What’s unbelievable to an experienced contractor? A sub-$200 full featured sliding compound miter saw with a laser guide, that’s what! Despite it’s incredibly low-cost I wasn’t too excited to be buying another compound miter saw since I own three of this type of, my most important, saw. An away-from-home project in a remote area on the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains called for some new tools and I couldn’t be more impressed with features-for-the-price of this Ryobi TSS101L Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Description:

• Heavy-duty 13 Amp motor for demanding applications
• 10 in. carbide-tipped blade provides a smooth, clean cut
• Easy-to-read scales on mitre table, mitre fence, and bevel for added convenience
• 9 positive mitre stops with ball and detent action for precision cuts
• Electric brake stops the blade in seconds for enhanced safety
• Right and left table extensions provide extra support when working with longer pieces
• Spindle lock for easy single-wrench blade changes
• Dust bag helps keep work area clean
• Exactline laser guide gives you a cut reference line
• 6 ft. cord provides Amp le reach
• Ergonomic handle with overmold for added user comfort
• MFG Brand Name : Ryobi
• MFG Model # : TSS100L
• MFG Part # : TSS101L

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Experience:

I’m currently using the Makita LS1013LS as my primary compound miter saw, with my old Bosch 3915 as a backup in my shop. The Bosch has been a solid performer and long lasting with the Makita ranking high among my favorite, smoothest, precision tools  in my collection. The Makita has broken in quite a few places whereas the Bosch was built with an inherit issue. Neither one is perfect but I do love that Makita smoothness but decidedly dislike the miter gauge location and function.

Moving on… I needed a saw to cut siding with and I didn’t have time or money to waste. With no budget for a new saw, I was forced to purchase something capable of making 8 1/4″ length cuts before nightfall.

It’s hard to imagine there’s a sliding compound miter saw for less than $200. [BTW: I hate when people say something is less than $200 when it's $199, but where I was working there is no sales tax and this saw actually cost less than $200, by $1, so I'm going with the catchy and truthful expression 'sub-$200'] Hard to imagine such a feature set for $200, I think so… but this is what I found at the nearby [96 miles round-trip] Home Depot. There really wasn’t another option within a hundred bucks that could make long cuts. I dragged this new Ryobi to my truck without the slightest enthusiasm, threw it on the trailer, and headed back to the job to put it to immediate use.

Scary start! This isn’t the refined slow-start motor on my Makita. The Ryobi starts at a loud and scary full-RPM. It really seems to have high RPM and sounded rough, dangerous and slightly intimidating… but after several hundred cuts the intimidating sound faded away to the fact I was almost done with my work, thanks to this 10″ sliding miter saw.

Comments:

The Ryobi TSS101L doesn’t have a slow-start motor, it bevels in one direction like my saws of old, and I couldn’t possibly discern the ‘laser’ in daylight. The motor is loud and the mechanics aren’t what you’ll find on a $500 sliding compound miter saw but all-in-all this is one item where you are getting much more than you pay for.

Getting more than you pay for? You betcha. I set out to side a house by myself. Why.. because I couldn’t afford to hire someone to do it.. and I really couldn’t even afford to hire someone to help me. With a new sliding miter saw, new compressor and new nail gun, I’d spent my whole wad on tools and materials… but these three tool saved me thousands in time and labor.

My new Ryobi came with the blade already mounted. Basically, I pulled it out of the box, plugged it in and started cutting siding! Ordinarily I might spend some time adjusting the factory settings, making certain my saw is dead-on. I never checked it once… or rather my method for checking it’s 90-degree cut was to butt-join two 8 1/4″ cuts and continue right on.

After hundreds of cuts not a single ounce of dust was collected in the dust bag. I’m did take it off to see if there was some packing material in there but I guess it just doesn’t work at all. Who cares.

Summary:

The Ryobi TSS101L Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser is a solid purchase that reminded me of my start in the construction business. Back in the day when I was a teenager affording my first set of machinery, Ryobi came in the affordable box and several of those tools lasted nearly 20 years. Replaced but never forgotten, I owe a great deal to Ryobi for their entry-priced quality machines. Without exception this miter saw performed dutifully and respectfully. Over the course of the week, as the siding courses rose higher, I found myself wondering why I pay 3X as much for tools today. If I needed a table saw (darn it, I ripped all the window cuts and top and bottom pieces with a worm drive model 77.) I would without a question head right back to the depot for the $199 Ryobi table saw I noticed. There was a $119 model but for $199… I have no doubt when it comes time to trim out the interior of my little house out west, I’ll be budgeting for that professional 10″ Ryobi table saw next.

If you are wondering if this saw is good enough and you really are pinched for extra pennies – I give it a 5-star rating for performance for the price. Hell, at $199 you can afford three of them for the price of my duty saws. A great deal indeed. Homeowners, budget shoppers and youngsters starting out in the carpentry world should look no further than the Ryobi TSS101L Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser.

