Power Radial Arm/Chop/Miter Saw Suggestions?

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JimGo

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We're getting ready to re-do our kitchen, and as part of that we'll be laying down some new flooring. We're thinking of putting down engineered or laminate wood floors, and we're going to do about half our downstairs because of floorplan changes and the like (mind you, "good chunk" is relative - total will be about 220 square feet). So, I'm thinking that cutting that much wood by hand isn't really where I want to focus my energy, and I'm looking for suggestions for a radial arm/chop/miter saw that will help make things a little easier. I'll also be cutting trim and the like, so the saw will see some more work than just the flooring. One note, our floor includes some odd angles to it that will make it "interesting" when it comes to the flooring installation, so I'll probably need something that can help cut at odd angles.

And, of course, for those who don't know me, I'm a bit stingy when it comes to tools - I don't really percieve much use for this saw once the project is over, so I'd rather not spend TOO much money. If I can keep it under $150 or so, I'd be happy (and my wife will be thrilled if I can keep it under $100).

So, does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance!
 
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Hi Jim!

I would recommend a good power miter saw. A fairly basic one would do, but I'd stick with a good brand. Call some of your local tool stores and see if they sell any reconditioned tools, and see if you can get one that way. Also check with Amazon for reconditioned tools. Usually these are fine. This kind of saw would give you the best use for both the flooring and the trim. Be aware that a good blade for these things can be somewhat expensive, in the $40 to $50 range, so if it doesn't come with a blade, pay accordingly. Good Luck!

Scott.

PS - If you lived closer I'd make you a deal on the flooring - I have about a pallet and a half left over! SG
 
Found this on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-C10FCE-10-Inch-Compound-Miter/dp/B0002X7V4S/ref=sr_1_44/002-1586836-3831250?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1182368552&sr=1-44

You can even do better pricewise if you want to settle for a lesser brand like Ryobi or Craftsman.

jeff
 
what about the 10 or 12 inch compound sliding miter saws at HF? The 10" is $99 and 12" is $179 if I recall correctly. The 12" is what I ended up using to mill down the reclaimed wood blanks after I kept killing band saw blades. So far, it has worked well for me.
 
Do you have a good rental center near you? We use United Rentals (they seem to be about everywhere and you could rent a real nice one that will make the job (relatively) simple, rather than buying a cheap one that you will hate all day!

I just checked- you have 2 in Fairfax and one in Herndon.....
 
Mine is a Northern Industrial compound-miter-slider, 10", from Nothern Tool & Equipment. I paid $99.00 on sale. I think the regular price is $129.00. A lot of features found on much higher priced brands and seems excellent to me. It even has a laser pointer for where the blade is going to cut. That's a $40.00 to $50.00 option on many other brands. BTW, on the wood working forums, they acronymeese these as CMS.
 
I have heard good things about the HF SCMS both the 10" and 12". They do a decent job. If you just want one for this project that would probably what I would do, or try to get a used one.

Also depending on your flooring width if a regular CMS will do you can save money there, but the laminates will need a Slider, or a ~7" capacity @90 degrees. If you need a lot of angles up near 45* you probably better off going with the slider.
 
Jim,
No matter what saw you get get a good blade. I personally won't use anything but a Diablo 80 tooth blade. This allows for beautiful cuts and no sanding. A little expensive but well worth it!
 
Jim,

I just got finished putting a laminate floor in my office. I used the 3 foot by 15 inch panels. With those sizes you either need a table saw or a good skil saw. As for a power miter saw mine collects dust. The most I have ever used it was for cutting 2x4 lumber. If you want you can borrow mine for your project, although it is a basic model it does do compound angles.

As for cutting molding i am old school and I cope all my molding but a good miter box will be a handy tool and again you can borrow mine.

Dan
 
I have a HF 10" compound sliding miter saw and it does a tolerable job. I also have a 12" Makita compound sliding miter saw here in Japan, and it ruined me on the feel and cut. If you don't know any better the HF will usually work well. (There is a $500 difference in price too.)

The compound SLIDING miter saw gives an extra depth that really expands its versatility.

