Compound Miter Saws: Reviews

Updated July 2010

Compound miter saws make short work of crosscutting lumber and molding. They're more space-efficient than most table saws, and since they're mounted on a stand, miter saws are faster and less tiring to use than circular saws. Whether you need a 10-inch, 12-inch or sliding miter saw, we've got you covered in this report.

FONT
PRINT

Compare All

10-inch compound miter saw

Craftsman MiterMate 21226

*Est. $250 Compare Prices

Reviews say this Craftsman miter saw makes accurate cuts and is a good buy, with basic accessories already included. It's designed to miter and bevel molding to fit corners that aren't exact 45-degree angles. Reviewers… expandsay beginners and casual users should have little difficulty cutting accurate joints the first time. Dust collection is a weak point, as is typical of miter saws. Like other 10-inch miter saws, the Craftsman MiterMate can only crosscut up to 2-by-6 lumber. Standard warranty coverage is for one year. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

PopularMechanics.com: Popular Mechanics compares the Craftsman MiterMate saw against the DeWalt DW713, finding that both perform well.

Wood Magazine: Editors name the Craftsman MiterMate saw one of the top new tools for 2010 because of its innovative design that makes it easy to cut wood at the right miter angle.

Toolsnob.com: After testing the 10-inch Craftsman MiterMate on about a dozen corner angles -- none exactly 45 degrees -- editors conclude that the design really is foolproof.

ToolGuyd.com: This single-product review is very useful thanks to a large number of close-up photos showing exactly how the Craftsman MiterMate works.

ToolBoxHero.com: Experienced tool reviewer Paul Sikkema is enthusiastic about the Craftsman MiterMate, saying he thinks this design will become standard for miter saws in the future.

Sears.com: The handful of owners reviewing the Craftsman MiterMate saw here give it mostly positive reviews, saying it's easy to use.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

eBay

for $165.63

12-inch compound miter saw

DeWalt DW716

*Est. $400 Compare Prices

If you need a larger miter saw, reviewers say the DeWalt DW716 provides excellent cutting capacity; with some tweaking, it can even crosscut a 2-by-10 board. Vertical capacity for baseboard and crown molding is also… expandoutstanding. Reviews praise this top-rated saw's build quality, performance and convenience. It's a double-bevel miter saw, which helps save time as well. A three-year warranty is standard, and a laser guide is available as an optional accessory (*Est. $70). collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Journal of Light Construction: The DeWalt DW716 earns top ranking in comparison tests of eight 12-inch compound miter saws, earning praise for its smooth cutting, superior capacity, miter lock, convenient detent override and excellent table extensions.

Tools of the Trade: The DeWalt DW716 ranks third here after tests comparing it with seven other 12-inch compound miter saws by using them on the job in finish carpentry.

Wood Magazine: The single-bevel DeWalt DW715 miter saw (otherwise similar to the DW716) shares top ranking with the Bosch 3912, based on thorough objective tests of seven 12-inch compound miter saws.

Woodworker's Journal: Tests here cover the single-bevel DeWalt DW715 rather than the DW716.

Amazon.com: Nearly four dozen owners review the DeWalt DW716 miter saw here, giving it very high ratings for its power -- even on tough hardwoods -- as well as its accuracy and ease of use.

Lowes.com: About two dozen owners review the DeWalt DW716 here, giving it above-average ratings -- especially for quality, design and ease of use.

HomeDepot.com: Of the dozen or so user reviews, one woman sums it up nicely: "I am a girly girl and so power tools scare me a little, but not this saw.

Northerntool.com: More than a dozen owners review the DeWalt DW716 here, giving it a nearly perfect average rating and saying they'd recommend it to a friend.

Sears.com: The handful of owners reviewing the DeWalt DW716 give it a higher average rating than any other 12-inch miter saw sold at Sears.com.

