Goodbye, Mitre Saw!
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- čas přidán 30. 05. 2024
- I've decided to get rid of the mitre saw... Here's why!
Hongdui Mitre Gauge review by Bisch Basch Bosch: • Banggood Hongdui Premi...
Hondui Mitre Gauge Review by Hew & Awe:
• Mitre gauges review / ...
Hongdui Mitre Gauge: amzn.to/3Z4x657 (Amazon UK) geni.us/AAAuV (Amazon Worldwide) - you may find this cheaper elsewhere so do shop around.
EnjoyWood 48" Fence: Currently unavailable on Amazon. I believe this alternative fence will also fit although it's not an extending one: Vevor 24" Fence amzn.to/3r9nmd1 (Amazon UK) geni.us/sLr5a (Amazon Worldwide)
Why I Ditched My MFT Workbench Top: • My Workbench Gets Upgr...
0:00 Intro
0:16 Space Issues
1:47 Dust Extraction
2:09 Accuracy
3:17 Milwaukee Feedback
4:28 Workshop Re-organisation
4:52 Future Cross Cuts / Angles
🔴My channel is supported by Milwaukee🔴
Check out their full range here: uk.milwaukeetool.eu/?...
Tools used in this video:
M18 Mitre Saw uk.milwaukeetool.eu/en-gb/m18...
Framing Square: uk.milwaukeetool.eu/en-gb/fra... square
Speed Square: uk.milwaukeetool.eu/en-gb/raf...
#woodworking #workshop #tools
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Give that man an Oscar!
Ja, that was some dramatic emotional replay action 😃
Or not😂
Agreed. It was Shopping Channel levels of acting!
😄🤣 Sí, dénle un Oscar!!👍👍
Since I retired from job site work I only use my old-style chop box for cutting steel pipe and tubing. What I do use a lot and love is my old Sears 12" radial arm saw. One of the reasons people poopoo them as dangerous is that they are not using a negative rake toothed blade, its use keeps the blade from aggressively pulling through the cut. It has been reliably accurate and relatively easy to make adjustments to tune it in and it seems to do a good job staying there. One of the jobs it does wonderfully that none of my other tools does is making dados in stiles of tall shelving units. I use a wobble dado blade to get the perfect fit for today's undersized plywood and it takes a short time to make several pairs of end stiles. I used to use a router jig for this but finding a bit that correctly fits the plywood is a pain as is having to make double cuts with a smaller bit about 4 time more time-consuming and still not the same consistency and accuracy of the radial arm saw.
My grandfather used his for decades instead of a miter saw... he found the Delta Radial Saw he used to be all he needed along with a table saw and hand tools...
i like them too but i find it hard and slow to change the angles.
There is really no need to be without a mitre saw even with out the full station. You said it yourself, they're mostly set up for job-site use, so just get a jobsite frame and some rollers and whenever you need it for a lot of cutting you can unfold it and crack on.
By far my most used tool. I’ve a 12” corded one permanently set up and a 8” battery one for use on my pick up or elsewhere outside the workshop.
For the wood working shop specifically, I think the table saw solution could work fine. I do a lot of general carpentry and renovation work, so I’m not getting rid of the miter saw anytime soon. However, I use mine off a portable stand, not a large permanent fixture station.
Not to mention that it is great for cutting aluminium too 🙂
I don't do nearly as much woodworking as I used to, but I ditched mine and haven't looked back. The combination of table saw and battery powered circ saw is just so much faster and space efficient. I haven't missed it at all.
I see other videos about getting rid of their miter saw but as someone who does a LOT of DIY projects I will never get rid of mine. I find it invaluable and use as much if not more than any other tool. Like you I purchased a high quality miter gauge with an extendable fence but it will never do what my miter does. I actually just used it to trim out our new front door.
The main complaint I have of the miter saw is the horrible dust collection. And Also it is the loudest machine I have and that includes the router! I’ll be interested in seeing how your new set up works out.
There're some good solutions for dust collection CZcams. One of the best I've seen was on Patriot DIY: czcams.com/video/mkzCUF02s2g/video.htmlsi=-ndKQFShUo_jljtD
Really interesting video. Thanks for posting. I need to organise my workshop smarter, and this provides extra motivation. I ditched my fixed mitre saw station some time ago and replaced it with an EVOLUTION 800B MITRE SAW STAND WITH EXTENSION ARMS from Screwfix - £80. My only regret was not buying one years ago. It folds up easily, and I can set it up outside if I need some extra space around me.
