Crown molding is a stylish addition to any home. When installing moldings, you will need to cut the molding lengths at an angle to fit into the corners. Whether you cut moldings at a 45-degree angle or 22.5 degrees, the process is essentially the same. A miter saw makes the cutting crown molding a lot easier. That’s why we picked the best miter saw for crown molding so you can do the job like a professional.
The miter saw is the heart of every woodworking workshop.
So, in this article, we picked the top 5 miter saws that will make you cut crown moldings like a pro.
These miter saws were not picked randomly, they were picked based on a few criteria so the cutting process will be easy and efficient.
You also have to know that these miter saws not only can be used for crown moldings, but they can be used in any woodworking projects, the difference is that they have specific features and advantages that facilitate cutting crown moldings very much.
Miter Saws for Crown Molding - Comparison Table
| DEWALT (DWS780) (TOP PICK) | Bosch Power Tools GCM12SD (THE RUNNER-UP) | Hitachi C12RSH2 (BEST SAW FOR THE MONEY) |
|---|---|---|
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XPS Light High Precision Portable 3-Year Warranty |
Axial Glide System Compact Design Versatile Powerful motor |
Laser Marker Best Budget Choice Portable Vibration reducing grip |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
The Best 3 Miter Saws for Crown Molding
1. DEWALT 12-Inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw, Double Bevel (DWS780)
The DWS780 is one of the best 12-inch miter saws on the market. It is equipped with a smart XPS lighting system for more accuracy. It is provided with a 15-amp powerful motor that delivers 3800 rpm so you don’t have to worry about its power.
Main Features
It comes with a tall fence that supports 7-1/2″ of nested crown and 6-3/4″ of base molding vertically. The DWS780 is one of the perfect saws for cutting crown molding as it has the most famous positive stops like 0, 22.5, 33.9, 45, and 49 both right and left, while the miter angles range between 0 to 60 degrees to the left and 0 to 50 degrees to the right. This can increase your productivity while making repetitive cuts. So the tall fence, the crown stops, and the sliding feature will make cutting large crown molding a lot easier than you think.
See more information on DEWALT DWS780.
This model is a powerful companion for job sites, it has a detent plate that is made of tough stainless steel and a sturdy guards, fences and bevel system, and that’s what most of the contractors need.
This saw beats the next two models with the warranty, as DEWALT supports its users with a 3-year warranty and one year of excellent customer service.
All these features come with a little higher price than most of the other miter saws, it’s a little bit pricey but if you’re a professional contractor or a workshop owner like me, you won’t hesitate to pay a good chunk of money for a powerful tool like the DWS780.
This saw is perfect for remodeling jobs, cutting crown molding, furniture carpentry as well as DIY projects.
Pros
- Powerful motor
- Tall fence
- Comes with crown stops
- XPS light system
- Light weight
Cons
- The slide feature is a little rigid at first use.
2. Bosch GCM12SD Dual-Bevel Sliding Glide Miter Saw
With the famous axial glide system, the Bosch GCM12SD earned the respect of many professional woodworkers. It’s a reliable and built-to-last saw and can be used for on-site jobs, as it comes with a 15-amp and offers a smart and compact design. It also equipped with two squarelock quick-release fences to support large crown molding pieces with a 6-1/2-inch vertical capacity, and a 6-1/2-inch crown capacity.
Main Features
The dust collection system is highly improved in this model, it’s far better than the Hitachi model because it has a 90% efficiency. It also provides a state-of-the-art miter scales with detents and 7 positive stops at the most famous angles so you can use it quickly and efficiently. It has a dual bevel angle of 47 degrees to the left and to the right.
See more information on Bosch GCM12SD
The saw is perfect for tight workshops thanks to the axial glide system, it’s a smart and revolutionary system that is so different from any other miter saw.
The Bosch GCM12SD comes with a one-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee in case anything wrong happens.
This tool is perfect not only for crown molding, but it can be the master saw in your workshop, so if you’re planning to buy a miter saw for your workshop, definitely go for the Bosch GCM12SD, especially if you’re working with large and heavy materials
So my advice for this saw is that it has a good Return-on-Investment ratio compared to many other saws. Its only drawback is the weight, it weighs 88 pounds and the price, but the price-to-quality ratio is amazing according to what you will get from this saw.
Pros
- Axial-Glide system
- Compact and Durable Design
- Powerful motor with 15 amp and 3800 rpm
- Excellent Versatility
Cons
- Price and Weight
3. Hitachi C12RSH2 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser Marker
If you need an affordable and precise miter saw, then the Hitachi C12RSH2 is the right one, it features many specs that can help homeowners and contractors have the fine and accurate results they want. It’s ideal for cutting large crown molding and other any size of different stocks with accuracy.
Main Features:
It has a zero rear clearance which means you can put right at the wall, which is a great feature for tight workshops. It’s also provided with an adjustable laser light that can be positioned right on the cut or to the right or to the left for more accuracy. More importantly, that machine has adjustable depth stops as well as positive stops for quick settings and this is a feature that going to help us a lot when dealing with crown molding.
See more information on Hitachi C12RSH2
It also has a sliding fence to support large crown molding up to 5 1/8 inches and has the ability to cut 7 1/2 inch crown molding vertically. It has a tilt angle of 57 degrees right and 45 degrees left, and 0 to 45-degree bevel angle to the right and left.