I agree on the blade. If you buy a HF saw, get a new blade, but be sure to look for or ask for a Miter Saw carbide blade. The angle (rake) of the carbide is different on a miter saw versus a table saw, to prevent "lifting" the wood from the saw's base. You can use a table saw blade on a miter saw and some people do, but a knowledge of the difference and purpose of the difference is VERY helpful.
 
I'd be glad to loan you mine, it mostly collects dust unless I am doing some on-site work somewhere. I still have my 20-year-old radial arm saw in my shop so I have little need for the chop saw. I originally bought to do some decking and it was great for that, just don't use it for much else.

Unfortunatley the shipping would be more than it would be to rent one probably. Find someone close by that has one, offer to buy them a new blade maybe if you could borrow it. Or if they are not a turner offer them a nice custom made very expensive wood pen in exchange for borrowing it (they don't have to know what the pen really costs you to make it).
 
Originally posted by dalemcginnis
<br />Check your local pawn shops, sometimes you can get a really good deal there.
Click to expand...

Dale, don't want to stomp on yer post, but I think the operative word there is "sometimes". Tools in pawn shops are nearly always completely worn out and/or abused. Lincoln welders, cheap air compressors, chain saws, nail guns and chop saws are the most commonly seen. Once they are used and abused to the point of being useless and/or dangerous, the owners take to a pawn shop and get a few bucks out of their trash.
 
I think the suggestion about renting a unit is the best idea if you don't want to have one when it's all said and done.
I have found that if you need precision from your tools, you will need to pay extra for that. I think that's why a large number of us use Jet lathes instead of something else.
 
I agree with the rent option, especially if you are leaning toward getting a sliding compound. There is a great chance that the cheaper sliding compound will NOT be accurate no matter how you adjust it. It might even be worth it to rent the saw and buy a real good blade to use on your project. You can always keep the blade and use it when ever you decide to buy a chopsaw. Oh, if you do decide to buy a new blade, get one with a negative hook, they are much safer to use. Don't think the big boxes sell them though.

good luck
 
Jim: Renting "MAY" be the way to go if you are going to do some serious work and finish the project over a weekend. OTOH if this is going to be a piecemeal job spending a few hours a day over several weeks, then buying, or borrowing a saw will be a better way to go. You might check eBay or the paper to see if there are some used ones available locally.

In a lot of projects like yours the best way to go is to buy something cheap and treat it as a throw-away tool. In many cases cheap tools will do the job just as well as the better ones; but won't hold up to long-term heavy use....which is not a consideration in your case. However, in the case of a CMS, some of the cheaper ones don't hold their adjustments very well and you will have trouble setting angles and getting consistently accurate cuts. Because of the need for accuracy, you probably want to buy a higher quality tool and then recoup part of the cost by reselling it after you are done with your remodel.

And do be sure to know the capacity of your saw. If you are using 3"-4" flooring and trim any size saw will do, but, if you are using wider material and want 45° angles you will heed a bigger saw or maybe even a slider.

And finally, if you really want to poor boy it and the rooms are not a maze of different angles, you could make up a couple of jigs out of some scrap lumber and simply use the old faithful Skill saw. You would be surprised what you can do with one of those puppies and a little ingenuity!!!

And even more finally, do take the previous advice and get a good carbide blade for your saw. What Ron said about an 80 blade giving you a good cut is true; but may be overkill for your project. I'm guessing a 40 tooth blade would do just fine; but ask around and see what others think. A good blade could very well use up "HALF" of your proposed $100 tool budget so be prepared and Good Luck!!
 
Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />
Originally posted by dalemcginnis
<br />Check your local pawn shops, sometimes you can get a really good deal there.
Click to expand...

Dale, don't want to stomp on yer post, but I think the operative word there is "sometimes". Tools in pawn shops are nearly always completely worn out and/or abused. Lincoln welders, cheap air compressors, chain saws, nail guns and chop saws are the most commonly seen. Once they are used and abused to the point of being useless and/or dangerous, the owners take to a pawn shop and get a few bucks out of their trash.
Click to expand...
Rifleman: Basically I agree with you. Most of the power tools in a pawn shop are useless. However I have gotten a good router, roto zip, and brand new still in box belt/disc sander. So I do think it is worth while to spend a few minutes to check them out and see if there is anything there worthwhile.
 
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