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Step 1
Consider the complexity of the woodworking projects you plan to work on with your miter saw. If you only plan to do the smallest and simplest jobs, an ordinary miter saw may suffice. There is no special name for this type of miter saw, but it is distinguishable from the others because it is not referred to as a compound miter saw or sliding miter saw. An ordinary miter saw only pivots to the left and right.
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Step 2
Consider whether or not you will need to make lots of beveled cuts, which are cuts that are angled along two separate axes. A good example of a beveled cut is the type of cut required to join two pieces of crown molding at a corner. While these cuts can be achieved using an ordinary miter saw, multiple challenging cuts would be required. A compound miter saw, on the other hand, can handle these types of cuts with a single motion. Compound miter saws pivot both left to right and up and down.
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Step 3
Consider the sheer size of the boards you plan on working with. If you think you might be cutting boards as wide as 1 foot or even longer, you may be best served with a sliding miter saw. A sliding miter saw is just like a compound miter saw, but the blade assembly is installed on a sliding track so that it can be used to cut wider boards while maintaining a specific angle.
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Step 1
Look for miter saws that accommodate the blade sizes you need. The majority of miter saws fit 10-inch blades, but some fit blades that are smaller or larger. In general, bigger blades allow for cutting wider boards.
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Step 2
Think about how important it will be for you to work quickly. If you expect to need to make lots of cuts with as little downtime as possible, there are a few important features to look for. Miter saws with electric brakes can slow down and stop the blade in just a few seconds, enabling you to more quickly move on to the next cut. Saws with shaft locks allow blades of different types and sizes to be interchanged more quickly. Features called positive stops or detents can also speed up your work; these are common, preset cutting angles that can be set in a matter of seconds, as opposed to custom angles which make take a few minutes to set.
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Step 3
Think about the environment in which you plan to do your cutting. Some miter saws are designed to attach to existing work benches, others come with their own stands and the rest are designed to fit aftermarket stands, so make sure you look carefully at the mounting configuration of any saw you're considering. Also, if you think you'll work in an area you'd like to keep as clean as possible, look for a miter saw with a dust bag feature. This bag will collect most of the sawdust generated while cutting.
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Step 4
Think about the types of wood you plan to cut before purchasing any additional blades. The three types of blades, listed in ascending order of both cost and durability are steel, high-speed steel and carbide. If you will only be cutting softer wood types, steel blades should serve you well. But for harder woods, more durable blades should be considered.
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Step 5
Try to anticipate whether or not you'll ever need to cut an angle greater than 45 degrees, as this is the maximum angle of many miter saws. If you need a greater range, check the specs of each saw carefully before you buy to make sure your needs will be accommodated.
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Step 6
Look for a miter saw with a transparent blade guard. The blade guard is a plastic shield that covers as much of the blade as possible, helping to prevent accidents. But when you're cutting, a non-transparent blade guard will make it difficult to see where the blade and the wood meet. Manufacturers have caught on to this need, and most of the saws on the market today do have clear blade guards.
