Craftsman MiterMate 10” Compound Miter Saw

Robert Robillard

13 years ago

Craftsman MiterMate 10” Compound Miter Saw Review

Finish carpenters do not have problems cutting and fitting crown molding but Do-It-Yourselfer’s do!

Craftsman has a new 10″ compound miter saw called the Miter Mate that is designed to take the guess work out of crown molding corners and angle cuts. They recently sent me a Miter Mate to test out.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

Out of the box, the saw fence was square to the blade and needed no adjustments, the bevels did not need to be adjusted either.The saw seems solidly constructed, it ran well, cut well and all adjustment movements were smooth.

The adjustable V-fence is easy to use and adjust as was the adjustable angle finder. See photos below.

FEATURES:

Moving fence with sliding faces
Retractable extension supports with a built in stop.
Laser Trac cutting guide
One hold down clamp dust bag
10″ 40-tooth carbide saw
15 Amp motor, 4800 RPM
Adjustable bevel of 0 to 45°

USING THE MITER MATE

The Miter Mate is not your ordinary miter saw. It has an innovative design that pivots the saw fence, as opposed to the saw blade pivoting. There are two easy to use levers in the fence base that adjust and lock the fence into position.

The Miter Mate comes with an removable “angle finder” which has a locking function to hold the angle while you bring it back to the saw and match the saw fence to the angle finder.

The angle finder is then removed and the saw is set to cut the correct angle. No angle measuring required.Below I am lifting the fence lever to release it so I can slide the fence to my angle finder.

Once the fence is at the angle finder I then push the fence lever down to lock it in place and hold my angle.

When both sides of the fence are in place and lock you then remove the angle finder and slide back the fences to allow the molding to get under the saw blade.

Fences slide back allowing room for the molding to be cut. A simple lever on the back of the fence controls the slide motion.

Once the fence is slide back my crown molding can be slid under the blade. The angle has not changed

The saw comes with a laser to mark the saw cut.

Crown molding cut to the angle of my angle finder.

The saw cut real nice and the end result was a super tight crown miter.

SAFETY CONCERN:

After testing the Miter Mate, I unplugged, closed and locked down the saw. I noticed that the lanyard to the angle finder [stored on the saw handle] hangs low and very close to the blade.Do not store the angle finder on the saw when using the saw, the spinning blade could grab this lanyard and cause personal injury. [photo below]Craftsman should remove the lanyard as an option.

OVERALL OPINION:

The Craftsman Miter Mate is a nice saw for cutting crown molding, baseboard and other trim. First-time miter-saw users and homeowners looking to tackle trim installation and basic home improvement projects should consider the Miter Mate.

I can see this saw being problematic in tight job site locations. When working with long lengths of molding, the Miter Mater requires you to maneuver the molding according to the angled fence. Job site conditions may not accommodate this. One option for Craftsman is to make a swivel accessory for the saw to turn instead of swinging long molding around?

The saw only cutsto a depth of 3 5/8 inches, this could become a problem with larger trim.

Overall I was impressed with the innovation of this the Miter Mate. It takes complex angles and provides it’s user with a simple to use and setup solution.

If cutting angles make you nervous or your apprehensive tackling home trim jobs then the Miter Mate is the saw you need. It duplicates the exact angle, eliminates miss-cuts, and saves you time.

I don not seeing this saw making a bit hit on a professional job site but I do recommend it to Do-It-Yourselfer’s and other home improvement enthusiasts looking for a solid miter saw.

The Craftsman Miter Mate sells for $ 200.00.

This review contains my opinion of a product. I take pride in providing my readers with an honest and objective information as well as a practical approach to using a product. I never accept payment in exchange for a positive review. Many of the tools and products are provided to for free by a manufacturer for review.

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