Mitre saw for doing skirting is a godsend. I'd go crazy without one. Table saw is for me something that's expendable; a circular / track / plunge saw is the natural alternative.
In terms of space,
It's always worth parting with tools that hardly get used especially when you need the space for big projects. Great video Keith
Yep and for me it's a radialarm saw, but sentimental value. Soooo it'll set in backroom for ever.🤔
I mostly use my miter saw for cross-cutting lumber for framing. I built a big tree house for my daughter last summer, and I used the miter saw extensively for both 90 degree cuts and also for angled cuts when I was cutting the ends of my rafters. I'm a hobbyist not a pro.
I don't think it's feasible or safe to cross-cut a 10 foot (~305cm) 2x4 with a cross-cut sled. The other option is to use a circular saw, which I also use extensively. However, I've learned that knots and other imperfections in lumber can often lead to the edges of framing lumber being a bit uneven, and then when I quickly try to use a circular saw and a speed square to make a perpendicular cut, the uneven surface of the lumber results in my square not actually resting parallel to the center line of the lumber, which means that my cuts don't end up at 90 degrees. I don't own a jointer, and I'm not going to create a 10 foot sled to be able to square the faces of every 2x4 stud (or 2x6 or larger piece) on my table saw. I'm not going to plane the surfaces every single time with a hand plane, although I have done this at times when I needed to square some stock that was for something like a small makeshift work bench/table. Anyway, since my miter saw has a long fence, I generally find that if a stud has a couple uneven surface bumps, resting it against the long fence of the miter saw results in the center line of a stud being closer to parallel with the fence than if I use, for example, a speed square as a saw guide for my circular saw.
Therefore, I've found that with lumber that isn't perfectly square with flat edges, I get better results cross-cutting with my miter saw vs a circular saw.
My miter saw is NOT a sliding miter saw. It's a small and cheap chop-style miter saw that cannot cross cut anything bigger than a 2x4. When I need to cross-cut something bigger like a 2x12, I use a circular saw, and I will make thin lines with a pencil and speed square against both faces of the lumber to make sure that surface imperfections in the lumber do not result in my speed square sitting out-of-square with the face of the lumber before I make a cross cut. Since my miter saw is small and cheap, I can store it inside a cabinet, and I generally take it outside to my garden to make cuts. I still hook it up to a shop vac + cyclone dust separator outside on a portable folding table, but using it outside reduces dust in my garage.
All tools have a specific + & - rating, that's why you need so many of them 😂😂
I've been procrastinating way too long about my mitre saw. I do use it, but like you, mostly for fire wood and rough cuts before finishing up with the table saw. Covid gave me the time to build my mancave, and after a few years I think I know what tools I can safely ditch and obviously spend any money I get for them on new tools. 😂
The author does like to from scratch, czcams.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.
Oh piss off
Alright Keith. I've been thinking about doing the same. Realised last time I cleared mine off that the last time I used it was to chop up scraps! Mitre saws just aren't accurate and/or consistent enough for the furniture I'm doing, so it sits there "Just in case"🤷♂️ Think I'll long loan it to father in law. I do all my mitres on my over-routing machine and all my square cuts on the table or plunge saw. I did test a Festool kapex but there is still a little flex at full extension. It's still inconsistent with bevel or compound cuts and, still leaves burns on mitres and bevels. Where there's burns, there'll be imperfect joints. I can't actually remember any if the old joinery shops I worked in having mitre saws. Radial arm saws rather than mitre saws if they did. Panel saws for mitres. Still think mitre saws are awesome but they have their limits.👍
Just found your channel and appreciate your candor and perspective. I have also found TTI product managers invested into customer feedback. Design defects can cause accuracy issues. Sometimes we can improvise and overcome them, but we should not have to, especially with premium brands. Accuracy at any stop detent should be reluable. Few mitersaws are accurate during compound cuts when having to lock, or tighten the miter scale in place with a clamping mechanism. Also, slop in bearings, or flex in axels the bearings ride on introduce the potential for error. Experiene with stain grade hardwood crown molding is a huge eye opener, as errors from tool slop are expensive! That said, I still use my miter saw, but constantly check its potential for error. Perhaps a setup on wheels will offer you the flexibility to maximize your space! It works for me, just make sure the mitersaw table/base is coplanar with any support used. I certainly appreciate your sharing like this, it's increadibly generous and affods us the opportunity to learn and improve our skills. Finally, I find that sliding compound miter saws all have the potential to introduce error, more than a solid nonsliding compound miter saw. This is why I don't own a sliding one yet. Taking the time to test fit, rather than measure is not as fast, but usually produces better results for me.
