Last Modified on Jan 3, 2023

Top 8 Best Miter Saw For Beginners - Top Picks & Buying Guide

T oday, In this blog, we are going to talk about the best miter saw for beginners, and we will also discuss different types of saws sizes, their parts, safety tips, maintenance and provide a list of 8 best miter saw for beginners, which will help you in starting your woodworking career.


best miter saw for beginners

A miter saw is great when you need to have angled cuts for crown molding, picture frames, window casings, and more this versatile, handy tool is essential in your workshop or job site because it can help you get any type of cut you need.

If you're purchasing a miter saw for the first time, you can experience a bit of intimidation, confusion, or even stress because there are so many to choose from. To address these issues, we want to help you get through the selection process by giving you the perfect product to match your needs and budget.

So, we've compared the most popular items in the market and have come up with the 8 best miter saws for beginners. It will be our pleasure if you can join us to become more familiar with their distinct features and benefits.

1. DEWALT 12-Inch Miter Saw, DWS779

Description

The first saw in our list is a 12 inches sliding miter that comes from the brand DeWalt. The best thing about this brand is that no one can question its quality as it serves everything as it advertises. There is not a single reason because of which it is at the top of our list, but there are more than that.

It is a perfect solution for beginners as it assembles very easily and is very comfortable in use. It seems that DeWalt has concentrated on safety as it is one of the important factors in any power tool. It comes with a trigger guard as not much company offers that considering the safety of the user and also comes with all other safety features as the miter saw should have.

If I talk about its dimensions then its length is 21, width is 17, and the height is also 17 inches, and it is a sliver colour miter saw which looks really nice. It makes really smooth cuts with the help of 3800 rpm motor.

The dust collection port is a little bit far at the backside of the saw so, sometimes this might frustrate you and also it is not as good as the company advertises and even after using it, there is not much difference in dust collection. They provide a dust collector bag with it, which is quite good. It is backed up with the three years of the limited warranty, and I think it is one of the best miter saws for beginners.

Key Features

  • Can cut 2x14 lumber at 90 degree
  • Double Bevel Miter Saw
  • Compatible with various blades
  • 15 amp Motor
  • 3 years warranty

Pros

  • Easy to assemble
  • Perfect for a beginner
  • Lightweight
  • Easily Adjustable handle

Cons

  • Poor Dust Collection
  • Do not include laser cutting guide

2. Tacklife Miter Saw, 12-Inch, PMS03A

Description

Next in our list is another sliding miter saw from the brand Tacklife. This miter saw comes with the laser marker which really helps save the time as you don't need to make markings on the board by a marker and then set the blade first over it. This laser marker also helps in making more professional and accurate cuts.

The saw itself has some great controls for us, we can turn the laser on and off with the push button near the handle. One of the good thing about this miter saw is that it comes with an extensive table which will help you in supporting the longer board and also in cutting them.

You also get a preinstalled clamp so that's a really nice feature and you can use that clamp on both sides. You get adjustable stop rails as well on this tool that can come all the way out and then back in. It includes a 15 Amp highly powerful motor working on 1700 Watts that can deliver around 3800 rounds per minute as the company advertises. It cuts the wood very smoothly like butter all thanks to high grade 40 tooth tungsten carbide tipped blade.

This miter saw comes with dust collecting bag and controls it's dust very effectively. It is also compatible with the other 12 inches blades in case you don't like the blade later or a problem come in it, so you can change when needed. As a beginner, Just be sure to read the user manual first before even plugging this device.

Key Features

  • Double-Bevel Compound Miter Saw
  • Sharp 40 Tooth TCT Blade
  • Double Linear Sliding Rail Design
  • Comes with laser marker
  • Extended table system
  • Can deliver 3800 Rounds per minute
  • 1-year warranty

Pros

  • Good for gifting purpose
  • Easy to use
  • Cuts hardwood easily
  • Comes with complete accessories
  • Highly portable

Cons

  • A beginner needs to do some practice with it
  • Take a little bit extra in maintenance

3. Bosch Power Tools GCM12SD - 15 Amp 12 Inch Miter Saw

Description

This is another best miter saw that comes from a reputed brand Bosch. It is a 12 inches gliding miter saw. Bosch is a brand which is well known for its power tools. You can find a Bosch tool in almost every list of power tools. Like most other miter saw this tool also comes with a 12 inches blade having a 15-amp motor that gives 3800 rounds per minute for providing perfect and effortless cuts.

