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Article Link: www.toolboxbuzz.com/head-to-h...
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Kobalt Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
Milwaukee Purchase Link: shrsl.com/2mpxq
Bosch Purchase Link: shrsl.com/2mpxc
Makita Purchase Link: shrsl.com/2mpy2
Miter Saw Performance
For the performance section, we ran 2 tests: run-time and power
For the power test we made five timed cuts in 7-1/4″ LVL lumber and recorded the average time. This is a simple test with some uncontrolled variables, but our methods were fair.
Makita won the Power Test. This test is a good indication of what the saw and blade configuration can cut. Makita crushed this test coming in at 2.0 seconds, with the Kobalt coming in second at 2.2 seconds per cut, followed by Metabo HPT in third at 2.7 seconds.
For the Run-time Test the Winner was Makita. We made repetitive cuts in KD lumber until the battery was exhausted or thermal overload prevented further cutting.
Operators were instructed to start the saw and bring it up to speed. Bring the saw forward, make the cut, wait for the blade to stop, reset, and repeat.
Makita with its dual battery system crushed this test with 328 cuts.
Bosch and Kobalt also shined in this test, with 248 and 252 cuts respectively, cutting 60+ more cuts than the fourth-place Metabo HPT. No thermal overloads were encountered.
Note, for the overall calculation of the best miter saw we are NOT using this run-time test, we use the normalized ranking that accounts for total battery pack energy (watt-hrs) listed below.
Run-time Normalization by Watt-hours - Winner Craftsman
After running the calculations, Craftsman came in first with 2.4 cuts per watt-hour, followed by DEWALT and Metabo HPT with 2.1 cuts/watt-hr, and third place was Milwaukee with 2.0 cuts/watt-hr.
This test allows us to see who has the most effective combination of battery technology, stamina, and motor power on a per watt-hr basis.
Compact Miter Saw Features - Winner - Milwaukee
The Milwaukee came in first with 21 points followed closely by the Metabo HPT at 22 points. The Kobalt and Makita tied for third with 28 points.
Milwaukee shined with its angle and bevel features, blade cut line, dust collection, and did well in the blade brake, compact size, and maximum angle. It is full-featured, with everything you’d want from a job site saw.
Metabo HPT scored tops in the maximum angle/bevel, outriggers, compact slide, electric brake, and crushes cut capacity. It is a feature-rich, beautifully crafted tool.
Ergonomics evaluation
Bosch and Milwaukee took the ergonomics section with a score of 17-points. Metabo HPT came in second with 19-points.
The team was impressed with the third-place Metabo HPT's manufacturing quality. Its design is precise, modern, and well made. The Bosch on the other hand is a venerable 10-year old design that still holds its own. The team would like to see Bosch re-design the top handle because of its tendency to pinch your hand when transporting.
Dust Collection - Winner -Makita
From carpenters working in finished spaces, to shop workers who want to reduce the amount of airborne dust in their environment, knowing how well a saw will integrate with a vacuum is an important measure of performance for any user.
Makita took first place by capturing 8.9 ounces of dust, followed by a tie between Bosch and Kobalt with 7.9 ounces of sawdust, and Milwaukee came in third with 7.5 ounces.
The DEWALT performed poorly on dust collection. The reason for this was that the dust chutes rubber flaps [behind the saw blade] collapsed when the dust extractor was turned on. While the easy field modification is to cut or remove these flaps - this really should be addressed by DEWALT.
Decibels - Winner Kobalt
The quietest saw was the Kobalt with 84 decibels followed closely by Metabo HPT with 84.4 decibels. Third place went to the Bosch at 84.7 decibels.
Compact Miter Saw Pricing - Winner Craftman
The best-priced compact sliding miter saw was the Craftsman at $249. Second place is the DEWALT at $369 followed by Kobalt at $412.
Overall Best Compact Sliding Miter Saw - Winner Kobalt
The Tool Box Buzz crew has to give hats off to the Kobalt, it was an excellent performer with some nicely thought out features. While the team recognizes that Kobalt is not considered by most to be a Pro brand, it performed well and the numbers speak to that. The Kobalt saw surprised the crew with its impressive runtime. It scored tops in the runtime testing, decibels and price. It took second place in dust collection and the LVL power test and had a solid 3rd place showing in features.
Bosch, Makita and Metabo HPT tied for third place with 30 points.]
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