Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Saw Blades

How big are the differences between the many miter saw blades that are out there. I'm going to be cutting a ton of oak trim over the next few weeks. I have a pretty cheap Ryobi miter saw with a 60 tooth blade that it came with.

I ve cut a few practice pieces and it almost seems like the blade (or quite possibly the workpiece) moves side-to-side. The result is a cut that is not perfectly vertical.

Thanks for your input.

if it is a compound mitre saw it has adjustment screws on it, but i had the same problem with one that the company i work for bought and it seemed like the saw itself moved ididnt have time to fool with it u might see if there isnt a way you can tighten the whole arm or try to turn the adjustment screws use a speed square to get the blade square to the table good luck i bought a cheap tool shop brand and i didnt have a problem with it maybe u could take it back where u got it and ask them

Take your time cutting trim and don't force the blade down. Go slower than normal. Also, the blade will try to force the oak trim because of the grain. You need to hold or clamp it pretty tight on the table.
Many Miter saws aren't made for precise finish work and are made for rough cutting and framing, There is a slight deflection in most miter saws. In this case, you get what you pay for. I have the same problem. I plan to buy a finish compound miter soon. Looks like Makita has the most accurate one in my price range.

Hello gonjdevils:

I too am in Upstate NY and enjoying the heat wave at 30 degree temps, but want more snow. We,ve had 190 inches here but Parish NY has us beat at 228 as of Wednesday and I dopn't know if we can ever catch up.

Anyway, back to blades and mitre saws. A cheap Ryobi will generally not include a great blade but can still be a good saw with the right blade ($70 to $90.) Yep, that IS what a good 10" blade costs.

That said, the FIRST thing you should do is set up the saw for square. I've yet to see one that is dead-on out of the box--and that includes my Hitachi 10" compound slider I paid $800 for.

Rule one is to READ the manual and set up the saw correctly--and then look at blades.

If you are having a "wobbling" issue either the blade is unbalanced or is not correctly mounted on the arbor.

Have a great night and weekend!

Think Snow!

Snowman53

I use Marithon, or Freid brand 80 tooth blades for trim and they cut smooth enough to go without sanding.

I've had success with Freud blades myself. A set of machinist's squares isn't the worst purchase you could make, either. ;)

Check the blade for square on a regular basis. I've had a number of projects go a little "south" because I assumed that the tool i.e. table saw, miter saw, etc. would hold where I put them. Nay, not true. ;)

Tom