Sliding miter saws can be very helpful. These saws will allow you to crosscut wide boards, and yet they still provide all of the features of a non slider too.
These are certainly tools that you should consider adding to your tool box, because they can allow you to work with double wide crown moldings, baseboards and more.
There are a lot of 8 ½ sliding miter saws on the market so it can sometimes be tricky to know where to start when you are looking to buy one.
Thankfully, you don’t need to spend hours trawling through the internet to find the best one, because we’ve compiled a list of the best 8 ½ sliding miter saws on the market. We’ve also included a handy buyer’s guide to help you to narrow down your decision.
Here are our top 3 picks for the best 8 ½ sliding miter saws. There aren’t many of these on the market, so we’ve also included some of the best 10 and 12 sliding miter saws in case you’re in the market for an upgrade!
Table of ContentsTop 5 Best 8 1/2″ Sliding Miter SawsBest 8 1/2″ Sliding Miter Saws Buying Guide
Top 5 Best 8 1/2″ Sliding Miter Saws
OUR TOP PICK
No products found.Hitachi Sliding Compound Miter Saw
EDITORS CHOICE
No products found.Bosch Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw
BEST VALUE
No products found.OUR TOP PICK
Hitachi Sliding Compound Miter Saw
No products found.The Hitachi Sliding Compound Miter Saw is most certainly one of the best 8 ½ sliding miter saw options on the market at the moment. This saw is a game changer to any woodworkers looking for a precise cut, and it has a lot more options than what you would find on a 7 ¼ in sliding miter cut saw.
Thankfully, there’s decreased control of slanted cuts too so you don’t need to waste any time or materials. The saw only weighs 31 pounds so it’s very lightweight and easy to carry. There is also more convenience in the soft vertical handle.
The saw is able to get up to 5500 rpm as a result of the 9.2 Amp motor, so you can get much faster, smoother cuts. Tasks like trimming and crown molding are most certainly a lot easier with this sliding miter saw.
When you’re working with huge raming pieces the handling is also very secure, and you are able to cut up to 2 to 9 inches and 12 inches deep without worrying about any extra issues. You don’t need to hold the materials with your bare hands because the miter saw has a positive miter, and it’s easy to find the correct angle in just a couple of seconds because of the thumb controlled grip.
The saw comes with a dust bag for easy dust collection too. Definitely a good choice for any professional woodworker looking for a power tool that will serve them well in the workshop.
Pros
- Precise and accurate
- Thumb controlled handle to make it extra save
- Includes a powerful motor
Cons
- Not appropriate for more substantial projects
EDITORS CHOICE
Bosch Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw
No products found.If the Hitachi model above doesn’t interest you, the Bosch Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw is another great choice for those who want something that will give accurate and precise cutting performance.
This is a pretty impressive sliding miter saw, provisioning clean cuts quickly and accurately.
The design is very intuitive and has easy to use controls, and it’s designed to save a lot of space too. The saw comes with square lock fences that have been already aligned to make sure that provides high quality cuts consistently. It doesn’t have any load speeds so it can be used on a number of different materials.
The saw comes with a soft handle grasp and a vacuum adaptor and dust chute, so cleaning is both simple and effective as you use it. You can use it with a range of different blade varieties and it has a lower guide that is very clear, giving you lots of visibility over the kinds of cuts you can create.
It comes with a front stabilizing foot, and even has integrated extensive base extensions that can increase up to 29 inches.
Pros
- Able to cut thick materials easily
- Durable
- Comes with a slide that means it can be used wherever it can fit
Cons
- It’s a little heavy especially in comparison to some other miter saws
BEST VALUE
Makita LS0815F
No products found.The Makita LS0815F is a compound miter saw that combines capability with portability. You may not have the option to be able to carry around a huge miter saw to wherever you go, such as the Bosch model, so this is the perfect alternative.
The saw comes armed with a 10.5AMP direct drive motor with an impressive capability of 5000 RPM’s, so power is hardly an issue with this little guy. You don’t really need to do a lot to set this saw up, simply just pull it out of the box.
The saw is very durable too so you can expect it to last a long time. It has a pretty decent cutting range, though certainly not the best there is, but it’s still a solid performed.
The saw is comfortable and ergonomic to use and hold, and provides pretty decent value for money for all it offers. It’s certainly a great addition to your toolbox.
Pros
- Comfortable to use
- Precise
- Durable
Cons
- Could do with a slightly better cutting range
RUNNER UP
Dewalt DWS780 – 12 Sliding Miter Saw
No products found.For the best 12 inch sliding miter saw for the money, why not try the Dewalt DWS780? This sliding miter saw features very precise cutting without the need to recalibrate. It has a durable construction too, so you can be sure it will last a while.
The saw features the newest CPS cross cut alignment system and this features an improved, extremely bright LED light. This lets the user see exactly where their blade is going to meet the material as it casts a shadow out of a laser.
In addition, the tool features a 15 amp with 2800 RPM, so it’s pretty powerful too. Is has durable guards, precision machined castings, fences and also a bevel system. This dual bevel system also has a high visibility scale and it’s simple to adjust the angle. For an easy to use power tool that will give you good value for money, you can’t really go wrong with this option.
Pros
- Miter system is precise
- Smooth and accurate cuts
- CPS LED alignment system
Cons
- Somewhat heavy at 56 lbs
RUNNER UP
Milwaukee 6955-20
No products found.The Milwaukee 6955-20 is an easy to use, 12 inch sliding miter saw that does a good job of representing the Milwaukee brand. This saw is perfect if you’re looking for an accurate option that provides good value for money.
The saw features an angle fine adjust, and a detent override. This is essentially a digital display that will show you the proper angle up to one tenth of a degree.
