On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:27:44 -0600, JD Paddle wrote
(in message ):

But as I read this ng, I am a believer in Hitachi, , dewalt, and Bosch. maybe
makita

I generally come to believe I want a 12" so I don't regret my buy. Then I get
the feeling that a 10 " would be more affordable and I may never need a 12"
unless I build a deck or house. Not likely.

My first compound miter saw was a Hitachi 10" (non-sliding, non-laser). It
was very inexpensive at the local Lowes. I was working on a playhouse for my
daughter and with the cost of all the other stuff for the house it seemed
right for the time. However, after attending a class at the local Woodcraft
store where I was shown the proper way to tune up the saw (I never did get a
great miter cut on it). I realized that I was never going to get any great
cuts from this saw even with the Forrest blade I put on it. The reason it
turned out was because the metal fence was off and there wasn't any way I was
going to get perfect miters. Now, for less than $150 USD, it wasn't a bad saw
by any means, in fact it's perfect for construction and any other place where
rough cuts are OK. However, as I started doing more fine furniture it became
obvious that it wasn't going to cut it.

I did a lot of research and my list came down to three saws. Mostly due to
what I considered my "needs" were. I wanted a 10-in saw (I just spent a
fortune on a great 10-in. Forrest blade and didn't want to have to ditch
that), but a non-sliding 10-in model doesn't generally cut 4x4's very well,
so I also wanted it to slide. Because the only saw of the three that I could
try in my hands at the time was the Bosch, and I really liked how it felt and
cut, that's what I bought. However, two weeks ago, I found out that the place
that repairs PC, Milwaukee, and Makita also sells those brands. I found I
could have also tested the PC and Milwaukee 10-in sliding CMS (for kicks I
did test them, and you know while not as nice looking, I think I might have
gone with the Milwaukee over the Bosch ... but really all three were
extremely close in both feel and the way they handled). One very important
thing is NONE of the three saws I looked at were under $400. I think that may
be above your price range, so I'm not sure that helps.

If you don't think you are going to cut things larger than 2x4's, then you
may not need a 12-in. saw. A 10-in. may do the job you need. If you are going
to cut these larger sizes, then a sliding 10-in may do the job too. However,
they will cost you more, so you may be better off with a 12-in. If you do
look at 12-in saws, don't rule out Ridgid. I looked at one the other day
while browsing at HD, and it didn't look too bad. Certainly a step up from my
old 10-in Hitachi. But, I only looked at it and haven't used it.

Wayne