10" mitre saws for the diy, ryobi,delta,hitachi, rigid, or delta


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Old 02-20-06, 10:37 AM
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10" mitre saws for the diy, ryobi,delta,hitachi, rigid, or delta

I am a diy'er and have narrowed it down to thes 5 mitre saws. Ryobi and delta are in the group for the price and frequent comments on this website as being adquate. Hitachi, Rigid, and Dewalt are mentioned quite often as being good saws for the money. All I need a 10" saw for is the never ending honey do list. I won't need a 12" as I won't be putting up any large crown. My question is a 10" Ryobi or Delta adequate for under $100 or is it best to spend $30 more and get a Hitachi or spend $180 for a Dewalt or Rigid?
 
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Old 02-20-06, 10:46 AM
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OOPS, I put down delta twice in the topic--1 of them should read dewalt
 
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Old 02-20-06, 12:49 PM
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Dewalt

I was in the same situation a few weeks ago. I started with a Ryobi 10". When I got it home, I found that the head wobbled badly. You can't make clean, repeatable cuts unless everything is solid and doesn't move.

So, I took the Ryobi back and got a Ridgid, 10". The head was solid and it was pretty robust, but it was out of alignment - not square. And, it could NOT be adjusted to square. After two frustrating hours, I gave up. (Yes, I read the manual. Multiple times. Yes, I used several squares AND the laser.)

So I took the Ridgid back and got a Dewalt DW703. It cost more, didn't have any cool accessories and didn't have a laser. (I bought an Irwin addon laser.) It was aligned perfectly out of the box and the head was solid as a rock.

I'm VERY happy with the Dewalt. But here is what is interesting...

About two years ago, my cordless drill went up in smoke (power problem at the house). So I tried a Porter Cable cordless drill. Bad choice because it rubbed blisters in my hand after a few minutes use.

So, I took the Porter Cable back and got a Ridgid combo kit. But the drill bit wasn't centered. Put a small bit in the chuck and it wobbled pretty badly.

So I took the Ridgid back and bought the Dewalt combo kit. Again, great product. Solid. Well made. The drill chuck was centered perfectly. And, two years later, I'm STILL happy with my choice.

I'm not saying that Ryobi and Ridgid make bad products. I'm just extremely happy with my Dewalt stuff.

Regards,

Dan.

p.s., when I need to buy another tool, unless someone can prove to me that another product is superior, Dewalt will be my first choice next time. (I'm tired of wasting time testing products.)
 
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Old 02-20-06, 02:00 PM
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That's the kind of feedback that I was looking for. That was great feedback. That eliminates the ryobi and rigid. Any comments on the 10" delta or hitachi?
 
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Old 02-20-06, 02:06 PM
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Get the Delta and you will be fine for what you want to do. I have had the $99 Delta 10" for several years and it does everything I need. I gave my son a 10" Delta for Christmas when it was on sale. The Delta that I have is also very light - about 25-30 pounds as I recall.
 
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Old 02-20-06, 02:11 PM
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Are there any concerns when cutting a 45 degree for like picture frame molding or trimwork?
 
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Old 02-20-06, 04:51 PM
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While I don't disagree with dan_public's experience. I wouldn't totally eliminate Ryobi and Ridgid. I bought the 10" Ridgid and have yet to do a single adjustment. I didn't go for the Ryobi due to the fact that this may be my only miter saw for the long run, but couldn't justify spending a whole lot more for what I'm doing....honey-do-list and whatever else I feel like cutting. I didn't go for the Dewalt for the simple fact the Ridgid did come with a little more than just the saw. Not much...but more. For me, that was a selling point. Am I knocking the Dewalt...not at all, but I haven't one problem as dan did. My cuts so far hav been dead on...without adjustments. Hope this helps some.
 
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Old 02-20-06, 06:52 PM
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I use a Bosch 12" in my business, and I think, regardless of the brand you have, you have to do occasional checks on miter and bevel, and adjust if necessary. This is especially true if you are making critical cuts like picture frames. About once a month, or after a big job, I take my miter saw and table saw off my trailer, clean them up, readjust them, lubricate them and change blades if necessary, and send the old ones off to be sharpened.
And, Rapture, you are just looking for an excuse to buy a sliding compound miter, admit it!!
 
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Old 02-20-06, 07:12 PM
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Does anyone have any thoughts on a 10" Hitachi. I can get this for $129 vs Rigid $179.
 
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Old 02-20-06, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by chandler
... I think, regardless of the brand you have, you have to do occasional checks on miter and bevel, and adjust if necessary...
Very true
Most people, pros included, do not know how to do this, or take the time to do this properly
Originally Posted by chandler
And, Rapture, you are just looking for an excuse to buy a sliding compound miter
Very true
Most people, pros included, do not look for as many excuses, or take the time to purchase as many tools as Rapture does
 
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Old 02-20-06, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by slickshift
Very true
Most people, pros included, do not know how to do this, or take the time to do this properly

Very true
Most people, pros included, do not look for as many excuses, or take the time to purchase as many tools as Rapture does
How could you even start to say......I'm foolin' nobody....you are right!
 
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Old 02-21-06, 05:40 AM
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Back to an earlier post of a Hitachi for $129; Does anyone have any thoughts on a 10" Hitachi. I can get this for $129 vs Rigid $179.
 