I reached the same conclusion a little while ago. An inaccurate space hog that doesn't do anything that can't be done by other tools.
But it was my first wood working power tool and I used it loads for years. It's not a bad tool, just outgrown it.
Like most woodworking folk in the uk I think we would all love a larger workshop - I look at American woodworking vids with envy. A useful video. Much thanks. I hope you have recovered from that nasty hip injury 😉
While I hate that the company wouldn't treat the average customer with this type of respect, I am immensely grateful that reputable channels who do receive such deference are willing to share their experience and pass along a bit of their goodwill to us. Thanks, chief. 👌🏻
Bravo! I like the way you think. I’m on the verge of ditching my miter saw, too, as a shop tool. I will store it for what it is best for and that is cutting trim (for doors, windows, base, crown. Etc.) So good to see another woodworker cross cutting from the right on the table saw! I did a whole video on it. Glad I found your channel and happy to subscribe.
Just watched, great video! I did it purely for space reasons
Good video!!! It's the dynamic of the shop and your progress
Interesting. I’ll be purchasing my first big table saw very soon and this was one of the things I have been wondering if I could get rid of the mitre saw. I too find it far too in accurate so rather than splash out for a festool I think I will retire the mitre saw and just use the table saw with some sleds like you are. Very keen to see the follow up video on this!
Nice discussion! I haven't used my mitre saw since I bought my table saw two years ago. I've been trying to sell it, but it seems nobody else wants it...
If you’ve got a large table saw with space to have a fence and flap stops, I can see it makes absolutely perfect sense to reuse that tool and ditch the mitre saw. I’ve only got a basic Evolution Rage 3 mitre saw which suffers from poor dust collection and never seeming to be able to get absolutely perfect cuts. Its good for rough cutting but since I got the table saw I’ve found I’ve hardly used it and I wasn’t fancying having to build a massive cathedral of space either side to achieve adequate cut areas. Your video has given me more food for thought about whether I do need my mitre saw or not 😮
madness, you said it yourself ' the quickest and easiest way' dont sell it, keep it for a bit. love your braveness and that miter gauge looks amazing, great video- good luck.
I enjoyed seeing the mitre saw from your perspective. I share many of the same thoughts about the usefulness of a permanent set-up, but the infeed on my table saw is too short to allow me to transition to using solely a sled or gauge. So I'm sticking with it for now. Excited and looking forward to the next video. K.
I kept a miter saw around for years in the garage. Most of what I used it for was those times when I needed a bunch of rough and ready angled cuts. For one or two cuts I almost always just used a handsaw and left the powered saw in the garage. Last time I pulled out my miter saw was when my wife asked for a gate for our deck. I pulled out the cord and saw, gathered my wood, and plans. About halfway through the project the poor old saw finally died. I spent a couple of hours tinkering on it, but never could get it back to life. I finally ditched the idea and built the whole gate with a handsaw. Bet nobody noticed the difference.
Just found your channel.
A joy to watch your videos.
Always inspiring and I admire your imagination to keep coming up with great ideas and sharing your knowledge.
Well done.
One Handed Maker - Australia
I'll be interested to see how you get on Keith, I can't imagine not having my Mitre saw(s) but then I don't have a big accurate table saw either. My main Mitre saw is an old Elektra sliding saw I bought around 20 years ago, I think it's similar to your old Axminster one, It's a good solid saw with an induction motor but is starting to show it's age ( a bit like me ) !
As always I loved your re-enactments, looking forward to the rest of the reorganisation !
That Hongdul mitre gauge looks superb, and I'm glad you managed to get the fence re-scaled to your requirements.
Nice to hear Milwaukee are listening too !
I put my mitre saw onto two timber rails. This either sits on my bench or trestles so that I can move around my space for convenience or leave it in one area. I built my own tailored trestles. I, too, use a sled on the table saw, relying on the mitre to break down long boards that can be finished on the table saw. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Mitre saws are a blessing and a curse. I’m just a hobby woodworker and all around tinkerer. I use my Ryobi mitre saw and my DeWalt job site saw for everything. From time to time I find myself needing to cut aluminum, plastic, PVC and various other things besides wood. I always cut these things with the mitre saw. I have a setup where the mitre saw is usually hanging on a wall and I can easily set it between two benches when I need it. Otherwise it is not in my way.
