Best Miter Saw for Woodworking, Contractors, and DIYers in 2025

As one of the core woodworking and carpentry tools, our crew and I have had the privilege of testing dozens of the best miter saw models over more than 15 years. A lot has changed in that time, mostly for the better. If you’re looking to buy, let my experience do the hard work of filtering out what rises above the rest and is worth your consideration.

In this article, I’ll share my top choices across several key categories, plus my favorite blades and stand. If you’re new to miter saws, I’ve included several helpful sections for you to learn more about what to look for when you’re shopping, the terms and parts you should know, and the different types of miter saws available.

Best Miter Saw Top Recommendations

• Best Overall: Bosch Axial Glide 12-inch GCM12SD
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• Best Cordless: Bosch 18V ProFactor Axial Glide 12-inch GCM18V-12GDCN14
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• Best for Woodworking: Festool Kapex 10 1/4-inch KS 120 REB
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• Best 10-inch: Milwaukee M18 FUEL 10-inch 2734-21
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• Best Compact: Bosch 8 1/2-inch CM8S
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• Best for the Money: DeWalt 12-inch DWS779
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• Best for Homeowners: Ryobi 7 1/4-inch TSS702
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• Best for Metal Cutting: Skilsaw Dry Cut Metal Saw SPT62MTC-22
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Need Some Help Before You Get Started? Jump to These Sections First!

• Miter Saw Terms to Know
• Types of Miter Saws
• What to Look for When Buying a Miter Saw
• Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews

Best Miter Saw Overall

Earning my pick as the best miter saw, the Bosch GCM12SD features an axial glide system instead of traditional rails. It’s the smoothest cutting I’ve ever experienced thanks in large part to that design and a muscular motor to power through tough cuts. It also has a generous capacity for cutting tall standing crown and vertical base.

I realize you can argue that it’s not as precise as the Festool Kapex, but Bosch’s price tag is $1000 less, and its precision has been more than enough for the jobs we’ve done. In our experience, we’re confident most miter saw users will get the results they need without spending so much extra to get it.

If you want to shave some weight off the Bosch GCM12SD with only minimal capacity loss, consider the Bosch CM10GD 10-inch Glide miter saw at $629. You can get a lighter model with the same excellent cutting performance.

Best Cordless Miter Saw

Considering my favorite miter saw is Bosch’s 12-inch Axial Glide, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Bosch ProFactor 18V 12-inch Axial Glide is my choice as the best cordless miter saw. Sporting the same space-saving sliding system as its corded counterpart, its performance and accuracy make it a keeper. Cutting is smooth and quick, and I noticed very little deflection from the blade.

Unlike the corded version, there are four speed modes. Three of them can help you match the blade speed to the material you’re cutting. “Eco” mode offers a way to manage runtime if you’re running low and cutting softer materials. With 8Ah and 12Ah high-capacity batteries available, runtime can keep up with your workload well, though.

Without the battery, the saw weighs 59.3 pounds, which isn’t bad at all for a 12-inch dual bevel sliding miter saw. Still, if you’re going to take this to the jobsite (which is why you want a cordless saw in the first place!), I recommend using a rolling stand to make it easier on you.

Best Miter Saw for Woodworking

It’s hard to overstate the incredible refinement of the Festool Kapex KS 120 REB miter saw. Its precision makes it an easy choice as the best miter saw for woodworking. Plus, you get incredible clearance off the back fence with a nested crown capacity of 6-5/8 inches or up to 4-3/4 inches for vertical trim.

The 10 1/4-inch blade is unusual, and it will keep you coming back to Festool for blades. However, the combination of the Kapex, Festool blades, and a Festool CT series dust collector turns a great miter saw into a precision cutting system like no other.

Festool also does other things that just make a lot of sense. The rail-forward design lets you run the saw against a wall in your workshop. They give you a dual laser cut line indicator. They also made the base of the saw exactly the height of a Systainer 1, so you can use your Systainers as material supports when cutting.

Having used this saw, I simply find it smooth, powerful, and nearly unmatched until you turn to commercial solutions that are triple the price. Price might be the stickler, though. At $1600, it’s an investment that not everyone has the budget for.

