Craftsman Professional 15 amp 10"Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser (21201)

Craftsman 10 inch Professional sliding compound bevel Miter Saw September 14, 2010

I reviewed a lot of saws prior to this purchase, the new Makita and Dewalt were at the top of my list.  I purchaed this saw due to the sales price, it definitely is not a $449.00 saw.  Fortunately, I paid close to half that amount on sale.

About the saw, the sliding mechanisn is not near as smooth as on other saws (Makita, Dewalt, Ridgid) I do wonder about the longevity and accuracy of cut as the slide mechanism wears.  I had to drill out the rear fence mounting holes in order to square it with the blade.  The left side 45 degree bevel is off, I have the replacement bevel lock coming under warranty, I hope that takes care of that problem.  I spent about 3 hours reading the manual and going over the tool, I had to disassemble the saw to accurately determine what was the culprit with the bevel lock. 

The saw makes nice clean cuts, it is quiet and as other have stated it blows saw dust everywhere.  I believe that is due to having enough clearance for the bevel feature and the dust guard, the tolerance is very wide so the saw dust does not directly enter the chute.  My single bevel non-sliding Dewalt has a tighter tolerance between the blade and dust collector to solve that problem.  The handle design is very comfortable, and the saw is light and portable.  The stock blade does a nice job on trim for a crisp clean cut.  I do like the tall fence and the locking feature for it is very handy and easy to use.  The crown molding stop works well and is also very easy to set up.

Overall, I could have spent $450.00 for the the new model Makita, or $190.00 less for this Craftsman Saw...that is the big debate for me.  Is the $190.00 worth the adjusting, disassembly, placing the part order, and the unknown longevity and durability of this saw.  In the long run, no.  If the replacement bevel lock does not fix the left side bevel (it locks on 48 degress instead of 45 degrees) the saw is going back and I will purchase the Makita.

The thing that is important on these sliding bevel saws is the sliding mechanism and the bevel design, they have to be sturdy, easy to use, accurate, and hold up to use.  A lot to ask for, but that is what they have to do.

I would rank this saw a few steps above the Ryobi, it has larger diameter slide tubes, and the location of the motor is where it should be, up out of the way.  The laser works in lower light conditions, it gets washed out in sunlight...no big deal.  If you really need a sliding bevel saw do yourself a favor and spend the extar cash and go for something else.  If you really don't need the cutting capacity of a slider you won't get hurt with the other Craftsman line of non-sliding Miter Saws.

Craftsman needs to go back to the drawing board and refine this saw, the saw does have potential.

Heavy duty, quality and pretty much ready to go. September 10, 2010

Heavy duty, high quality and ready to go for the most part. This is more of a shop tool than a portable tool because of the size and weight, but I don't know how this can be changed without reducing the quality of the tool. It is cumbersome to carry around, but my customers are impressed when I break it out. My other complaint is that it comes with a 40 tooth blade. This blade is more like what I would expect in a chop saw, and not in a saw for fine miter finishes, and the 60 tooth blade that I bought to go with it was $60. When combining the price of the saw, the price of the extended contract, the price of the blade, and the tax will really add up fast. We can't do anything about the tax, but Sears could most definitely extend their warranty and put the propper blade of a saw that is promoted for fine finish work.

Now that that tirade is over. I love the saw. Ready to go right out of the box. (After slight assembly). My cuts are true and square and miters are on the mark. I did have to adjust the laser a little, but it was easy enough to do. I love the duel bevel that keeps me from having to turn crown molding upside down, backwards and whatever other nonsense I sometime have to do to ge the miters right. Since I install cabinets the sliding feature is a real desireable feature too. I'm using my table saw less and my compound miter more.

Cool saw

Rick

This Craftsman miter saw has improved my handyman performance. February 12, 2010

What a difference a quality tool makes. the first job I took on was to remodel a bathroom. Taking out a wall and adding a new built in closet to the adjoining room. I also added a walking platform in the attic to allow me to upgrade the electrical wiring. A large section of the floor had to be replaced due to water damage and the saw made precision cuts for the replacement floor joists and supports. Easy to use and professionally made. I know I made the right decision with this new saw!

great saw at a reasonable price July 05, 2008

I bought an entry level craftsman miter saw with a single bevel but was very frustrated having to flip either the saw or the board for inside vs outside cuts. I decided to take the jump and go to a top quality saw. My first impression was that this saw was very solid and the build quality was first rate. It is a fairly heavy saw, but it needs to be mounted to a stand or workbench. It will slide on the mite angles if not mounted. The positive locks are firm and the motions for both the bevel and slide are very smooth but may need some adjustment out of the box. The saw can be adjusted in just about every aspect of use. I found the slide motion to be very smoth and I like the ability to adjust the tension on the motion. Also the bevel motion was alittle tight out of the box but can be adjusted with ease. For the most part the saw was set up perfect out of the box, sqaure to the miter and fence. The only complaints I have with the saw is the positive bevel stop is off and is really 46* not 45 but if I use the lock the gauge is set right at 45* The owners manual is not clear at all on adjusting the positive stop. It says it can be done but doesnt give clear instructions on how to do so. Other than that I bought a better finishing blade for my trim and have laid about 300 LF using the saw and love it. I read some of the previous posts and was concerned with the quality I would be getting. I am very happy with the purchase and feel there arent many saws that can compare to this one for the price and bang for the buck it delivers.