Miter saws enable you to repeat accurate cuts of the exact angle and length you need, important when cutting long lengths of stock down to a usable size when cutting studs for walls, framing windows or doors or cutting joists and rafters for roofs. With a properly equipped table, you can literally measure once and cut as many times as you need.

Any saw can be made into a miter saw with a miter box, a frame with slots to hold the saw in place while cross-cutting wood. However, electric motors power the most efficient saws. Think about the type of work you perform and the stock you cut regularly before purchasing a saw from one of the following miter saws' list:

1. The basic miter saw makes straight or angled cuts, with a fixed circular blade ace pivoting on the “chop” arm;

2. A compound miter saw which not only pivots the arm but also rotates the blade for compound or bevel cuts;

3. A sliding compound miter saw takes the miter saw from stage two and adds a caster or track to the arm, like a radial arm saw, letting you pull the saw blade across the stock being cut.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Chop down projects with basic miter saws

Multiply your productivity on the job with the speed and accuracy of even the basic miter saw you dial in once and cut repeatedly. Manufacturers attach circular-blade saws to arms that pivot vertically, giving miter saws their other moniker 'chop saws.'

I recommend: Black & Decker sells online miter saws with 10-inch blades and a laser guide. DeWalt has a reputation for being slightly more commercial grade than Black & Decker.

Upgrade to a more complex saw from a compound miter saws provider

For more complex framing jobs requiring a beveled edge, like crown molding around a door frame or a picture frame, upgrade to a compound miter saw that lets you dial in the cut on two planes, letting you make the perfectly angled cut in one chop.

I recommend: Ridgid has produced tools since 1923, and sells compound miter saws with 10-inch and 12-inch blades. Hitachi has developed a compound miter saw that not only uses a laser guide but an LCD display for more accurate, easy-to-read measurements.

Find miter saws with the extra slide for larger stock

The last stage in miter saws, take the advantages of the compound miter saw and melds it with the arm of a radial saw. You can then slice through stock nearly a foot across.

I recommend: Bosch has produced commercial-grade saws since 1947. Milwaukee also focuses on heavy-duty, commercial grade saws.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Additional miter saws information to include in your shopping list: look for positive stops on the miter box, set at the most common angles, so you simply click the arm in place and start cutting; self-retracting blade guards to keep you safe while at rest, but lift automatically when you're ready to cut; electric brakes that immediately stop the blade rather than letting it coast to a halt when you release the trigger; and shaft locks to hold the blade still when you change out a dull blade for a new sharp one.