Miter Saw Blade Wobble

[dave71]

First post on FOG, so not sure this is the right sub-forum, but here it goes.

I recently purchased & returned two non-Festool sliding 12" miter saw. My goal was to replace my 10-12 year old Bosch fixed 10-inch.

The reason for both returns was an unacceptable amount of play in the blade. I noticed this on the first saw when I did a 'bump and cut' and realized no material was actually removed from the wood, AND the blade paint (new blade) was smeared all over the surface that should have been cut. It appears the blade, on contact, deflected and just buffed the end of the wood.   

Thinking I got a bad copy, I decided to try another brand. This time I didn't cut any wood, but just wiggled the blade (saw unplugged of course). The second saw felt even worse. Thinking I must be crazy, I went back to my old Bosch, and found it had close to zero play when wiggled. One key difference between my saw and the new ones, is my saw looks to have a drive shaft coming directly from the motor, while the other have gears, bearings, and bushings that transfer power from the motor to the blade. 

My question here is, do you think I just happened to find two lemons, or has build quality dropped so much in the last decade that this is now the new normal? I'm now leaning toward a Kapex, and was curious if anyone has had similar experiences with other brands, or even their Kapex?

Thanks, Dave

 

[Birdhunter]

If I push my Kapex off the cut line, I can produce a deflection. But, it takes an effort to do this. Pushing along the cut line produces as perfect a cut as I can measure. I can butt the wood against the wood, apply a slight pressure,  and take a whisker off. I do use the Festool blade. And, the dust collection is excellent (not perfect).

 

[dave71]

Thanks Birdhunter, that's what I was hoping to hear about the Kapex. I have a TS75 from Festool which I couldn't be more happy with. It was a chunk of change up front, but, better to cry once than every time I use it. 

Kapex on order...18 weeks I'm told  [eek]

 

[Birdhunter]

I hope you will be as pleased with your Kapex as I have been with mine. When you unpack the saw, look for a tiny Allen wrench. It is used to adjust the lasers. The Kapex supplemental manual is excellent. It tells how to adjust the lasers. The process is fussy, but only needs to be done once. Also, be sure to let the saw come to a complete stop before lifting the head. The saw can launch cutoffs at near light speed if you lift the head with the blade running. The dust collection is best if you use a short wide hose to the vac.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I would say that at least part of the problem is in the first sentence. (12" miter saw)

I have never seen one that can produce the cut quality that I expect. That is the exact reason I have the Dewalt DW717. It's a 10" dual bevel sliding saw. They still exist, but for some reason it doesn't come up on an Amazon search?
The 12" blade seems to be at least somewhat of a limiting factor, especially in the deflection factor.

I looked into the Kapex when I needed a replacement after losing the first DW717 in a fire, but I was told that it probably wouldn't stand up to the constant use of an industrial environment. Some days I may make hundreds of cuts in a short period of time.
I'm still not so sure about that advice, but it was actually the form-factor that made the difference. The combination of the vertical handle and the secondary thumb (safety) switch, put me off of it.
I went back to the Dewalt that always did me right and has a horizontal handle with a single button.

 

[CumminsDiesel]

When it comes to miter saws, DeWalt is out of competition!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

When it comes to miter saws, DeWalt is out of competition!

Why is that? Bad experience?
I have had a DW717 since '09 when they were first introduced. It was a replacement for the DW712 that was destroyed in a fire. The DW712, which is apparently no longer available, is an 8 1/2" single bevel sliding mitersaw that is nearly identical except for the blade. It was fine for 99% of the cuts I needed to make and I would probably have replaced it with the same, if not for the DW717 coming to market at that time. The 717's 10" blade makes it much more universal, not requiring special blades.
The horizontal handle and not having separate safety override type switch make it the most comfortable to use. I can cut with either hand without any kind of stretch-gymnastics.
Over the years there have been several different saws around the shop; Rigid, Bosch, Hitachi, even Craftsman, but I just don't like the ergonomics. Kapex is the same, vertical handle and thumb button.

 

[madjalapeno]

I just replaced my 12 In. Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw with a Kapex for that reason. Could either get square cuts when using as a normal miter saw, or a sliding miter saw, but not both.

It's fine for construction, so I'll keep it for that, but not for joinery. (Well that was my excuse.)