Whether you go to your local hardware store or directly online, it's probable that you'll become quite puzzled by the assortment of alternatives as you find difficulty in the decision-making process. At least a dozen tool companies manufacture miter saws, and each of them has approximately three to five madels. The price range of the various miter saws go from $100 to $700. Prior to shopping for a brand new miter saw, you may want to ask yourself, “What am I going to accomplish with this?



The first thing to know when it comes to miter saws is that it comes in two main types: compound-miter saws and sliding compound-miter saws. There was a time when miter saws were called chop saws because all they did was swing left and right with a chopping motion to miter material. Two main uses for miter saws are mitering molding and crosscutting boards. However, it's important to note that there is no single type of saw that works best for each type of cut. Due to their inherent design, the sliding compound-miter saws can generally out wide boards, as they lack the vertical cutting capacity of compound miter saws of similar size.

The most accurate method in cutting mitered molding is to lean it down and at all installed angle against the fence. The miter gauge can be set at 45 degrees. If your miter saw doesn't have the capacity to cut wide molding in position, then you may want to lay the molding on the saws table. Next, you can make a compound-angle cut utilizing the miter gauge and the not-as-accurate bevel gauge. If you are normally going to make crosscuts, then it's best to use a 10-inch sliding compound miter saw; a 12 inch sliding compound-miter saw adds limited capacity for crosscutting at a considerable extra cost. For the “picture perfect” framing and small moldings, a 10-inch compound-miter saw is the logical choice.

A 10-inch compound-miter usually costs $100 - $200, while a 12-inch compound-miter saw goes for $280 - $380. The 10-inch sliding compound-miter saw starts at $550 - $650.

Finally, the most suitable blade can transform and enhance a miter saw.96 a tooth on a 12 inch blade is preferable, as well as 80 teeth on a 10 inch blade. Bosch tools have the best saws in factory blade, forest blade, power, accuracy and ease of use.