# Radial Arm saw vs. sliding miter saw



## rlb1961 (Mar 9, 2011)

Okay, just looking for some advice. My shop is not too big, just a 2 car garage. A few years ago, I bought a Craftsman 10" radial arm saw. A couple of years later, I bought a 12" Delta compound miter saw, and built a mobile cabinet for it. Now I am running out of room and trying to clear some space, and I am considering giving up one or the other, or possibly giving up both and buying a 12" sliding compound miter saw. I'd like to hear pros and cons for each from those who have gone through this decision process. Which tool will give me the best value for the amount of space required? (I mostly do cabinetry and furniture, if that helps.)


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## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

I love my 12" compound miter saw. I don't have a radial arm saw because i also have the same setup as you do. However I may want to add that the compound will not reach as far as the arm saw will. I have to use either my table saw or something else to cut something wider. But there is little replacement for a miter saw because of how accurate they are on their angles. I could go without a arm saw but could not go without my miter saw. That is just how i feel about it anyways


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## RexMcKinnon (Aug 26, 2009)

I have never used a RAS but I have a bosh 10" slider and have never been restricted by it. They require a bit more space behind them then a regular chop saw but the new bossh 12 "slider" seems to have fixed that becasue it is not actually a slider but works on an arm. Seems to get really good reviews.

While I have your attention I just posted a topic on a new 2 car garage I want to build. I would love some feedback from a guy like your self who is in the same situation.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/25420


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

You might find helpful info in this recent thread, posing the same question.

Good luck !


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

I've owned both as well as a couple of straight "chop saws". Except for the ability to make wider cross cuts, I don't miss the RAS at all. I never liked its tendency to want to "walk" toward me as I pulled it across a board.

Since you have both (and presumably use both of them), ask yourself which one you would rather not do without.


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

I love my sliding miter saw but if had the room for the RAS I would get it. My 12" SCMS willl do 12 1/4" cuts at 4" depth so it has been fine for me so far but the RAS can do dados and miters as well as wider cuts, depends on what you need.


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## saddletramp (Mar 6, 2011)

You don't say whether or not you have a table saw. If no, I would keep the RAS, if yes. I would opt for the SCM.


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## rlb1961 (Mar 9, 2011)

Sawkerf, I don't worry about the RAS "walking" on me during the cut - the Craftsman has the carriage controlled electronically by a cable, so it will only feed at a pre-set speed. I have had the Craftsman for about 9-10 years, but haven't used it much, primarily because it always tended to get buried under a bunch of stuff my wife would pile on the table. I think if I could set it up in an accessible spot, I would use it more. I have been thinking about taking it off the legs and mounting it in a workbench, similar to how I see CMS mounted. But I don't want to go through all that work if the saw will not do accurate cuts for miters and crosscuts, and I keep hearing about how much calibration they require on a regular basis…


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## rlb1961 (Mar 9, 2011)

Saddletramp, yes, I have a 10" 3-hp Jet cabinet saw with a 52" extension table.


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## Woodturner66 (Feb 1, 2011)

I had both also. The RAS was an old Craftsman about 18 years old. It seemed if i moved it to do a 45 degree cut and move it back to 90 degrees it wasn't 90 degrees anymore. I would have to go in and adjust it. I sold the RAS and now just have a Dewalt 12" Sliding CMS. The Dewalt seems dead on after i move it. I just used both for crosscuts anything bigger I use my table saw and sled to crosscut.


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## OIAGoat36 (Nov 25, 2012)

I have both a Craftsman 10" radial arm saw and the sliding compound miter saw. I like the compound miter much better. The RAS was my fathers and it was passed on to me. I don't care for the RAS because I feel the cuts are always off just a bit. Also I have used it to rip wood and have had it bind up and shoot a piece of wood across the street from my shop. "lucky no one was walking by and no one got hurt." In the future I plan on getting a small table saw and getting rid of the RAS all together. In my opinion it takes up to much room for the work that it does.
Good luck


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## becikeja (Sep 12, 2010)

My first first stand alone tool (not including hand tools) was a craftsman radial arm saw. My wife bought it for me for our second Christmas. Barely had enough money to eat, but I had my first tool. 26 years later I still use that saw on every project. Would not give it up for the world. Kept the wife too.


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## sprucegum (Dec 6, 2012)

http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/determinemodels.aspxerhaps Perhaps this will help you make up your mind. If you have a older craftsman RAS you can get a very nice upgrade kit free if it falls in the right serial no. range. The kit does not fit all models if that is the case you can get $100 for it. Mine is the latter I paid $50.00 for it at an auction the motor bearings make a little noise sometimes when it dies I hope to get $100 for it


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Folks, until 40 minutes ago no one had commented on this thread in almost 2 years.
There is a good chance the OP has made a decision by now.


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## sprucegum (Dec 6, 2012)

Dang I feel stupid but I hope someone can get some use out of the recall


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Hey, I've done it too.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Of course, if someone ask this question under a new topic, even two years later, the thread police would have said "jimmity christmas, use the search function!!" LOL.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

I don't see a problem with opening an old thread. Someone doing a search will run across it (as I did) and may find some useful information. The shooting of the board out into the street sounds like a kickback (which a TS will do as well, which is why I don't stand in line with the board), or it was fed it into the wrong end. My uncle did that and shot a board into the end of his garage. I just picked up a 1960 Delta 900, and don't intend to rip with it. I have other tools for that.


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