Interesting how you set up your workshop. I have both my mitre and circular saws on mobile stands and use a mobile supports and a wheeled vac. This means I can take max advantage of space in workshop, work across diagonals for long pieces. Building in always restricts your options. Ditto my drill stand is free to move on the fixed work bench. I have a low level movable large assembly table that also serves as a build stand saving my back! A couple of workmates also come in invaluable. Flexibility is an absolute boon as you never know what jobs/ projects you might have in the future. I can also clear everything to the sides to use the screeded (level) floor for assembling larger items. I would not change what I have got and the mitre (chop) saw is absolutely square, a brilliant tool. Good luck with the new layout, hope it serves you well. Best regards Stephen
Great video. I really like how open you are about trying things that may or may not work! I’m really interested to see what you do with the space- great series. Also good for Milwaukee to actually come out and see your set up. Respect!
If you end up changing your mind later, Fishers Shop has a space saving mitre station that might be a good option for a space saving return and Shop Nation has some good dust collection improvement…
My Dewalt chop saw is the same. Spent ages fiddling with its rubbish adjustment to finally get it spot on and then soon as you put it away and get it out again the damn things gone out :(
This is fantastic!
You are one of a small number of high quality YT makers I follow, each of whom have different workshops, different needs and different tools. And yet they each produce quality projects and informative videos.
This is brilliant for getting a diversity of perspective and experience!
Will your experiment work? You'll share your experience and let us know - and in doing so we viewers have the opportunity to learn from you, pick aspects that we think will work for us, and hopefully do more ourselves.
Right! I need to check my mitresaw for square!
Thanks!
Amazing timing! My EnjoyWood fence arrived today! 😂
Another great vid, always look forward to the posts.
First: I want to say that it is so nice to see someone actually use a guard over the top of the blade of the table saw. You obviously value your fingers more than almost everyone else who makes videos using a table saw.
Now for my comment: If you really want to save space in a small shop, get rid of the table saw also. Both tools can be replaced by a radial arm saw. A properly set up (10 inch) radial arm saw can rip and crosscut just as accurately as a table saw. I know. I have been making high end furniture for forty years using a radial arm saw.
The advantage of the radial arm saw is that it can be up against a wall. It only requires clearance to the left and right. Compare that to the table saw which has to be in the middle of the shop because it requires 360 degrees of clearance.
Hi! Absolutely the right decision. The end saw is a construction tool, not a carpentry. I've never used a butt saw in my workshop and I'm not going to do that any further. Good luck to you, colleague!
Very useful points made. A follow up on what can be done to overcome these issues and how much they can be addressed would surely be appreciated by many mitre-saw owners.
A lot of mitre-saws are used for making quick the cutting of timber for various constructions that involve complicated angles and at the same time speed of execution is paramount. Diyers do not often have a lot of time to devote to projects where the main objective when embarking on them is to save money. Usually this involves projects such as timber frame buildings. One such diy project can justify the cost of procuring a mitre-saw. While the tools presented look awesome, many people simply will not rush to ditch their mitre-saw and then spend money to replace them with an alternative as, for many, a mitre-saw is probably considered as a lifetime purchase.
Haven’t seen you for ages(been in dock a lot)and am surprised at the grey hair.
Don’t despair and keep up the good work.
Totally agreed! I didn´t use my Mitre Saw for over two years now. In the meantime it´s buried under some table. If I ever would have to saw 150 roof battens or an angle cutting orgy (99% is 90 degrees), it will see light again. But everything else is done more efficiant and faster by any table saw sled or table saw rolling desk.
It's so rare to see someone analyzing whether they actually need something they own, and getting rid of it when they determine they don't. Usually it's just more and more consumption, more shiny objects, especially when it comes to what people show off to the internet. So this is really refreshing to see!
Thank you Jer!
I've followed your channel since the start but I've been a bit distant from CZcams lately. I must say tho your presentation skills have come a long way since the last time I watched. Very clear and interesting content with your reasoning for decisions made. Well done on how you've built your channel 👏👏
I appreciate that!
Just got the identical mitre this week after following Hew and Awe and I’m really impressed most of the sleds can go. Got to laugh at fractions of a millimetre and yet we get 10.5 inches which is a measurement only used at Rolls Royce.
You won't miss the mitre saw I'm sure. I have a similar mitre guayecand they are beautifully made but I don't use that either. Two crosscut sleds one with an adjus5able fence to cut angles and that's it. One thing I have always loved about sleds is knob on accuracy and also their ability to cut small pieces safely.