Pro Tip: If you’re familiar with the Kapex evolution, the “REB” model only tweaks minor details on the popular and enduring Kapex KS 120 EB saw.

Best 10-Inch Miter Saw

Furniture building and trim carpentry rarely require anything larger than a 10-inch saw, and I love the convenience of having a battery-powered model. In that class, Milwaukee’s M18 FUEL 2734 10-inch miter saw impressed us.

While the capacity is less than a 12-inch model, you can cut base up to 5-3/4 inches in height or nested crown up to 5-1/4 inches against the fence. Lay a board down and you can cut through a 2×12 at 90 degrees.

Milwaukee’s PowerState brushless motor drives the blade, and we didn’t run into any concerns about its cutting power. With high-capacity advanced High Output and Forge batteries, you’ll also have plenty of runtime to get you through the day.

When it comes to features, there’s not much to complain about. One thing we really like is the oversized bevel lock lever. It’s easier to operate than most bevel locks, though it’s not as convenient as front controls.

Milwaukee includes a 60T finish blade—an upgrade from the 40T blades that come on many saws. As a bonus, blade changes have the benefit of a guard that stays up on its own, keeping both of your hands free to manage the spindle lock and blade wrench.

Best Compact Miter Saw

Bosch continues racking up accolades, this time for the best compact miter saw. The Bosch CM8S 8-1/2 inch sliding miter saw gave us excellent cutting performance, letting us power through both thick and detailed cuts with ease.

This model gave us some of the best cutting capacity in the compact class as well. We were able to cut 12-1/4″ at 90 degrees and 8-5/8″ at 45 degrees. We also loved the thumb-actuated detent override design.

At 37 pounds, the Bosch CM8S may not sound lightweight, but the top handle makes it easy to manage. Of the ones we’ve used, it’s one of the easiest saws to move around the jobsite and can be carried with one hand.

If you’re interested in going cordless (and I certainly don’t blame you), you can get an 18V battery-powered version of this saw with the Bosch GCM18V-08N. Amazon has been the best place to find it.

Even though we have a lot of praise for this model, it is compact. You won’t get nearly as generous a cutting capacity or power as you do from quality 10-inch and 12-inch models, so make sure it covers your needs before pulling the trigger.

The 8 1/2-inch blade size is also a challenge to find at some retailers. It’s easier to find 8 1/4-inch blades and they will fit on this saw, though you lose a little bit of cutting capacity.

Best Miter Saw for the Money

When I looked for the best miter saw for the money, I sought an all-around workhorse tool at an exceptional value. Rising above several excellent candidates, the DeWalt DWS779 is my top choice.

The tool comes with some street cred and represents yet another iteration of DeWalt’s belt-driven platform. In addition to its full sliding dual-bevel compound capabilities, the design gives you more depth and clearance than geared designs. How much? The tall sliding fences support 6 3/4-inch base placed vertically against the back or 7 1/2-inch nested crown. You can also cut 2×14 material at 90 degrees and 2×10 lumber at 45 degrees.

All the standard features are onboard. About the only thing missing is a shadow or laser cut-line indicator.

This is a heavy saw, though. At 68 pounds, I highly recommend a rolling stand if you’re going to run it back and forth to jobsites.

You’ll also want to switch out the stock blade in most cases. The 32T blade that comes on the saw makes fast cuts, but it’s going to leave a rougher finish than a 40T or 60T.

Even with those disclaimers, for $399, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better miter saw for the money.

Best Miter Saw for DIYers and Home Use

When you can get a sliding dual-bevel compound miter saw for $219, it’s worth looking into. When I took a closer look at the Ryobi TSS702, what I found made it my choice as the best miter saw for DIYers.

The saw has a 10-inch cross cut capacity, giving you plenty for your trim, flooring, and wood shelving projects. The vertical and nested cut capacity is limited, though, so you might have to do more math on some trim projects. The motor is also just 10 amps. You can bog down the blade if you’re too aggressive with 2x lumber or hardwoods.

