Anyone interested in doing woodworking or already running a professional business, a miter saw is one of the most integral tools to buy.
If you know about professional crafting, it is easier for you to pick a miter saw but what about those steeped out for the first time? Miter saws come in different types and sizes.
The bigger the blade size a miter saw has, the deeper or larger cut it can make on a piece. But the size of the miter saw increases with the increase of blade size.
But if you buy a sliding miter saw that comes with a rail system on which the blade of the saw slides, you can still go deeper in the thickness, get extra cutting capacity without increasing the size or overall footprint of a miter saw.
If you are here for the first time buying a miter saw, or you know about a miter saw but are interested in reading about the best 8 ½ sliding miters saw, this guide is for you.
In this guide we will review the top and most popular model available on the market, to help users narrow down their research, and then zero down a product.
Let’s have a detailed review of sliding 8 ½ miter saws.
Best 8 ½ Sliding Miter Saw Reviews of 2023
1. BOSCH CM8S 8 1/2 Inch Single Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw
- Bevel range -2 to 47 degree
- 29 inches base extension
- 12 1/4 inches cross cutting capacity
- 37 Pounds of weight
If you value precision and accuracy the most and look into buying an 8 ½ sliding miter saw this is the miter saw you can trust for your personal to professional cutting operations.
It comes from one of the most esteemed brands BOSCH, which has been known for producing innovative miter saw for years now.
This sliding miter saw comes with a bevel lever lock. These locks hold the piece of wood or metal in place at the bevel turret stops and also help you get quicker adjustment before cutting the piece. These adjustments are on the side of the tool, not on the behind to make quick adjustments.
One more amazing aspect about this miter saw is it got base extensions that expand up to 29-inches left to right to help you handle larger wood pieces.
Now, you do not have to cut the larger pieces in half or hire external assistance to hold upon the larger pieces.
It is a single bevel miter saw that tilts in one direction, the left and covers angles from -2 degrees to 47-degree. Yes, to get a beveled cut on the right side you will have to flip over the piece.
The most amazing and worth mentioning aspect of this miter saw is its amazing cross-cutting capability. It provides you cutting capability as good as of 10 or 12-inch miter saw.
It offers 12 ¼ inches cross-cutting capability using the rails but is way more compact and lightweight than 12 inches or 10-inches Miter Saw.
And do not forget that this miter saw also comes with easy-to-read miter scales that make it easier to set the right angle or bevel scales to use.
Along with an easy-to-read detent system it also got a miter detent override. This is a thumb-actuated override that makes it easier to override predefined or preset positive angles to help you get the desired angle.
This 8 1/2 sliding miter saw is one of the strongest and stable miter saw. It comes with an adjustable foot, comes integrated on the front side to help you maintain stability.
When the saw is running at the highest speed, and you are working at a remote site on an uneven surface, there are chances of falling or slipping the miter saw. This stabilizing foot helps you maintain the right stability, as per the needs.
What We Like!
- With an amazing cross-cutting capacity of 12 ¼ inches
- Comes with an adjustable leg to enhance stability
- Compact, lightweight that makes it easy to take along
- Extended base support to hold larger pieces
Things to Consider!
- Lack of laser-guided system
- No electric brakes, and no soft start
2. Makita LS0815F 8 1/2 Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw
- 5 amp MOTOR
- 11 positive stops
- 12-inches cross-cutting capability
- 1 pounds weight
If you are a professional woodworker who offers on-site crafting, remodeling, or woodworking services, and looking for a miter saw that handles a large variety of cutting applications, this is the miter saw you should get hands-on. This miter saw is good at anything, from carpentry to trims, from crown molding to flooring and finishing.
Another benefit of using this miter saw is its portability. It is a hell of portable a power saw which is 31.1 pounds of weight to help you take on personal to professional scale tasks. With a blade that handles a myriad of operations, you can never be wrong with this tool.
With a 10.5 amp powerful motor, this Makita-designed miter saw reaches up to 5000 rpm and works correctly at the speed you want.
The higher blade spinning speed can easily lead to refined, smooth edges cuts, with no rough or hard surface.
On the miter scale this miter saw covers around 0-50 degrees left and 0-60 degrees right, yes, it got positive stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 31.6, 45, And 50-degree on both left and right to help you quickly set to a particular angle to get smooth results.
And about the safety, this miter saw comes with additional electric brakes. These brakes make it easy and quick for the saw to stop with the power cut-off. It also has a soft-start feature to prevent the miter saw from starting automatically when there was a power cut last time.
In short, this miter saw is all about superior cutting quality, sturdy construction, and brilliance manufacturing power.
What We Like!
- Powerful motor that produces 500 rpm
- 11 Positive stops to set angle
- Good at handling a myriad of types of materials
- Portable, and compact
Things to Consider!
- No laser or LED cut guideline feature
3. Metabo C8FSHES HPT 8 1/2 Sliding Miter Saw With Laser
- 5 amp motor with 5000 rpm
- Led Light system
- Positive miter stops
- 36 pounds weight
If you are looking for a sliding compound miter saw that stays with you when you are on errands, Metabo is there to help and assist you with its HPT C8FSES Miter saw. It is one of the sturdily designed miters saw that is easy to take around.
