If you’re used to working with fine wood, be it as a professional job or because you simply enjoy doing it as a hobby, likelihood is that you’re well aware of how important having a milter saw is.
In fact, many experienced woodworkers will go as far as telling you that a good job can’t be completed without the use of a milter saw! It’s an indispensable tool when it comes to the workshop, and can come in handy for almost anything.
With it being a highly dependable and versatile tool which is also easy to use (with all the necessary care and precautions, of course), it is no wonder that milter saws are in high demand. There are more and more types and sizes emerging in the market, and it can get harder and harder to discern which one is right for you.
Despite the many sizes of milter saws available in the market, almost every task can be achieved with either a 10 inch or a 12 inch miter saw, so those are the ones you should be looking into buying. As for choosing between 10 or 12 inches, that depends on more detailed specifics of the job and personal preference, as they’re mostly interchangeable.
So, if you’re looking to get started on some woodwork and you’re in need of this tool, let us help you find the right one for you. We’ve compared different products, looking at ratings and customer reviews, to put together a list of the top 5 miter saws, ranging between 10 and 12 inches in size!
We've also included a simple buyer’s guide to help you understand the different features you should take into consideration when choosing the right miter saw for you. And always remember, despite their easy use, you should always take care and use precautions when handling workshop tools!
In a hurry?
Choosing the right miter saw can be harder than it initially seems.
With a wide range of types in the market, it can be tricky to discern which features from each product are the right ones to get your job done to the highest standard possible. There are also things like personal choice and efficiency to take into account, so it’s a lot of hassle to do all the research!
If you’re rearing to get started on your newest woodwork project and you simply can’t get on with it until you have your miter saw ready, then we recommend you go straight to our number one top choice.
The Dewalt 12 inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw is by far the best choice in the market right now, with the best combination of top ratings and satisfied customer reviews. With this miter saw, you can rest assured that you’ll be working with the best standards of safety, precision, accuracy, and capability.
With an XPS Cross Cut positioning system and an exclusive back fence design, you’re going to get incredible results. It also has a super-efficient dust collecting system, a handle for portability, and increased capacity for vertical cutting. We really couldn’t find any downsides to this product!
Here are some of its main features, highlighted for you:
- Best-selling and reliable brand
- Enhanced precision, accuracy, and capabilities
- XPS Cross Cut positioning system
- Dust-collecting system and handle for portability
- Exclusive back fence design
Top 5 Best 10-Inch & 12-Inch Miter Saws
OUR TOP PICK
Dewalt is an excellent brand that is renowned for its consistent offer of top quality and reliable power tools. It’s been manufacturing and selling since 1924, and the products have most definitely passed the test of time, with consistently receiving positive reviews and customer satisfaction.
The sliding compound miter saw it offers, with a size of 12 inches, is by without a doubt the best overall miter saw you can buy in today’s market, with top ratings and plenty of positive reviews from satisfied customers.
This miter saw is a pleasure to work with, as it’s not only very safe to use, but has a great capacity for power and accuracy. It’s one of the few sliding compound miters out there to incorporate laser, with an XPS Cross Cut positioning system to ensure higher precision and accuracy. With an exclusive back fence design, it cuts up to 2X14 dimensional lumber at 90-degrees, 2 by 12 at 45 degrees.
It also has a handle for added portability, as you’ll never want to go without it! This Dewalt product has also taken care to increase vertical cutting capacity, with an innovative gearbox and belt drive design.
And if you’re worried about the mess that woodworking causes, this miter saw has a super-efficient dust collection system that can collect up to 75% of the dust produced while working!
Pros
Best-selling and reliable product
Precise miter system
XPS Cross Cut positioning system
Exclusive back fence design
Enhanced accuracy, precision, and capability
Cons
No downsides
EDITORS CHOICE
The Hitachi brand, also extremely reliable when it comes to power tools for workshops, is known for producing products that are highly durable, working way past their lifespan if kept in good condition.
