Do I buy the $720 Bosch 12" sliding miter saw, or get the $380 knock off the Harbor Freight?
I'm leaning towards the former. The miter saw is one of those foundational tools of any shop and we've already gone through 2 of the bottom of the barrel models (10" blade, cheapest possible option).
I typically go harbor freight
But I am a weekend warrior with tools at best.
Do this:
Buy the Harbor Freight and $340 of #bitcoin when it breaks buy the good one,
If you have money left over buy some extra blades and a nice table.
Buy the nice one. If you’re using it often or professionally harbor freight shit tools do not cut it (pun intended)
Ime, I've never had a bad HF tool. Haven't done a lot with their power tools, tbf.
Our previous miter saw was a Chicago Electric, which had the screw-lock break off due to some boards getting set on top of it and then stepped on. That aside, it did have enough play in it that it was hard to get a perfect 45° angle (you know... to miter something).
I wouldn't say it was a "bad" tool, but it wasn't up to snuff for our purposes, which is why the cheapest HF model was not even under consideration.
We had another miter saw whose motor basically ate itself, but I think that was the name brand. In any case, it was clearly time to step it up a notch.
I've seen the effects of that play. It ain't pretty. Ya know inflation is just gonna speed up. Might make for a good SoV if you get the bougie one. Lol. But if it's gonna be a fixture in the shop, absolutely go quality.
I sure miss having a permanently set up radial arm saw. All the versatility of a compound miter, plus ripping capability.
But if you’re set on a miter, go for the gusto.
When it comes to tools, boots or firearms, you’ll never be sorry about buying the best quality and reliability you can afford.
Even though you could technically get the knockoff, buy sats with the difference and get a primo model a year from now with the gains, a poorer quality tool always seems to pack it in when you need it most, in my experience.
How often are you doing to use it? I say go harbor freight. If it breaks, take it back and get a new one. If they work just as well and one is more reliable, that didn't matter since you can exchange it if it breaks.
If you're using it all the time, buy nice.
I’m a dewalt appreciator
The Hercules saw is amazing. Seriously plus a 5 year warranty. Now have the 20v cordless version. Fantastic.
#asknostr
Stop spending good money more than once. This applies to all of your tools, including the ones that go Bang.
Unless they've fixed it in newer saws the accuracy of miters will be much higher on anything other than the harbor freight. I have a ryobi and my joints are miles better than my old HF.
Chicago Electric or Hercules?
My old one was a Chicago. Easy enough to grab the saw handle and twist to see how rigid the relationship between the blade and base are.
My Ryobi is fine as long as you don't twist on it while cutting. My Chicago Electric required always pulling in the same direction during cuts to take the slack out. Ideally there should be no flex even under significant pressure.
Learning that lesson the hard way I'd never buy another compound mitre I hadn't gotten my hands on first. Choose stiffness between blade and base over any brand loyalty you may feel.
Decided to go for the high end one from Harbor Frieght. I'll let everyone on social media know if I regret this decision. 😆
