What a miter saw does
A miter saw holds the work against a fence and on a table while a blade on a pivoting head comes down through it. Set square, it crosscuts. Turn the table, and the cut crosses the board at an angle — a miter. Tilt the head, and the cut leans through the thickness — a bevel. DEWALT's manual defines a compound miter as both at once, the cut for frames and boxes with slanting sides. Both manuals reviewed say the saw is for wood and wood-like products: no abrasive cut-off wheels, no ferrous metal, no masonry.
The types, by what they add
| Type | What it adds | Example, by its maker's figures |
|---|---|---|
| Compound, single bevel | Miter and a bevel one way | DEWALT DWS713: 10 in, bevel 0–48° left and 0–3° right, 2 × 6 crosscut at 90° |
| Sliding, single bevel | Rails for wider boards | Makita LS0815F: 8-1/2 in, bevel 48° left and 5° right, 305 mm wide at 0° |
| Sliding, dual bevel | Bevel both ways without flipping the work | Makita LS1019L: 10 in, bevel 48° each way; DEWALT DWS779: 12 in, bevel 49° each way |
Each figure is the maker's own for the saw named. DEWALT's crown instructions show what dual bevel changes: on a single-bevel saw crown is flipped between cuts, on a dual-bevel saw it is not.
What a capacity figure means
Blade diameter is not capacity. Each maker lists how high and how wide a board the saw cuts at each setting, and the two trade against each other: DEWALT's DWS779 cuts 4.4 in high by 9.1 in wide, or 13.75 in wide by 3.0 in high, at 0° miter, and less at 45°. The slide is what gives width. For anything larger than a 2 × 8 (a 2 × 6 at a 45° miter), DEWALT says to pull the head out, lower it and push it back through the cut; Makita likewise says to pull the carriage fully toward you before lowering and pushing. Neither saw is to be cut on the pull stroke, which DEWALT warns can make the blade climb the work and throw the head toward you.
Equipment notePaid link
12-in sliding compound miter saw
DEWALT DWS780
This guide's 12 in sliding-saw capacities come from DEWALT's DWS779 manual, which also names the DWS780.
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Blades the makers allow
- Size and arbor: only the diameter and bore the saw is marked for — 12 in on a 1 in arbor for the DWS779. A smaller blade is not guarded properly, DEWALT warns.
- Speed rating: at least the saw's marked speed (Makita); DEWALT gives at least 4800 rpm for the DWS779.
- Tooth geometry: DEWALT says crosscut blades only, carbide blades with a hook angle of no more than 7°, and no deep gullets, which can deflect into the guard.
- Material: neither maker allows abrasive wheels. Blade types are compared in the saw blade guide.
Setting up and keeping it true
Both manuals want the saw fixed to a level, firm surface — a bench or a stand made for it. DEWALT's stands carry a miter saw only, fully anchored, on flat ground; how stands compare is in choosing a miter saw stand. Long boards need support level with the table on both sides, not a helper holding the end: a roller stand is one way. For dust, both saws take their bag on the dust port or a shop vacuum hose. To check accuracy, DEWALT's sheet squares the blade to the fence at the 0° miter detent and to the table at the 0° and 45° bevel stops, with a square held clear of the teeth.
Cutting crown molding
| Crown | DEWALT | Makita Table (A) |
|---|---|---|
| 52/38 | Bevel 33.85° (33.9° in the DWS779 manual), miter 31.62° | Bevel 33.9°, miter 31.6° |
| 45/45 | Not given in the documents reviewed | Bevel 30°, miter 35.3° |
The figures differ only in rounding. For corners that are not 90°, Makita prints a table for every wall angle from 60° to 180°; the crown molding angle calculator gives the same settings for any wall and spring angle.
Both makers stress the same thing: the angles are very precise, hard to set exactly, and few rooms are square, so test on scrap. DEWALT's nested method has the advantage that an out-of-square corner changes only the miter. For frames and boxes whose sides lean, the miter angle calculator gives the compound settings.
Rules both manuals share
- Clamp the work when possible; a hand on the work stays at least 4 in (100 mm) from either side of the blade.
- Hold the work against the fence and table; never cut freehand or feed the work into the blade.
- Never cross your arms over the line of cut, and never reach behind the fence near a spinning blade (DEWALT).