This means that it’s much easier to create accurate repeat cuts even at strange angles. This fine adjust system also has a self zeroing system that can work on the whole angle range.
In addition, the tool features dual integral job site lights that completely light up your work piece and the cut line. It also provides very high performance power with a 15 amp motor and 3250 RPM.
If you’re looking for a powerful sliding miter saw that can withstand a lot of heavy duty tasks, then you will be hard pressed to find many that are better than this. There are so many fantastic features that it is definitely worth your money to invest in it.
Pros
- Electric brake
- Soft start motor
- Dual integral lights for added safety
Cons
- It’s a little heavy, weighing 77.8 lbs in total
Best 8 1/2″ Sliding Miter Saws Buying Guide
There are a couple of things that you need to think about when you’re looking for a sliding miter saw. Here are a few things that you should consider:
Portability
It can get quite tiring to drag around a very heavy miter saw. You may even damage your back, shoulders and arms in an attempt to do so. Because of this, it’s practical to opt for an 8 ½ sliding miter saw that has a compact and lightweight design, and this will be a lot easier to carry around your home or a job site.
A portable miter saw that has a top carry handle is ideal for room to room jobs such as wood floor installation, building decks and installing baseboards.
Ease of Use
You don’t really need to spend a fortune on all of the extra bells and whistles, contrary to what manufacturers would have you believe. Ultimately, what you need is a tool that you are able to operate without you needing to sit over the manual and studying it for hours on end.
You should try and find a sliding miter saw that is going to be simple to operate, that comes with intuitive controls, bevel and miter scales that are going to be easy to read, and also a saw that comes with blades you can change quickly when you need to.
Switches that are Easy to Access
Your safest option will be to opt for a sliding miter saw that has an ambidextrous trigger switch, as this will allow you to operate the saw regardless of whether you are right or left handed.
Try to find a miter saw that has a big trigger switch and a lock off button that you can press easily. Some people actually like saws that have switches without a lock off button, though this is ultimately up to you.
Ergonomic Handles
You’re likely to be holding your sliding miter saw for long periods of time, so it’s in your best interest to opt for a saw that has a comfortable handle.
You should look out for an ergonomic, ideally rubberized handle that is made out of vibration reducing material. Test out the cushioning, the grip and the overall fit of the handle to ensure that you are going to be comfortable using it.
Extension Arms
Your sliding miter saw is going to have a much smaller base than a larger stationary saw that has a wider surface. If you have solid steel extension arms, it means that you can expand the base or your saw and work on larger pieces.
Certain brands and models of sliding miter saws can have extension arms that stick out between 6 to 9 inches from either side of the table. You can leave these extension arms off when you aren’t using them.
Laser or No Laser?
Having a laser guide can be quite handy because it will let you make precise cuts without you having to make any marks on the board. With that being said, as experienced woodworkers will also say, a laser isn’t really essential all the time.
To start with, not all of the laser markers are accurate enough to mark the cuts that you need for exacting trim work.
While a laser marker is a cool feature, you aren’t really going to be able to use it if you are using your sliding miter saw outside in the daylight. When you do use the laster guide indoors, you’ll see a vibrant red line that will show you where you need to cut.
If you use it outside in the bright sunlight though, it’s going to be difficult to see that red line because the rays of the sun hide the laser beam.
If you are planning on using the laser marker functionality while you’re working outdoors, you are going to need to invest in a pair of red tinted safety glasses. Unless you would rather do this every single time you plan on using the saw outdoors, you would likely be fine going without this feature.
A lot of 8 ½ sliding miter saw models come with laser markers. So, if you are planning on using your miter saw indoors for the vast majority of the time then sure, go ahead and get a saw that does have a laser guide, but if you plan on mostly using your sliding miter saw outdoors you will probably be better off not prioritizing this particular feature.
Single Bevel or Double Bevel?
A sliding miter saw that only has a single bevel is usually more than enough if you’re an experienced woodworker that knows how to cut. A single bevel sliding miter saw can do pretty much all of the cutting work that a dual bevel saw can do.
The key difference is that a saw with a dual bevel will let you do the work faster as you don’t need to worry about reorienting the workpiece that you’re cutting in order to make opposite bevels.
To put it simply, a dual bevel sliding miter saw is going to save you some effort and time. Dual bevel saws are generally more expensive than single bevel saws are, so you should consider how important this feature is going to be to you in the long term.
See Through Blade Guard
Your work will be done much more safely and much quicker if you don’t need to go out of your way to lift up the blade guard every time you are trying to line the blade up in order to make a cut. You should try to look for a blade guard that provides good visibility.
A lot of models come with blade guards that are totally see through so you have the most possible visibility, and some come with notches on the guard so you are able to see through.
Dust Collection
Miter saws are pretty messy tools to have in your workshop, so for the sake of everyone involved having a good clean up method is handy. In order to minimize the amount of dust and particle accumulation at your work station and in order to make cleaning up an easier process, you should have a sliding miter saw that comes with a decent dust collection system.
Having a good dust collector can also mean that the life span of your saw is longer because it protects the tool’s interior components from any grime and dust.
When you are looking for a sliding miter saw, you should try to make sure that it catches the sawdust and chips from whatever you are working on. You should not be having to deal with a dust bag that dumps its contents out when you lift the saw head.
The blade channel should also come with slots that allow the dust to drain out so there’s no need to vacuum or blow it out.
Servicing Availability
In a perfect world you should get a saw that will last for a number of years before you even need to think about servicing it. In order to be safe though, it’s worth opting for a well known brand that has authorized service centers where you live or at least somewhat nearby.
You should also check that the saw comes with a warranty that includes parts in addition to service.
