A compact miter saw is a model with a blade diameter less than 10 inches. They are great tools for jobs that require smaller workpieces, and the slide models can still make 12" crosscuts on 2x material. You can forget about 4x material here though – at least in one cut. A 7-1/4" to 8-1/2" blade won't be able to do this without rotating the workpiece. The best compact miter saws still work as compact, powerful power tools for professionals.
Interestingly, better run times are making battery-powered chainsaws more and more popular than corded ones. You may see this in some of our picks.
Editor's note: Check out our best miter saws article for our top overall recommendations.
Table of contents
- Best Compact Miter Saw Overall
- The best compact woodworking miter saw
- The best compact miter saw for construction sites
- The best cordless compact miter saw
- The best compact miter saw for the money
- The best compact miter saw for beginners
- Best Craftsman Compact Miter Saw
- Best Dewalt Compact Miter Saw
- Best Festool Compact Miter Saw
- The best Makita compact miter saw
- What we look for in the best compact miter saw
- to stand or not to stand
- Disagree with our selection?
- Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews
Bosch CM8S
There are two basic components when cutting: the blade and the motor that turns it. Any motor has room for speed and torque, so we can't just award awards for the biggest motor or fastest no-load speed. The Bosch CM8S 8-1/2" Sliding Miter Saw gave us excellent cutting performance, allowing us to make thick and fine cuts with ease.
Bosch also provides us with some of the best cutting capabilities. It cuts 12-1/4 inches at 90 degrees and 8-5/8 inches at 45 degrees. We also love Bosch's miter brakes. This thumb-actuated feature allows you to smoothly maneuver around miter stops when non-standard angles need to be cut.
At 37 pounds, the Bosch CM8S may not look lightweight, but its top handle makes it very portable. This becomes one of the easiest saws to move manually around the job site. It also picked up significantly more wood dust when connected to a dust collector than the other models tested. Finally, you can get an 18V battery powered "clone" of this saw with the Bosch GCM18V-08N.
You'll find it hard to beat this saw for $489.
also consider
- Makita LS0815F
The 8-1/2″ Makita LS0815F Miter Saw cuts through 2x12s while maintaining good rigidity for more sensitive miter crown cuts. This jack-of-all-trades miter saw is known for its power, performance, and ergonomic design Quickly shot to the top of our list. Only $499
The best compact woodworking miter saw
Metabo HPT C3607DRAQ4
We really enjoyed testing the Metabo HPT C3607DRAQ4 MultiVolt 7-1/4″ Sliding Miter Saw. This saw has the best build quality and most precise performance of most miter saws we’ve tested. While it’s all A premium price is required, but we know several woodworking professionals and carpenters who are willing to pay for this level of performance.
Another reason we rated it the best compact miter saw for woodworking has to do with clearance. The Metabo HPT MultiVolt 7-1/4″ Miter Saw uses a zero clearance rail system. You can position the saw against a wall for maximum crosscutting capability. Considering this is a 7-1/4″ Miter Saw , the Metabo HPT gives you pretty reliable cutting capability. The maximum depth you'll see is 2-9/32″, and the slide cut is 12-13/64″.
If you can afford it, this premium hybrid corded/cordless sliding miter saw combines power, precision, capacity, and functionality. It matches those with high-end job skill levels and reputations. For those who may not need this level of accuracy, there are plenty of other options.
Before you add batteries or an AC adapter, this saw is a whopping $1,049.
The best compact miter saw for construction sites
Milwaukee 2733-20
Keen eyes will immediately notice that this isn't just a scaled-down Milwaukee 10-inch cordless miter saw. Instead, there are some key design differences between the two saws. Most notably, the top rail design finally brings the dust port closer to the blade. The dust removal effect is greatly improved.
The Milwaukee 2733-20 Miter Saw offers dual miter capability with stops at 45° and 48°. It is mitered 48° in both directions, with cam lock brakes. There is 3-1/2 inches of vertical cutting capability with the base against the fence, and 2-5/8 inches of nesting crown capability. Remember, this saw has a 7-1/4" blade! It can also crosscut 2×8 at 90 degrees.
That aside, the bare tool weighs just 28 lbs, which is pretty light! That makes it the lightest compact miter saw we've tested to date. It also uses LED tangent indicators that work in broad daylight. This best cordless compact miter saw impressed our team with its overall great performance for cutting and trimming.
As a bare tool, the saw sells for $449, or in a kit for $549.
The best cordless compact miter saw
Milwaukee 2733-20
We've already pointed out the excellent Milwaukee M18 FUEL 7-1/4" Miter Saw above, and it's still our favorite compact cordless model. Another great option, however, is the Bosch 18V Cordless 8-1/2 Miter Saw Cut saw (model GCM18V-08N). Either of these saws offers excellent portability and plenty of framing and pruning capacity.
