The Best Budget Miter Saw: Save Money and Work Efficiently!

If you're going for a budget miter saw, finding the best features is not your priority. But, what if you could find a tool that checks all the boxes: power, strength, precision, and most importantly, price? Believe it or not, we think we found it all in the Metabo HPT 10-Inch Compound Miter Saw.

First off, let's start by noting that this is a corded miter saw, which already tells you more about the device itself. It's connected to a direct power source that delivers energy to the motor in a way that most cordless miter saws cannot do.

Thanks to the patented Metabo 15-amp motor, this unit can transform raw power into 5000 RPMs of cutting speed, which is more than you'd expect from a corded miter saw. This feat is even more impressive when you realize that this is a 10-inch miter saw and not a 12-inch compound miter saw.

Aside from standard crosscut, this unit is capable of cutting bevel cuts up to 45 degrees and miter cuts up to 52 degrees, both to the left and right. Beveling is limited only to the left since this is a single-bevel compound miter saw, but you'll generally see miter saws with the same properties.

What really got us was the table and the fence. The design is so meticulous and sturdy that you'd think this is a table saw. It's very balanced, and there are no marginal errors or slight deviations in angles, as you can see in any miter saws.

Honestly, it's not us being biased when we say that this is the best 10-inch compound miter saw for the money - it has it all, and it's cheap!

The sad truth about it is that a lot of the best budget miter saws cannot really perform in the exact way that they were advertised. They can make your standard crosscuts, but they often struggle with more complicated angles and angled cuts. Do you want the good news? Here's one to break the myth, the Genesis GMS1015LC 15-Amp 10-Inch Compound Miter Saw.

You'll often see all of the same features and accessories while browsing for compound miter saws, but you'll rarely see something authentic about them. This sounds like a great thing to start off the review with.

The GMS1015LC has won our hearts over with its incredible versatility. Its build and design allow the user to make various compound cuts that can be used for making picture frames, crown molding, and making delicate angled cuts. All of this is thanks to the compact miter saw in combination with a powerful motor.

The Genesis team also incorporated an electric brake that stops the miter saw blade in mere seconds if there's any contact with the skin, and there's an arbor lock for fast blade changes. You'll also get a dust bag and a blade wrench, which is always a nice bonus with these types of power tools.

Accurate cuts are naturally there, but it's good to know that there are nine positive stops when it comes to making a precise miter cut. It's all common angles, plus a few more you might need with crown molding.

On paper, this is a contender for the best compound miter saw, so why is the Metabo HPT C10FCGS in the first place? Honestly, the learning curve is a bit harder to surpass with this one.

Since it operates at a slower speed, you need to learn how to finesse your cuts if you want clean and straight cuts. It's not a big flaw, but it's the little things that separate these two products.

Some of you might be looking for a mix of a cheap miter saw with fast cutting abilities, and it might seem like an impossible task. It's really not, especially when you read about the Hitachi C10FCG 10-Inch Single-Bevel Compound Miter Saw.

If you didn't know, Hitachi is actually the old company name for Metabo industries because they changed names in 2018. They are still the same manufacturers, but the last four years have brought some new units to the table. Needless to say, there are still some quality Hitachi miter saws, such as this one.

Same as the Metabo miter saw, this unit can operate with ease at 5000 RPMs thanks to the Metabo 15-amp motor that's extremely efficient in converting energy. It's not a dual-bevel miter saw, so it can only tilt to the left when it comes to bevel cuts, but the bevel range is 0-45 degrees, which is highly efficient.

Many miter saws that are corded weigh a lot due to heavy-duty motors, but that's not the case with this mobile miter saw. It weighs 24.2 lbs with all the equipment, including the blade guard and the dust collector attachment.

We'd like to add that the addition of a large table is what makes this single-bevel miter saw a pleasure to have. Not only do you have enough space to maneuver around, but you also get an additional working area around the fence which is ideal for making compound angles.

Honestly, the aluminum base is the only thing we don't like. It's okay, but it's not as solid as you'd expect for a corded miter saw. Several customer reviews have noted that the base is not that sturdy, so you might want to be careful not to overload the miter saw.

Naturally, electrical products have long surpassed manual tools in efficiency and ease of use. However, woodworking is a fine art that requires skill that's passed down from father to son.

The best way our parents taught us to cut was manual, with old-fashioned tools such as a manual miter saw. Here's the best one right now, the CRAFTSMAN CMHT20800 Miter Saw.

Of course, this item cannot possibly be compared with the previous miter saws we had and the following items we'll review, but we believe it deserves a spot on the best budget miter saw list. Firstly, it's cheap (obviously), and secondly, it's the best in its own league, the league of manual saws.

Throwing a quick glance at the design of this budget miter saw already gives you an idea of what type of cutting it can offer you. The miter adjustments are quite wide, and quick stops let you cut a specific angle without any interruptions.

The handle is quite robust and firm, but it has a comfortable grip that doesn't tire your hands much. Most budget miter saws aren't really user-friendly, which is why we're giving a huge plus to the Craftsman miter saw for making such a comfortable model.