I knocked a 1.5m2 hole in the wall complete with a pre-stressed lintel and mounted the mitre on a hinged bench with electrically operated gas struts struts and fold down steel box section legs that lock into concrete anchors, then built a brick extension on the outside with dust extraction to house the whole thing.
Now my mitre folds flush into the wall when I'm not using it with the press of a button. Also have extra storage in the extension for other tools.
Good thoughts. I've considered doing the same as I have multiple ways of doing cross cuts. However, my experience with my miter saw has been difficult. My Makita 12" miter saw cuts very accurately and leaves a clean glue-ready cut. Still pondering.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Kudos for Milwaukee for coming to your shop. I'm nearly as curious as you what they'll found out about the inaccuracy of the mitre saw over time.
some years ago I got a Bosch 12" glide. I bought it because I was building a Garage / Recreational Deck and needed the bigger cut and needed to use it in the drive way. . I haven't used it since. I have an Austrian sliding table saw and that's my go to.
Great video. I did the same thing years ago and have never looked back.
I got rid of my mitre saw (very small workshop) and now use a home made crosscut sled on my DeWalt saw. Works for me. This crosscut sled was thrown together with scraps I had lying around. A v2 will become a necessity soon.
Very interesting thank you! I hope you didn’t pay too much for the fence with all the adjustments you had to do! And you informed them of its flaws😅
I found the dramatic enactments highly amusing. Very interesting video!
Hi, good video. My thoughts as you move forward. All of us need to do what is right for our shops. For me, the miter saw is very important & my Makita 40 volt 8-1/4" glide is extremely accurate. Again, it depends on your need & usage. The only thing that I will say is that we ALL have more space than we really need.........we just have work with different shop configurations until we have maximized our space. I think every shop can find space and find value with a high quality miter saw.
Interesting video. I finished my first cross cut sled for my table saw yesterday and immediately started asking myself “Why do I need the miter saw?” The dust production is horrible. My Dewalt doesn’t seem to hold accuracy either. Small parts can be cut much more safely on the sled, and I can make a cut up to 22” on the sled as well. However, the miter saw was the first large power tool I bought…
It's why I don't use a sliding miter saw as my primary trim carpentry saw. My DeWalt 12" double-bevel saw has always been extremely accurate and consistent even as a saw that moved from jobsite to jobsite. The DW716 has been a standard of professional production trim carpenters for a long time. I have a 10" single bevel DeWalt miter saw for shoe mold and a cordless 7-1/4" slide miter as a general purpose saw for dimensional lumber, LVP, and cutting aluminum extrusions.
I can’t imagine being without the mitre saw. I have only a job site table saw though and that limits a bit the use of mitre gauges. Great video though! Your reenactment of things happening in the workshop makes me chuckle no end 😂
Interested to see how you go Keith, as I've been having the same thoughts re: space. Loved the theatrics😂
This will definitely have to be a revisit video in the future to see how it goes. I do like the way that your workshop has evolved from your hay days in the small shed to where you are now.
I have to say that I'm very impressed with you taking this rather large step in your workshop layout and I'm intrigued to see how you get on with projects in the future while not having the mitre saw.
Unfortunately in my little workshop I don't have the room as yet for a table saw so I am stuck with the mitre saw for projects and I also noticed that on my saw the littlest bump does indeed throw out the accuracy of cuts.
A chop saw (miter) is a space hog and a hot mess for sawdust. Mine is in storage because as you said it can be handy on a jobsite. I now look at tools and ask myself "can I do that with hand tools"? The jointer was the next to go. I have fallen for hand planes and hand saws. I enjoy the physical energy and the lack of noise, dust. I have a Saw Stop and pulled it out for the first time in a year this week. I couldn't find my hearing protection in a 10' x 16' shop, still looking. Nice video!
0:18 i always thought that your air compressor was outside in a separed cabin, but then realised, that was the case in your previous workshop.
A few weeks ago i saw a video here on CZcams, where people forgot to drain the condensation water from there compressor, and where after a few years the tank exploded due rust from the inside out that weaken the tank. So a safety tip, remove the condensation water at least once a week, and even better, on daily basis. Grtz
Hi! I have a LS1219L from Makita. I don't think i need it that much, but it's just such a nice machine to look at and more! My garage seems much bigger, but more so, forward rails do help a lot!