It can bevel 45 degrees to the left and 45 degrees to the right with a 2 degree undercut on both those edges. The most striking and functional feature about this saw is the articulated arm at the back has an incredibly smooth action on it. It is ideal for a workshop because another miter saws usually run on bars.

Suppose you wanted to saw with a good amount of capacity front to back. In that case, the bars need to be able to accommodate that and having those bars there usually means you have to have about five or six inches of dead space behind the sword just to allow clearance for them to slide back with this that flat section there straight up against the wall no space is wasted whatsoever.

You still get the benefit of this massive depth of cut. Bosch also provides a dust collecting bag with this tool which works very well, so you don't have to worry about the dust collection. I must say that it is on the heavier side of the weight so, if this is a concern for you, then you can check other items listed below.

Key Features

  • Comes with the axial-gliding system
  • 14-inch horizontal cutting capacity
  • Extended table system
  • Quick-Release Square Lock Fence system
  • 1-year warranty (30 days money-back guarantee )

Pros

  • Make less noise
  • Easy to use
  • Occupy less space
  • Very versatile

Cons

  • A bit heavy
  • Tricky to assemble for beginner
  • Expensive

4. DEWALT 12-Inch Miter Saw, DWS709

Description

This double bevel miter saw again comes from the brand DeWalt. It is one of the best miter saw for beginners that is also recommended by professionals and expert woodworkers. For cutting all the different types of hardwood, you need a miter saw that can generate more power from its motor and with powerful 15 Amp, 3,800 rpm motor it cuts everything that comes in its way with ease.

Because of its double bevel feature, you can save your time and effort as well. Sometimes due to its sliding feature, a lot of miter saw misses in cutting, and if a saw is not able to be cut well then there is no use of buying it but, this problem will never happen with this miter saw.

I know this miter saw is a bit pricy but trust me it comes with all the features that a miter saw should have and makes the user experience good. It comes with adjustable stainless steel miter detent plate with ten positive stops that allow you to adjust your miter saw very quickly. Due to its large size and power full motor, most of you might think that this is a heavy miter saw, but you are wrong.

It only weighs about 50 pounds, and for a double bevel sliding, miter saw you can consider it as a lightweight tool. Like other Dewalt, miter saw this tool also comes with the three years warranty, which I think is more than enough for a power tool.

Key Features

  • Exclusive back fence design
  • Oversized bevel scale
  • Tall sliding fences
  • No-load rotating speed: 3800 rpm
  • Dimensions: 8 x 22.8 x 19.5 inches
  • 3-years warranty

Pros

  • Compact & lightweight
  • Make accurate cuts
  • Seamless bevel adjustments
  • Portable and highly durable
  • Easy to use for a beginners

Cons

  • No LED cutting lines
  • Poor Dust collection

5. Hitachi C10FCG 15-Amp 10" Miter Saw

Description

This Hitachi C10FCG 10-inch single bevel compound miter saw is another best tool for a starter who wants versatility in the job. Just to inform you if you don't know that Hitachi Power Tools has been renamed to a new name called Metabo HPT, just selling same quality with a different name.

Its miters range from to 0 to 52 degrees to increase flexibility. You can quickly make its miter adjustment with its thumb actuated positive stops. This beast makes smooth and accurate cuts on wood, plywood, decorative panels, soft fiberboard, hardboard and much more toughest woods.

Its large table is enough to provide support for longer boards and hold them safely in their places. It has a 15 amp motor that generates up to 5,000 rounds per minute which make cutting toughest applications an easy task. This is a lightest 10 inches miter saw which weighs just 24.2 pounds that makes this saw highly portable, and also it does not acquire much space.

So if you want a powerful and lightweight miter saw which do not acquire much space, then you should definitely go with this tool. You cannot find a better option in this price segment than this beast. This miter saw comes with the Hitachi's five-year warranty.

Key Features

  • Miter range: 0 - 52°
  • Single Bevel Miter Saw
  • 0-45 Degree Bevel Range
  • Large table to support longer board

Pros

  • Easily adjustable miters
  • Make accurate cuts
  • Extremely lightweight and portable

Cons

  • Instructions are tough to read
  • Fence is not of the good quality

6. Metabo HPT 10-Inches Miter Saw, C10FCH2S

Description

Next tool on our list is a Metabo 10 inches compound miter saw. Like other miter saws of its competition, this tool also comes with a 15 amp powerful motor for smooth and accurate cuts and as above Hitachi miter saw is It's miters also ranges from to 0 to 52 degrees to increase flexibility.