Bosch GCM18V-08N 18V Cordless 8-1/2 Miter Saw
Bosch built this saw on the powerful CM8S platform – and it shows. The Bosch GCM18V-08N 18V Cordless 8-1/2 Miter Saw weighs in at 31.5 pounds, which is decent capacity for its size. You can crosscut the 2×10 at 90 degrees and deal with nesting crowns of 3-5/8 inches. The saw miters to 47 degrees in both directions and you will get a 45 degree beveled cut.
The power of this saw is outstanding. With a Bosch Core18 battery and its brushless motor, you really do get wired performance. You can also cut over 350 2x4s on a single 8.0Ah battery. The saw comes with a laser guide system to help align your cuts (at least indoors).
The bare tool is $519, or the kit is $619.
The best compact miter saw for the money
Metabo HPT 8-1/2 Sliding Compound Miter Saw C8FSESM
Been using a version of this saw (Hitachi name) since 2009 and we love the price, portability and power. It weighs only 36.2 lbs and features a smooth slide and bevel system for effortless cutting. The Metabo HPT C8FSESM uses it for trim work, decorating and more, providing an all-round solution across trade borders.
It also has laser and LED lights that illuminate the entire cutting area. These features came in handy after a lot of work that stretched into dusk. For the price, this saw offers a tool that is really effective in situations of jobsite abuse (ours lasted over a decade).
You can get this compact miter saw for $329.
The best compact miter saw for beginners
Rima TSS702
This saw doesn't have us singing its praises – but you really can't top it's worth. For around $219, you can get an ultra-compact 7-1/4-inch sliding miter saw. It can crosscut 2×10 and tilt left from 0-45°. It also improves some of the sliding fence and table dimensions of the older TSS701.
You also get one of the lightest miter saws on the market. The Ryobi TSS702 Sliding Miter Saw weighs only 25 lbs! Folding it into the miter position, the top handle makes this one of the most portable saws we've ever held.
For DIYers and entry-level pros who just want to cut on smaller speed bases and crown moldings, the Ryobi TSS702 should work well. Power users may want to opt for something with more power and a brushless motor to maintain speed under load.
The saw is only $219 at The Home Depot.
Best Craftsman Compact Miter Saw
Craftsman CMCS714 Cordless V20 7-1/4″
This compact Craftsman saw offers some of the most basic features you could possibly want in a light duty mitering solution. The 7-1/4" blade lets you cut 8 inches across at 90 degrees (5.5 inches across at 45 degrees). As a battery-operated miter saw, the tool runs off a single Craftsman 18V battery. You get a shaded cutting line (which we like) and the ability to cut nesting crowns up to 3-5/8 inches.
In terms of run time, Craftsman tells us that you can make up to 585 cuts on a 3-1/4" MDF baseboard with a single 4.0 Ah battery.
As bare metal, the saw sells for $249.
Best Dewalt Compact Miter Saw
DEWALT DCS361B
We've noticed that DeWalt doesn't get a lot of love on this "best of" list (we get yelled every time we fail to include them). It turns out that the best DeWalt compact miter saw also happens to be their smallest cordless model—and the oldest. DeWalt claims you can cut 2×4 pine up to 183 times on a single 4.0 amp-hour battery. Based on the various materials we cut, I have to trust it. What's more, the DCS361 saw makes very smooth and powerful cuts. It also offers a lot of cutting power. It cuts 3-5/8" nesting crowns vertically and 3-1/2" bases vertically.
The DeWalt 20V Miter Saw makes mitering look easy. You get aggressive stops for every common angle, and they lock in authoritatively. For odd angled cuts, miter locks work just as easily. The chamfer does require you to live with the standard range of locking or unlocking.
We found the saw's glide to be a bit rough — but that's easily overlooked for the price. Because of its light weight and ease of use, entry-level decorative carpenters and floor installers will especially find this a useful addition to their DeWalt 20V Max tools.
As a bare tool, the saw costs $349, but we've seen kits for as low as $299.
Festool KSC 60 EB KAPEX
The Festool KAPEX miter saw has always resonated with us (and woodworkers around the world). When Festool announced the KSC 60 EB KAPEX, our expectations for this tool were a little high. The KSC 60 EB KAPEX offers all the features of the corded 10" KAPEX saw, but in a more compact, cordless 8-1/2" miter saw.
The main appeal of this saw is its precision. You can cut a 60 degree bevel on each side, a 46° right bevel and a 47° left bevel. Festool claims that the dual rails with dual bearings prevent any noticeable wobble or deflection. Presumably, the dual 18V battery system matches the power of its corded KAPEX saw. Of all the features, however, the blade's variable speed control surprised us the most. Festool has designed this feature to work with their wide range of blades to handle any application with higher cut quality and precision.
The bare metal costs around $999, while the kit should go up to around $1298.
The best Makita compact miter saw
Makita LS0815F
The Makita LS0815F 8-1/2" Miter Saw is an old and useful product that offers the perfect combination of portability and functionality. If you're installing several high-value homes, you'll probably appreciate a large saw, but the Makita's 8-1/2-inch beautiful 10 or 12-inch models are perfect for jobsite users who need a saw with less cutting power.
