Help me choose a miter saw?

Hey Gang,

I’m on to my next major tool purchase.  Miter saw.  I had originally planned on buying the DeWalt 10″, but it seems most everybody I talk to tells me to get the 12.  I don’t know if its a typical ‘more horsepower is better’ type deal you get when you talk about cars or what not.  Of course, once you step up to the 12 you can go single or dual bevel.  And if you’re looking at duel why not just get the 8.5″ slider instead?  And so it goes, on and on.

Expected uses for my saw:

Case out my non-cased windows

Build shed

Crown (I have 9′ ceilings downstairs and 8′ ceilings upstairs if that helps w/ the size crown I might expect to buy)

Finish my basement

Trim my basement after finishing

Build clubhouse for my girls

Pergola?

Might build a miter saw stand

Storage tables/shelves

A better workbench

Built-in closet organizer/storage

So, what would you guys opt for?  Do you mostly cut crown on the fence or laying face down and using a digital angle finder?  I have read that the Cut-N-Crown system is a collosal waste of money for what you actually get however the results are easily attainable/good.  To use the system though you need a 12″ saw.  Some say a 12 wobbles too much and you should get the 10 and cut ont he fence if your crown isn’t too big. 

I’m so confused.

????

Also, not to be blasphemous, but many reviewers give the Hitachi saws great grades, though I’m not sure why.

Hey Jopopsy,

last year I had the same problem as you know, I get´s the 12″ DW 718 slide mitre saw with the DW 723 stand. I decided to take the 12″ not because of motor power, my desicion goes for the higher cuting capacity, in the past I had some smaler (10″) mitre saws but very often I could not cut my timber, therfoe I get know the 12″ with the best legstand I know.

Hope that helps

Reiner  from Germany

I picked up the DW715 from Lowes yesterday as my Xmas gift.  Lowes is running 15% off all DeWalt miter saws right now.  Plus I had a 10% off coupon – so I got the saw for a steal IMHO.