The 5 Best Miter Saws for Homeowners and Professionals Alike

Miter saws perform crosscuts, in which the cut goes across the grain of a piece of lumber. These saws are quick and accurate, and thanks to a pivoting and tilting blade, most can make angled miter and bevel cuts as well. This versatility makes miter saws essential for a wide range of DIY carpentry projects, from cutting deck boards to trim moulding.

With large handles that make it easy to raise and lower the blade with minimal user effort, miter saws are safer and less expensive than table saws, more accurate than circular saws, and faster than handsaws. Plus, when you connect them to a dedicated dust collection system, they require minimal clean-up as well.

The Best Miter Saws

• Best Overall: DeWalt DWS716XPS Sliding Miter Saw
• Best Value: Skil MS6305 Dual-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw
• Best Non-Sliding: Metabo HPT 12-Inch Compound Miter Saw
• Best Battery-Powered: Makita XSL07PT Sliding Compound Miter Saw
  
• Best Upgrade: Festool Kapex KS 120 REB Sliding Miter Saw

What to Consider

Sliding Versus Non-Sliding

There are two main types of miter saws. The most basic type, sometimes called a chop saw, swings straight down on a single pivot point. This simple, solid action provides excellent accuracy for a relatively affordable price.

Newer to the game is the sliding miter saw, with a blade assembly that not only chops straight down but also slides horizontally on smooth rails, increasing the tool’s crosscut capacity. Both types are attached to tables that pivot 45 degrees right and 45 degrees left.

If you already own a table saw (which is capable of making wide crosscuts), go with a non-sliding miter saw, which has less crosscut capacity but is generally more accurate and less expensive. Non-sliding miters have 10- and 12-inch blades—opt for the larger one to avoid overlap with your table saw.

Serious DIYers and professional trim carpenters should opt for a 12-inch sliding miter saw, which offers the most crosscut capacity and compound-angle cutting (but it’ll cost you—sliding saws are the priciest type of miter saw).

Beveling

Both sliding and non-sliding miter saws also lean sideways so you can perform bevel cuts—some only lean one direction while others, called dual-bevel or compound-bevel miter saws, tip both ways.

Most sliding saws are dual-bevel, so you can address quite a few of your workshop needs with just one sliding miter saw. Single-bevel saws are becoming less common because of their limitations, so we only recommend dual-bevel saws here.

Portability

Miter saws are extremely accurate, leaving the ends of your workpieces smooth and square, with perfect 45-degree angles for boxes and frames of all sorts (plus any other angle you might need). They’re also portable, which makes them easy to carry to where the work is happening, saving you countless trips to and from your workshop.

Cordless models are best if you’re working at a construction site. If you primarily work at home, you should opt for a corded model since it’ll afford you more power, dollar for dollar, and you’ll never have to worry about a battery giving out.

How We Selected

The original author of this piece, Asa Christiana, spent 30 years as a professional and DIY woodworker, and the miter saw was one of his first tool purchases. It was a beat-up old DeWalt he bought from a professional deck builder, and after a blade change, it served him well for 15 years. He used this experience, as well as his career testing and reviewing dozens of miter saws, to select the best saws on the market. Alex Rennie, who updated this piece, has also spent decades working as a contractor, where he’s used most tools and brands imaginable.

To find the best miter saws, we looked for ease of adjustment, smoothness of cut, and the accuracy of the angles the saws cut, from 45 to 90 degrees. We’ve also taken into consideration price, maximum crosscut capacity, the ability to cut compound angles in various directions, and the tasks that different types of users tend to tackle.