It seems like the entire industry understands that electricity can come in small packages. With a tool like the Makita LS0815F, you also get a lot of power in a small package. If you're still lugging around a 12" miter saw, you may indeed find that you really need to. But if you're not doing high crown cutting or cutting 4×4's on your back fence, this lighter, more flexible Makita saw might just be the ticket to saving your back.
You can buy this saw online or at any Makita dealer for $499.
What we look for in the best compact miter saw
Accuracy and Power
In order for these compact miter saws to live up to their claims, we needed to test them on a variety of materials. We used base and crown molding, untreated 2×2, untreated pine 2×4, and pressure treated 2×8. This gives us an idea of how each saw will cut common materials where they must make crosscuts, miter cuts and miter cuts.
We watched how smoothly the saw made each cut. Sometimes a tool can set itself apart by reducing the amount of vibration the user feels to stay ahead of the competition in the ergonomics camp. This is part of what we noticed.
Using the finely polished blade, we checked how cleanly it leaves cuts. We also measured how accurately the compact miter saw performed tasks such as miter cuts, miter cuts and 90-degree cuts to fences. Of course, we calibrated our miter saws before performing all accuracy tests.
portability
What you lose in cutting power with a compact miter saw is the added portability. Portability depends on the weight of the saw and the ergonomics of carrying it.
The heaviest compact miter saw we've tested weighs in at 37 pounds. We still find the saw easy to load on and off our sample truck bed. Several saws feel light, with one weighing just 25 lbs.
With any miter saw, the easiest way to carry it is to swing it all the way to the right-most miter position and lock it. At that point, the saw fits nicely in the back of your work truck, van or trailer.
cutting capacity
Although these saws save weight, you don't have to give up your favorite features. The Pro-grade saws here still have most of the mitering and beveling capabilities of the larger saws. In fact, they're basically just smaller and lighter – which is what our Pro users wanted.
So where does a compact miter saw really shine? In the hands of finishing carpenters, floor installers, cabinet and furniture makers. They excel at cutting case, base and crown molding. Plus, an excellent compact sliding miter saw for full crosscuts on up to 2×12 material, or 45-degree miter cuts on 2×8 material.
One area where we were able to separate the saw was narrow dado cuts. These are common cuts by carpenters to create perfectly cut grooves in the workpiece and are often used in joinery. They may be common, but most miter saws make them difficult to use because the curvature of the blade leaves a raised rear end. The solution is to flip the workpiece over and go back to cut or (more commonly) use a small piece of 2x material to push the workpiece off the fence, giving the blade more runout. No single saw can make a perfect dado cut in one go, but some can sacrifice 1x to do so.
Bevel and Chamfer
All saws tested had traditional miter capability and (at least) single bevel capability. We expect aggressive stops from pro-grade saws as well as common places for crown molding. Not only that, but we also looked at the controls. Saws with easier-to-use controls score higher, allowing our professionals to work faster and easier when changing cutting settings.
Laser and LED cutting line indicators
According to some users, the laser is only touted as a "feature that increases the price of a miter saw." We say it's all about laser placement. Lasers mounted above or to the side of the blade do cause some precision issues. Unless you're editing in the dark, not even David C. Smith recommends doing it. However, some manufacturers are realizing the benefits of lasers mounted below the blade, and this has made a world of difference. Combined with the ability to adjust for left, right or center blade cutting, these lasers make all the difference.
Even better, the LED cutting line indicator, or "shadow line" system, places LEDs above the blade, casting shadows from the left and right. As the blade is lowered, the cut line shadow freezes into an accurate representation of where the blade touches the workpiece. Since the LED system works in broad daylight, our professionals prefer it over lasers.
Dust removal
Dust collection is especially a challenge on most compact miter saws. We've all used models that make us wonder why they bother. However, improvements in shield design have helped to introduce more wood chips into the bag than a few years ago. While each of these saws can be attached to a dust collector for maximum containment, we also looked at how they perform using only their respective collection bags.
value
We all want value for money. We look at performance, features, weight, and compare all of that to price point. Value is not the price of the tool. Instead, it's what you get for your hard-earned money. As such, our value leader may not be the cheapest saw. A huge performance lead will make the more expensive ones end up looking like great value for money.
to stand or not to stand
For traditional full-size miter saws, we like to have them on a stand. Since we often gravitate toward pickup trucks, trailers, and work vehicles, the extra size doesn't really matter. However, for compact miter saws, we usually forego the miter stand. This may seem counterintuitive when trying to keep weight down and emphasize portability.
Remember, you can easily make cuts on a backsplash, porch, or with a pair of homemade sawhorses. Examine your workflow and see what works for you. All we know is that adding a 50 lb miter stand to a 32 lb compact miter saw is pointless!
Disagree with our selection?
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