This 10-inch miter saw covers all the basics and works efficiently, and its size makes it lightweight and comfortable to use and manage.
Don’t be fooled by its small and manageable size, because this miter saw boasts of plenty of power, with a 15 amp motor that revs to 5000 rpm. An ergonomic and comfortable handle helps you deal with that power, minimazing the vibration for a smoother and more precise cut when working.
With a laser for the cutting line, the Hitachi also has a slightly bigger machined base than other miter saws, allowing for more stability and a better working space area. When you buy this mtier saw, it comes with its own dust bag, wrench and a 24 tooth tungsten carbide tipped blade!
However, keep an eye out because Hitachi has recently changed name to Metabo! You shouldn’t miss out on such a good product out of a naming change!
Pros
Laser Marker system
15 amp motor
Vibration reducing handle
Flip fence pivots and ajusts up to 4” vertically
Cons
Not accurate enough for finer work
BEST VALUE
The Bosch 12-inch miter saw is another great choice if your’re looking for an all-rounder good and reliable powertool to woodwork with.
Bosch has received many positive reviews, with customers highly praising one of its main features: the Bosch patented axial-glide system. This feature allows for an enhanced alignment when making cuts, giving you excellent results no matter which project you’re working on!
The bevel is large and highly adjustable, and it’s also very straight-forward and easy to use, making this miter saw perfect for those with less experience in the workshop. It also has an extended capacity compared to other miter saws, with a 14-inch horizontal and 6 and a half inch vertical, against the fence base of a 6 and a half inch crown with a 45 spring.
It’s pretty compact and easy to carry from site to site, and offers a very stable and smooth usage. Many professional woodworkers recommend this miter saw for its comfort and efficiency!
Pros
Transparent lower blade guard
Patented axial-glide system
Highly adjustable bevel
Extremely easy and comfortable to use
Cons
Not as powerful
RUNNER UP
Dewalt is such a good brand with so many amazing miter saws on offer that we simply couldn’t help ourselves from including a second one in this list of top picks, this time a 10-inch portable saw.
It’s lightweight and extremely compact, making it the perfect companion for on the go woodwork, or for when you have to travel from site to site.
It’s great for making cross cut and miter cuts, with a powerful motor at an affordable price. A stainless steel detent plate ensures extra durability and consistent accuracy, for the best all-round results.
It also has a cam miter lock for precise miter cut positioning, with an override feature just in case you want to make a last second change. The fence runs vertically, supported by the machine base, and it is able to slide out of place in the case that you want to make some bevel cuts.
Pros
Best-selling brand
Extremely portable and compact
15 amp motor
Durable and precise
Cons
Slightly less accurate than the Dewalt 12-inch
RUNNER UP
The Makita 10-inch miter saw is one of the smallest in size, but its long-lasting quality and consistent efficiency puts it right up with the top picks in the market.
Used by woodoworkers of different skill levels, the Makita adapts to your needs and performs way better than is expected upong looking at it.
As it is really simple and easy to use, this miter saw is especially suitable for DIY jobs or working at home, thanks to its convenient design. It has a durable 13.0 motor amp that works smoothly, requiring less maintenance and upkeep than other, more powerful, miter saws.
It features a linear ball bearing system for its cutting accuracy, and the bevel can adjust both left and right at your convenience.
Pros
Convenient and easy to use
Very durable and resistant
Linear ball bearing system for accuracy
13.0 motor amp
Cons
Not as versatile as other miter saws
Best 10-Inch & 12-Inch Miter Saws Buying Guide
A miter saw is a workshop power tool, usually used in woodworking, that is used to make accurate and precise cross cuts and miter cuts, with a blade mounted upon a board.
Many woodworkers will tell you that miter saws are one of the most essential tools to have in a workshop, as they are extremely reliable and versatile, and can come in handy for almost any job. Most miter saws are pretty straigh-forward and easy to use, and it you’re buying one, likelihood is that you either already know how to use one or you’ve used similar tools and therefore have experience.
