I have a big crown molding job coming up and will need to upgrade from my 20 yr old 10″ “chop saw”. I’m looking really hard at the Hitachi and Makita 10″ Dual Compound Sliders. Both are “overkill” for the crown job, but have features that should be useful in other work I do.
I would love to hear from anyone with “hands-on” experience with either saw. What’s good and what’s bad?
To add to the fun, the local tool store is having a sale next month and they tell me that the factory reps will be doing some serious wheeling and dealing. Ahhh, decisions, decisions – lol
Replies
This is a common thread over at the dark side (Breaktime), and most everyone there really likes the Bosch 12" slider. The Makita is a close second and then the Dewalt and Hitachi. They're all great saws and you just have to try them out for yourself. I have used the Makita and it is a superior saw. The Hitachi I wasn't as crazy about. I find that the best saw for crown is still the chop action 12" with a high fence. Some like to cut crown on the flat once they find the proper bevel set and if the saw is a slider, I just prefer the other way. I have the Dewalt 12" compound and it's a great saw for crown. The other thing to consider is how easily can you get parts for the saw or get it repaired. Is there a factory store near you etc. In production carpentry it's a real factor. I would go for the Makita...up yourself to a 12"if you can.
Fwiw, check out Tool Crib/ Amazon's recon tools, might save you some $. Free shipping and full factory warranty. Currently they have the Makita LS 1013 10" slider for $389.99 and the DeWalt DW708 12" slider for $499.99. I've had good luck so far with all the recon equipment I've bought.
Dave,
I agree with Jer about a 12" miter saw with a high fence for crown. I've done quite a bit of crown with that setup and it works great. I have the DW706, 12" dual compound miter saw and have been very satisfied with it.
Regards,
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Edited 10/24/2004 6:51 pm ET by BArnold
Bill/Jer-
If this were just a saw for crown jobs, I'd probably go with a 12" and high fence but I'm intrigued by the possibilities for other uses, as well.
Several years ago, I had a semi-Mickey Mouse setup with a radial arm saw and the 10" chop saw (sort of what Norm has on the New Yankee Workshop). The concept seemed good but since neither saw was real great (the radial was really bad), it seemed like an idea whose time just hadn't come yet. I'm thinking that the slider could be used in a portable mode for trim/molding jobs and then be set up in the shop as a single station saw which I could use for cutoff work as well as miters, bevels, etc. I guess I really should have asked about other folks experiences with that plan.
I hadn't thought of getting a reconditioned saw but I'll look into that ASAP. I've heard that reconditioned tools are often even better than new since they get "touched up" by an actual person instead of an assembly line robot - lol
Hi, Dave, I personally use a 10" chop saw for crown molding jobs but have had occasion to use two different sliders. A neighbor has the Bosch 10" slider, which is really nice, and a contractor I've been working with has the 12" Dewalt, which is also really nice. However...
Both saws are heavy. If you're a lot younger than me and don't mind schlepping the weight from place to place, a slider is great, but if you find yourslelf leaving the saw in the shop because its weight is more than you want to drag out for a simple job, then you may want to stay simple. Sliders are great but they are expensive so think carefully about when and where you will need (and actually use) one. IMHO.
I have a Makita LS1212 and it's a great saw especially with the 100t FS Tools Blade I upgraded it with. I've heard a lot of good things about the Bosch, but it wasn't out when I bought the Mak.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
The more things change ...
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC
Short and Sweet, tha Makita saw is worth it's weight in gold.
Dear Dave,
I do this work proffessionally and have used them both. I bought the Hitachi because Amazon had a special at the time, but the Makita is its equal. The Makita has a better table, the Hitachi has better dust collection and is easier to move. I would call it a draw. You couldn't wrong with either saw.
John
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I got the Makita LS1013 today and the DeWalt stand. I was going to build my own stand, but when I saw the features on the DeWalt stand, it was a no brainer - lol I could probably make something that would be somewhat comparable, but it wouldn't fold up and it would probably weigh three times as much.
Has anyone had any experience doing crown around bullnose corners with a Makita? I spent most of the day playing with it and never did get the setup just right for a 3/4" radius bullnose corner. I'm fairly close, but it isn't right yet.
Dave,
if I recall correctly, 13/16" on the bottom of the crown seems to be the average dimension. Usually i cut my corners at the same time & do a few variances in lenth and keep them in a box with me.
Another thing some people have done with the 10" scms is to have setup blocks to set the saw angle and bevel. As I recall the makita doesn't have a very tall fence.
I have a DW706 that works great for most of the work I encounter, so I just do it upside down & against the fence (cutting the crown that is).
Hope this helps.
I have a Makita #1013, a Dewalt #706 and a Hitachi 10" standard miter saw...left hand only. If forced to get rid of all except one, it would be a difficult decision between the Mak and the Dewalt, but I think the Mak would win.
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