Dewalt 12 inch dual bevel sliding saw. Works great. Only other saw to consider imho is a Bosch but it’s not as robust.
I did the opposite. Instead of a cabinet saw, my setup includes a Sawstop Compact Table Saw, routers, miter saw and track saw. I just don't think I could give up a miter saw, but I certainly don't need a cabinet saw. Everyone's workflow and requirements are different, however. I hope Milwaukee makes your miter saw right. It is surprising that they came to inspect it. That's impressive.
Every shop has an optimum balance of tools and space organization. It's not so much that mitre saws are good or bad. But its definitely worth keeping ones space efficient and clearing out gear that isn't useful. I need it because I make miter cuts that are larger than my jobsite table saw can handle.
When I downsized my workshop 10 years ago, I left out my miter saw. With jigs and some computing I was able to get by without the mighty dust generator. Recently I had some crown molding and custom cabinetry that I fond I needed the miter saw for again. I bought the sawdust generator again and was surprised at how fast it filled the shop with dust. All of which needed to be eliminated so I could paint the fixtures before completing the project. There are things in woodworking that just need the convenience of a miter saw such as cutting crown molding quickly. I'm keeping the beasty, but I have to figure out the the dust collection thing.
I got rid of mine, and my space is far smaller than yours (a single car garage). I tried to get along without one, but ended up buying a Festool Kapex and I made a mitre saw cart with flip up wings.
I have two workbenches, a table saw, full size planer/thicknesser, 3 dust extractors, router table and mitre saw cart in my garage. Yeah, it's tight, but it works.
I found messing around with cross cut sleds etc too much of a faff!
Nice one Keith! You’ve got rid of your mitre saw for the exact same reason I did mate! Although I’ve still got my “mitre station” that needs to be sorted out 🤦🏻♂️😂
Interesting how people can have their own personal ideas about stuff. Which is fascinating and great to watch!
For me the mitre saw would be absolutely one of the last tools I would ever get rid of.
I use it so often. In fact, I replaced the table saw for just a regular circular saw instead and kept the mitre saw.
I noticed that I use the table saw only for getting the wood smaller, which can be done one much more simple ways.
Question: How did you cut small parts safely and quickly?
@@Dickie2702 sorry, I don't follow the question? Small parts can be done at the mitre saw if you clamp things right if that's what you mean?
Rip cuts with a circular saw? Isn't that a bit awkward?
@@RagnBoneBrown as long as you have a proper guide, it's fine.
@p_mouse8676 Table saw quicker, safer, more accurate.
I didn’t use my miter saw for years.
Then I had to redo baseboards in my house. And that baby was the absolute most important tool I owned.
Pulled it out in the driveway so I didn’t care about dust and it made life way easier than my table saw could have.
Frist of all, you could definitely have a career as the "before" guy on infomercials!
As for the video, I also do cuts i have to trust on my table saw sleds and the miter gauge you bought looks quite nice. I still have a miter saw and a radial arm saw in my shop. I find myself using the miter saw quite a lot in my work flow but everyone is different. Having open floor space is a valuable thing I have been working towards opening up more of it in my shop lately.
I've had a similar experience with my 12 inch miter saw: for most projects it takes too much time to set up, and I can get more accurate miter cuts from my table saw with a sled. It just takes up too much room in my small workshop to keep it set up all the time. For crown molding or worksite it makes more sense.
I couldn't imagine a jobsite without a sliding miter saw, but the only rib i used mine for was rough Lumber breakdown, and that on an portable jobsite miter saw stand. It would take up too much VALUABLE floor space in my small furniture/woodworking shop.
I bought the same mitre gauge based on reviews from Denis over at Hooked On Wood. I love it!
I think that will work out well for you as you have a nice table saw. My table saw is rubbish, top is got a stamped steel bed !!!!! I also dont have a workshop so if i make something i have to set up outside, most of the time i use the mitre saw as its just easy to get out and set up. So for me that works better, for you that new kit you have looks like it will work well.
I switched my mitre saw (Makita w/ the front rails. I actually really like it) for a 35 year old Craftsman radial arm saw I was gifted and the dust collection on even that old thing is way better than the Makita. I was able to build a better base and square everything up and the experience has been great. Different situation, I guess, but it also helped me make my space more usable.
Nice to see a video with this “against-the-grain” viewpoint. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of miter saws in the workshop. They’re handy on a mobile cart for worksite/remodeling jobs, but for shop purposes, I think a radial arm saw is a *much* better way to go.
