Popular Woodworking 2008-12 № 173, страница 27

We have mixed feelingsabout these saws. Almost all cuis we make with our saws are right angles, in pieces less than 2" thick. We prefer accurate and repeatable square cuts over the ability to cut odd angles on a rare occasion. Digital readouts, lasers and lights are nice, but aren't "must-haves" for us.

Let There Be Light

Except for the Milwaukee, all the saws have a laser available. The laser is built into the saw body on the 1 litachi and Makita, and DeWalt offers a body-mounted laser as an option. DeWalt also has an optional LED light that uses the shadow of the blade for alignment. The Bosch and Ridgid have a blade-mounted laser. The saw-mounted lasers work without running the saw, and are useful for setting angles as well as positioning the blade.

The blade-mounted lasers come on as the saw reaches operating speed. This adds a spinning saw blade into the process of lining up cuts, an uncomfortable scenario. Also, the blade-mounted lasers shift as the saw is lowered. You align the laser and mark before lowering the head, then ignore the shifting line. The saw-mounted lasers are helpful but not necessary, and blade-mounted lasers are more of a distraction than a help.

Milwaukee and Makita have built-in lights, which we like. The light on the Milwaukee is behind the blade and illuminates both sidesof the cut. The light on the Makita ison a gooseneck arm that can be shifted toeitherside.

Milwaukee and Hitachi incorporate digital readouts to aid in settingangles. On the Milwaukee t he digital display is on t he front of t he saw table and reads miter angles in increments of 0.1°. Hitachi's display is on a flexible arm above the handle and reads miter and bevel angles in increments of 0.5°.

It's cool that the saw does this, but with most cuts made square, oral least in one of the detents, the value of this feature is limited. If you do a lot of trim work, however, and often cut just outside the detents, you might pick one of these saws for the digital readout alone.

Six Saws and a Cloud of Dust

These saws are among the most difficult machines in woodworking to set up foreffec-tive dust collection. Most of the manufacturers have made only token efforts in this area, with a small round port at the back of the saw leading toa removable bag. Except for the Milwaukee, a shop vacuum hose can be attached to any of these saws. You don't need to empty the bag,

The shadow knows. DeWalt offers an optional light that uses the shadow of the blade for lining up cuts. It works as well as a laser, and lights the work area.

No spin /one. l aser guides mounted on the saw can be used to set precise angles as well as to align the blade to a line. Blade-mounted lasers require the blade to be spinning to turn them on.

but that doesn't solve the bigger problem.

The Milwaukee saw channels the dust into a larger rectangular port and was the most effective of the saws we tested. It would take some effort to make an adapter to use with a shop vacuum or dust-collection system, but most of the debris lands in the right place.

The complexity of these saws means that each has several levers, locks and knobs to allow repositioning of the saw head in relation to the table. In addition to indexing the saw at preset angles, you can override the detents to cut close to, but not in, the detents.

Bosch put all the controls on the front of the saw, including the bevel release. The others require reachingaround behind the saw to tilt the head, which can be awkward. The Milwaukee and I litachi saws have knobs to fine-tune the miter angle position, a feature that goes well wit h t he digital readouts. I litachi also has a knob for adjusting the bevel position. With

Digital douhle-play. I litachi has a digital display and fine adjustment knobs for both miter and bevel angles, reading to 0.5°.

the others, setting a precise angle isa matter of pushing and lapping.

All ihe saws, except the Hitachi, have one-piece aluminum fences. Adjusting the fence perpendicular to the blade involves loosening several screws, pivoting the fence, then reiightening the screws. Adjustments don't take long because the fence is one piece.

If the screws aren't properly tightened, the fence can be bent. If it bends, it is nearly impossible to bend it back - the fence will need to be replaced. The 1 litachi has independent fence halves that eliminate the bending problem, but complicate adjustment. DeWalt has a one-piece fence, bui it is adjusted to square by repositioning the detent plate.

Little Saws that Need Large Homes

On a jobsite, a miter saw tends to be located in the middle of things. In a shop, equally important is the footprint of the saw. Many of these saws need a lot of room behind for the sliding bars to operate.

DeWalt and I litachi have the shallowest footprints, requiring 17'A" (with the dust bag removed on the DeWalt), and 17v»" on the

To a fine degree. Milwaukee adds a digital readout and fine-adjustment knob to set miter angles to 0.1°.

46 ■ Popul ar Woodworking December 2008