We actually had the opportunity to use this model, and so we did. It turns out this thing can cut! The saw has 80 teeth that are made from long-lasting steel that doesn't rust. It's perfect for crosscuts and miter cuts, and the build of this thing makes a blade guard obsolete, given the height of each cut.

To tell you the truth, we really prefer miter saws such as this one for beginners and we believe that hobbyists shouldn't have to start learning with an electrical product, especially advanced ones from companies such as DeWalt or Skil.

Increased maneuverability and more options for making bevel cuts are something that only sliding miter saws and dual-bevel miter saws can accomplish. So, here's our first miter saw that can move both left and right, the Skil 10" Dual-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw - MS6305-00.

As we said, this is a dual-bevel miter saw, meaning that the bevel angle changes depending on the side you're tilting the device to. If you're tilting it left, you can cut at 45 and 48-degree angles, or you can cut between 0 and 45 degrees on the right.

Either way, these four positive stops are some of the most common angles you'll use in all woodworking projects.

A powerful 15-amp motor powers this compound sliding miter saw and delivers 4800 RPMs of raw speed to the saw blade.

Now, you might think that you need a 10-inch compound miter saw with laser properties to make the most precise cuts, but that's a myth. In this case, you can use an LED shadow line, which some argue delivers more accuracy than an actual laser guide.

When it comes to application, trust us when we say that this baby can cut through everything - 2x4, 2x8, and even 2x12, thanks to the sliding rails that offer much-needed width and maneuverability.

Honestly, this Skil miter saw is probably the best unit you'll find to tackle both easy and heavy-duty woodworking projects. A lower price tag would be perfect and a bit more solid sliding mechanism.

All of the budget miter saws that we've covered have 19 and 12-inch blades, which are suitable for most projects you'll work at, such as crown molding, cutting boards, and many other side projects. However, delicate work requires a smaller blade, which is where the incredible Evolution Power Tools R185SMS comes in.

The best budget miter saws are essentially basic miter saws with no true accessories that most premium products have. Naturally, the more you pay, the more you'll get, but there comes a product once in a while that offers a lot for its price range, like this one.

This sliding compound miter saw is equipped with a state-of-the-art laser guide system, a quality dust bag, a three-piece clamp, ad a carbide blade that exceeds the expectations.

The design is truly spectacular, and this is probably the best-built device we have on this list. It's extremely balanced, quite lightweight, and makes very precise cuts.

In terms of speed, it's not the best since it can probably reach 4000 RPMs at the maximum variable speed setting. It's enough to get you through a project, but you can't expect to work with some thicker materials and finish in a relatively quick manner.

So, overall, we'd say that this is the best miter saw for beginners if we're talking about electrical units. If you intend on cutting something heavier, we suggest the previous item.

The best way to practice accuracy is by making constant cuts, working on your craft, and shifting through numerous tools to find the one that fits your skills.

On the other hand, we now have smart laser guide systems that relieve a lot of the pressure from the user in terms of accuracy, so if you're starting out, the WEN MM1214T 15-Amp 12-Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser could be the product for you.

Technically speaking, this is a dual sliding compound miter saw, meaning you have the ability to choose the bevel direction from which you want to approach the cutting material. Thanks to its design, this miter saw can easily cut boards 14 inches wide at a 45-degree miter angle.

If we look at its features, it's not the most authentic unit on the market. In fact, its description resembles any other sliding miter saw out there. However, the reason we've included it is the class II laser guide system that's known as one of the best guidance systems out there for cutting wood.

When you combine this with the LED work light, you get a mite saw with a laser that cuts like it's its life mission. Also, the high-quality 60-tooth circular blade makes everything run smoothly without any hiccups.

It works great with straight cuts, and making a miter cut is a piece of cake, but there have been instances where you have to double-check the angle adjustments. We're not sure if it's a design flaw or if the miter gauge is a bit off, but that's the only flaw we could tell.

We can't wrap up the reviews without including at least one cordless compound miter saw. Milwaukee is one of the ground-breaking firms when it comes to cordless devices, especially miter saws, so let's see what the Milwaukee 2734-20 M18 Fuel Saw is all about.

It's a common trope that cordless saws are less powerful than their corded counterparts, and it's true. Even budget miter saws with a direct AC/DC power source procure much more power that transforms into speed in comparison with cordless saws.

However, there's a model or two that can match that power, which is coincidentally 2734-20. It can grant its user 400 cuts per one charge if we're talking about standard 2x4 boards. That's incredible, considering the overall capacity of this cordless saw.

Furthermore, it weighs 45 lbs, which already tells this is not an ordinary miter saw. Once it reaches 4000 RPMs, this sliding miter saw surpasses all expectations.

For a budget sliding miter saw, it's quite incredible that it comes with a 5-year warranty. Most probably, it's to do with the M18 battery patented by Milwaukee that delivers a lot of raw power to the device. If it weren't for the battery, this would've been an ordinary cordless saw.

Truthfully, the price is astronomically high, and that's our only complaint. But, we do believe that it pays off in the years to come due to its extreme resilience and high-power features.