Links:

Factory-Reconditioned Ryobi ZRTSS100L 13 Amp 10-in Sliding Miter Saw with Laser at Amazon.com

The Ryobi TSS101L at Home Depot – This is the one I bought.

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Time, after all, for a new sliding compound miter saw and my choice is the Makita LS1013, a 10″ dual bevel miter saw with laser and flex light. I mentioned in my Bosch review how a Compound Miter Saw is the foundational piece of equipment for my career as a builder. (Second only to my brain!) That said, why then would I go out on a limb and buy a 10″ Makita saw?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Features:
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Experience:
True enough, I haven’t had the Makita saw for long. My decision toward the Makita was based on magazine reviews and Amazon.com feeback. When I first set this saw up on my job, I literally could not believe how smooth it is. There is no compare! I am not exaggerating when I say this is by far the smoothest machine in my shop; literally, silky smooth. It puts my Bosch 3915 to shame in terms of it’s incredibly smooth action. It’s a carpenter’s wet dream. Every pass through the material is a cut of precision and there’s a light to illuminate each perfect slice. (Don’t laugh at the light, it’s handy for getting those last few cuts at the end of the day without having to setup real work lights)

Comments:
Unfortunately I’m suffering buyers remorse to some degree but I’m committed to this saw so hopefully I can adapt to the features that trouble me. Being an old hand at adapting to new technology, new levers and buttons and even new ways of thinking I am still confused as to what good putting the angle indicator at the far right of the table does?

Something new to me is the steel lever for changing the angle. It’s as fluid and easy to operate as making a cut, however the slide lock is a large twist knob above the angle lock knob and it sucks! When do you lock the slide? I lock it when I am moving the saw; unplug, lock down the motor, turn to 45º, lock the slide and transport… but no! With the Makita if you lower the housing you can’t get the tight grip you need to effectively twist and lock the slide. Even with the housing up, it requires sufficient torque to effectively lock the slide in place. I go through the step of tightening the control, thinking it’s locked, then I upright the saw stand and the damn thing slams backward. WTF?
A complaint other than the slide lock and the tendency for sawdust buildup limiting full slide motion, is the tiny fence. True, Makita offers a better fence as an ‘optional accessory’ and that’s because it needs it. With the Makita LS1013FL you are cutting your crown moulding flat. Not even standard 3 1/2″ colonial will be supported by the itsy-bitsy little fence.

The pin that locks down the housing works better than Bosch’s spring-assisted twist thingy. The depth stop is nice, doesn’t get in the way and is easy to adjust.

This saw has a weird balance to it on the stand. I think it’s awkwardly balanced in general with a lot of weight up high that cantilevers beyond the base.

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In Summary:
It’s the smoothest tool in my shop. It’s as pretty as can be and that fact worries me. I am not always gentle. I’ve had it a few months and I haven’t gotten over the little things that bother me. Really, who can imagine actually producing an angle indicator that you can’t see? It’s like they forgot we needed one and threw it over in the corner because it interfered with some mechanism. Hey designer, the angle setting is the one thing I look at, need to check and make adjustments to on a regular basis.

This saw is another cause of frustration for me. On the one hand it is the best chop saw I have ever owned and on the other hand it suffers from a uniqueness that some may not be able to overcome. It’s like they made the best car the world has ever seen but put the steering wheel in the back seat.

The LS1013FL at Makita.com (Product Data)

Makita LS1013FL on Amazon.com (Good price and reviews!)
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In the above gallery, my Makita LS1013 sits like royalty atop the completely garbage Ridgid MS-UV which I positively regret purchasing.

The Hitachi C8FB is a relic and was replaced by the C8FB2 in the 1990′s. I have ‘the original’ 8-1/2″ sliding compound miter saw.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Description: (by Hitachi)
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In 1988, Hitachi developed the first sliding compound miter saw, the C8FB, to combine the capacity of a radial arm saw and the convenience of a miter saw.  Today, Hitachi continues the tradition of innovation and engineering with new features in addition to classic quality.

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Experience: I was there when Hitachi developed that first compound miter saw and I used it for my career for almost 20 years. The Hitachi that now sits in my shop storage due to a bad bearing doesn’t look anything like today’s laser equipped, lighted 12″ compound miter saws. It vaguely resembles the new C8FSE available in stores today but it’s lightweight in comparison and still accurate after a million cuts.
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Comments: As new compound miter saws came onto the market I stuck with my Hitachi for years. After 15 years of service without a single maintenance issue I retired my C8FB for the Bosch 3915. The only comment that comes to mind is what good are 10ths? Most pitch cuts are a fraction of 12. I think it was a language barrier thing and I’m not sure if it’s been corrected on the current model, 8FSEw. I doubt many are thinking of buying an 8″ saw these days but application specific, this is still a strong contender 20 years after it’s inception.

Links:
Hitachi C8FB2 at Hitachi.us (Product Data)

Hitachi C8FSE 8-1/2-Inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw at Amazon