Woodworking On The Cheap

When I first started woodworking (and home improvement / renovation jobs) it became apparent that I needed a miter saw. I had just purchased a Delta Shopmaster table saw (what a horrible mistake that was!) and thought I was well on my way. One of the problems I had with that table saw, was that it’s miter gauge was atrocious, and the blade, no matter how hard I tried, just wouldn’t adjust parallel to the miter slots. So my answer to cross-cutting was to get a miter saw. I didn’t have the money for a power miter saw, and at the time I thought I would spend a little now, and save up for one of those fancy sliding compound miter saws.

I made a lot of mistakes early on. But spending just a little on a solid, versatile miter saw was one of the things I did right. I’ve been very happy with my Stanley 20-800. For the price, I don’t think you can beat it.

Out of the Box

This saw is simple to assemble. The blade, tension bar, guides, and hold down cams are easy to put together. The instructions were clear enough that I didn’t really need them, and I was up and cutting wood in no time. When using a hand-held saw like this, it’s best to fasten it to the workbench. I used a couple of 6″ clamps for the task, which proved perfectly adequate.

Experience

This saw cuts wood cleanly, accurately, and easily. As long as you know how to use a back saw, you should be able to cut clean, precise miters in no time. The base has non-adjustable detents at the most common angles for cutting multi-sided boxes, doing crown-molding, or other trim-work applications.

The blade has plenty of teeth per inch to cut cleanly (and quickly) through pine and oak without chip-out. The handle is comfortable, the base is solid.

The clamping cams are a bit finicky. I normally end up with a spring clamp holding the work to the back fence, in lieu of using the cams.

Review Results

Since getting this saw, I’ve used it to build a few simple furniture pieces, trim out two or three bedrooms, and I still use this saw for work that demands more precision than I feel I can get out of my power miter saw or table saw.

As far as inexpensive miter saws go, I like this one. It’s got most of the featues of the hand powered miter saws you’ll find at Rockler or Woodcraft, at less than 1/3rd the price. You can order new blades, which I suppose will be important at some point — but I’m not there yet. This saw will outlast the cheaper plastic miter box & toy saw combination sets you can buy at most hardware or home stores. The 20-800 has more cutting capacity than a non-sliding 10″ power miter saw.

If you don’t mind using a real saw and moving your arms, this saw may be for you. If you feel like everything that cuts wood has to have a power cord, this is not a tool for you. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get reliable cross-cuts, consider this as an option.

Arbitrary Rating Numbers

Comfort In Use: 4.5/5 Nice Handle!
Longevity: 4/5 One blade, 3 years and counting!
Tolerance for Abuse: 3/5 Binding the blade can leave you in a bad situation.
Price: 4.5/5 For what you get, this is a fair deal.

Official Woodworking On The Cheap Review Score: 16/20