It makes the marking on wood easy with its laser marker system also helps the user to save his time and increases cutting accuracy. One thing to keep in mind about this miter saw that it is not a double bevel saw so, if you are looking for that saw, then you need to skip this tool and check the others.

If I talk about its weight, then it is the second lightweight tool in our list as it weighs only 26.5 pounds and its dimensions are 13.7 in length x 20.6 in width x 15.7 in height.

It comes with a large pivoting flip fence and horizontal handle that is made with soft, vibration-reducing elastomer grip which adds comfort and control while using this tool. This tool is backed up with the five years warranty, so you don't have to worry about any problem with this machine.

Key Features

  • Single bevel miter saw
  • 26.5 pounds weight
  • Laser marking system
  • Includes 10" 24T TCT Saw Blade
  • 5-years warranty

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Highly portable
  • Durable
  • Do not acquire much space
  • Cheap in price

Cons

  • Small table area
  • Dust collection system could have been improved

7. Delta 10-Inches Miter Saw 26-2241

Description

This 10 inches double bevel sliding compound miter saw from Delta can give a tough competition to any Dewalt, and Bosch miter saw. This tool comes in two variants one is the 10 inches, and the other is 12 inches, and for a beginner, I think the 10 inches version is enough.

This saw slides pretty easily back and forth and gives you a really nice straight cut just like you would using a table saw. The numbers for the miter saw are actually slightly off-centre so that you're not peeking through at the actual number through the slider instead the little widget over it, points to the number you're actually at.

It has also got a blade brake for an unexpected cut to make the user safe. Any left and right handed user can operate this saw easily by the help of its moulded handle, and full-size trigger and its 15 amp powerful motor is enough to cut various types of hardest wood. Its one-handed front miter controls have got a push-button which makes the adjustments little easier than the triggers that most saws have.

This tool weighs about 62 pounds which I think is on the heavier side for a 10 inches miter saw. This tool can bevel 45 degrees left and 45 degrees right and comes with seven most popular positive bevel stops. This tool is covered with delta's five-year warranty.

Key Features

  • 16 in. Nominal cross-cut capacity
  • Double Bevel miter Saw
  • Weight: 62 pounds
  • 10 miter dents and positive stops
  • Single hand front miter Controls
  • 5-year Delta warranty

Pros

  • Highly Durable
  • Smart Design
  • Powerful motor
  • Makes clear cuts
  • Perfect for crown moulding cuts

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Pricy

8. SKIL 3821-01 12-Inch Miter Saw with Laser

Description

Last but not the least on our list is a Skilsaw 12 inches miter saw. This tool is compact, lightweight, and provides you with everything that the branded and expensive saw provides or you can say one of the best miter saw for beginners.

One nice thing that this saw has that this saw got some buttons to extend the table which is a cool feature so if you need just a little bit more space on the main table where it doesn't quite reach your stand or if you don't have a stand this can act as extra support.

I will say that this saw is a little bit louder, so the hearing protection gears should be your first priority before starting this saw. Despite its small size, the power in it is amazing and all thanks to the 15 amp motor which gives it a no load speed of 4,500 rounds per minute.

Now, most of the miter saws come with the laser guide system, and this tool also comes with that which helps a lot in saving time and making the accurate cut. But one thing to keep in mind if your like to work in the sunlight than this laser system becomes completely useless for you.

For easy setup, this saw comes with the quick-mount system, so you don't have to waste your time in setting its parts and also has nine positive stops for common miter angles.

Key Features

  • 15 amp motor with 4,500 rpm of no-load speed
  • Comes with laser cutline guide
  • Table extension rails on each side
  • Weight: 46.3 pounds
  • Quick mount system
  • 3-years warranty

Pros

  • User friendly
  • Good dust collection
  • Lightweight
  • Portable
  • Affordable

Cons

  • A bit noisy
  • No use of laser system in sunlight

Parts of a Miter Saw:


Blade

Not only a miter saw, but all the other cutting tools require a blade to work. There are two sizes of blades that a miter saw mostly use 10 and 12 inches. You should also know about the blades before using a miter saw and choose the right blade for the right work. There are many types of blades.

  • Crosscut Saw Blades
  • Ripping Saw Blades
  • Steel Saw Blades
  • Non-Ferrous Saw Blades
  • Melamine Saw Blades
  • Plywood or Laminate Saw Blades

Handle

Handle is a part located at the top of a miter saw, which a user holds and takes the saw down to cut. This handle holds a trigger that is pressed by the user to start the rotation of the blade. The handle is responsible for controlling the direction and movement of a miter saw.


