Ok guys, i think im gonna buy one but I have some questions.

Can I use it on the floor or do I have to have a stand for it?

What kind of blade would be good for cutting laminate flooring?

Any recommendations on a brand?

 

Yes, floor or stand...

Sharpest possible youre flooring should say exactly what blade to use.

Craftsman. If anything breaks, bring er back.

 

For your flooring you might want a sliding compound mitre. A regular 10" saw will not cut wider than 6 inches. IIRC laminate flooring is a little wider than 6 inches. Get a blade with a high tooth count - if you have too few teeth it will chip away at your laminate. Dont be surpised if you see any sparks flying off when cutting, that laminate is dense. If you are doing a lot of cuts on the flooring buy an extra blade.

As for brand - Craftsman is good like soopa says. Unless you are planning on doing this for a living there is no need to break the bank on the contractor stuff.

 

I used a 120 tooth blade for my laminate...worked great. Don't use the blade that comes with the saw...it's a multi-purpose blade made for wood. It'll make nasty cuts.

Ern, just don't buy a cheap saw...they tend not to be too square. I'd stick with a medium-priced Craftsman compound miter saw...say around $150-$200. Delta and Dewalt are also nice, depending on how much you want to spend.

 

I'll have to look into the Craftsman. I've been looking for a left/right bevel compound miter with a laser sight, but to find that at Lowes or HD, it would be over $500. Not sure I really need all that, but one can always set a goal

 

IMHO...I think the laser sights are a gimmick.

Both Lowes/Home Depot carry mid-level CM saws for $200. Delta at Lowes and I believe Home Depots brand is Rigid(Delta is made by Poter Cable, not sure who manufactures Rigid). Dewalt is a better saw, but you're looking at $350 or more.

 

I don't know, I just replaced my old Craftsman with a new Craftsman with laser sights and I really appreciate them. I think they add alot, and it's not like laser features cost alot these days.

 

If you're doing really accurate cutting, the laser is too wide a guide. For really sweet cuts, use a marking knife and then line up the edge of one of the teeth (most crosscut blades are alternate bevel cut, so pick one with the point on the side at the line).

Whatever saw you pick, make sure you handle one. Check for any slop in the movements (sideways play for instance in the pivot or in the sliding if you're looking at a sliding saw).

For a really super smooth cut in wood, you can't go wrong with a Forrest Chopmaster saw blade. It's about $100 but is incredible.

I've got a Hitachi C10FS sliding compound miter saw that I use for everything from building decks and framing work to building nice hardwood furniture - it's a great saw but probably out of the budget range of the casual hobbyist/homeowner.

Mike

 

I just put down 1200 sq ft of Harmonics laminate flooring 2 months ago. Took me 4 days. I used a $150. Craftsman 10" chop saw with the 40 tooth framing blade that came with it. I bought a 90 tooth Rigid blade from HD but many people said not to use it. That many teeth tend to melt the laminate from the heat. Trust me the 40 T cut fine with no chipping. But as mentioned above, expect a few sparks. I also used a jig-saw with a good Bosch blade to trim around doors.

BTW- You get what you pay foor with the flooring. I bought the cheapest from Cosco (Harmonics) and it is not going to survive a 3 year old. The laminate is very thin and chips off very easily. I live and learn. The Wilsonart in my kitchen is down 10 years and looks better.

Remember to leave the gap around the edge to let it "float". And the cut will be covered by the wall moulding so you don't need perfection. If you have any questions, let me know.

 

I went with Armstrong flooring it looks like it will do the job. The problem is im covering a 17 X 17, a 10 X 10, a hallway & a 14X16 bedroom so this shit is not cheap.

 

I've used Armstrong before...shit is real nice. Cuts really easy too.

 

That is the flooring I was planning on using at my fiance's condo, but we're planning on selling it within a year. How does it look after install?

I might just forgo the laser sight. My main concern is that the default stops are accurate. I was borrowing a saw to install base boards and door casings and the default stops were a little off, so I had to set the blade using a square. What a freaking pain.

 

I bought a hitachi Miter Saw at Lowes yesterday. The laser cut version was $30 more and i passed on it. I helped my father add 3 rooms on his house and countless days cutting molding and baseboard with a backsaw and miter box. I line the blade up before I cut why do I have to have a laser? I spoke to one of my carpenter buddies and he told me that unless I am buying a high end saw that has a calibrated laser dont' bother. He also told me that if you change the blade you have to make sure you dont have to recalibrate the laser. Im sure the laser is nice option but since I'm not buying a milwaukee dual compound sliding 12" $800 saw I'll pass for my small projects.

 

Good choice.

 

Bump.

I need a miter saw and to be honest know very little about the brands.

Anyone have a good recommendation?

Trying to stay under $300.

 

I have a 6 year old Hitachi that is still pretty solid. As the first response said though. The real key is a nice sharp blade.

 

Anything I should look for? Angles, dual/single, etc?

 

10" dual bevel compound is the best bet and the most economical. If you plan on using a lot more in the future, a sliding one is all that much better.

If you're open to it, search around on Craigslist for a good one, I snagged a perfect condition 10" Dewalt dual bevel compound sliding miter saw with almost new Dewalt finish cut blade for $80 on c-list. Normal price of that thing is ~$450 but some lady was selling it after her divorce.

If you want new then Craftsman, Rigid, or whatever Lowes sells will be good. Just check the play in all the joints for the ones on display, if those are good then chances are yours will hold up too. FWIW, you can add a laser to any miter saw for ~$25 but it's not worth it either way if you're decent with a ruler and your eyes.

 

I bought a Kobalt 7.5" sliding compound miter saw at Lowes last year when there was a black friday deal for $80. It was definitely worth $80.

I know very little about these saws but I know one thing, a 7.5" that is not a slider will be too small if it's your only saw. You will not be able to cut molding with it in one pass. I think I will upgrade the blade on mine the next time I want to use it. A nice advantage of 7.5" is the blades are not that expensive. I also like it because it is relatively small and lite.

 

Sliding saws inherently have more deflection in cuts, meaning less accurate angles. Add-on lasers aren't worth the trouble, because they are mounted on the arbor. If you got a saw where it was mounted on the body, it would be a different story.

I had a 10" Hitachi non-slider that I absolutely loved. Would buy again in a heartbeat, around $100-$130 at Lowes or online. I don't think there is a better entry-level model. If you don't need to cut anything wider than a 2x6, don't buy a slider. Not worth the money .

For a good, cheap blade look at the Italian Freud or Irwin Marples. You want a high tooth count for a miter saw, ideally also a negative tooth angle. You will also need different blades for different purposes. If you're cutting laminate, get a laminate blade. Laminate will eat up blades, you don't want to ruin the one you want to use for trim or picture frames.

I currently have a Hitachi C12RSH with a 96-tooth Irwin Marples blade. A bit bigger than I need for most stuff, but I needed the bigger capacity for a couple of uses. Now for large crosscuts I use a Festool track saw.

 

^Only if they are cheap^

I love my 10" Makita, but it was a drain on my wallet. In fact, it was probably the single most expensive tool I ever bought.

 

Eh, it's pretty universal. Some you can dial in very well, but any sort of pressure on one rail versus another and your perfect miter is gone. The Bosch is a bit different since it uses articulating hinges.

There can be complaints even with the Kapex. Nothing is expensive until you've bought that.

 

^Seen it, drooled over it, wife refused it.

 

as always the case with us men...:-(


Just recently bought a 10inch 40T Diablo blade ($30 at HD) and the cuts are awesome. Using it on a 15 year Delta Miter saw.