Used to swear by sliding compound miter saws until I saw the numbers on dust collection

I've been building cabinets for 12 years now and always told myself a sliding compound saw was the only way to go for crown molding. Then I read a test in Fine Homebuilding last month where they measured dust collection efficiency on 10 different saws. The non-sliding models captured like 95% of the dust while the sliders only got 60-70% with the same shop vac setup. That hit me hard because I do most of my work indoors in basements where dust is a real issue. Sold my big sliding DeWalt and picked up a used 12 inch non-slider from a guy on Craigslist for $150 less. The cut capacity is tight on wide boards but I can actually breathe now. Anyone else get surprised by dust test results and rethink their whole setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarwright18d ago

And it's funny how that kind of surprise applies to so many things once you start paying attention. Like I switched to a corded electric leaf blower after years of gas ones because the numbers on air pollution were eye opening. Been noticing that a lot of the stuff we think is "better" actually comes with hidden tradeoffs we don't consider until someone measures it.

cameron77018d ago

Yeah, that's a good point, it really makes you think.