Sliding Rails

Sliding rails are found in only sliding miter saw, or we can say that these are only made in sliding miter saw, which helps them cut the wide boards. The sliding rails allow a miter saw to move forward and backward for cutting wider pieces.

These are two types of rails. One is where the rails are fixed in a position, and the saw moves back and forward, and the other is where the saw is mounted to the rails, they both come backward and forward to make the cut.


Fence

It is the most important part of a miter saw. The fence is where you hold the wood piece against to cut. It helps the board to become stable, straight, and steady. It is set on the table of the miter saw and fixed perpendicular to the blade.

The fence system is made of cast iron or aluminum or can also make you own a fence system by steel or wood. If the miter saw scale is adjusted to zero, the saw will 90 degrees crosscut. A beginner can't make accurate and perfect cuts with the help of a fence.


Table

The table is where all the mass of the miter saw is concentrated, and wood pieces are placed. It supports with wood while cutting. Sometimes the wood pieces are longer than the table because of which the user might face difficulty in cutting the wood. To solve this problem, you can first support your wood piece with some other materials on both sides of the saw to make it stable and then cut it.


Blade Guard

A blade guard is one of the essential parts that a miter has. The guard protects the blade, and when we lower the saw to make a cut, the guard moves up and out of the way. It plays a crucial role in user safety and keeps them away from the risk of injuries.


Miter Scale

Next, we a miter scale. It's the angle gauge on the table. It helps make the angled cuts across the board. There is a lever or a knob to loosen and turn the table to set to the angle you want. Almost all the saws come with built in angle stops to make common angles to help you.


Miter Lock Handle

This handle helps a user set a specific angle to make their desired cut. It is positioned perpendicular to the table but parallel to the cutting blade. This handle contains a lock placed at the bottom, which is used to fix the scale after setting the required angle.


Bevel Guage

The bevel gauge is under or behind the blade. It helps you measure the tilt of your blade. There are two types of bevel gauges. One is a single bevel, and the other is a double bevel. A single bevel gauge allows you to tilt your saw only in one direction, but the double bevel gauge allows you to tilt the saw in both the left and right directions.

Double bevel gauge saw have an advantage over single bevel ones as you don't need to turn over your material to make another cut. You can simply make it by tilting the blade on the other side. This feature saves your time and effort as well.


Types of Miter Saws

There are basically three types of saws in the market today.


Standard Miter Saw:

A sliding miter saw can also be called as a simple miter as it is a basic version of a miter saw. This miter is used to make crosscuts and miter cuts. These miter saws are experts in making fast and accurate cuts. It is very less in price than the other type of miter saws, but are very bulky and heavy.


Compound Miter saw:

Compound miter saws are the upgraded version of miter saws as this saw can make any type of cut except cutting the large cut because these are static saws. These saws can crosscuts, miters, bevels and also make compound cuts, which are nothing but the combination of miter and bevel cut. Because of its capability of making all types of cuts, these saws are a bit expensive than standard miter saws but are perfect for any woodworker or homeowner.


Sliding Miter saw:

The last but not the least in our list is a sliding compound miter saw. Now this saw kind of does it all. It crosscuts, it miters, it bevels, makes compound cuts and slides giving, and can cut wider boards. This saw is a bit larger than the other miter saws, and you need to pay extra for its features because of its sliding ability. Professionals and experts mostly use these saws.


Sizes of miter saw

The two most common sizes of saws on the market are the 10 and the 12 inches saw. Now the 10 and the 12 represent basically the diameter of the saw blade itself. so generally, the 12-inch saw can cut bigger, wider boards.


What type of miter saw you need?

So now that we've covered all these saws and what they can do? The question arises here, do you really need a saw that does it all. No, of course not most people would be completely happy and satisfied with a 10-inch compound miter saw, but I would recommend you not to buy a conventional saw for a few more bucks you can get a compound saw, and you'll be very, very glad that you did.


Safety Measure

Let's talk a little bit about safety. Be sure to read and understand the manuals that come with your saw, and second make sure that you're wearing safety glasses and using some sort of dust collection system or the bag that comes with a saw.

These saws love to spray sawdust and chunks of wood everywhere. Trust me, catching a piece of oak in the eye is not a joyous thing. Lastly, be sure to support your workpiece on either end if it's longer than the saw table itself.