Its compact footprint doesn’t take up nearly as much space in your garage as full-size saws. It’s also just 25 pounds, so it’s easy to move around (and for your neighbor to borrow).

You get handy features like an LED cutline indicator and a 1 1/4-inch dust port to connect to your shop vacuum. Plus, the 7 1/4-inch blade size is easy to find at any power tool retailer.

Best Metal Cutting Miter Saw

We reviewed the Skilsaw SPT62MTC-22 several years ago, but it remains one of our favorites and earns my pick as the best miter saw for metal cutting. Technically a chop saw rather than a miter saw (mitering happens at the clamp rather than pivoting the table), this saw quickly proved itself as a massive improvement over abrasive chop saws or entry-level dry-cut saws.

You surrender some capacity by going with the 12-inch blade over popular 14-inch models. The positive is that you get a lighter saw, weighing 20-45% less than the competition. It also has a more compact frame and runs on more affordable 12-inch blades.

The soft-start motor and smooth blade guard actuation, paired with the hot-knife-through-butter Diablo cold cut blade make this a very smooth cutting saw—so smooth that you have to be careful not to cut too quickly.

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Best Miter Saw Stand

Bosch T4B Gravity Rise Miter Saw Stand

The Bosch T4B Gravity Rise miter saw stand has been our favorite since the first day we used it. This stand also stands the test of time—as evidenced by its 10+ year run. Its rugged build and easy conversion between transport and working positions set it apart.

The stand also adjusts in length via riser extensions that we have found function better than other options. If you set it up correctly, you don’t have to hold the end of the board or add third-party accessories to make sure you have a true cut.

One downside is that the wheels could be bigger. Compared to competing models with larger wheels, it doesn’t quite roll as easily over rough terrain, though it does fine on stairs.

Price: $389

SKIL 10-inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw MS6305-00

Skil covers DIYers with both compact and 12-inch miter saws, but it’s the 10-inch MS6305-00 that I like best. When it comes to features, only the LED cutline indicator stands out compared to others on our list. The rest is in line with what we expect. But that’s also the point—from top to bottom, this saw has the performance, features, and capacity we expect from a Pro-grade 10-inch saw. With a price tag of just $249, it’s one of the best values available on the market.

Price: $249

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Miter Saw Terms to Know

Below are some of the most common terms you should know about a miter saw. This isn’t an exhaustive list, so check your manual for additional features your saw may have.

Miter Cut: Cutting with the blade rotated horizontally to the left or right. A scale and indicator around the outside of the table help you set the proper angle.

Bevel Cut: Cutting with the blade tilted at an angle. A scale and indicator toward the back of the saw near the pivot point help you set the proper angle.

Compound Cut: Cutting with a combination of a miter and bevel at the same time.

Nested Cut: A technique for cutting crown molding where you push the material into the table and fence at an angle in the same manner it installs against a wall and ceiling.

Calibration: The process of adjusting a miter saw’s head, miter guage, and bevel gauge to produce accurate cuts. Calibration can also refer to adjusting a saw’s laser cutline indicator.

Blade Guard: A plastic, usually transparent section that covers the blade when it is upright and rotates to expose the blade’s teeth as you lower the head to cut.

Cutline Indicator: Usually a laser or shadow from an LED light, the cutline indicator shows exactly where your blade will contact the material to help line your cut.

Depth Stop: A mechanism that prevents the blade from dropping all the way for non-through cuts.

Detents (Positive Stops): Preset points for commonly-used miter and bevel angles that the miter or bevel rotation will automatically lock into. Detent overrides allow you to slide past them without stopping.

Fence: An upright section on the table used to press material into for stability and accurate cutting.

Material Clamp: A type of support that slips into a hole beind the fence and screws down on top of your material to hold it stable against the table, freeing up your hands.

Table: The flat section of a miter saw that you set material on for cutting.

Table Extensions (Wings): Sections of the right and left sides of the table that can slide out to support larger material.

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Types of Miter Saws

When it comes to miter saws, there are quite a few choices. Each additional layer of movement makes your miter saw more versatile.