- Let the blade reach full speed before it meets the work, and let it stop before lifting the head or removing the off-cut.
- Cut one piece at a time; do not trap the off-cut against the blade with a length stop (DEWALT).
- Make a dry run with the power off after every change of angle, to check the blade clears the fence (DEWALT).
Before each miter saw cut
- Saw fixed to a level, firm surface
- Blade of the marked size and speed rating, crosscut type
- Angles locked, dry run done after any change
- Work clamped or held 4 in from the blade, against fence and table
- Long work supported level on both sides
- Slide cuts pushed back, never pulled
The rest of this series
- Calculators: miter angles for frames and boxes and crown molding angles.
- The older relative that pulls its blade toward you: radial arm saws.
- Choosing: a miter saw, a compact miter saw, a miter saw stand and a radial arm saw.
- Builds: miter saw projects, a mitred frame and a splayed sleeve.
Sources
Every capacity, angle and speed is the named maker's for its own saw; another saw's differ, and its manual is the one to follow. The Makita figures are read from the Spanish section of copies whose English pages did not extract; they are numbers and tables. No saw was tested.
- 1.
Used for: A compound miter as a miter and bevel at once; the DWS779's 50° left and 60° right miter, 49° bevel both ways, capacities (4.4 in high by 9.1 in wide, or 13.75 in wide by 3.0 in high, at 0° miter), 6.5 in baseboard on a 45° miter, 15 A and 3800 rpm; the out-down-back push cut for boards over 2 × 8; 12 in blades on a 1 in arbor rated at least 4800 rpm, crosscut blades only, hook no more than 7° and no deep gullets; no abrasive wheels, ferrous metal or masonry; hands at least 4 in (100 mm) from the blade, no crossed arms, clamping, the blade at full speed first and stopped before lifting, long work supported and no person as a support, cut-offs not trapped, one piece at a time, dry runs; a dust port for the bag or a shop vacuum; crown settings for 52/38 crown laid flat (bevel 33.9°, miter 31.62°) with tests on scrap; a 4-sided box example from its compound chart.
- 2.
LS1019/LS1019L Slide Compound Miter Saw instruction manual, Mexico edition (Spanish section reviewed). Makita, 2025.
Used for: The LS1019/LS1019L: 10 in blade on a 5/8 in arbor, miter 60° left and right, bevel 48° left and right, 3200 rpm, 15 A; no abrasive wheels; hands at least 100 mm from the blade; clamping; blades marked at or above the tool's speed; the carriage pulled fully toward the user before a slide cut and pushed toward the fence; a dust bag or a vacuum on the dust nozzle; crown laid flat by Table (A) — 33.9°/31.6° for 52/38 and 30°/35.3° for 45° crown — and full tables by wall angle.
- 3.
LS0815F/LS0815FL Slide Compound Miter Saw instruction manual, international edition (Spanish section reviewed). Makita, 2024.
Used for: The LS0815F/LS0815FL: 216 mm (8-1/2 in) blade, miter 50° left and 60° right, bevel 48° left and 5° right, 5000 rpm, and a cutting capacity of 65 × 305 mm at 0°; figures from the international edition.
- 4.
DWS713 10" 15 Amp Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw. DEWALT.
Used for: The DWS713: a 10 in single-bevel compound saw beveling 0–48° left and 0–3° right, 2 × 6 crosscut at 90° and 2 × 4 at 45°, 15 A, 5000 rpm, a 14-stop miter plate.
- 5.
How to Cut Crown Molding. DEWALT Canada, 2026.
Used for: Crown cut nested upside down against the fence with miter only, or laid flat with miter and bevel; flipping the piece on a single-bevel saw and not on a double-bevel one; testing on scrap because few rooms are square.
- 6.
DEWALT Miter Saws: cut controls, DWX724 stand set-up, bevel and miter adjustment, calibration and crown laid flat (support sheet). DEWALT, 2025.
Used for: Calibrating a miter saw: on a flat, stable surface, the blade squared to the fence at the 0° miter detent and to the table at the 0° and 45° bevel stops with a square that avoids the teeth.
- 7.
DWX723 Heavy-Duty and DWX724 Compact Miter Saw Stands instruction manual, as hosted by a retailer. DEWALT.
Used for: Miter saw stands: the saw fully anchored; a flat, stable surface; no tool other than a miter saw mounted.
About this guide
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