Or is it "Mitre" saw? Anyway, I have a little history with miter saws. I really like the easy cross cuts that may be made with them. For many years, I thought that radial arm saws were the bee's knees. Great, big, expensive things. Now they are practically given away. I finally, decades delayed, got one. I had to replace the bearings in the track, after that it worked well. I got it for very little money at a thrift store. But it took up massive space compared to a miter saw. Which I belatedly discovered had basically replaced the radial arm rig. For most homeowner-type work, that is. Radial arm saws are still used at lumber yards, etc.
So, my first miter saw was (as I recall) a Delta. It did miter cuts only and I used it for many years before the reduction drive gears self destructed. It was weird hearing the motor rev but not getting any blade action. So it had to go. One of my sons-in-law who is in building maintenance always has to have the latest tools. So I asked him if he had an extra miter saw and he did. What he brought over was a slightly used, simple miter saw made by Ryobi. I used it for many years.
I admit, I abuse miter saws. Because I use them for things for which they probably weren't intended. Like firewood. I figure it's usually safer and cheaper to use the miter saw on smaller diameter wood that is destined for the wood stove. Safer and less expensive than cutting the small stuff up with one of my chain saws. It it will fit under the blade of the miter saw, I will usually do it that way. Meaning branches up to about four inches, and already cut splits up to "will they fit under the blade." The splits because I have lots and lots of cedar splits that I've saved for kindling. Before I do the finer splitting, I will trim off an end with a knot in it.
We had a big wind storm in November, after I finished bucking with the chain saws, I had smaller work remaining so I took the miter saw as far out as I could and did the smaller stuff. I got pretty inventive at side trimming little stubs, etc. I still have a big box full of those that are seasoning. I never waste wood; a section of one of my firewood shelters has a "short and curly" area that has some pretty ugly firewood in it. Fire doesn't care what shape the wood is.
Abusing the miter saw has occasionally resulted in the blade getting stuck in a piece of raw wood. Roundy things can't be braced properly. It just is. It's probably dangerous, but I'm as careful as I can be within the limits of the work. Lately, I was trimming some cedar splits and got the blade stuck so badly that the torque ripped the head of the miter saw off the base. I looked at it for a few minutes, thinking, "Is there any way I can fix this with pop rivets?" Absolutely not. The saw is probably 15 or so years sold, already some of the replacement parts are obsolete. And not economical.
I don't think in terms of new replacement cost. I think more in terms of pawn shop replacement cost. I spent a few hours driving around, finally landed at a shop that is known to have a lot of tools. I went inside, they had hundreds of hand-held power tools of all kinds. I asked, "Have any miter saw?" Whereupon I was directed outside to a covered area with chain link fencing around it. So it's covered against the elements, but not exactly inside storage. They had miter saws, some compressors, and other bulky tools out there. Right away, I could see most of these tools had a healthy film of dust on them and some minor surface corrosion. The price tags were old and faded. They'd been here a while. My next thought was, "Slow Movers, Big Discount." And it turned out to be so. I bought a nice Ridgid brand compound miter saw, made in USA 1999, for $35 OTD. This was an upgrade, because my old Ryobi didn't do bevel cuts.
There was also a circa 1999 Makita there for $40, a very nice saw but it was a straight miter saw, no bevel capability. I may yet go back and get that one, it doesn't hurt to have an extra. So long as it isn't a radial arm saw.
If you want to use a miter saw but miss the wastage of space, they make some pretty big sliding miter saws for that.
So, my first miter saw was (as I recall) a Delta. It did miter cuts only and I used it for many years before the reduction drive gears self destructed. It was weird hearing the motor rev but not getting any blade action. So it had to go. One of my sons-in-law who is in building maintenance always has to have the latest tools. So I asked him if he had an extra miter saw and he did. What he brought over was a slightly used, simple miter saw made by Ryobi. I used it for many years.
I admit, I abuse miter saws. Because I use them for things for which they probably weren't intended. Like firewood. I figure it's usually safer and cheaper to use the miter saw on smaller diameter wood that is destined for the wood stove. Safer and less expensive than cutting the small stuff up with one of my chain saws. It it will fit under the blade of the miter saw, I will usually do it that way. Meaning branches up to about four inches, and already cut splits up to "will they fit under the blade." The splits because I have lots and lots of cedar splits that I've saved for kindling. Before I do the finer splitting, I will trim off an end with a knot in it.
We had a big wind storm in November, after I finished bucking with the chain saws, I had smaller work remaining so I took the miter saw as far out as I could and did the smaller stuff. I got pretty inventive at side trimming little stubs, etc. I still have a big box full of those that are seasoning. I never waste wood; a section of one of my firewood shelters has a "short and curly" area that has some pretty ugly firewood in it. Fire doesn't care what shape the wood is.
Abusing the miter saw has occasionally resulted in the blade getting stuck in a piece of raw wood. Roundy things can't be braced properly. It just is. It's probably dangerous, but I'm as careful as I can be within the limits of the work. Lately, I was trimming some cedar splits and got the blade stuck so badly that the torque ripped the head of the miter saw off the base. I looked at it for a few minutes, thinking, "Is there any way I can fix this with pop rivets?" Absolutely not. The saw is probably 15 or so years sold, already some of the replacement parts are obsolete. And not economical.
I don't think in terms of new replacement cost. I think more in terms of pawn shop replacement cost. I spent a few hours driving around, finally landed at a shop that is known to have a lot of tools. I went inside, they had hundreds of hand-held power tools of all kinds. I asked, "Have any miter saw?" Whereupon I was directed outside to a covered area with chain link fencing around it. So it's covered against the elements, but not exactly inside storage. They had miter saws, some compressors, and other bulky tools out there. Right away, I could see most of these tools had a healthy film of dust on them and some minor surface corrosion. The price tags were old and faded. They'd been here a while. My next thought was, "Slow Movers, Big Discount." And it turned out to be so. I bought a nice Ridgid brand compound miter saw, made in USA 1999, for $35 OTD. This was an upgrade, because my old Ryobi didn't do bevel cuts.
There was also a circa 1999 Makita there for $40, a very nice saw but it was a straight miter saw, no bevel capability. I may yet go back and get that one, it doesn't hurt to have an extra. So long as it isn't a radial arm saw.
If you want to use a miter saw but miss the wastage of space, they make some pretty big sliding miter saws for that.