Miter Saw: A saw that can rotate the blade left and/or right to cut at an angle. By contrast, to make a miter cut on a table saw, you have to change the angle of the material rather than the blade. To make a miter cut with a circular saw, you change the angle of the entire tool.

Sliding Miter Saw: The head of the saw is attached to rails (in most cases) so that it can slide forward and back, increasing the size of the material you can cut in one pass.

Compound Miter Saw: A bevel action tilts the blade to the side, allowing the saw to make bevel and compound cuts.

Dual-Bevel Miter Saw: A compound miter saw that has the ability to bevel both left and right.

Sliding Dual-Bevel Compound Miter Saw: This is the pinnacle of miter saw versatility with the ability to slide, miter, and bevel to both sides.

Chop Saw: A common term for miter saws in general, but this is actually a metal-cutting saw that only has the ability to bring the blade down to the material in a chopping motion. The blade cannot miter, bevel, or slide.

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What to Look for When Buying a Miter Saw

How Will You Use Your Miter Saw?

Before you start shopping, consider include the type of work you intend to do. Are you a carpenter? Do you work primarily on trim or decking materials? Is cabinetry your thing?

The type of work you do determines the materials you’re going to work with and the level of precision you need. Start with your desired applications and make sure you get the power, capacity, and features you need to create outstanding results.

What Blade Size Do You Need?

Material capacity is one of the biggest things you need to consider when you’re buying a miter saw. Bigger isn’t always better, though. As you go up in blade size, you (typically) gain capacity, but you can also introduce more blade wobble and deflection. Plus, larger blades usually mean and larger, heavier saw and those blades more expensive when it comes time to replace them.

Take a close look at each saw’s capacity before you buy. If you do trim work, be sure to check the base and crown capacities since those can vary more widely than the lumber capacities. Some manufactures use innovative designs to get more clearance than others. We’ve even seen 10-inch miter saws rival the nested crown and vertical base capacities of some 12-inch models.

Pro Tip: Vertical cuts are important for many carpenters because it eliminates a lot of the “math” associated with making a flat compound miter cut. With a vertical cut on crown or base molding, you simply measure your angle, divide by two, and make your cut. It will line up perfectly every time.

Belt Drive vs Worm Drive vs Direct Drive

The majority of miter saws on the market feature a belt drive system. A belt connects to the motor on one end and the blade spindle on the other. Across the board, belt drive saws cut more smoothly in terms of how they feel.

They can also affect the clearance on the back fence. The position and distance of the components determines how much clearance there is on the back of the blade, directly affecting the vertical and nested cut capacity. Notably, DeWalt’s vertical belt design offers some of the highest cut capacities on the market.

Less common among corded miter saws are direct-drive models, which have noticably more muscle to power through tough cuts without bogging down. Makita was one of the only brands to use a direct drive system initially. With so many cordless saws on the market today, Makita has a lot more company, though their corded saws continue to use a direct drive.

Skilsaw is on its own with a worm drive miter saw. Closely related to direct drive models, it uses worm drive gearing, increasing the saw’s torque to muscle through thick lumber and hardwoods.

Do You Need a Sliding Miter Saw or a Chop Saw?

The type of miter saw you buy also affects portability and functionality simultaneously. A basic chop saw, for example, can give you miter and bevel cuts in all directions but may only cut up to a 2×6 at 90 degrees. A sliding miter saw can cut up to a 2×12 or even a 2×14, depending upon your choice of setup.

That same chop saw also likely weighs a whole lot less than a comparable sliding miter with the same size blade. Take all these things into consideration before you take the plunge.

In general, I’d almost always choose a smaller sliding miter saw over a larger fixed chop saw. An exception would be in a production capacity where you know exactly what the tool needs to do every day.

Is Cordless Better than Corded?

The choice between a corded or cordless miter saw gets harder and harder each year. Some manufacturers, like Bosch and Makita, have released saws in both corded and cordless formats—saws that remain identical in all other features. Other companies, like Metabo HPT and Flex, have cordless miter saws with battery adapters that can connect you to 120V AC power.