With a little tuneup, it’s just as accurate as a miter saw but with a greater capacity. And you can add a laser for ease of cut alignment. If you’re willing to get creative and design a new blade guard, you can install a 12” - or larger - blade (within the saw’s physical limitations, of course) for greater capacity in the Z axis. You can even (again, with some creativity) make a custom mounting plate to turn your radial arm saw into an overhead router table or a planer (using a hand planer and making multiple passes. I haven’t done either of those yet but they’re on my to-do list) which make it incredibly versatile.
On top of all that, you can even make cuts that don’t go all the way through a board - which you would otherwise have to do on a table saw. I find that I strongly prefer my table saw for cutting panels ( wish I had a panel saw for sheet goods, though) but there are lots of times where it’s easier to work with a fixed workpiece. It’s a pretty trivial task to add flip-up side wings to support longer stock (and stop blocks? no problem!) - but then I can flip them back down for storage and it has a much smaller footprint than a miter saw station. (The footprint, front-to-back, isn’t nearly as deep as some miter saws/stations, too.)
Radial arm saws got a bad rap and fell out of favor because they’re unsafe for rip cuts (although you can find videos that dispute that) but I use my table saw for ripping, anyway.
If all that isn’t enough for you, there’s the price. You can buy an old radial arm saw for a fraction of the price of a sliding compound miter saw. It’s a no-brainer to me.
I'll be interested too see how you get on without the mitre saw. I got rid of mine last year for a lot of the same reasons you had but have recently bought a Kapex KS60 and it is night and day to the old saw. Suddendly cuts are square and accurate and mitres fit with no gaps.
I’ve decided to build a table on wheels for mine and likely build a flip table arrangement so it can be a bench most of the time with the saw open downward underneath and then just rotate 90° up into position
Doing building restoration and rarely finding a right angle, I found a mitre saw with a laser guide absolutely invaluable. I had a cheap 10" SIP with laser for years, ( put a decent blade in it) and finally replaced it with the big milwaukee (12"), but that doesnt have a laser, has an angle guide instead, not nearly so useful. I wouldnt get rid of it as a workshop machine though.
It really comes down to space, all criticism of the compound mitre saw aside. Horses for courses. I have a compound mitre saw and a sliding table saw. Each type of cut on the table saw has a longer setup time, where as a mitre saw for smaller cuts including angles takes a fraction of the time. Larger cuts on sliding table is worth the time. My dewalt compound saw is very accurate and very adjustable, however a non sliding compound saw would better suit you.
That was great service from Milwaukee tools, in comparison to how De Walt treat their customers...
See "Finish Carpentry...." " I'll never buy another DeWALT tool."
Really good to know some companies really care.
Hahaha spot on about the crap that ends up on any bench space in a workshop
I have a miter saw, that rarely gets used. It is for travel. At home, I have a table saw. It does everything I need for any cross-cut.
I rarely use my Miter saw. A nicely set up table saw does a much better job for my projects. Some of these after market miter gauges for the table saw are the real deal. I have one but not the same one you have but similar and absolutely love it. With it I can make repeatable and dead on accurate cuts.
When I started woodworking I often read that the first tool you should get is a mitre saw. I've never felt the need for one though. I can see the need if you're doing a lot of framing, but I find the table saw, with sleds, do everything I need. Especially as, like most people, I have to deal with limited space.
I feel this definitely used to be common wisdom.
Maybe it’s also ease of use and safety?
Either way, I agree. I had thought of avoiding a table saw for a long time. When I finally got one, it’s one of the tools of top priority and gets used the most.
A miter saw was my first power tool, but my first project was installing hardwood flooring. And framing style repairs, trim and other things needing that sort of cuts.
I haven't done much "panel" work like cabinets and tables.
And my bracket (really old) they said depending on your type of 🪵 working, tablesaw or bandsaw as your first shop power tool.
I’ve been thinking something similar. I have a very cheap miter and I’m concerned about the space it takes up. I have a track saw, and my table saw I could use for cuts. I’m curious about how you end up.
My hesitation is because sometimes the things I cut are dirty or wet, so I don’t want to risk my saw stop.
