New Miter Saw

[moojoe]

just a small thing to add.

a lot of people will go for the non sliding saws for cost and they dont see a point in them.
when it comes to it though, the sliding saws are significantly safer then straight up and down saws, especially when working with people who may not have a significant amount of experience with a miter saw.
say when you hit a really rough knot in the wood (and if you cut a lot, you will), the saw tends to jump. either because you dont have an amazing grip or because its just to hard. when your cutting in an up and down fashion, and the wood catches, it will fly outward because of the angle your cutting at, and possibly hit you, or someone around you. when cutting with the sliding saws, you can pull it out all the way, push it down, then cut in a move that when the wood cuts, because of your angle, the wood will fly backwards, into the back board on the saw, and not into you.
not to mention, you can cut 1x6 or larger with the sliding.

just something to keep in mind. while you may not have a significant amount of money, its worth it in the long run for safety.

[Dick Linn]

If you do cut aluminum or other non-ferrous metals, make sure the blade is designed and rated for that! Some are expensive, others not so bad. Harbor Freight used to have a 10 inch #46234 blade at a reasonable price, but it's either out of stock or discontinued. Home Depot carries the Freud Diablo SKU # 341031 for $55.

I also caution against nipping a bit off the end of a piece. If the piece is tiny, it can get jammed down in the kerf where the blade meets the base, or come flying around inside the guard. If both sides of the metal aren't clamped, things can be launched with disastrous results. Also take care that the blade is not dropped and that no teeth are chipped!

A band saw is much safer.