The saw comes with a dust collector and a dust bag, but I consider it fancy stuff, it’s better for you to attach your shop vac to the saw, this way, you are going to clean nearly all the dust.
It also comes with an elastomer grip to reduce vibrations for more control and precise cutting. The only drawback that you will encounter is the weight, it weighs 59 pounds so it may not the perfect tool to carry with you.
Pros
- 15-amp motor
- Large sliding fences
- Elastomer grips to maintain control
- Zero rear clearance
- Comes with a laser marker for more precision
Cons
- Heavy weight
- Poor dust collection
Choosing the Proper Blade for Cutting Crown Molding
You want a clean cut for your crown molding pieces because if you don’t, you will end up with rough edges that will ruin it all. So picking the right miter saw blade is important, and we are going to do this based on two things:
- You should pick a blade of more than 60 teeth so you can have fine and clean edges
- You have to make sure that the blade is a Fine Finish Blade
And we don’t need to mention that the blade size is 12”. So, according to the previous criteria, we picked the best miter saw blades for crown molding.
Also Read: How to Choose a Miter Saw Blade
Freud D12100X 100 Tooth Diablo Ultra Fine Finish Blade
The Freud miter saw blade is a famous one, it makes the cutting process a lot easier especially for hard materials like hardwood. This is because the blade is enhanced with axial shear face grind that gives you a high quality finish for any types of materials like MDF, crown molding and baseboard. It comes with 100 teeth and a maximum RPM of 6000.
The blade has a great functionality that makes it the best blade on the market and your best choice for cutting crown molding, its only drawback is the price, it’s a little bit pricey compared to other blades but you are going to get more than what you want from it.
Features
- 100 teeth
- Corrosion Resistance
- Axial shear face grind
How to choose the best miter saw for crown molding
Making crown moldings is a real business for most of us, the pro woodworkers, so you need to do it quickly, efficiently and easily and these three features are essential for cutting crown molding:
1. The Type of Miter Saw
Generally, there are three types of miter saws, the standard, the compound and the sliding one.
I’m pretty sure you know the difference but if you don’t, here is a quick comparison:
The Standard miter saw is just a blade fixed to an arm and has a rotating motor, this saw can only create miter cuts 45o on both sides. I don’t recommend having this type when you first by a miter saw, they don’t have the important features a pro woodworker needs.
The compound miter saw is the same as the standard miter saw but it has a very important feature, it can create “compound cuts”.
A compound cut is a combination between the miter cuts and the bevel cuts, and that’s an important thing when we deal with crown molding.
The Sliding Compound miter saw was invented to do one thing other types don’t do, which is the cutting capacity.
Imagine if you want to cut a wide crown molding for a ceiling that is more than 8 feet high, the problem is that the miter saw blade won’t be able to cut that width, and here comes the sliding compound miter saw to solve this problem by adding a sliding arm so you can move the whole blade in and out so the cutting capacity is increased.
So, if you want to choose a miter saw for crown molding, make sure to go for the sliding compound type, it can cut any type of angles.
2. The Fence
The fence of a miter saw is that flat vertical surface against which you can place your workpiece.
And the miter saw fence must be tall enough to support wide crown moldings.
3. The Crown Molding Stops and Angles (Very Important)
Now that’s the big challenge that you’re going to face when you cut crown molding, the angles.
And I’m sure you don’t want end up with gaps in the joints and ruin your designs, especially when you cut wide crown molding pieces.
So, Precision is important when it comes to crown molding.
To make it right, you have to be aware of the crown molding angles and make sure that your miter saw have these angle stops or at least is compatible with any crown stops accessories (These accessories are cheap by the way) so you can select the angle that you need easily.
And believe me, if you don’t have angle stops on your miter saw, no matter how you try to adjust the angles manually, they won’t be accurate enough.
That’s why having a miter saw that supports the standard crown molding angle stops is so important.
4. Miter Saw Size
The bottom line, buy a 12-inch miter saw.
And the reason for that is the miter saw size must be the double that of the size of the crown molding, meaning that if you want to cut a 5-inch crown molding, you should buy a 10-inch miter saw, and if you want to cut a 6-inch crown molding, you should go for the 12-inch miter saw.
So the 4th feature that we need is a 12-inch sliding compound miter saw.
Let’s wrap it up, the four features that we want in a miter saw to cut crown molding perfectly are:
- Crown molding angle stops
- A 12-inch miter saw
- A sliding compound feature
- A tall fence
How to Cut Crown Molding with a Miter Saw
Suppose you don’t know how to do it correctly, we posted a quick guide on how to cut crown molding with a miter. But if you’re in a hurry, you can check out this video:
Final Thoughts
Picking the best miter saw for crown molding is not a tough task, in fact, following specific guidelines makes it a lot easier. The miter saws that we reviewed can be used as your primary miter saw in your workshop.
Our top choice is the DEWALT DWS780, it’s a great saw for both DIYers and professional contractors and it comes with all the features that we want for our crown molding jobs. But if you’re on a tight budget, you can buy the Hitachi C12RSH2, it is a great saw that comes with many features, especially for its price.
As for the Bosch GCM12SD, it is the premium choice. It competes with the DWS780 for the best miter saw but we want to combine both high quality and fair price, and the DWS780 beats that saw for in the price battle.
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