This miter saw supports a dual bevel, which means you can tilt the head of the miter saw in both the direction left and right to get a beveled cut. It supports a 48-degree bevel angle on the left side and 5-degree on the bevel angle right side.
Yes, unlike the above two sliding 8 ½ miters saw, this one comes with an adjustable LED work light that helps in getting a precise cut. This light illumination system illuminates the table from any angle for bright visibility.
This miter saw comes with a 9.5 amp motor that produces around 5000 rpm to help you get amazing cuts with no load speed at large.
This range of blade speed is more than enough to cut through the hardest applications, materials at utmost smoothness.
Due to its compactness, and ultra-lightweight nature this miter saw can easily be taken by a myriad of operations without holding lots of weight in hand.
It is a great tool for carpeting, framing, molding, and woodworking. To help you get quick adjustments and angled cuts this miter saw comes with positive miter stops.
You can easily adjust to these adjustments at different degree levels on the left and right. From miter cuts to angled cuts, this miter saw assist you everywhere.
In total, I must say, this Metabo Aka Hitachi-designed miter saw is great to take along on remote sites.
It handles a myriad of cutting angles, got all nuts and bolts to be called a great miter saw, thus one can rely on it.
What We Like!
- Got precise and accurate cutting capabilities
- Comes in hands at a budget price range
- Can handle many different types of materials
- Got a laser-guided system to help in cutting precisely
Things to Consider!
- Poor and inefficient dust collecting system
Buying Guide
It is frustrating to buy a new product especially if that is expensive. You are always more concerned, more worried and it becomes hard for you to pick one because you read some negative reviews.
Plus, if you have some particular unique needs or require some additional features that many tools lack, the hunt goes longer than expected.
To make it easy for most of you, we have designed a buying guide section. This section helps you pick a right 8 ½ sliding miter saw, these are some features or aspects you must look into a product before giving it a final shot.
Power Of The Miter Saw
From personal to professional woodworking needs, it is important to behold the power specs of a miter saw.
I mean, you would be using the miter saw for angular cuts, beveled cuts, bevel cuts, cross cuts, and many other tasks, from wood to many other hard materials.
So, they should come with the right power capacity to help you cut through the materials without struggling.
Most of the miter saws around us come with a 9 amp to 16 amp motor. The higher the power of a motor, the smoother and enhanced performance it will be able to deliver.
The miter saw of 8 ½ inches does not often come with a 15 amp motor, as they are designed for on-the-go operations, with a 15 amp motor the weight becomes more and hard to take around.
So, it is advisable to buy a miter saw that comes with a 10-12 amp motor. If there is a 15 amp motor miter saw with a lower weight range, there is no issue in zeroing that one down.
Even with a 10 amp motor, you can easily get the cross-cutting ability of 2×12 inches into a board, and 2×8 inches at 45-degree, with sliding rails, integrated.
Single VS Dual-Bevel
Single and dual bevels are good to understand before you give a final shot to any product. A single sliding miter saw is the one that tilts in a direction, to help you give crown molding or angled cuts.
On the other hand, dual bevels come with the feature to tilts in both the direction. A dual bevel miter saw comes with all the features that a single bevel comes with, except an added tilt.
Portability
You are into buying an 8 ½ sliding miter saw, obviously there is a compactness and portability factor in your mind.
Those who offer remote site services, have to relocate the miter saw from one location to the other, so the miter saw should be good portable.
Also, Look for easy-to-carry handles in a miter saw, it helps you maneuvering it from your vehicle to the job site and vice versa.
Easy To Use
For someone beginners or professionals, ease of use is the stand-out aspect to have a special look into a miter saw.
The miter saw might look rigorous and sturdy, but it does not mean it should be hard to use. Hard in using means the controls should be easier to handle.
Such angles should be easier to switch, the locks or LED lights should be near hands to easy access. Brakes or safety control should also be there to prevent any accidents or damage.
Cutting Guiding Mechanism
Cutting guiding system whether it is LED lights or a laser cutting machine is an important feature to look into before you buy a miter saw. But most professionals do not pay special attention to this, as they do not need it, miter saw in itself is quite easy to operate and delivers accurate cuts.
For beginners, this is an aspect that can be amazing. This mechanism helps you align your blade with the laser cutline produced by the system to help you get an accurate cut. This system tells about where the blade will meet the object, to help you switch your angle.
Dust Collection
Dust collection is one of the essential aspects to look into a miter saw. It is good to have this feature in a miter saw because it prevents you from inhaling lots of dust particles, and also it helps you clean the environment.
Some miter saw does not come with a dust bag, and some come with a hose to collect it to dust collection adapters or ports. But some come with proper bags to help you collect the dust particles that would else generate a big mess around you.
It is always great that if you could use a vacuum cleaner. The vacuums are easier to use, and it is easier to dump garbage or dust collected in it.
Final Verdict
In this guide, we picked the top best 8 ½ sliding miter saws. It is good for you to have in-depth reviews of the products before you give any of them a shot.
The reviewed tools are amazing, some are top-rated, but not all-powerful and top-rated products for everyone. It is your need, compatibility, requirement, a budget range that decides which one you should go with.
Although these miter saws come with all nuts and bolts larger 12-inches miter saw comes, obviously the cutting capability would not be the same, bigger blades cut deeper and more in lengths compare to shorter 8 inches blades.