YouTube.com: This brief video is basically an ad, but it provides good close-up views and it's useful to see the saw demonstrated.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from Amazon for Too low to display
Tyler Tool for $399.00	Northern Tool for $399.99	drugstore.c- om for $469.99

10-inch sliding miter saw

Makita LS1016L

*Est. $505 Compare Prices

Experts say that sliding miter saws are the "sweet spot" in terms of miter saw sizes and types, with ample capacity for most users. This award-winning Makita miter saw makes smooth cuts on up to a 2-by-12 board, but its… expandfour-rail system makes it more compact than most 10-inch sliders. Admittedly the Makita doesn't meet the level of precision and features of the highly-regarded but pricey Festool Kapex KS 120 (*Est. $1,300), but comparison tests find the Makita is very competitive in terms of performance and ease of use. Its soft-start motor with electronic speed control handles thick hardwoods well, and the adjustable laser guide has a separate power switch. Warranty coverage is for one year. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Tools of the Trade: Editors at this trade journal, aimed at professional contractors, give the Makita LS1016L a 2010 Editor's Choice award.

Journal of Light Construction: A professional finish carpenter tests the 10-inch Makita LS1016L by using it on his jobs.

Fine Homebuilding: In this four-minute video review, Fine Homebuilding editor Justin Fink praises the big table and 12-inch capacity of this 10-inch Makita LS1016L, but wishes the vertical capacity were bigger.

Amazon.com: More than a dozen owners review the Makita LS1016L miter saw here, many giving it very long, detailed comments.

LumberJocks.com: This enthusiastic review is based on several months of use.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from
Amazon

for $499.00

12-inch sliding compound miter saw

Milwaukee 6955-20

*Est. $650 Compare Prices

Reviews say miter saws this big are overkill for most users unless you need to cut a lot of molding vertically. If you need this capability, the Milwaukee 6955-20 is the critics' favorite. A five-year warranty is another… expandplus. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Taunton's 2010 Tool Guide: The Milwaukee 6955-20 earns top ranking among 12-inch compound sliding miter saws tested at Fine Homebuilding.

Popular Woodworking: The Milwaukee 6955-20 earns the Editor's Choice award based on tests comparing it with five other dual-bevel 12-inch, sliding compound miter saws as well as the pricey 10-inch Festool Kapex.

Tools of the Trade: Based on job-site use by 20 boat builders, the Milwaukee 6955-20 earns praise for its scales and controls as well as its large vertical capacity, but it loses points for lacking a laser guide.

Wood Magazine: Editors of Wood Magazine name the two 12-inch Milwaukee miter saws top tools for 2009, praising them as "loaded with user-friendly features." The table rotates extremely smoothly, and the fine angle adjustments and dust control are outstanding.

Journal of Light Construction: A professional finish carpenter reviews the Milwaukee 6955-20 in detail, based on several months of job-site use, with nice close-up photos.

Fine Homebuilding: This detailed single-product review praises the Milwaukee 6955-20 as the best in its class, with top-notch machining, scales and controls.

Fine Homebuilding: This video review highlights the advantages of the Milwaukee 6955-20, predicting that when a shop vac is attached, duct collection will rival that of the Festool Kapex.

About.com: The About.com guide to woodworking gives the Milwaukee 6955-20 a perfect 5-star rating, praising its large capacity and extremely fine accuracy.

New Woodworker.com: This enthusiastic review includes many close-up photos to illustrate the saw's advantages, plus a video.

Journal of Light Construction: Some veteran reviewers such as Gary Katz and Kent Brobeck discuss the Milwaukee 6955-20 with other contributors to this forum for professional builders and remodelers.

BuilderOnline.org: Milwaukee ranks first among companies that make miter saws, in this survey of 3,428 builders and contractors.

YouTube.com: This eight-minute video review by CabinetMaker magazine is a bit dull, but it explains the saw's features reasonably well.

Amazon.com: Nearly 20 owners review the Milwaukee 6955-20 here, with mostly high praise and no reports of quality-control issues.

Where to buy:

See All Stores