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Old 02-21-06, 06:26 AM
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It came down to either the Hitachi and Ridgid for me. It was a pain to figure out which one I wanted. Since Orange and Blue don't carry both of these saws together, I had to bounce back and forth to get a "feel" for the two. For me, the Ridgid felt better. I can't remember what it was, but the Hitachi didn't feel right. I don't know if it was the handle or what.... I did have it narrowed down to just these two though. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them. You may like the Hitachi though...both excellent choices imo of course. Good luck with the decision
 
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Old 02-21-06, 12:45 PM
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One issue with Hitachi and two suggestions

Originally Posted by roger259
Back to an earlier post of a Hitachi for $129; Does anyone have any thoughts on a 10" Hitachi. I can get this for $129 vs Rigid $179.
Hi. You know my feelings about the Ridgid saw, so I won't go there. Regarding the Hitachi...

I looked at the Hitachi in Lowes. In general it looked like it was pretty well built. However, after fiddling with it a few minutes, it had one feature that bothered me - the handle. The handle is vertical rather than horizontal. To me this felt very uncomfortable. I much prefer the horizontal handle of the Ryobi, Ridgid, and Dewalt.

First suggestion ... Buy one, take it home, and try it out. (Do this before a big project.) Like you, I researched the heck out of my miter saw. Everything looked OK until AFTER my purchase. Then the research went out the window as soon as I tried the saw.

Make sure that the head is stable and solid, that it's aligned (or can be aligned), that the features work for you, and that it feels good to you. If yes to all this, you probably got the right one. If you find some issues, just take it back and try another. As long as your hardware store has a good return policy, you should be golden.

Second suggestion... Consider buying a miter saw stand. Dewalt has one that looks very nice, but is pricey. I've seen several other stands which also looked appealing. However, I purchased this Delta stand from Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...030&lpage=none

And NO, I didn't take it back. It's not perfect (keep reading), but I'm very happy with this stand. In general, it's reasonably light, seems well built, and at $99, I'd say it's a good buy. It has one minor annoyance and one VERY NICE feature.

The annoyance is that the extension arms are not quite lined up with the center of my Dewalt material bed. I.e., if you place a 2X4 on the miter so that it extends to the supports, you will find that the 2X4 isn't centered. It's closer to one side. I cut a long 2X6 on it and didn't have any problems, but it was off-center. (Other miter saws may fit differently and not have this issue.)

The VERY NICE feature is that you can permanently mount the saw to the snap-off brackets. Look at the Lowe's page and enlarge the image. Those wooden-looking things in the center of the bar are the mounting brackets. The mounting brackets have little feet extending down from the bottom (not obvious in the pic).

You mount the saw to the wooden brackets and then the whole thing snaps on and off of the stand. It only takes a few seconds to mount or dismount. Since the mounting brackets have little feet, it makes a broad, stable stand for quick use on a workbench or a stable platform for storage.

Initially, I was hesitant to buy the stand (I kept thinking that I should have spent more for the Dewalt), but after only one use, I decided that I made the right choice.

If you are interested, I'll take a pic of my miter saw setup and post a link to pic here. Let me know.

Good luck with your decision.

Regards,

Dan.
 
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Old 02-21-06, 04:00 PM
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That's it!

Thanks Dan for confirming my hunch on what I didn't like on the Hitachi. It was the vertical handle.

As far as my earlier comment, by no means was I saying you didn't have that experience with yours, I was just letting Roger know my experiences too. If I didn't buy anything with one negative comment...I don't think I'd own anything.
 
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Old 02-21-06, 04:49 PM
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I love my DeWalt....
 
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Old 02-21-06, 05:45 PM
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I love my BD professional that I bought at a garage sale for 8.00
 
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Old 02-21-06, 08:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Rapture
Thanks Dan for confirming my hunch on what I didn't like on the Hitachi. It was the vertical handle.

As far as my earlier comment, by no means was I saying you didn't have that experience with yours, I was just letting Roger know my experiences too. If I didn't buy anything with one negative comment...I don't think I'd own anything.
Rapture,

Hi. No offense taken at all. I'm not experienced enough with different tools to say categorically that one brand or another is good or bad. All I can do is share my experiences and learn from others' experiences.

I've read several reviews of miter saws and other tools. I've seen differing feedback about Ryobi, PC, Ridgid, Dewalt and others. What I try to do is balance the feedback. If several people find the same issue with a product, then I figure we have a trend.

In many respects, I would have rather gotten other products for less money. I don't use many of these tools often, so I always question whether I'm spending my money wisely. Nothing is perfect; it's just the balance of features and how they meet your needs. If someone can find a good product that suits their needs, then I say "more power to them". And, I can learn from their experience.

Thanks and regards,

Dan.
 
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Old 02-23-06, 02:16 PM
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looked at the Hitachi in Lowes. In general it looked like it was pretty well built. However, after fiddling with it a few minutes, it had one feature that bothered me - the handle. The handle is vertical rather than horizontal. To me this felt very uncomfortable. I much prefer the horizontal handle of the Ryobi, Ridgid, and Dewalt
Just a comment on the handle configuration. The 10" Hitachi is horizontal and NOT vertical.
 
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Old 03-08-06, 11:33 AM
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After going through the same questions myself, for the last 3 weeks, I recently bought the Ridgid 10". It was dead on right out of the box. Previous to this I had a Hitachi 8-1/4" slider that served me well for many years, building decks as a side job. I really couldn't justify the price of another slider though. Most of the cuts I make now are for segmented work on the lathe, hardly ever over 1.5"x 1"x 1.5" pieces.

If you can wait a couple of weeks before you need to buy, go to the Home Dpeots web site, then under "services" click on "moving services" and register there. Within a week or 2 you will reveive a coupon good for 10% off any purchase up to $2000.00 .
 
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Old 03-08-06, 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by AOGDEN
If you can wait a couple of weeks before you need to buy, go to the Home Dpeots web site, then under "services" click on "moving services" and register there. Within a week or 2 you will reveive a coupon good for 10% off any purchase up to $2000.00 .

Uh-oh....I'm in trouble now.
 
 

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