Believe it or not, the newest cordless miter saws are matching their corded counterparts in power. If you find yourself looking at newer models, you no longer need to worry about premium models not being able to make the cut.

Typically, quality cordless miter saws with batteries cost a lot more than their corded counterparts—often significantly more. But you can’t beat the convenience of battery power when it’s hard to find an outlet. Battery-powered miter saws have also increased run-time significantly in the past 5 years. Using 2x4s as a reference, we’re now seeing hundreds of cuts on a single charge.

Do You Want a Cutline Indicator?

Some saws lack any sort of cut line indicator while others use a laser or LED. The LED-style cut line indicator works better than any other. It uses an LED light (or two) positioned just above the blade. Since it follows the blade down and hits both sides, it produces an exact shadow line where the blade cuts the wood.

The shadow-cut LED works perfectly, never needs to be adjusted, and functions on all blade types. It also works in broad daylight! It doesn’t even matter if you switch to a thin-kerf blade. The shadow never lies, and you always have an accurate “mark” for your cut. Seriously, it’s not my #1 must-have, but I hope all manufacturers switch to an LED shadow cut line system soon. Close to this is the Kapex dual laser system, but I still prefer a shadow cut line for daytime visibility.

Front vs Rear Bevel Controls

Another thing I love about some miter saws has to do with up-front bevel controls. Up-front controls reduce the need to reach around to make adjustments to the bevel angle. All miter saws include front controls for mitering, of course. Adding a front bevel control steps up the saw to a new level of convenience. Very “worth it” if you do a ton of beveled cuts.

Zero Rear Rail Clearance

Traditional sliding miter saw rails move with the head and push behind the saw, so you need to account for that when you’re setting it up. However, there are rail systems that don’t require any part of the saw to extend behind it as you slide the blade. Alternative designs like Bosch’s Axial Glide also eliminate the need for rear clearance. You can put those kind of saws right up against the wall, and the saw takes up less of your valuable workspace.

If you find a saw that combines front controls and zero clearance at the back, it’s a big win.

Do You Need a Stand?

Around here, we love keeping our miter saws on stands. We also tend to run with pickup trucks, trailers, and work vans. That makes a wheeled gravity rise-style miter saw stand our top pick. If you need to load and unload into a smaller space, you may find that a smaller saw that removes easily from the stand works even better.

And, of course, for maximum portability, you can forgo a stand altogether. You can always make cuts on a tailgate. You can also whip up a couple of sawhorses and use a piece of 3/4-inch T&G or plywood for a tabletop. Just take a look at your workflow and how you like to move tools on and off the job site.

Pro Tip: If you want a stand, check for miter saw bundles that include one to save some money.

Features That Can Improve Your Miter Saw Experience

• Soft start motor to avoid that “jump” when you pull the trigger
• LED or shadow cut line indicator
• Miter and bevel detents that match your common cuts
• Easy-to-use depth stops for cuts requiring sacrificial boards and fences
• Blade brake
• Removable fences
• Dust extraction
• Material clamp(s)
• Front bevel controls

*We consider these “nice-to-have features but certainly not requirements

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Disagree with our Choices?

That’s okay! We know personal preferences take a front seat in determining the best miter saw for you, and every Pro is different. Get involved in the conversation and tell us what your top pick is and why you love it. Feel free to put it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews

Ever check out a “review” site and you can’t tell if they actually tested the product or if they’re just “recommending” the Amazon top sellers? That’s not us. We won’t recommend anything unless we’d use it ourselves, and we don’t care who the primary retailer is. It’s all about giving you a legitimate recommendation and our honest opinion of each product.

Since 2008, Pro Tool Reviews has provided in-depth tool reviews, buying guides, how-to articles, and industry news in the construction and lawn care industries. We focus on professionals in the trades and our writers have the skills and experience to know whether a tool or accessory will hold up on the jobsite.

Each year, we bring in and review more than 250 individual products. Additionally, our team will put their hands on hundreds more tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year. If I recommend a tool, that means I’d use it myself (and perhaps I or one of our staff already does!)

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