For woodworking and carpentry projects, you'll want the best miter saw you can afford. Here are eight of our favorites. The post 8 Best Miter Saws appeared first on Family Handyman. What to Consider When Buying a Miter Saw If you frequently cut boards, a compound miter saw can be a great addition to your shop. Sometimes called a chop saw, the compound miter saw offers a major advantage over a circular saw. Because the blade is always in the same position, you can accurately make repeated cuts. That’s harder to do with a circular saw, which requires manually placing the blade on the cut line. “Miter saws are incredibly useful in woodworking,” says Robert Johnson, founder of Sawinery Woodworking. “The first thing to look for when buying a miter saw is having a wide range of miter angles and bevel angles. This way, you’ll have a lot of flexibility with the kinds of projects you can tackle. Some miter saws only bevel in one direction, while others can bevel in both directions. I would recommend the latter, so you’re not restricted in how you’re making your cuts.” A few important terms to know about a compound miter saw: Miter cut: This is the cut made when swiveling the blade in one direction or another to cut a board at something other than a 90-degree angle to the back fence of the saw. Compound miter cut: Here, the blade is tilted about the base of the saw in addition to swiveling it. This sort of cut works for crown molding because the molding will sit at an angle to the wall. It will also need to be mitered in the corners. Some other features to look for when selecting a miter saw: Single or dual bevel: Single bevel allows the blade to tilt in one direction — typically to the left, when looking at the saw from the front. Dual bevel tilts left and right, giving more flexibility when setting up cuts. Blade size: Traditionally, miter saws have 10-inch- or 12-inch-diameter blades, with a larger blade accommodating wider pieces of wood. Some smaller saws use a 7-1/4-inch blade. It may not be as versatile, but it’s less expensive because it’s the most common size blade for a circular saw. Sliding functionality: A slide allows the blade to be pulled on rails or some other mechanism through a wider board. This increases a smaller, less expensive blade’s cutting capacity to that of a larger, more expensive blade. With some saws, however, the slide function can be bulky and stick out behind the saw. This takes up precious space in a small shop. Cost: These can cost roughly $200 to more than $1,600. For most DIYers, a lower-priced compound miter saw will suffice. However, as skills develop and you take on projects with more precise joinery, a more deluxe model might be worth the investment. And lastly, don’t forget about your safety when using a miter saw. “Miter saws produce a lot of sawdust, so you should always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. I would also recommend wearing ear protection and a face mask. I wouldn’t recommend wearing gloves, though, as they can get caught in the blade,” says Johnson. He adds that you should keep the stock secured to the saw’s fence and table to prevent movement while cutting. Always remember to wait for the blade to come to a complete stop before adjusting the workpiece or the saw settings. Finally, keep the area well-lit, the saw blade sharp and your work area clean.