Maintenance of a miter saw

Maintenance is very important in any tool, these saws really don't require a lot from you, but one of the first things you want to do is actually get the saw and verify that the positive stops are accurate, meaning that when you set it to a 45 degree that the scale itself and the cut is actually 45 degrees.

Now the manual does a fantastic job of helping you make those adjustments. The other thing that some of these solves require some lubricant, so be sure to be doing that on a regular basis if your saw needs it and always keep a sharp blade.

Keeping a sharp blade is definitely part of the maintenance, and it makes all the difference in the quality of work and safety while using it. Lastly, periodically remove sawdust and woodchips from around all the moving parts so that the saw could move freely and work safely.


Types of Cuts That a Miter Saw Can Make

The five most common types of cuts that a miter saw can make are cross-cut, miter cut, bevel cut, compound cut, and the fifth type of cut that we're going to talk about is a repetitive cut, one that you often do. Now that type of cut or setup can be used with almost any cut that this miter saw can do.


Crosscut:

The most simplest cut that a miter can make is a crosscut. The basic motion is to lay your workpiece flat tight to the fence, use the clamp that comes with a saw if you have it, or use your hands.

Just make sure you keep your hands free from the rotation of the blade once you ready start the saw and allow the blade to get up to full speed and then lower the saw into the material. It would be best if you always waited for the blade to come to a full stop before moving your workpiece from a safety standpoint.


Miter Cut:

The miter cut is used for door and window casing or picture frames, really any material that needs to come together at an angle. For example, we are joining two pieces together at a 45 to make a 90, swing your miter handle, block it at 45 degrees, place your board tight to the fence and table, start the saw and make your cut.


Bevel Cut:

The bevel cut is used for baseboard or really any other materials that need to come together at a particular angle. To make the bevel cut, you first have to loosen the bevel handle and tip the head to 45 degrees. Once tighten, though, place the board down tight to the fence and slowly make your cut. Bevel cuts can be tricky, especially when the board gets really wide.


Compounds Cut:

The most complicated of all these cuts is the compound cut. The compound cut includes miter and a bevel all in one. You need to adjust your miter angle and then your bevel angle, hold the material type and make the cut.


Repetitive cut:

Last but not least, the repetitive cut. The miter saw is a master of making quick repetitive cuts, but in order to do them quickly, you have to eliminate the one thing that takes the most time to make the cut, and that is measuring each piece.

For example, if I need to make 20 pieces at 4 inches, it would be well worth my time not to measure each one but to set up a stop block. Measure from the blade to the edge of a block 4 inches, clamp that wood in place, and now all you have to do is slide your board tight to the stop block and make your cut.


Tips For Using a Miter Saw:


  • Tip 1: The first tip I want to mention to you is actually helping you to cut boards that are wider than what your saw can actually cut, i.e., when you have a board that is a little bit wider than what you can get through, all you need to do is lift the board slowly, keeping it tight to the fence then which allows you then to cut off that remaining bit.

  • Tip 2: The other tip I want to mention to you is how to cut bowed boards. The thing to remember is always cut with a bowed side facing you so that it allows the center of the boards that actually be tight to the fence.

    If it's the other way around, then the centerboard is not tight, leaving a gap between the workpiece and the fence, which creates some serious problems when trying to cut. Remember, the board always needs to be tight to the fence in order to be safe.

  • Tip 3: The tip for cutting miters is a little technique, so when you're cutting a 45-degree angle its sometimes can be hard to tell where the blade is going to end up once the cut is done, is it going to hit your markers are going to be off.

    So for that, you can make a cut stay away from the line just a little bit so that once the cuts are done, you can see where it is, and then you can slowly sneak up to the line, so you don't over cut.

  • Tip 4: To make bevel cuts, you first need to make sure that your cuts stay really ninety degrees to your board is to make sure that they've clamped down tight. Now when you're making the bevel cut is such a steep angle, and if the board's wide enough, it wants to actually push the board away from you as you're cutting.

    So in order to make really good bevel cuts on whiteboards, be sure that you're clamping the board down securely.

  • Tip 5: To make a small 45-degree cut at the bottom of the stop block, so the sawdust does not build up and affect your measurements by holding the wood away from your stop lock.

Conclusion

We hope that you have gone through this article best miter saw for beginners and get to know everything about the miter saws. We have tried to give our best in this article by providing you with a list of the best miter saw. You can select any of them according to your budget. But I highly recommend you guys to think about your purpose first before buying any of them, or you might waste your money on a feature that you don't need.




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