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Miter saws are specialty woodworking tools that can make quick and precise cuts to a variety of items, including crown molding, picture frames, and baseboards. While miter saws are effective at delivering accurate crosscuts, their value over traditional circular saws is in their ability to make angled and bevel cuts with ease—a result of their stationary design and up-and-down blade movement.
If you need a miter saw for your DIY projects, we’re here to help. We put together this guide, complete with our recommended models. Keep reading for more information on Amazon’s best miter saws.
Top 5 Miter Saws
Here are our Amazon picks for miter saws:
- Best Value: Metabo HPT Compound Miter Saw
- Most Versatile: Bosch Sliding Glide Miter Saw
- Best Cross-Cutting Saw: Delta Sliding Compound Miter Saw
- Most Lightweight: CRAFTSMAN Sliding Miter Saw Kit
- Best Accessories: SKIL Compound Miter Saw
Compare Top Miter Saws
| Product | Motor | Speed | Weight | Length | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metabo HPT Compound Miter Saw | 15 amp | 5,000 RPM | 24.2 pounds | 10 inches | 5 years |
| Bosch Sliding Glide Miter Saw | 15 amp | Not listed | 88.2 pounds | 12 inches | 1 year |
| Delta Sliding Compound Miter Saw | 15 amp | 4,000 RPM | 55 pounds | 10 inches | 5 years |
| CRAFTSMAN Sliding Miter Saw Kit | 15 amp | 3,800 RPM | 21.8 pounds | 7.25 inches | 3 years |
| SKIL Compound Miter Saw | 15 amp | 4,500 RPM | 42.5 pounds | 12 inches | 3 years |
| Product | Motor | Speed | Weight | Length | Warranty |
Best Value: Metabo HPT Compound Miter Saw
Metabo HPT Compound Miter Saw
- $139
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 10-inch blade
- 15-amp motor
- 5,000 revolutions per minute (RPM)
- 24.2 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers pointed out that this 10-inch miter saw was easy to use, powerful, and affordable. However, less satisfied customers complained about how quickly their miter saw broke down. They also said that it was louder than the other saws that they had used in the past.
Most Versatile: Bosch Sliding Glide Miter Saw
Bosch Sliding Glide Miter Saw
- $649
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 12-inch blade
- 15-amp motor
- 88.2 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Out of the positive Amazon customer reviews, many highlighted the versatility of this miter saw. Customers also said that it was easy to use and durable. Negative reviews pointed out that the miter saw stand and table weren’t stable enough.
Best Cross-Cutting Saw: Delta Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Delta Sliding Compound Miter Saw
- $499
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 10-inch blade
- 15-amp motor
- 4,000 RPM
- 55 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Positive reviews highlighted the portability of the build and the smoothness of the slide. Unhappy reviewers stated that they had alignment issues. Others struggled to see the shadow line in brighter light.
Most Lightweight: CRAFTSMAN Sliding Miter Saw Kit
CRAFTSMAN Sliding Miter Saw Kit
- $249
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 7.25-inch blade
- 15-amp motor
- 3,800 RPM
- 21.8 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who left positive reviews for this saw liked that it was lightweight, maneuverable, and quiet. However, there were some users who felt like it wasn’t powerful, even for small cuts. They also said that it struggled to cut at a 45-degree angle.
Best Accessories: SKIL Compound Miter Saw
SKIL Compound Miter Saw
- $299.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 12-inch blade
- 15-amp motor
- 4,500 RPM
- 42.5 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Customers repeatedly praised this SKIL miter saw for its top-notch safety features, portability, and affordable price point. They also said that it was perfect for the woodworking hobbyist. Negative reviews mentioned how difficult it was to tilt the saw for cutting.
Buying Guide for Miter Saws
As you consider the above miter saws, look at their cut type, blade length, power level, and dust collection system to ensure that you choose a model that fits your carpentry needs. The buying guide below explains these factors for you.
Cut Type
Cut type refers to how a miter saw can cut a piece of wood. The three most popular cuts are crosscuts, miter cuts, and bevel cuts. Crosscuts are basic cuts that run parallel to the workpiece’s sides. Miter cuts are angled cuts that slice the workpiece at an angle. The most common miter cut is at a 45-degree angle to seat two corners of wood together.
Bevel cuts are angled cuts that cut into the thickness of the wood rather than into its width. Seen most often when two baseboards meet at a corner, bevel cuts look decorative and seamless.
Blade Length
The size of a miter saw is determined by the size of the blade that it holds. Blade size affects what size wood pieces you can cut. If you work with thicker wood, you may want to purchase a miter saw with a 12-inch or larger blade, as a 10-inch blade may not be long enough to cut through it.
To learn more about miter saw blades, watch this video from Ask This Old House:
Dust Collection
Investing in a miter saw with a dust collection function keeps your workspace clean. Nearly all miter saws are equipped with a dust bag that collects sawdust, though some models also have a hose port to connect a vacuum cleaner.
Power
Nearly all miter saws are corded, usually featuring a 10-, 12-, or 15-amp motor. Powerful 15-amp motors have their place with experienced carpenters, but most homeowners can complete a variety of woodworking projects with a 10- or 12-amp miter saw.
Cordless miter saws are beginning to pop up on the market. However, battery runtime can be an issue with them, especially if you need to make numerous cuts. You don’t want to have to pause your project to plug your saw into a charger.
How To Use a Miter Saw
One of our experts, Tom Silva, has some important miter saw tips to share with DIYers like you. These tips will help you make cuts both accurately and safely.
- Before you turn on the miter saw, clear items on the ground to ensure stable footing.
- Wear safety glasses, work gloves, closed-toed shoes, and earmuffs for protection.
- Hold the wood tight to the fence with one hand, and work the saw with the other one.
- If a piece of wood is too large for your saw, cut it in two passes. First, cut the piece as far as the blade reaches. Then, flip it over, and meet the cut from the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Miter Saws
What’s the difference between a chop saw and a miter saw?
A chop saw can only make crosscuts, as its blade moves up and down at a 90-degree angle. Miter saws are equipped with adjustable blades that can make numerous types of cuts, including crosscuts and compound cuts.
Can a miter saw cut through metal?
You can cut metal with a miter saw if you have a metal-cutting blade. Also make sure that you’re cutting at a low enough RPM to prevent excessive sparking and burnout.
Can a miter saw rip boards?
Ripping, which is the process of cutting boards lengthwise, is done with a table saw instead of a miter saw. While you can make rip cuts with a miter saw, it poses safety risks because it’s not designed to be used that way.
Are miter saws safe?
As with all power saws and other power tools, operating a miter saw comes with some risks. However, if you follow the proper precautions, you can prevent accidents. We specify our safety recommendations in the previous section.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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