But it’s good to note that miter saw are also easy to use and accessible to less experienced woodworkers, or to people looking to DIY some projects at home as a hobby.
However, a miter saw is still a power tool that can become dangerous if not used correctly, with plenty of technicalities and professional features that you should try and be acquainted with before jumping in to use them. It’s also important to know the basics before buying one, so you can choose the right one for the kind of job you need it for.
Because it’s hard to do all the research, with so much information and so many different products on offer, we’ve done the searching for you and will summarize the main basic features to look out for in a miter saw!
Bevel/Compound
The bevel of a miter saw is a horizontal or vertically angled slope, usually positioned at 45 degrees, used to make bevel cuts on your woodwork project. So it is essentially used to making cuts other than the main 90 degree-angle ones.
It’s important to look out for what bevel and capacity a miter saw has, as it will define the versatility of cuts you can make, and wil therefore delimit the kind of job you can efficiently complete.
Some miter saws will have a single bevel, which goes to one side. Other miter saws will have a double bevel, allowing the blade to go left or right, accommodating to your positioning. And some miter saws, will have even more complex forms of bevels, allowing for specialized angles to perform tasks such as furniture making or crown moulding.
Miter saw blade
The blade is, quite obviously, one of the most important features in a miter saw, as the purpose of this tool is to cut. The blade can determine the depth and height of a cut, so finding the right type and right size is essential for a well-completed job. 10-inch and 12-inch are the two most common and usable sizes for a miter saw, and they’re the ones we’ve looked at for our top picks.
Miter saws are intentred primarily for cutting wood, but some miter saws allow you to attach different types of blades depending on whether or not you want to cut other materials, such as plastic, aluminum or mild steel.
Oh, and pro-trick, you can look out for the amount of teeth on a blade, as the more teeth a blade has the finer the cut will be!
Performance and Accuracy
A feature that should also be high on your priority list when shopping around for a miter saw, is the precision and accuracy of its cutting. The more accurate and precise the miter saw is, the better results you will obtain and the less effort it will require to use.
Some miter saws come with built in laser lines, that illuminate the path the blade must follow, upping the accuracy. Some miter saws also have special designs for the positioning system, such as an XPS Cross Cut positioning. These features are a lot more catered to specific and professional needs, so it depends on the kind of job you want done and what kind of use you’re planning on giving your miter saw!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a 10-inch or 12-inch miter saw?
The 10-inch and 12-inch miter saws are very similar and can be interchangeable most of the time, which is why they’re usually grouped together. The difference is in the blade size, and the effects that small difference in size can have.
The choice between both completely depends on personal choice or extremely minor details on performance that might be more suitable to certain woodwork jobs.
The main differences between 10-inch and 12-inch can be summarizes as the following:
- The 12-inch blade spins slower, due to being heavier
- The 10-inch is cheaper, while the 12-inch blade has teeth on the blade therefore increasing its saw value
- A 10-inch usually comes with a 13 amp motor, while the 12-inch tends to have a 15 amp motor which in turn has more power and uses more electricity
Do I really need a miter saw?
If you’re working with wood, planning on doing a home DIY project, or are collecting tools to fill in a workshop with everything needed for average jobs, the answer is yes. Miter saws are one of the most common and used power tools in workshop environments, as they can be very versatile and can come in handy in a high number of situations.
Miter saws are specialized tools, used for making different types of cuts at a variety of angles, depending on the miter saw’s bevels and capabilities. The saw has a mounted blade, positioned atop a swing arm that pivots in different directions to produce the cuts desired, making it very straigh-forward, easy and comfortable to use.
With a miter saw you can craft on crown moulding, door frames, furniture of various types, window casings and many more. You definitely can find multiple uses for a miter saw, and therefore it’s a recommended tool to have access to.