I have a festool mitre saw and it's really nice and accurate. Milwaukee saying the problem has never been reported to them is very strange indeed because it's either a fault or it's not. Maybe lots of woodworkers know about the issue but have decided it's part and parcel of a mitre saw and would not report the issue. Maybe the vast majority of woodworkers are not using it for precision cuts in a woodshop. There are reasons why it could be an engineering fault yet not reported imo. Where accuracy is critical I would always check the saw anyway. Unless there is a hard 90 deg stop ie on mitre saws this will always happen imo. Many saws operate with detents and if there is even 1mm of play in the detent at 90 degrees the saw will settle at various micro angles off 90. The detent also wear over time and cause play. There is a video on the Makita mitre saw with this exact issue, I think it was aluminium they used and the detent were wearing out too quickly.
Because all mitre saws have a list of inherent problems I opted for a festool because of their reputation for high quality and it is the best mitre saw I have ever used. Tool manufacturers tend to follow engineering trends but they often follow the ones that don't work too and it's frustrating. BTW, I am not a Festool fan boy, I wish I could afford to be! 😂
Thanks for the video, it will be really interesting to see how you get on long term without the mitre saw and what you miss most (if anything).
Thanks also for being very honest, it makes your channel such a pleasure to watch. Take care.
They treated you nice because of CZcams. If I reported that issue I wouldn't get a personal visit.
lol no sh*t Sherlock 😂
Mitre saw would probably be the last tool I would part with as a DIY enthusiast. I could probably work around not having it as a woodworker but I wouldn’t like it. You do have a much better table saw than I do, I gave up my cabinet saw to save some space.
I too just got rid of my miter saw. I have a very small shop. Because it was a sliding miter saw, it took up too much room. I had to keep it far from the wall so the sliding rods had somewhere to go. It also generated far too much dust. No matter what I tried, dust was a problem. I have a large capacity table saw sled that allows me to cut even wider boards than my miter saw could handle.
I'm impressed with the lengths you go to insure a precise cut. One downside, seems to me, is the need to replace the blade whenever you go from a crosscut to a lengthwise cut. Unless you don't give a rip ;-)
I have the same fens and I didn't wanted it to close to the saw. I've fixed the length with a screw in the stopblock. It is treaded.
Thanks for sharing and it makes me think differently of buying a Mitre saw.
But... do you think it's still save and accurate to saw lets say a 2x4 of 4 meters in smaller pieces?
Some great acting Keith! Also the video and editing quality seems to have improved. I'm shocked your mitre saw has gone too!
I've also removed the station, but placed the miter saw on a moveable stand. I wheel it out of the way most of the time and bust it out and use it outside if I need to use it.
What make of angle-grinder blade do you use (for bricks & for metal)? Cheers
Hi Keith
Just wounded out of curiosity what you’re going to do with your mitre saw are you completely getting rid of it or are you going to store it somewhere else incase you need it in the future ?
I havent used mine in years. I do loan it. All hand tools for me these days. No regrets.
That was some quality acting there Keith, believed every minute of it
I could not find any manufacturer’s mitre saw that was reliably accurate. Just your hand pulling the saw can pull it off the line. I opted for a something a lot more robust. I bought a 1953 DeWalt Radial Arm Saw. A 500 lb monster of a machine with 3 horsepower, a 14” blade, and bulletproof accuracy. Moreover, the Radial can handle all my ripping needs up to 24” wide. And all my cross cutting up to 24” wide. Add to that that it is safer, because it CAN’T kickback when cross cutting, and in ripping, if it kicks back it kicks the board to the left or the right and not at me. It takes up less space than a table saw, and has pretty much replaced the table saw for everything short of ripping up large sheet stock, and these days I tend to use a track saw for that, anyway. It cuts perfect miters, bevels, and compound cuts, and I can also use it to cut horizontal dados and rabbets along long boards, not to mention very unusual cuts where I am pulling the blade thru the stock at an angle to cut a large U shaped curve. All in all the most versatile power tool in the shop. My table saw sits largely unused, pushed up against a wall. And I have the radial outside, ( under a cover ) where I can cross cut or rip 40 foot long lumber if needs be. And folks who opt for an old 40’s or 50’ DeWalt with the smaller arbor find it can sport a shaper head, a jigsaw attachment, A jointer attachment and even a planing head for planing stock wider or taller than will fit in a standard planer.
My miter saw has been in my garden shed for 2 years. I get much more accurate cuts on my table saw. The only thing I would use my miter saw if I had space would be to rough cut to length, but in that case I can just use a circular saw or track saw on panel stock if needed.
Hi
I am about to build sheed myself and have no clue what to use for priming base (it will be sitting on gravel) what would you suggest?
Any bitumen paint would do the job?
Thanks