angle is very quick and easy and the lock is up front. The slide can be lock to use it like a regular chop saw if you want or for transport. The slide is super smooth. I wouldn't want to carry this thing around everyday as it's very heavy, but for an install in a shop it's a great saw. The soft start is one of my favorite features of the saw, it ramps up speed nice and easy and the saw doesn't jump violently like most saws do when you pull the trigger, very nice. It's also a direct drive motor, no belt. The blade it came with isn't bad either, not a Freud but not bad.
My bottom line on this saw after using for a bit now is wow, very well made, smooth as can be, very well machined and build quality is very high on this beauty. And it has a much greater cut capacity. It's definitely a huge upgrade from the old dewalt that served me well for many years. But this saw is just oh so much nicer! I couldn't be happier with this purchase. It was worth the risk of having to order it on line and have it shipped even though UPS trashed the box as usual. But it was undamaged, just pure luck there.

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 2


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## El Guapo (Jan 20, 2022)

I’m glad you’re so happy with your purchase and set up… that’s not an inexpensive tool to replace!

I am toying with the idea of replacing my miter saw with a sliding version for better depth of cut. I think I’m between the Bosch and the Makita.

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## El Guapo (Jan 24, 2022)

Greg, did you consider the 10" version vs 12" saws? You obviously get a little bit better cutting capacity with 12" blade, but I could also see a 12" blade deflecting more. I don't do crazy detailed/precision work, so maybe I shouldn't be worried about any difference in deflection between the two, if there is any difference. Just curious your thoughts.


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 24, 2022)

El Guapo said:


> Greg, did you consider the 10" version vs 12" saws? You obviously get a little bit better cutting capacity with 12" blade, but I could also see a 12" blade deflecting more. I don't do crazy detailed/precision work, so maybe I shouldn't be worried about any difference in deflection between the two, if there is any difference. Just curious your thoughts.


I went with the 12 for capacity and because I already have blades for it. I'll probably keep the old dewalt and use it out in the garage and it uses 12" blades as well. Actually I think this saw has less deflection than the dewalt did.

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