Back to basics.... what do you want to cut?

craig, thanks.

dad911, basically everything I can around the house. I like to have one for home use, wood, metal, etc.

I don't think you will want to cut metal with a miter saw. I have a very old 8" chop saw I use occasionally for aluminum. Definitely not steel. For steel you could use a 14" cutoff saw with an abrasive blade, with a diamond blade a cutoff saw will cut brick. For steel I use a sawzall or a power bandsaw. HF Item # 47840-4VGA is a decent hand held portable bandsaw for cutting metal, I have one and we use it for a high school robotics team, cutting aluminum & threaded rod. (order spare blades with band saw, not available locally)

12" non-sliding miter saw will cut most any wood or MDF crown, trim, siding, 2x4 etc.

dad911,
huh? I used miter saw to cut metal before, the traditional one without sliding. Those look like muffler shop use. And yes, I have to change the blade out, for metal I use those black compound blade. What is the diff?

Probably used a chop saw like this to cut metal?: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44829

The grit & metal filings are going to trash a 'wood' miter saw in short order.

dad911,
Now you confused me. To me, I don't know the different between these 2, below. I thought all you do is to press on the handle to push "a turning blade" down on the object ti cut it. Of course one can have more features than another .
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44829
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98194

I have been using my brother's Makita (whatever it is, pic below) on all kinds of material include wood, metal, aluminum, plastic pipe, etc. All I did was changing the blade and it's works fine. That saw can be twisted to cut angle. I really don't know the different between wood cutting miter saw and metal cuting off saw. Can someone tell me the different? And can I get one to do them all for this price?

Here is similar to what I have been using:
http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/images/icons/makita-19.jpg&s=76

For general use around the house I would get a Ryobi. they are cheap and you could drag it around a bit. I get a 10" saw. My favorite would be the Mikata. Its light and very accurate. Not as durable as their chop saw made 10-15 years ago. They were real robust tools.The ryobi, not so much. It just doesn't cut as nice. You get what you pay for. I general do not like HF tools. Keep in mind that a cheap tool requires lots of adjustment all the time as they can get knock out of alignment easily. I like to spend my time doing something else over adj tools. I used to enjoy that, but not any more. In my opinion, Hitachi makes the best sliding miter saws. We have a few 12 Mikata around, but when I grab the saw, I usually reach for the 10" Hitachi all the time. Lazer is overrated. Nothing beats a sharp pencil. If you want to have one around the house, that fine. If you really need a large miter saw to cut crown or whatever, you are welcolm to borrow ours. Take your pick from the shop. where in CA are you?

The difference is the chop saw has loose tolerances and is easy to clean. The miter saw has tighter tolerances and sliding parts that are not designed for metal filings. Sure, you can use the miter saw to cut metal. No one says you can't. You could get away with occasional use, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. That's just me.

Simply put, if you use the miter saw to cut metal, expect the tool to wear out sooner. Given the lower price point of the Harbor Freight saw, lifetime may not be a significant consideration.

The HF saw is the one I have. Its a good deal for homeowner use. The laser is junk, it died early, but I could care less.

rnln, as turbo6bar said. i guess it depends how much you are going to do. But if you think you will be cutting steel more than a few times a year, get a saw designed for steel, whether it be a power band saw, abrasive chop saw, or sawzall.

I personally rarely use the chop saw for steel. While it may be dramatic, with sparks flying all over the place, I prefer a sawzall or band saw. Or a hacksaw with a good blade.

I'm sure your brother will stop lending you his tools if he finds out your cutting metal with a saw designed for wood.

Use the right tool for the job. I'm sure HF has a metal chop saw for cheap or you can buy a decent Milwakie metal chop saw for about $225 at Home Cheapo. Metal cutting saws spin at a different RPM than wood cutting saws. I'm going to make a (probably wrong) assumption and assume that when you use a drill press, you change the speeds based on the material you're drilling. You get much better drill bit life and tool life when you do this. Why wouldn't you do the same for your miter saw?

I understand now. Thank you everyone.

Look 171,
Thanks for the nice offer. I am in OC. I definitely stop by for a visit sometimes.
Thanks

Josh,
I didn't know there are diff saw for diff material. And he knows I cut metal. Well, I used it on metal max probably several times.

I use this one. Works well and it's inexpensive for rough cutting metal. I wouldn't use a mitre saw to cut metal. It's suppose to make precision cuts in wood. I'd think it'd be less precise after using it to cut metal, especially if your borrow it.

Sherwood

Sorry, I get a little touchy about tools and their proper useage (thanks Dad :rolleyes:). I forget that not everyone is as tool obsessed as I am. Hey, at least admitting to the problem is the fist step to recovery - right?

I supprise that I can't cut metal on miter saw, because I did it and seen many people do it all the time, include my brother too, even the muffler shop. Good to know though. Learning somethings from here every day.
Thanks guys.

A metal chop (cut-off) saw looks very similar to a miter saw, especially if you're looking at a high end chop saw (dry cut saw) w/ a metal blade (they spin slower - relative to a miter saw). Here's a pic of one:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243539383.jpg

This is the type of saw I typically see in a metal fab or muffler shop.