# 10 or 12 inch miter saw



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

So I have been looking at getting a new miter saw and I am trying to decide between the dewalt 10 in sliding and the dewalt 12 inch sliding miter saw. I am leaning towards the 12 because it is only 25 more. But I have hear about 12 in miters saws not being as accurate as 10 inch ones. The other thing I was concerned about is how much more do blades cost in 12 instead of 10.also is there a better choice than the dewalt in the 500 and under range.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

While it's definitely possible to get accurate cuts from a sliding miter saw, it's not what I'd consider the most accurate method of crosscuts due to the nature of the design and construction the things, with their long cantilevered guide tubes. Because I typically consider a SCMS to be a carpentry level tool as opposed to a fine woodworking tool, I'd be inclined to opt for the additional capacity, which does tend to cost a bit more.


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## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

I don't know anything about which is better, worse, or cheaper. What I do know is that I really wish I'd gotten a 12" saw over the 10" that I have now. A 12" saw gives you the ability to cut 6x6 without flipping. That might not seem important, but it's partly the reason why I'm leaning towards getting a RAS and doing away with my mitre saw altogether.


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## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

A note: For precision - use a mitre box. I use my mitre saw for cutting lumber, not hardwoods.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

ps.: Saw blade prices can vary by a lot depending on the particular sales that are going on, but I'd expect to pay $10-$30 more for a 12" vs 10" on a comparable blade. I would suggest sticking with a full kerf blade if you opt for the 12" saw...more chance of deflection with the larger span.


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

I have a 12" CMS (non-sliding). I originally got it to build a deck, and needed the extra capacity that the 12" offers. I personally would be PO'd by the limitations of anything smaller, but that's been my experience and, of course, YMMV. Perhaps the sliders aren't as precise, but I use my CMS for nearly ALL crosscuts (that it can accommodate of course) and it's accuracy is completely acceptable for everything I've used it for so far, but I have not tried for ultra-precision yet. I do have a Wixey digital protractor and recently used it to precisely fine-tune the saw. It's now dialed in pretty nuts-on, so not sure why I would need to use any other method for the sizes it can handle.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I started with a 10" and the capacity limitation forced me into a 12". I don't use a miter saw for anything that needs extreme accuracy though. And even then the SCMS CAN and DOES do accurate miters, I wouldn't hesitate to use it for picture frames or what not... And my slider is a Chicago Electric cheapie from Harbor Freight... You should expect excellent results from that DeWalt. Blades typically are a few dollars more for comparable blades... I think for example the Diablo D1080X is $49.97 and the D1280X (12") is $54.97. (The D1280X is what Freud recommended for my 12")...


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. It looks like I will have to go with a ten because none of the in store prices match the online price. Online the 12 inch slider is 500 in stores it is 600 and it is out of stock on lowes website. But the 10 can still cross cut a 14 inch wide board. I took a look at the Hitachi that they have for 399 but it is way to big and seems like a big thing of cheap plastic.


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

thats a sign that 12inch saws sell better and you can cut a 10 inch board on a 12inch saw and cut deeper


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## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

A couple years ago I was torturing myself over a similar decision: 10" vs. 12", but I was purchasing a standard miter saw and not a slider (I have a RAS for long crosscuts). I finally ended up with a 10" Ridgid as I saw from several sources that a 12" blade just isn't as stable as a 10" for accurate miter cuts. Since my usual projects involve smaller furniture, the accuracy was important to me so I went with the 10" and have never regretted my choice.

Bill


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

On the accuracy thing. I have noticed that yes, the 12" blade CAN flex and leave the cut not exactly where you want it. It does this when just zipping down and ramming the blade through the work piece. I noticed this and slowed the cut to allow the blade to do the work, and no problems at all... This behavior is most noticeable on bevel cuts... I CAN reproduce the same effect with a 10" just not as easily...


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